Showerhead for a gas supplying apparatus

• US 5,624,498 A
• Filed: 12/08/1994
• Issued: 04/29/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Gil-Gwang, Fujihara, Kazuyuki, Chang, Kyu-hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): BUEKER, RICHARD R
• Application Number:
  US08/352,249
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 118/719, 118/725
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45574 Nozzles for more than one gas

Abstract

A gas supply apparatus, for use in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, provides a showerhead for evenly supplying various kinds of gases to a reaction chamber. The gas supplying apparatus for use in the formation of a thin film of a semiconductor device includes a first porous plate having a plurality of first holes formed throughout its surface, and a central bore formed at its center; and a second porous plate having first projections which are regularly formed throughout its central portion, and second projections which contain depressions continuously formed around the first projections. The gas supplying apparatus evenly distributes gas into the reaction chamber, thereby improving the uniformity of the film thickness to be grown on a substrate.

Claims

1. A showerhead for a gas supply apparatus having a first gas supply pipe and a second gas supply pipe having a smaller diameter than that of the first gas supply pipe and disposed along a longitudinal axis thereof, the showerhead comprising:

a first plate having a plurality of first holes formed therein in fluid communication with the first gas supply pipe, and a central bore formed therein in fluid communication with the second gas supply pipe;

a second plate secured to said first plate, said second plate having a plurality of second holes longitudinally aligned with corresponding ones of said first holes, a plurality of interconnected gas distribution chambers in fluid communication with one another and with said central bore, and a plurality of third holes in fluid communication with corresponding ones of said gas distribution chambers;

wherein said second and third holes have smaller diameters than those of said first holes; and

,

wherein said first and second holes provide a first gas pathway between the first gas supply pipe and the exterior of the showerhead, and said central bore, said gas distribution chambers and said third holes provide a second gas pathway between the second gas supply pipe and the exterior of the showerhead.

2. The showerhead as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second and third holes have diameters which are no more than one-half those of said first holes.

3. The showerhead as set forth in claim 2, wherein the gas supply apparatus is part of a CVD apparatus for forming a thin film on a surface of a semiconductor device.

4. The showerhead as set forth in claim 2, wherein the diameters of said second and third holes are the same.

5. The showerhead as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second gas supply pipes are arranged in a concentric configuration.

6. The showerhead as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a plenum disposed between the first gas supply pipe and said first plate, for distributing gas from the first gas supply pipe to said first holes.

7. The showerhead as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a plenum fluidly interconnecting the first gas supply pipe and said first holes.

15. The showerhead as set forth in claims 1 or 8, wherein said first and second plates are each comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel and aluminum alloy having a surface plated with Al₂ O₃.

8. A showerhead for a gas supply apparatus having a first gas supply pipe and a second gas supply pipe having a smaller diameter than that of the first gas supply pipe and disposed along a longitudinal axis thereof, the showerhead comprising:

a first plate having a plurality of first holes formed therein in fluid communication with the first gas supply pipe, and a central bore formed therein in fluid communication with the second gas supply pipe;

a second plate secured to said first plate, said second plate having a plurality of spaced-apart projections depending therefrom, each of said projections having a second hole longitudinally aligned with a corresponding one of said first holes, a plurality of interconnected gas distribution chambers formed between said first projections in fluid communication with one another and with said central bore, each of said gas distribution chambers having an outlet orifice, said outlet orifices having diameters less than those of said first holes;

wherein said second holes have smaller diameters than those of said first holes; and

,

wherein said first and second holes provide a first gas pathway between the first gas supply pipe and the exterior of the showerhead, and said central bore, said gas distribution chambers and said outlet orifices provide a second gas pathway between the second gas supply pipe and the exterior of the showerhead.

9. The showerhead as set forth in claim 8, wherein said second holes and outlet orifices have diameters which are no more than one-half those of said first holes.

10. The showerhead as set forth in claim 9, wherein the gas supply apparatus is part of a CVD apparatus for forming a thin film on a surface of a semiconductor device.

11. The showerhead as set forth in claim 9, wherein the diameters of said second holes and outlet orifices are the same.

12. The showerhead as set forth in claim 8, wherein the first and second gas supply pipes are arranged in a concentric configuration.

13. The showerhead as set forth in claim 8, further comprising a plenum disposed between the first gas supply pipe and said first plate, for distributing gas from the first gas supply pipe to said first holes.

14. The showerhead as set forth in claim 8, further comprising a plenum fluidly interconnecting the first gas supply pipe and said first holes.