SHOWERHEAD ASSEMBLY WITH MULTIPLE FLUID DELIVERY ZONES

• US 20170101712A1
• Filed: 12/10/2015
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: BANSAL, Amit Kumar, ROCHA-ALVAREZ, Juan Carlos, BALUJA, Sanjeev, KIM, Sam H., NGUYEN, Tuan Anh
• Granted Patent: US 10,233,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45574 Nozzles for more than one gas

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor processing apparatus. The processing chamber includes a chamber body and lid defining an interior volume, a substrate support disposed in the interior volume and a showerhead assembly disposed between the lid and the substrate support. The showerhead assembly includes a faceplate configured to deliver a process gas to a processing region defined between the showerhead assembly and the substrate support and a underplate positioned above the faceplate, defining a first plenum between the lid and the underplate, the having multiple zones, wherein each zone has a plurality of openings that are configured to pass an amount of inert gas from the first plenum into a second plenum defined between the faceplate and the underplate, in fluid communication with the plurality of openings of each zone such that the inert gas mixes with the process gas before exiting the showerhead assembly.

Claims

1. A showerhead assembly, comprising:

a faceplate having a first side and a second side, the faceplate having a plurality of apertures configured to deliver a process gas from the first side to the second side; and

a underplate positioned adjacent the first side of the faceplate, the underplate having multiple zones, wherein each zone has a plurality of apertures that are configured to pass inert gas through the underplate into a plenum defined between the faceplate and the underplate, wherein the inert gas mixes with a process gas in the plenum.

2. The showerhead assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a diffuser plate disposed between the faceplate and the underplate.

3. The showerhead assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures in the underplate are grouped to the multiple zones.

4. The showerhead assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures in the faceplate are positioned beneath the plurality of zones of the underplate.

5. The showerhead assembly of claim 1, wherein the inert gas is delivered to the plenum by a plurality of gas lines, wherein each gas line comprises:

a valve configured to open and close the gas line; and

an orifice configured to control a flow rate of the inert gas through the gas line.

6. The showerhead assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of zones formed in the underplate corresponds to a plurality of zones in the faceplate.

7. The showerhead assembly of claim 1, wherein each zone is provided with a different concentration of inert gas.

8. A showerhead assembly, comprising:

a faceplate having a first side and a second side, the faceplate having a plurality of apertures configured to deliver a process gas from the first side to the second side; and

a underplate positioned adjacent the first side of the faceplate defining a plenum between the faceplate and the underplate, wherein the underplate has multiple zones, wherein each zone includes a conductance controller assembly extending from the underplate into the plenum, the conductance controller assembly configured to control the conductance of process gas within the plenum.

9. The showerhead assembly of claim 8, further comprising:

a diffuser plate disposed between the underplate and the faceplate.

10. The showerhead assembly of claim 8, wherein the plurality of apertures in the faceplate correspond to the multiple zones in the underplate.

11. The showerhead assembly of claim 8, wherein the movable conductance controller assembly comprises:

a conductance controller, comprising;

a shaft; and

a plate coupled to the end of the shaft; and

a motor coupled to the conductance controller, the motor configured to raise or lower the conductance modulator.

12. The showerhead assembly of claim 8, wherein the conductance controller controls the amount of process gas exiting the faceplate.

13. The showerhead assembly of claim 12, wherein the conductance controller assembly further comprises:

a z-stage configured to support the motor.

14. The showerhead assembly of claim 8, wherein each zone contains a different concentration of process gas.

15. A showerhead assembly, comprising:

a faceplate having a first side and a second side, the faceplate having a plurality of apertures configured to deliver a process gas from the first side to the second side; and

a underplate positioned adjacent the first side of the faceplate defining a plenum between the faceplate and the underplate, wherein a plurality of gas lines are formed through the underplate opening into the plenum, the plurality of gas lines forming multiple zones in the underplate, wherein each zone is configured to provide a different amount of process gas to the plenum.

16. The showerhead assembly of claim 15, further comprising:

a diffuser plate disposed between the underplate and the faceplate.

17. The showerhead assembly of claim 15, wherein each zone in the underplate corresponds to a zone in the faceplate.

18. The showerhead assembly of claim 15, wherein the plurality of apertures in the faceplate correspond to the multiple zones in the underplate.

19. The showerhead assembly of claim 15, wherein each gas line delivers a different concentration of process gas.

20. The showerhead assembly of claim 15, wherein the plurality of apertures in the faceplate are positioned beneath each zone in the underplate.