Blocker plate by-pass for remote plasma clean

• US 6,830,624 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Issued: 12/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Janakiraman, Karthik, Suarez, Edwin C.
• Primary Examiner(s): GHYKA, ALEXANDER G
• Application Number:
  US10/429,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20040216844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 118/719, 118/723.E, 438/680, 438/758
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4405 Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases
• 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: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means

Abstract

A flow of a remotely-generated plasma to a processing chamber by-passes a blocker plate and thereby avoids unwanted recombination of active species. By-passing the blocker plate according to embodiments of the present invention avoids the high pressures arising upstream of the blocker plate, inhibiting ion recombination and elevating the concentration of reactive ions available in the processing chamber for cleaning and other reactions. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the flowed ions may be distributed beyond the edge of an underlying blocker plate through channels of a separate by-pass plate positioned between the gas box and the blocker plate. In accordance with an alternative embodiment in accordance with the present invention, the flow of remotely generated active ion species may be distributed beyond the edge of an underlying blocker plate through channels of the gas box itself.

Claims

1. A gas distribution system for a substrate processing chamber, the gas distribution system comprising:

a gas distribution faceplate having a first plurality of gas holes adapted to introduce a gas into the substrate processing chamber;

a first gas inlet having a cross-sectional area smaller than the surface area of the substrate;

a first gas passageway fluidly coupled to the first gas inlet and to the first plurality of gas holes, wherein the first gas passageway comprises a second plurality of gas holes configured to transform a flow of gas from the first gas inlet into a flow of gas having the cross-section of the surface area of the substrate;

a second gas inlet; and

a second gas passageway fluidly coupled to the second gas inlet and to the first plurality of gas holes, wherein the second gas passageway allows gases to flow from the second gas inlet to the first plurality of gas holes, while by-passing the second plurality of holes.

2. The gas distribution system of claim 1 wherein the second plurality of holes are fewer in number than the first plurality of holes.

3. The gas distribution system of claim 1 wherein the first gas passageway comprises a perforated plate, and the second gas passageway extends beyond an edge of the perforated plate.

4. The gas distribution system of claim 3 wherein the perforated plate is circular and the second gas passageway extends in a radial direction.

5. The gas distribution system of claim 1 wherein the second inlet and the second gas passageway are defined by the interface between a first integral element housing the first inlet and a by-pass plate attached to the first integral element.

6. The gas distribution system of claim 1 wherein the first inlet, the second inlet, and the second passageway are defined by a single integral element.

7. The gas distribution system of claim 1 wherein the second gas passageway is also in fluid communication with the first plurality of holes.

8. A gas distribution system for a semiconductor fabrication chamber comprising:

a gas box having a first channel in fluid communication with a processing gas source and a second channel in fluid communication with a remote plasma source;

a blocker plate defining a plurality of orifices in fluid communication with the first inlet of the gas box;

a gas distribution faceplate defining a plurality of orifices in fluid communication with the orifices of the blocker plate and in fluid communication with a chamber of a processing tool; and

a by-pass plate positioned between the gas box and the blocker plate, the by-pass plate having a first channel in fluid communication with the first channel of the gas box and with the blocker plate orifice, the by-pass plate including a second channel in fluid communication with the second gas box channel, the second channel of the by-pass plate in fluid communication with the chamber without passing through the blocker plate orifice.

9. The gas distribution system of claim 8 wherein the second channel of the by-pass plate is in direct fluid communication with the chamber.

10. The gas distribution system of claim 8 wherein the second channel of the by-pass plate is in fluid communication with the chamber through the orifice in the gas distribution face plate.

11. The gas distribution system of claim 10 wherein the second channel of the by-pass plate extends in a radial direction to define an outlet positioned beyond an outside edge of the blocker plate.

12. The gas distribution system of claim 8 wherein the second channel of the by-pass plate is also in fluid communication with the first channel of the by-pass plate.

13. A gas distribution system for a semiconductor fabrication chamber comprising:

a gas box including,

a first channel including an outlet and an inlet in fluid communication with a processing gas source, and

a second channel including an outlet and an inlet in fluid communication with a remote plasma source;

a blocker plate defining a plurality of orifices in fluid communication with the first gas box channel outlet; and

a gas distribution faceplate defining a plurality of orifices in fluid communication with the orifices of the blocker plate and with the processing chamber.

14. The gas distribution system of claim 13 wherein the second channel of the by-pass plate is in direct fluid communication with the chamber.

15. The gas distribution system of claim 13 wherein the second channel of the by-pass plate is in fluid communication with the chamber through the orifice in the gas distribution face plate.

16. The-gas distribution system of claim 13 wherein the second channel of the gas box extends in a radial direction to define the outlet positioned beyond an outside edge of the blocker plate.

17. The gas distribution system of claim 13 wherein the second channel of the gas box is also in fluid communication with the first channel of the gas box.