Showerhead mounting to accommodate thermal expansion
First Claim
1. A method of dispensing gas into a vacuum chamber, comprising the steps of:
- providing a vacuum chamber having a chamber wall that encloses a chamber interior;
positioning a shelf within the chamber interior, wherein the shelf has an upward facing surface;
providing a showerhead having a radially outer perimeter, a rim that includes said radially outer perimeter, an upper surface, a lower surface, and one or more gas orifices extending between the upper surface and the lower surface, wherein the rim of the showerhead includes a downward facing surface;
positioning the showerhead within the chamber interior so that the downward facing surface of the rim of the showerhead rests on the upward facing surface of the shelf and so that the rim of the showerhead is free to slide along the upward facing surface of the shelf; and
flowing gas through the gas orifices of the showerhead into the chamber interior.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for accommodating thermal expansion of a showerhead. In a first aspect of the invention, the showerhead is movably supported by resting a rim of the showerhead on a support shelf. In a second aspect, the showerhead is suspended from the chamber wall by a plurality of hangers that are connected to the showerhead, the chamber wall, or both by pins that slide within slots so as to permit the hangers to slide radially to accommodate thermal expansion of the showerhead in the radial direction. In a third aspect, the showerhead is suspended from the wall of the vacuum chamber by a plurality of rods or flexible wires. In a fourth aspect, the showerhead is connected near its perimeter to a second material having a greater thermal expansion coefficient than the showerhead. In a fifth aspect, a heater is mounted behind the showerhead to reduce the temperature differential between the top and bottom surfaces of the showerhead or to reduce heat transfer from the workpiece to the showerhead.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of dispensing gas into a vacuum chamber, comprising the steps of:
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providing a vacuum chamber having a chamber wall that encloses a chamber interior; positioning a shelf within the chamber interior, wherein the shelf has an upward facing surface; providing a showerhead having a radially outer perimeter, a rim that includes said radially outer perimeter, an upper surface, a lower surface, and one or more gas orifices extending between the upper surface and the lower surface, wherein the rim of the showerhead includes a downward facing surface; positioning the showerhead within the chamber interior so that the downward facing surface of the rim of the showerhead rests on the upward facing surface of the shelf and so that the rim of the showerhead is free to slide along the upward facing surface of the shelf; and flowing gas through the gas orifices of the showerhead into the chamber interior. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of dispensing gas into a vacuum chamber, comprising the steps of:
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providing a vacuum chamber having a gas inlet and having a chamber wall that encloses a chamber interior; positioning a shelf within the chamber interior, wherein the shelf has an upward facing surface; providing within the chamber interior a showerhead having; (i) a central portion that includes an upper surface, a lower surface, and one or more gas passageways extending between the upper surface and the lower surface, wherein the gas passageways are in fluid communication with the gas inlet so as to conduct gas flow from the gas inlet through the gas passageways into the chamber interior, and (ii) a rim that is radially outward of the central portion, wherein the rim of the showerhead includes a downward facing surface, and wherein the rim does not include any gas passageway that conducts gas flow from the gas inlet through the rim into the chamber interior; resting the downward facing surface of the rim of the showerhead on the upward facing surface of the shelf so that the rim of the showerhead is free to slide along the upward facing surface of the shelf; and flowing gas from the gas inlet through the gas passageways of the showerhead into the chamber interior. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification