Shower plate sintered integrally with gas release hole member and method for manufacturing the same

• US 8,915,999 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National University Corporation Chiba University, Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: National University Corporation Chiba University, Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Okesaku, Masahiro, Ohmi, Tadahiro, Goto, Tetsuya, Matsuoka, Takaaki, Nozawa, Toshihisa, Ishibashi, Kiyotaka, Inokuchi, Atsutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): LUND, JEFFRIE ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US12/446,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20100178775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,645 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 118/723.E, 118/723.R, 156/345.33, 156/345.34, 156/345.43, 156/345.47
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45568 Porous nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32477 characterised by the means for protecting vessels or internal parts, e.g. coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3255 Material

Abstract

A shower plate is disposed in a processing chamber in a plasma processing apparatus, and plasma excitation gas is released into the processing chamber so as to generate plasma. A ceramic member having a plurality of gas release holes having a diameter of 20 μm to 70 μm, and/or a porous gas-communicating body having pores having a maximum diameter of not more than 75 μm communicating in the gas-communicating direction are sintered and bonded integrally with the inside of each of a plurality of vertical holes which act as release paths for the plasma excitation gas.

Claims

1. A shower plate disposed in a plasma processing apparatus and releasing plasma excitation gas into the plasma processing apparatus so as to generate plasma,

wherein a ceramic member and a porous gas-communicating body are formed in the inside of each of a plurality of vertical holes as release paths for plasma excitation gas,

the ceramic member has a plurality of gas release holes having a diameter of 20 μ

m to 70 μ

m,

the porous gas-communicating body has pores having a maximum diameter of not more than 75 μ

m, the pores communicating in a gas-communicating direction,

each of gas-communicating paths formed by the communicating pores of the porous gas-communicating body has a narrow path having a pore diameter equal to or less than 10 μ

m,

the ceramic member is formed in gas-introducing side of the each of the plurality of vertical holes, the porous gas-communicating body is formed in gas-discharging side of the each of the plurality of vertical holes, and

the ceramic member and the porous gas-communicating body are sintered and bonded integrally with the shower plate.

2. The shower plate of claim 1, wherein the shower plate is formed of a ceramic material, and

the ceramic member is formed of a ceramic material having a dielectric loss between 5×

10<sup>−

3</sup> and 1×

10<sup>−

5</sup>.

3. The shower plate of claim 1, wherein an aspect ratio of lengths to hole diameters of the gas release holes of the ceramic member is equal to or greater than 20.

4. A shower plate disposed in a plasma processing apparatus and releasing plasma excitation gas into the plasma processing apparatus so as to generate plasma,

wherein a first porous gas-communicating body and a second porous gas-communicating body are formed in the inside of each of a plurality of vertical holes as release paths for plasma excitation gas,

the first porous gas-communicating body has first pores having a maximum diameter of not more than 75 μ

m, the first pores communicating in a gas-communicating direction,

each of gas-communicating paths formed by the communicating first pores of the first porous gas-communicating body has a narrow path having a pore diameter equal to or less than 10 μ

m,

the second porous gas-communicating body has second pores having a diameter of equal to or more than 10 μ

m and equal to or less than 30 μ

m, the second pores communicating in a gas-communicating direction,

the second porous gas-communicating body is formed in gas-introducing side of the each of the plurality of vertical holes, the first porous gas-communicating body is formed in gas-discharging side of the each of the plurality of vertical holes, and

the first porous gas-communicating body and the second porous gas-communicating body are sintered and bonded integrally with the shower plate.

5. The shower plate of claim 4, wherein the shower plate is formed of a ceramic material, and

the first porous gas-communicating body is formed of a ceramic material having a dielectric loss between 5×

10<sup>−

3</sup> and 1×

10<sup>−

5</sup>.