Vacuum processing apparatus

• US 6,599,367 B1
• Filed: 09/06/2000
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Nakatsuka, Sakae
• Primary Examiner(s): Hassanzadeh, Parviz
• Application Number:
  US09/623,574
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 118/728, 118/723.E, 156/345.34, 156/345.33, 156/345.51
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/455 characterised by the method used for introducing gases into reaction chamber or for modifying gas flows in reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles

Abstract

A vacuum process system having a vacuum process container. Located inside the vacuum process container is a supporting table for supporting thereon an object to be processed, a presser member for pressing the top surface of the peripheral portion of the object onto the supporting table, and a shower head facing the supporting table. The shower head has a large number of gas nozzles in the bottom face thereof. The bottom face of the shower head has a facing portion positioned substantially directly above the inner peripheral edge of the presser member and a non-facing portion. The facing portion has nozzles with larger diameters than the non-facing portion or a higher density of nozzles than the non-facing portion.

Claims

1. A vacuum process system comprising:

a vacuum process container having therein a supporting table for supporting thereon an object to be processed;

a presser member for pressing a top surface of a peripheral portion of said object to fix said object to said supporting table; and

a shower head part facing said supporting table and having a number of gas nozzles in a bottom face thereof;

wherein said bottom face of said shower head part is divided into a facing portion positioned substantially directly above an inner peripheral edge of said presser member, and a non-facing portion present inside and outside of said facing portion;

wherein a diameter of at least part of said gas nozzles in said facing portion of said shower head part is set to be greater than a diameter of said gas nozzles in said non-facing portion.

2. A vacuum process system as set forth in claim 1, wherein a density of said gas nozzles in at least part of said facing portion of said shower head part is set to be greater than a density of said gas nozzles in said non-facing portion.

3. A vacuum process system comprising:

a vacuum process container having therein a supporting table for supporting thereon an object to be processed;

a presser member for pressing a top surface of a peripheral portion of said object to fix said object to said supporting table; and

a shower head part facing said supporting table and having a number of gas nozzles in a bottom face thereof;

wherein said bottom face of said shower head part has an annular region, an inner region inside of said annular region, and an outer region outside of said annular region;

wherein said annular region is formed substantially directly above the inner peripheral edge of said presser member along the shape of said inner peripheral edge;

wherein a diameter of at least part of said gas nozzles in said annular region is set to be greater than a diameter of said gas nozzles in the inner region and the outer region.

4. A vacuum process system comprising:

a vacuum process container having therein a supporting table for supporting thereon an object to be processed;

a presser member for pressing a top surface of a peripheral portion of said object to fix said object to said supporting table; and

a shower head part facing said supporting table and having a number of gas nozzles in a bottom face thereof,

wherein said bottom face of said shower head part is divided into a facing portion positioned substantially directly above said inner peripheral edge of said presser member, and non-facing portions present inside and outside of said facing portion,

wherein a density of said gas nozzles in at least part of said facing portion of said shower head part is set to be greater than a density of said gas nozzles in each non-facing portion.

5. A vacuum process system as set forth in claim 4, wherein a diameter of at least part of said gas nozzles in said facing portion of said shower head part is set to be greater than a diameter of said gas nozzles in one of said non-facing portions.

6. A vacuum process system according to claim 4, wherein said facing portion is annular.