GAS DISTRIBUTION SHOWERHEAD FOR INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA ETCH REACTOR
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Abstract
A two piece ceramic showerhead includes upper and lower plates which deliver process gas to an inductively coupled plasma processing chamber. The upper plate overlies the lower plate and includes radially extending gas passages which extend inwardly from an outer periphery of the upper plate, axially extending gas passages in fluid communication with the radially extending gas passages and an annular recess forming a plenum between the upper and lower plates. The lower plate includes axially extending gas holes in fluid communication with the plenum. The two piece ceramic showerhead forms a dielectric window of the chamber through which radiofrequency energy generated by an antenna is coupled into the chamber. The gas delivery system is operable to supply an etching gas and a deposition gas into the processing chamber such that the etching gas in the plenum can be replaced with the deposition gas.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1-15. -15. (canceled)
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16. A ceramic showerhead of uniform thickness configured to form a vacuum wall at the top of an inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus wherein semiconductor substrates supported on a substrate support are subjected to plasma etching, comprising:
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a lower plate of ceramic material having a planar lower surface, axially extending gas holes having diameters of less than 0.06 inch and aspect ratios of at least 2 located in an annular zone on an outer portion and extending between upper and lower surfaces, a vacuum sealing surface located on the outer portion at an outer periphery of the lower surface, and inner and outer vacuum sealing surfaces on the upper surface defining the annular zone in which the axially extending gas holes are located; an upper plate of ceramic material having planar upper and lower surfaces, the upper plate overlying the lower plate such that a plenum is located between opposed surfaces of the upper and lower plates and the gas holes are in fluid communication with the plenum, - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification