IP Library Granted Patent US 12,100,577
Granted Patent B2
US 12,100,577 · App. 16/664,117 · Granted Sep 24, 2024

High conductance inner shield for process chamber

Inventors: Sarath Babu (Singapore, SG); Ananthkrishna Jupudi (Singapore, SG); Yueh Sheng Ow (Singapore, SG); Junqi Wei (Singapore, SG); Kelvin Boh (Singapore, SG); Yuichi Wada (Chiba, JP); Kang Zhang (Singapore, SG)
Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
H01J37/32495H01J37/32477H01J37/32633H01J37/32642H01J37/32715H01J37/32834H01J2237/2007H01J2237/335
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,100,577
App. No.
16/664,117
Granted
Sep 24, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of process kits for use in a process chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, a process kit for use in a process chamber includes a tubular body having a central opening configured to surround a substrate support, wherein sidewalls of the tubular body do not include any through holes; and a top plate coupled to an upper end of the tubular body and substantially covering the central opening, wherein the top plate has a gas inlet and has a diameter that is greater than an outer diameter of the tubular body, and wherein the tubular body extends straight down from the top plate.

Claims (40)

1. A process kit for use in a process chamber, comprising:

a tubular body having a central opening configured to surround a substrate support, wherein sidewalls of the tubular body do not include any through holes;

a top plate coupled to an upper end of the tubular body and substantially covering the central opening, wherein the top plate has a single gas inlet and the top plate has a diameter that is greater than an outer diameter of the tubular body, wherein the tubular body extends straight down from the top plate, and wherein an upper surface of the top plate includes a first annular recess, a second annular recess, and a third annular recess disposed radially inward of the first annular recess and configured to house an o-ring, wherein the second annular recess is disposed between and concentric with the first annular recess and the third annular recess, wherein the single gas inlet extends at a substantially constant diameter from a countersink formed on the upper surface of the top plate to a lower surface of the top plate, wherein the countersink extends from a lower surface of the third annular recess, wherein a lower surface of the second annular recess includes a plurality of service openings, wherein the top plate includes a plurality of first mounting holes disposed radially outward of the tubular body; and

a lower shield comprising:

an annular ring configured to surround the substrate support; and

an annular lip extending from an upper surface of the annular ring, wherein the annular lip includes a plurality of lip slots extending through a radially outermost wall of the annular lip disposed at regular intervals along the annular lip, wherein a lower portion of the tubular body is disposed radially inward of and horizontally overlaps with the plurality of lip slots of the lower shield.

2. The process kit of claim 1 , wherein the first annular recess is disposed radially inward of the tubular body.

3. The process kit of claim 1 , wherein the top plate includes a plurality of second mounting holes disposed radially inward of the plurality of first mounting holes and radially outward of the first annular recess and the third annular recess.

4. The process kit of claim 1 , wherein a bottom surface of the second annular recess is wider than a bottom surface of the first annular recess.

5. The process kit of claim 4 , wherein the countersink defines a lower surface, and wherein the lower surface includes a plurality of openings having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the single gas inlet, wherein the plurality of openings are configured to couple the top plate to a diffuser.

6. The process kit of claim 5 , wherein the lower surface of the countersink includes a RF gasket groove to accommodate an RF gasket.

7. The process kit of claim 1 , wherein the process kit is made of aluminum.

8. The process kit of claim 1 further comprising:

an annular ring configured to surround the substrate support; and

an annular lip extending from an upper surface of the annular ring, wherein the annular ring includes a plurality of ring slots extending through the annular ring and disposed at regular intervals along the annular ring, wherein the annular lip includes a plurality of lip slots extending through the annular lip disposed at regular intervals along the annular lip, wherein the tubular body is disposed radially outward of the plurality of ring slots.

9. The process kit of claim 8 , wherein the outer diameter of the tubular body is less than an inner diameter of the annular lip.

10. A process kit for use in a process chamber, comprising:

a tubular body configured to surround a substrate support;

a top plate coupled to an upper end of the tubular body, wherein the top plate incudes a countersink and a central opening disposed in the countersink and extending through the top plate, wherein the top plate includes an upper portion and a lower portion, and wherein the upper portion extends radially outward of the lower portion and an outer surface of the lower portion is coplanar with an outer surface of the tubular body, wherein an upper surface of the top plate includes a first annular recess configured to accommodate an o-ring and a second annular recess concentric with the first annular recess, and wherein a volume defined by the second annular recess is greater than a volume defined by the first annular recess so that the second annular recess is configured to have a greater surface area exposed to atmospheric pressure than a surface area of the first annular recess; and

a lower shield comprising:

an annular ring configured to surround the substrate support; and

an annular lip extending from an upper surface of the annular ring, wherein the annular lip includes a plurality of lip slots extending through a radially outermost wall of the annular lip disposed at regular intervals along the annular lip, wherein a lower portion of the tubular body is disposed radially inward of and horizontally overlaps with the plurality of lip slots of the lower shield.

11. The process kit of claim 10 , wherein the second annular recess has a depth greater than the first annular recess.

12. The process kit of claim 11 , wherein the upper surface of the top plate includes a third annular recess that is concentric with and disposed radially inward of the first annular recess and the second annular recess.

13. The process kit of claim 10 , wherein the upper surface of the top plate disposed between the second annular recess and the first annular recess has a width less than a width of the second annular recess and greater than a width of the first annular recess.

14. The process kit of claim 10 , wherein an inner diameter of the tubular body is about 15.0 inches to about 19.0 inches.

15. The process kit of claim 10 , wherein the tubular body does not include any through holes.

16. A process chamber, comprising:

a chamber body defining an interior volume and having a pump port;

an adapter disposed on sidewalls of the chamber body;

a substrate support disposed in the interior volume;

an inner shield mounted on the adapter and surrounding the substrate support, wherein the inner shield includes a tubular body and a top plate coupled to an upper end of the tubular body, wherein the top plate includes a single gas inlet, the single gas inlet having a diameter less than the substrate support, wherein the inner shield defines an upper portion of a processing volume, and wherein an upper surface of the top plate includes a first annular recess, a second annular recess, and a third annular recess disposed radially inward of the first annular recess and configured to house an o-ring, wherein the second annular recess is disposed between and concentric with the first annular recess and the third annular recess, wherein the single gas inlet extends at a substantially constant diameter from a countersink formed on the upper surface of the top plate to a lower surface of the top plate, wherein the countersink extends from a lower surface of the third annular recess, wherein a lower surface of the second annular recess includes a plurality of service openings, wherein the top plate includes a plurality of first mounting holes disposed radially outward of the tubular body;

a lower shield comprising:

an annular ring configured to surround the substrate support; and

an annular lip extending from an upper surface of the annular ring, wherein the annular lip includes a plurality of lip slots extending through a radially outermost wall of the annular lip disposed at regular intervals along the annular lip, wherein a lower portion of the tubular body is disposed radially inward of and horizontally overlaps with the plurality of lip slots of the lower shield; and

a pump coupled to the pump port and configured to remove particles from the interior volume through a gap between the tubular body and the substrate support.

17. The process chamber of claim 16 , wherein the single gas inlet extends from a countersink formed on the upper surface of the top plate to a lower surface of the top plate.

18. The process chamber of claim 16 , wherein the substrate support comprises a electrostatic chuck disposed on a bottom housing, with an isolator disposed therebetween.

19. The process chamber of claim 18 , wherein the electrostatic chuck includes a gas channel extending through the electrostatic chuck and configured to flow a gas to an upper surface of the electrostatic chuck.

20. The process chamber of claim 16 , wherein the pump has a flow rate of about 1900 liters per second to about 3000 liters per second.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 28, 2020
From: APPLIED MATERIALS SINGAPORE TECHNOLOGY PTE. LTD.
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 053897/0233 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2020
From: WADA, YUICHI
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 052509/0310 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2020
From: BABU, SARATH; JUPUDI, ANANTHKRISHNA; OW, YUEH SHENG; WEI, JUNQI; BOH, KELVIN; ZHANG, KANG
To: APPLIED MATERIALS SINGAPORE TECHNOLOGY PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 052509/0342 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62893175 · Aug 28, 2019
Related Publication 20210066050A1 · Mar 4, 2021