Showerhead assembly with heated showerhead
In some embodiments, a showerhead assembly includes a heated showerhead having a heater plate and a gas distribution plate coupled together; an ion filter spaced from the heated showerhead; a spacer ring in contact between the heated showerhead and the ion filter; a remote plasma region between the heated showerhead and the ion filter; an upper isolator spaced from the spacer ring and supported on the ion filter; a sealing ring fastened to the heated showerhead sealing against the upper isolator and pushing the upper isolator against the ion filter; a gap between a bottom of the gas distribution plate and a top of the ion filter, the gap being in fluid communication with the remote plasma region; a first passage extending through the heater plate; and a second passage in communication with the first passage and extending through the gas distribution plate, the second passage extending to the gap.
1 . A showerhead assembly for use in a process chamber, comprising:
a heated showerhead having a heater plate and a gas distribution plate coupled to the heater plate;
an ion filter spaced from the heated showerhead;
a spacer ring between the heated showerhead and the ion filter;
a remote plasma region defined between the heated showerhead and the ion filter;
a gap, on a radially inner side of the spacer ring, between the gas distribution plate and the ion filter, the gap being in fluid communication with the remote plasma region;
a first passage extending through the heater plate;
a second passage in communication with the first passage and extending through the gas distribution plate, the second passage extending to the gap;
an upper isolator spaced from the spacer ring and supported on a portion of the ion filter radially outward of the spacer ring;
a sealing ring fastened to the heated showerhead sealing against the upper isolator and pushing the upper isolator against the ion filter; and
a volume defined by the heated showerhead, the ion filter, the sealing ring, the upper isolator, and the spacer ring, wherein the volume is in fluid communication with the gap.
2 . The showerhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spacer ring includes a plurality of elements that are circumferentially spaced from one another by a gap of 0.5 mm to 0.7 mm.
3 . The showerhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spacer ring is formed as a single piece and the gap is 0.5 to 0.7 mm.
4 . The showerhead assembly of claim 3 , wherein the spacer ring has an upper shoulder and a lower shoulder, and the showerhead assembly further comprises an upper sealing ring located in a space defined at least in part by the upper shoulder and the gas distribution plate; and a lower sealing ring located in a space defined at least in part by the lower shoulder and the ion filter.
5 . The showerhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second passage includes an annular channel aligned with the first passage and formed in an upper surface of the gas distribution plate, and a plurality of through holes formed in the gas distribution plate between a bottom surface of the annular channel and a bottom or side of the gas distribution plate proximate the gap.
6 . The showerhead assembly of claim 5 , wherein first passage includes an annular channel formed in a bottom surface of the heater plate and aligned with the annular channel formed in the upper surface of the gas distribution plate.
7 . The showerhead assembly of claim 6 ,
wherein the sealing ring extends between the heater plate and the gas distribution plate and includes a portion with through holes extending between the first passage and the second passage.
8 . The showerhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ion filter includes a plurality of through holes below the second passage along a periphery of the ion filter.
9 . The showerhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the upper isolator includes an angled upper surface that slopes downwardly and radially inwardly and defines a contact point on the angled upper surface for contact with the sealing ring.
10 . A showerhead assembly for use in a process chamber, comprising:
a heated showerhead having a heater plate and a gas distribution plate coupled to the heater plate;
an ion filter spaced from the heated showerhead;
a spacer ring between the heated showerhead and the ion filter, the spacer ring being thermally conductive and electrically insulative;
a remote plasma region defined between the heated showerhead and the ion filter;
a gap, on a radially inner side of the spacer ring, between the heated showerhead and the ion filter, the gap being in fluid communication with the remote plasma region;
a first passage extending through the heater plate; and
a second passage in communication with the first passage and extending through the gas distribution plate, the second passage extending to the gap,
wherein the gas distribution plate includes a plurality of holes extending radially outwardly from the second passage, and wherein the ion filter includes another plurality of through holes below the second passage along a periphery of the ion filter.
11 . The showerhead assembly of claim 10 , wherein the second passage includes an annular channel aligned with the first passage and formed in an upper surface of the gas distribution plate, and a plurality of through holes formed in the gas distribution plate between a bottom surface of the annular channel and a bottom of the gas distribution plate proximate the gap.
12 . The showerhead assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first passage includes an annular channel formed in a bottom surface of the heater plate and aligned with the annular channel formed in the upper surface of the gas distribution plate.
13 . The showerhead assembly of claim 12 , wherein the spacer ring is formed as a single piece.
14 . The showerhead assembly of claim 10 , wherein the spacer ring has a lower shoulder in contact with the ion filter and has an upper shoulder, and further comprising:
an upper isolator supported on the upper shoulder of the spacer ring;
an upper sealing ring in a space between the upper isolator, the upper shoulder, and gas distribution plate; and
a lower sealing ring in a space between the lower shoulder and the ion filter.
15 . A process chamber, comprising:
a chamber body having an interior volume;
a substrate support disposed in the interior volume;
a showerhead assembly disposed in the interior volume opposite the substrate support, wherein the showerhead assembly comprises:
a heated showerhead having a heater plate and a gas distribution plate coupled to the heater plate;
an ion filter spaced from the heated showerhead;
a spacer ring between the heated showerhead and the ion filter;
a remote plasma region defined between the heated showerhead and the ion filter;
a first gap, on a radially inner side of the spacer ring, between the gas distribution plate and the ion filter, the first gap being in fluid communication with the remote plasma region;
a first passage extending through the heater plate;
a second passage in communication with the first passage and extending through the gas distribution plate, the second passage extending to the first gap;
a lower isolator supporting the ion filter spaced above the substrate support; and
a pumping ring supporting the lower isolator,
wherein the lower isolator is at least partly disposed between the ion filter and the pumping ring,
wherein a second gap is defined between the lower isolator and the ion filter, and
wherein the pumping ring has a fluid passageway in fluid communication with the second gap.
16 . The process chamber of claim 15 ,
wherein the ion filter includes a plurality of through holes along a periphery of the ion filter, wherein the plurality of through holes in the ion filter are configured to direct a purge gas around the substrate support toward the fluid passageway of the pumping ring.
17 . The process chamber of claim 15 , wherein the chamber body includes a lid coupled to the showerhead assembly, further comprising a gas conduit extending between the lid and the heated showerhead, wherein the gas conduit supplies a purge gas to the first passage and the second passage.