Tunable gas distribution plate assembly
First Claim
1. A gas distribution plate assembly for a processing chamber, comprising:
- a tuning plate having a plurality of orifice holes formed therethrough;
a diffuser plate disposed against a lower surface of the tuning plate, the diffuser plate having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough, each aperture aligned with a respective orifice hole in the tuning plate and defining a gas passage through the gas distribution plate assembly, wherein each aperture has a sectional area greater than the respective orifice hole in the tuning plate; and
an expansion bracket extending above an upper surface of the tuning plate and configured to position the tuning plate in a vertically spaced-apart relation to a lid of the processing chamber, the expansion bracket further having an inwardly extending flange, wherein the flange of the expansion bracket is adapted to support the tuning and diffuser plates.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A gas distribution plate assembly and a method for distributing gas in a processing chamber are provided. In one embodiment, a gas distribution plate assembly includes a tuning plate coupled to a diffuser plate. The tuning plate has a plurality of orifice holes formed therethrough that align with a plurality of apertures formed through the diffuser plate, where the apertures each have a greater sectional area than the holes in the tuning plate. Each aperture is aligned with a respective hole to define gas passages through the gas distribution plate assembly. The tuning plate may be interchanged with a replacement tuning plate to change the gas flow characteristics through the gas distribution plate assembly.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A gas distribution plate assembly for a processing chamber, comprising:
- a tuning plate having a plurality of orifice holes formed therethrough;
a diffuser plate disposed against a lower surface of the tuning plate, the diffuser plate having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough, each aperture aligned with a respective orifice hole in the tuning plate and defining a gas passage through the gas distribution plate assembly, wherein each aperture has a sectional area greater than the respective orifice hole in the tuning plate; and
an expansion bracket extending above an upper surface of the tuning plate and configured to position the tuning plate in a vertically spaced-apart relation to a lid of the processing chamber, the expansion bracket further having an inwardly extending flange, wherein the flange of the expansion bracket is adapted to support the tuning and diffuser plates. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- a tuning plate having a plurality of orifice holes formed therethrough;
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19. A gas distribution plate assembly, comprising:
- a first plate having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface free of anodization;
a second plate coupled to the first plate, the second plate having a first side disposed against the second side of the first plate and a second side that is anodized, wherein the second plate is thicker than the first plate;
a plurality of gas passages each having a first portion formed through the first plate and a second portion formed through the second plate, wherein the first portion of the gas passage has a sectional area less than the second portion thereof and an expansion bracket extending above an upper surface of the first plate and configured to position the first plate in a vertically spaced-apart relation to a lid of a processing chamber, the expansion bracket further having an inwardly extending flange, wherein the flange of the expansion bracket is adapted to support the tuning and diffuser plates. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26)
- a first plate having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface free of anodization;
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24. A gas distribution plate assembly for a processing chamber, comprising:
- a first plate having a plurality of holes formed therethrough, at least one anodized surface, and at least one non-anodized surface; and
, a second plate coupled to the first plate, the second plate having holes formed therethrough and aligned with each of the holes of the first plate to define gas passages through the plates, the second plate also having at least one anodized surface, and at least one non-anodized surface, an expansion bracket extending above an upper surface of the first plate wherein;
the anodized surface of the first plate is disposed against the non-anodized surface of the second plate; and
each hole of the second plate has a sectional area greater than the respectively aligned hole of the first plate, wherein the second plate is thicker than the first plate, the expansion bracket further having an inwardly extending flange, wherein the flange of the expansion bracket is adapted to support the first and second plates. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
- a first plate having a plurality of holes formed therethrough, at least one anodized surface, and at least one non-anodized surface; and
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29. A gas distribution plate assembly for a processing chamber, comprising:
- a tuning plate having a plurality of orifice holes formed therethrough; and
a diffuser plate disposed against the tuning plate having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough, an expansion bracket extending above an upper surface of the tuning plate, wherein each aperture is aligned with a respective orifice hole in the tuning plate and defining a gas passage through the gas distribution plate assembly, wherein each aperture has a sectional area greater than the respective orifice hole in the tuning plate, and wherein the tuning plate is thinner than the diffuser plate, the expansion bracket further having an inwardly extending flange, wherein the flange of the expansion bracket is adapted to support the tuning and diffuser plates.
- a tuning plate having a plurality of orifice holes formed therethrough; and
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30. A gas distribution plate assembly for a processing chamber, comprising:
- a plate assembly configured for mounting in a space-apart relation to a lid of the processing chamber, a top surface of the plate assembly adapted to bound a portion of a plenum defined between the plate assembly and the lid, the plate assembly further comprising;
a tuning plate forming the top surface of the plate assembly;
a diffuser plate disposed against the tuning plate, the diffuser plate thicker than the tuning plate;
an expansion bracket extending above an upper surface of the tuning plate and a plurality of gas passages, each gas passage extending axially from a top of the tuning plate to a bottom of the diffuser plate and isolated from the other gas passages, wherein a portion of the gas passages formed in the tuning plate have a smaller diameter than a portion of the gas passages formed in the diffuser plate, the expansion bracket further having an inwardly extending flange, wherein the flange of the expansion bracket is adapted to support the tuning and diffuser plates.
- a plate assembly configured for mounting in a space-apart relation to a lid of the processing chamber, a top surface of the plate assembly adapted to bound a portion of a plenum defined between the plate assembly and the lid, the plate assembly further comprising;
Specification