SHOWERHEAD ELECTRODES AND SHOWERHEAD ELECTRODE ASSEMBLIES HAVING LOW-PARTICLE PERFORMANCE FOR SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL PROCESSING APPARATUSES

• US 20120045902A1
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Fischer, Andreas, Dhindsa, Rajinder
• Granted Patent: US 8,443,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/710
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4557 Heated nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45574 Nozzles for more than one gas

Abstract

Showerhead electrodes for a semiconductor material processing apparatus are disclosed. An embodiment of the showerhead electrodes includes top and bottom electrodes bonded to each other. The top electrode includes one or more plenums. The bottom electrode includes a plasma-exposed bottom surface and a plurality of gas holes in fluid communication with the plenum. Showerhead electrode assemblies including a showerhead electrode flexibly suspended from a top plate are also disclosed. The showerhead electrode assemblies can be in fluid communication with temperature-control elements spatially separated from the showerhead electrode to control the showerhead electrode temperature. Methods of processing substrates in plasma processing chambers including the showerhead electrode assemblies are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A showerhead electrode for a semiconductor material processing apparatus, comprising:

a top electrode of semiconductor material comprising a top surface, a gas inlet at the top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface including first and second annular plenums in fluid communication with the gas inlet; and

a bottom electrode of semiconductor material comprising a top surface bonded to the bottom surface of the top electrode, a plasma-exposed bottom surface, and a plurality of gas holes in fluid communication with the first and second annular plenums.

2. The showerhead electrode of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom electrodes comprise single crystal silicon, polycrystalline silicon, SiC or SiN.

3. The showerhead electrode of claim 1, wherein each of the top and bottom electrodes comprises single crystal silicon, the top surface of the bottom electrode is diffusion bonded to the bottom surface of the top electrode, and only silicon or silicon oxide is between the bottom surface of the top electrode and the top surface of the bottom electrode.

4. The showerhead electrode of claim 1, wherein:

the second annular plenum is spaced radially outward from the first annular plenum and in fluid communication with the first annular plenum via a plurality of first radial gas passages; and

the bottom electrode includes first gas holes in fluid communication with the first annular plenum and second gas holes in fluid communication with the second annular plenum.

5. The showerhead electrode of claim 4, further comprising:

a third annular plenum spaced radially outward from the second annular plenum and in fluid communication with the second annular plenum via a plurality of second radial gas passages and with the first annular plenum; and

third gas holes in the bottom electrode in fluid communication with the third annular plenum;

wherein the second annular plenum and third annular plenum are annular channels in the bottom surface of the top electrode, the second annular plenum having a volume greater than the first annular plenum and the third annular plenum having a volume greater than the second annular plenum.

21. The showerhead electrode of claim 4, wherein the bottom electrode includes one row of circumferentially spaced gas holes in fluid communication with the first annular plenum and two rows of circumferentially spaced gas holes in fluid communication with the second annular plenum.

22. The showerhead electrode of claim 5, wherein the bottom electrode includes two rows of circumferentially spaced gas holes in fluid communication with the third annular plenum.

23. The showerhead electrode of claim 1, wherein the top electrode includes only one gas inlet.

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19. A method of processing a semiconductor substrate in a plasma processing chamber comprising a showerhead electrode assembly including showerhead electrode, the method comprising:

supplying a pre-heated heating gas from a heating gas supply section to the showerhead electrode via a first gas passage in the showerhead electrode assembly to heat the showerhead electrode;

terminating the supply of the heating gas to the showerhead electrode;

supplying a process gas from a process gas supply section to the showerhead electrode via the first gas passage;

energizing the process gas to generate plasma in the plasma processing chamber to plasma process a substrate disposed on a substrate support in the plasma processing chamber; and

supplying a heat transfer gas from a heat transfer gas supply section to the showerhead electrode assembly via a second gas passage in the showerhead electrode assembly to transfer heat from the showerhead electrode during generation of the plasma, wherein the first gas passage is flow isolated from the second gas passage.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the pre-heated heating gas has a temperature of about 100°

C. to about 500°

C.; and

the showerhead electrode has a diameter exceeding a diameter of the substrate by at least about 50 mm.