SEMICONDUCTOR REACTION CHAMBER SHOWERHEAD

• US 20140103145A1
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: White, Carl, Dunn, Todd, Shero, Eric, Fondurulia, Kyle
• Granted Patent: US 10,714,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/548
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45574 Nozzles for more than one gas
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow

Abstract

A showerhead including a body having an opening, a first plate positioned within the opening and having a plurality of slots, a second plate positioned within the opening and having a plurality of slots, and wherein each of the first plate plurality of slots are concentrically aligned with the second plate plurality of slots.

Claims

1. A showerhead comprising:

a body having an opening;

a first plate positioned within the opening and having a plurality of slots;

a second plate positioned within the opening and having a plurality of slots; and

,

wherein each of the first plate plurality of slots are concentrically aligned with the second plate plurality of slots.

2. The showerhead of claim 1 wherein the first plate slots extend towards the second plate slots.

3. The showerhead of claim 2 wherein the first plate slots extend to a bottom surface of the second plate slots.

4. The showerhead of claim 1 wherein the first and second plate slots are oriented in a plurality of rings, wherein adjacent rings are offset with respect to one another.

5. The showerhead of claim 1 wherein the first and second plate plurality of slots are oriented in a plurality of rings, wherein every other ring is in alignment.

6. The showerhead of claim 1 wherein a gap is formed between each of the plurality of first slots and each of the plurality of second slots, and wherein the gap varies between 0.575 mm and 0.800 mm.

7. The showerhead of claim 1 wherein a gap is formed within each of the plurality of first slots, and wherein the gap varies between 0.636 mm and 1.100 mm.

8. The showerhead of claim 1 wherein a first gas flow cavity is formed between the body and the first plate and a second gas flow cavity is formed between the first plate and the second plate.

16. The showerhead of claim 1 wherein a plurality of apertures extend from a top surface to a bottom surface of the first plate and are separate from the first plate plurality of slots.

17. The showerhead of claim 1 wherein the plurality of apertures are in fluid communication with a gas channel separate from a second gas channel in fluid communication with the plurality of first plate slots.

18. The showerhead of claim 1 wherein the plurality of slots are generally arcuate in shape.

19. The showerhead of claim 18 wherein the plurality of slots extend less than 50 percent of a circular distance of the showerhead body.

20. The showerhead of claim 1 wherein a gas in the first plate slots does not contact a gas in the second plate slots until both of the gasses have traveled completely through the slots.

9. The showerhead of claim 9 wherein the first gas flow cavity conveys a first gas and wherein the second gas flow cavity conveys a second gas.

10. The showerhead of claim 9 wherein the first gas cavity further comprises a purge channel separate from a first gas flow inlet.

11. The showerhead of claim 10 wherein the purge channel is positioned at a perimeter of the first cavity.

12. The showerhead of claim 10 wherein the purge channel provides additional purge gas flow during a purging operation.

13. The showerhead of claim 10 wherein the purge channel is operatively connected to an exhaust.

14. The showerhead of claim 13 wherein the purge channel removes the first gas during a purging operation.

15. The showerhead of claim 9 wherein the second gas cavity further comprises a purge channel separate from the second gas flow inlet and wherein the purge channel may provide a gas flow or a vacuum.

21. A semiconductor tool comprising:

a reaction chamber defining a processing area;

a workpiece support within the reaction chamber;

a showerhead for distributing at least one processing gas within the processing area; and

,

a processing valve manifold in fluid communication with the showerhead to control the at least one processing gas flow into the shower head;

wherein the showerhead further comprises a first plurality of arcuate slots and a second plurality of arcuate slots, each of the plurality of arcuate slots having a common exit plane above a workpiece support and the first plurality of arcuate slots being concentrically aligned with the second plurality of arcuate slots.

22. The semiconductor tool of claim 21 wherein the at least one process gas flows radially outward after leaving the first and second plurality of arcuate slots.

23. The semiconductor tool of claim 21 wherein each ring of the plurality of first and second arcuate slots are alternatively offset from adjacent rings of first and second arcuate slots.

24. The semiconductor tool of claim 21 further comprising a vacuum port in fluid communication with the first plurality of arcuate slots and another vacuum port in fluid communication with the second plurality of arcuate slots.

25. The semiconductor tool of claim 21 further comprising a purge port in fluid communication with the first plurality of arcuate slots and another purge port in fluid communication with the second plurality of arcuate slots.

26. The semiconductor tool of claim 25 wherein the purge ports are positioned radially outward of the plurality of first and second arcuate slots.