Diffuser plate with slit valve compensation

• US 8,328,939 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Choi, Soo Young, White, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lund, Jeffrie R
• Application Number:
  US11/780,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20080020146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,971 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 118/723.E, 156/345.33, 156/345.34, 156/345.43, 156/345.47
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/345 Silicon nitride
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/5096 Flat-bed apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32596 Hollow cathodes

Abstract

The present invention generally comprises a diffuser plate for a PECVD chamber. The diffuser plate comprises a plurality of hollow cathode cavities. The edge of the diffuser plate that will reside closest to a slit valve within a processing chamber may have the shape and/or size of the hollow cathode cavities adjusted to compensate for the proximity to the slit valve. By adjusting the shape and/or size of the hollow cathode cavities closest to the slit valve, the diffuser plate may permit a uniform plasma distribution across the processing chamber and thus, a uniform film thickness upon a substrate during a PECVD process.

Claims

1. A gas distribution plate assembly, comprising:

a diffuser plate element having an upstream side, a downstream side, a first edge to be disposed adjacent a slit valve in a processing chamber, a center, and a second edge; and

a plurality of gas passages passing between the upstream side and the downstream side, each gas passage having a choke and a hollow cathode cavity with the chokes of the gas passages being substantially identical, the plurality of gas passages comprise;

a first gas passage having a first hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the first edge of the diffuser plate element;

a second gas passage having a second hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the center of the diffuser plate element; and

a third gas passage having a third hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the second edge, wherein the first hollow cathode cavity, second hollow cathode cavity, and third hollow cathode cavity have different volumes, wherein the third hollow cathode cavity volume is greater than the first hollow cathode cavity volume and the second hollow cathode cavity volume.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the diffuser plate element comprises at least one corner portion having a fourth hollow cathode cavity, and wherein the fourth hollow cathode cavity volume is less than the third hollow cathode cavity volume.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the downstream side comprises a substantially concave portion.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each choke has

a length and a diameter sufficient to promote a substantially uniform back pressure, and each choke is coupled with a hollow cathode cavity.

5. A gas distribution plate assembly, comprising:

a diffuser plate element having an upstream side, a downstream side, a first edge to be disposed adjacent a slit valve in a processing chamber, a center, and a second edge; and

a plurality of gas passages passing between the upstream side and the downstream side, each gas passage having a choke and a hollow cathode cavity with the chokes of the gas passages being substantially identical, the plurality of gas passages comprise;

a first gas passage having a first hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the first edge of the diffuser plate element;

a second gas passage having a second hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the center of the diffuser plate element; and

a third gas passage having a third hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the second edge, wherein the first hollow cathode cavity, second hollow cathode cavity, and third hollow cathode cavity have different volumes, wherein each choke has a length and a diameter sufficient to promote a substantially uniform back pressure, each choke is coupled with a hollow cathode cavity.

6. A plasma processing chamber, comprising:

a chamber body having a plurality of walls;

one or more slit valves disposed in at least one of the plurality of walls; and

a diffuser plate comprising;

a diffuser plate element having an upstream side, a downstream side, a first edge to be disposed adjacent a slit valve of the one or more slit valves, a center, and a second edge; and

a plurality of gas passages passing between the upstream side and the downstream side, each gas passage having a choke and a hollow cathode cavity with the chokes of the gas passages being substantially identical, the plurality of gas passages comprise;

a first gas passage having a first hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the first edge of the diffuser plate element;

a second gas passage having a second hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the center of the diffuser plate element; and

a third gas passage having a third hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the second edge, wherein the first hollow cathode cavity, second hollow cathode cavity, and third hollow cathode cavity have different volumes, wherein the third hollow cathode cavity volume is greater than the first hollow cathode cavity volume and the second hollow cathode cavity volume.

7. The chamber of claim 6, wherein the diffuser plate element comprises at least one corner portion having a fourth hollow cathode cavity, and wherein the fourth hollow cathode cavity volume is less than the third hollow cathode cavity volume.

8. The chamber of claim 6, wherein the downstream side comprises a substantially concave portion.

9. The chamber of claim 6, wherein each choke has

a length and a diameter sufficient to promote a substantially uniform back pressure, and each choke is coupled with a hollow cathode cavity.

10. A plasma processing chamber, comprising:

a chamber body having a plurality of walls;

one or more slit valves disposed in at least one of the plurality of walls; and

a diffuser plate comprising;

a diffuser plate element having an upstream side, a downstream side, a first edge to be disposed adjacent a slit valve of the one or more slit valves, a center, and a second edge; and

a plurality of gas passages passing between the upstream side and the downstream side, each gas passage having a choke and a hollow cathode cavity with the chokes of the gas passages being substantially identical, the plurality of gas passages comprise;

a first gas passage having a first hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the first edge of the diffuser plate element;

a second gas passage having a second hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the center of the diffuser plate element; and

a third gas passage having a third hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the second edge, wherein the first hollow cathode cavity, second hollow cathode cavity, and third hollow cathode cavity have different volumes, wherein each choke has a length and a diameter sufficient to promote a substantially uniform back pressure, each choke is coupled with a hollow cathode cavity.

11. A gas distribution plate assembly, comprising:

a diffuser plate element having an upstream side, a downstream side, a first edge to be disposed adjacent a slit valve in a processing chamber, a center, and a second edge opposite the first edge; and

a plurality of gas passages passing between the upstream side and the downstream side, each gas passage having a choke and a hollow cathode cavity with the chokes of the gas passages being substantially identical, the plurality of gas passages comprise;

a first gas passage having a first hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the first edge of the diffuser plate element;

a second gas passage having a second hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the center of the diffuser plate element; and

a third gas passage having a third hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the second edge, wherein the first hollow cathode cavity, second hollow cathode cavity, and third hollow cathode cavity have different volumes.

12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the third hollow cathode cavity volume is greater than the first hollow cathode cavity volume and the second hollow cathode cavity volume.

13. The assembly of claim 11, wherein each

choke has a length and a diameter to promote a uniform back pressure, each choke is coupled with a hollow cathode cavity.

14. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the diffuser plate element comprises at least one corner portion having a fourth hollow cathode cavity, and wherein the fourth hollow cathode cavity volume is less than the third hollow cathode cavity volume.

15. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the downstream side comprises a concave portion.

16. A plasma processing chamber, comprising:

a chamber body having a plurality of walls;

one or more slit valves disposed in at least one of the plurality of walls; and

a diffuser plate comprising;

a diffuser plate element having an upstream side, a downstream side, a first edge disposed adjacent a slit valve of the one or more slit valves, a center, and a second edge opposite the first edge; and

a plurality of gas passages passing between the upstream side and the downstream side, each gas passage having a choke and a hollow cathode cavity with the chokes of the gas passages being substantially identical, the plurality of gas passages comprise;

a first gas passage having a first hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the first edge of the diffuser plate element;

a second gas passage having a second hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the center of the diffuser plate element; and

a third gas passage having a third hollow cathode cavity disposed adjacent the second edge, wherein the first hollow cathode cavity, second hollow cathode cavity, and third hollow cathode cavity have different volumes.

17. The chamber of claim 16, wherein each

choke has a length and a diameter to promote a uniform back pressure, each choke is coupled with a hollow cathode cavity.

18. The chamber of claim 16, wherein the third hollow cathode cavity volume is greater than the first hollow cathode cavity volume and the second hollow cathode cavity volume.

19. The chamber of claim 16, wherein the diffuser plate element comprises at least one corner portion having a fourth hollow cathode cavity, and wherein the fourth hollow cathode cavity volume is less than the third hollow cathode cavity volume.

20. The chamber of claim 16, wherein the downstream side comprises a concave portion.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a diffuser plate element having an upstream side, a downstream side, a plurality of passages extending therebetween, a first edge, and a second edge adjacent the first edge, each passage having a choke with the chokes of the gas passages being substantially identical, and each gas passage having a cone shaped portion extending from the downstream side towards the upstream side, wherein a cone shaped portion adjacent the first edge of the diffuser plate, a cone shaped portion adjacent the center of the diffuser plate, and a cone shaped portion adjacent the second edge of the diffuser plate have different volumes.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the cone shaped portion adjacent the second edge has a greater volume than the cone shaped portion adjacent the first edge and the cone shaped portion adjacent the center.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the diffuser plate comprises at least one corner portion coupled between the first edge and the second edge and having a first passage of the plurality of passages that has a first cone shaped portion, and wherein the cone shaped portion adjacent the second edge has a greater volume than the first cone shaped portion.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the downstream side has a concave portion.