Shower Plate Having Different Aperture Dimensions and/or Distributions

• US 20120100307A1
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM Japan K.K. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM Japan K.K. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: Aida, Koei, Baba, Tomoyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,845,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/569
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45525 Atomic layer deposition [ALD]
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/50 using electric discharges generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow

Abstract

A shower plate is adapted to be attached to the showerhead and includes a front surface adapted to face the susceptor; and a rear surface opposite to the front surface. The shower plate has multiple apertures each extending from the rear surface to the front surface for passing gas therethrough in this direction, and the shower plate has at least one quadrant section defined by radii, wherein the one quadrant section has an opening ratio of a total volume of openings of all the apertures distributed in the section to a total volume of the one quadrant section, which opening ratio is substantially smaller than an opening ratio of another quadrant section of the shower plate.

Claims

1. A shower plate adapted to be installed in a plasma deposition apparatus comprising a reaction chamber with a gate valve, a showerhead, and a susceptor, said shower plate being adapted to be attached to the showerhead and comprising:

a front surface adapted to face the susceptor; and

a rear surface opposite to the front surface,

wherein the shower plate has multiple apertures each extending from the rear surface to the front surface for passing gas therethrough in this direction, and

the shower plate has at least one quadrant section defined by radii, wherein the one quadrant section has an opening ratio of a total volume of openings of all the apertures distributed in the one quadrant section to a total volume of the one quadrant section, said opening ratio being substantially smaller than an opening ratio of another quadrant section of the shower plate.

2. The shower plate according to claim 1, wherein the one quadrant section includes smaller-front opening apertures, each having a front opening smaller than that of larger-front opening apertures in the region on the front surface.

3. The shower plate according to claim 2, wherein the another quadrant section has apertures, each having a front opening which has substantially the same size as that of the larger-front opening apertures in the one quadrant section.

4. The shower plate according to claim 2, wherein each smaller-front opening aperture and each larger-front opening aperture in the one quadrant section has a rear opening on the rear surface, each rear opening having substantially the same size which is substantially the same as that of the front openings of the larger-front opening apertures in the one quadrant section.

5. The shower plate according to claim 2, wherein the one quadrant section has a density of the apertures which is substantially the same as that of the apertures in the another quadrant section.

6. The shower plate according to claim 5, wherein the smaller-front opening apertures are substantially uniformly distributed throughout the one quadrant section.

7. The shower plate according to claim 1, wherein the one quadrant section has a density of the apertures which is lower than that of the apertures in the another quadrant section.

8. The shower plate according to claim 7, wherein all the apertures in the one and another quadrant sections have substantially the same shape.

9. The shower plate according to claim 2, wherein the smaller-front opening apertures are locally distributed in an area of the one quadrant section, which area is smaller than the one quadrant section.

10. The shower plate according to claim 1, wherein the one quadrant section includes an area where a density of the apertures distributed therein is lower than that of the apertures distributed outside the area of the one quadrant section and in the another quadrant section.

11. The shower plate according to claim 3, wherein 5% to 40% of all the apertures in the one quadrant section are the smaller-front opening apertures.

12. The shower plate according to claim 1, wherein the at least one quadrant section includes a first, second and third regions, as viewed from the front, defined by lines each extending from the center of the shower plate to an outer periphery of the shower plate, the second and third regions being disposed next to the first region, respectively, and the first, second, and third regions have a first, second, and third opening ratios of a total volume of openings of all the apertures distributed in the respective regions to a total volume of the respective regions, wherein the second and third opening ratios are smaller than the opening ratio of the another quadrant section but greater than the first opening ratio.

13. The shower plate according to claim 12, wherein the first, second, and third regions include smaller-front opening apertures, each having a front opening smaller than that of larger-front opening apertures in the first, second, and third regions on the front surface, wherein the percentage of the smaller apertures relative to all the apertures in the second and third regions is lower than that in the first region.

14. The shower plate according to claim 13, wherein 5% to 40% of all the apertures in the first region are the smaller-front opening apertures, and 3% to 20% of all the apertures in the second and third regions are the smaller-front opening apertures.

15. The shower plate according to claim 1, wherein the at least one quadrant region includes a first region defined by radii, and an angle at the center defined by the radii is in a range of 30°

to 120°

, wherein the first region has a first opening ratio of a total volume of openings of all the apertures distributed in the first region to a total volume of the first region, said first opening ratio being smaller than an opening ratio of the another quadrant region.

16. The shower plate according to claim 12, wherein the first region is defined by radii, and an angle at the center defined by the radii is in a range of 30°

to 90°

, and wherein each of the second and third regions is defined by radii, and an angle at the center defined by the radii is in a range of 10°

to 45°

.

17. The shower plate according to claim 15, which has the first region at a position where the first region is disposed in a vicinity of the gate valve when the shower plate is attached to the showerhead.

18. The shower plate according to claim 17, wherein the reaction chamber includes an exhaust duct, and the position of the first region is also in a vicinity of the exhaust duct when the shower plate is attached to the showerhead.

19. A plasma deposition apparatus comprising:

a reaction chamber having a gate valve;

a showerhead to which the shower plate of claim 1 is attached; and

a susceptor.

20. A method for forming a film on a substrate using the plasma deposition apparatus of claim 19, comprising:

introducing gas through the shower plate toward the substrate, wherein the one quadrant section is positioned in a vicinity of the gate valve, wherein gas flow through the apertures in the one quadrant section is less than that through those in the another quadrant section; and

applying RF power to deposit a film on the substrate.