U.S. patent application number 10/027732 was filed with the patent office on 2003-06-19 for gas distribution plate electrode for a plasma reactor.
This patent application is currently assigned to Applied Materials, Inc.. Invention is credited to Buchberger, Douglas A. JR., Chiang, Kang-Lie, Hagen, Robert B., Katz, Dan, Kumar, Ananda H., Noorbakhsh, Hamid, Wang, Shiang-Bau, Ye, Yan, Zhao, Xiaoye.
Application Number | 20030111961 10/027732 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21839448 |
Filed Date | 2003-06-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030111961 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Katz, Dan ; et al. |
June 19, 2003 |
GAS DISTRIBUTION PLATE ELECTRODE FOR A PLASMA REACTOR
Abstract
The invention is embodied in a plasma reactor for processing a
semiconductor wafer, the reactor having a gas distribution plate
including a front plate in the chamber and a back plate on an
external side of the front plate, the gas distribution plate
comprising a gas manifold adjacent the back plate, the back and
front plates bonded together and forming an assembly. The assembly
includes an array of holes through the front plate and
communicating with the chamber, at least one gas flow-controlling
orifice through the back plate and communicating between the
manifold and at least one of the holes, the orifice having a
diameter that determines gas flow rate to the at least one hole. In
addition, an array of pucks is at least generally congruent with
the array of holes and disposed within respective ones of the holes
to define annular gas passages for gas flow through the front plate
into the chamber, each of the annular gas passages being
non-aligned with the orifice.
Inventors: |
Katz, Dan; (Agoura Hills,
CA) ; Buchberger, Douglas A. JR.; (Livermore, CA)
; Ye, Yan; (Saratoga, CA) ; Hagen, Robert B.;
(Newark, CA) ; Zhao, Xiaoye; (Mountain View,
CA) ; Kumar, Ananda H.; (Fremont, CA) ;
Chiang, Kang-Lie; (San Jose, CA) ; Noorbakhsh,
Hamid; (Fremont, CA) ; Wang, Shiang-Bau;
(Hsinchu, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
2881 SCOTT BLVD. M/S 2061
SANTA CLARA
CA
95050
US
|
Assignee: |
Applied Materials, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
21839448 |
Appl. No.: |
10/027732 |
Filed: |
December 19, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
315/111.21 ;
315/111.71 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01J 37/3244
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
315/111.21 ;
315/111.71 |
International
Class: |
H01J 007/24 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer, said
reactor comprising: a vacuum chamber side wall; a wafer support
pedestal for supporting said semiconductor wafer in said chamber;
an RF power source coupled to said wafer support pedestal; a
process gas source; a gas distribution plate at a ceiling location
of said chamber, said gas distribution plate comprising: a front
plate in said chamber and a back plate on an external side of said
front plate, said gas distribution plate comprising a gas manifold
adjacent said back plate, said back and front plates bonded
together and forming an assembly comprising: (a) an array of holes
through said front plate and communicating with said chamber, (b)
at least one gas flow-controlling orifice through said back plate
and communicating between said manifold and at least one of said
holes, said orifice having a diameter that determines gas flow rate
to the at least one hole; (c) an array of pucks at least generally
congruent with said array of holes and disposed within respective
ones of said holes to define annular gas passages for gas flow
through said front plate into said chamber, each of said annular
gas passages being non-aligned with said orifice.
2. The reactor of claim 1 wherein said assembly further comprises
an array of gas flow-controlling orifices through said back plate
communicating between said manifold and corresponding ones of said
array of holes.
3. The reactor of claim 2 wherein each of said orifices faces a
corresponding one of said pucks, said assembly further comprising a
planar gap between each of said pucks a facing surface of said back
plate, each planar gap communicating between the corresponding
orifice and the corresponding annular gas passage.
4. The reactor of claim 1 wherein said assembly further comprises:
one gas flow-controlling orifice through said back plate for each
predetermined group of neighboring holes, said orifice generally
facing a center one of the holes of the corresponding group of
neighboring holes; internal gas passages connecting the center one
of the holes with the other holes in said group of neighboring
holes.
5. The reactor of claim 3 wherein said back plate comprises said
array of holes and said front plate comprises said array of
pucks.
6. The reactor of claim 5 wherein said front and back plates
comprises silicon carbide.
7. The reactor of claim 6 wherein at least one of said plates
further comprises an enclosed planar layer of graphite extending
parallel with a plane of said plate.
8. The reactor of claim 5 wherein said front and back plates
comprises anodized aluminum.
9. The reactor of claim 5 wherein said gas distribution plate
comprises a ceiling electrode of said reactor, said reactor further
comprising a second RF power source coupled to said gas
distribution plate.
10. The reactor of claim 5 wherein said gas distribution plate
comprises a counter electrode to said wafer support pedestal, said
RF power source being connected across said wafer support pedestal
and said gas distribution plate.
11. The reactor of claim 1 wherein said array of holes is arranged
in parallel rows of said holes, said assembly further comprising:
plural elongate slots in said back plate overlying and opening into
the holes of the corresponding rows of holes, each of said slots
communicating between said orifice and the holes in the
corresponding row of holes.
12. The reactor of claim 11 wherein said assembly further comprises
plural gas flow-controlling orifices corresponding to the plural
rows of said holes, each of said slots communicating between a
corresponding one of said orifices and the corresponding row of
holes.
13. The reactor of claim 11 wherein said orifice is not aligned
with the annular gaps formed between said pucks and said holes.
14. The reactor of claim 11 wherein each of said elongate slots has
a width less than the diameter of each of said holes, and wherein
each of said pucks contacts a facing surface of said front
plate.
15. The reactor of claim 8 wherein each of said annular gas
passages is divided into a pair of partial arcuate annular
sections.
16. The reactor of claim 15 wherein said partial annular passages
correspond to a coincidence between the annular gap formed by each
puck within the corresponding hole and the corresponding slot.
17. The reactor of claim 11 wherein said holes and pucks are formed
in said front plate and said slots and orifice are formed in said
back plate.
18. The reactor of claim 17 wherein said front and back plates
comprise silicon carbide.
19. The reactor of claim 18 wherein at least one of said plates
further comprises an enclosed planar layer of graphite extending
parallel with a plane of said plate.
20. The reactor of claim 17 wherein said front and back plates
comprises anodized aluminum.
21. The reactor of claim 17 wherein said gas distribution plate
comprises a ceiling electrode of said reactor, said reactor further
comprising a second RF power source coupled to said gas
distribution plate.
22. The reactor of claim 17 wherein said gas distribution plate
comprises a counter electrode to said wafer support pedestal, said
RF power source being connected across said wafer support pedestal
and said gas distribution plate.
23. For installation at a ceiling location of a plasma reactor for
processing a semiconductor wafer and having a vacuum chamber side
wall, a wafer support pedestal for supporting said semiconductor
wafer in said chamber, an RF power source coupled to said wafer
support pedestal and a process gas source: a gas distribution plate
comprising: a front plate in said chamber and a back plate on an
external side of said front plate, said gas distribution plate
comprising a gas manifold adjacent said back plate, said back and
front plates bonded together and forming an assembly comprising:
(a) an array of holes through said front plate and communicating
with said chamber, (b) at least one gas flow-controlling orifice
through said back plate and communicating between said manifold and
at least one of said holes, said orifice having a diameter that
determines gas flow rate to the at least one hole; (c) an array of
pucks at least generally congruent with said array of holes and
disposed within respective ones of said holes to define annular gas
passages for gas flow through said front plate into said chamber,
each of said annular gas passages being non-aligned with said
orifice.
24. The reactor of claim 22 wherein said assembly further comprises
an array of gas flow-controlling orifices through said back plate
communicating between said manifold and corresponding ones of said
array of holes.
25. The reactor of claim 24 wherein each of said orifices faces a
corresponding one of said pucks, said assembly further comprising a
planar gap between each of said pucks a facing surface of said back
plate, each planar gap communicating between the corresponding
orifice and the corresponding annular gas passage.
26. The reactor of claim 23 wherein said assembly further
comprises: one gas flow-controlling orifice through said back plate
for each predetermined group of neighboring holes, said orifice
generally facing a center one of the holes of the corresponding
group of neighboring holes; internal gas passages connecting the
center one of the holes with the other holes in said group of
neighboring holes.
27. The reactor of claim 25 wherein said back plate comprises said
array of holes and said front plate comprises said array of
pucks.
28. The reactor of claim 27 wherein said front and back plates
comprises silicon carbide.
29. The reactor of claim 28 wherein at least one of said plates
further comprises an enclosed planar layer of graphite extending
parallel with a plane of said plate.
30. The reactor of claim 27 wherein said front and back plates
comprises anodized aluminum.
31. The reactor of claim 23 wherein said array of holes is arranged
in parallel rows of said holes, said assembly further comprising:
plural elongate slots in said back plate overlying and opening into
the holes of the corresponding rows of holes, each of said slots
communicating between said orifice and the holes in the
corresponding row of holes.
32. The reactor of claim 31 wherein said assembly further comprises
plural gas flow-controlling orifices corresponding to the plural
rows of said holes, each of said slots communicating between a
corresponding one of said orifices and the corresponding row of
holes.
33. The reactor of claim 31 wherein said orifice is not aligned
with the annular gaps formed between said pucks and said holes.
34. The reactor of claim 31 wherein each of said elongate slots has
a width less than the diameter of each of said holes, and wherein
each of said pucks contacts a facing surface of said front
plate.
35. The reactor of claim 34 wherein each of said annular gas
passages is divided into a pair of partial arcuate annular
sections.
36. The reactor of claim 35 wherein said partial annular passages
correspond to a coincidence between the annular gap formed by each
puck within the corresponding hole and the corresponding slot.
37. The reactor of claim 31 wherein said holes and pucks are formed
in said front plate and said slots and orifice are formed in said
back plate.
38. The reactor of claim 37 wherein said front and back plates
comprise silicon carbide.
39. The reactor of claim 38 wherein at least one of said plates
further comprises an enclosed planar layer of graphite extending
parallel with a plane of said plate.
40. The reactor of claim 31 wherein said front and back plates
comprises anodized aluminum.
41. The reactor of claim 23 where the annular gas passages are
circular.
42. The reactor of claim 23 wherein the annular gas passages are
non-circular.
43. A method of fabricating a gas distribution plate for use in
processing semiconductor wafers in a plasma reactor, the gas
distribution plate comprising silicon carbide and having plural
parallel slots communicating above with respective gas
flow-controlling orifices and below with respective rows of annular
gas injection passages, said method comprising: forming parallel
slots in one surface of a silicon carbide plate; filling said slots
with graphite inserts; depositing a layer of silicon carbide on
said one surface of said silicon carbide plate; removing said
graphite inserts by heating said plate; drilling respective rows of
annular openings through the deposited layer of silicon carbide
communicating with respective ones of said slots.
44. A method of fabricating a gas distribution plate for use in
processing semiconductor wafers in a plasma reactor, the gas
distribution plate comprising silicon carbide and having plural
parallel slots communicating above with respective gas
flow-controlling orifices and below with respective rows of annular
gas injection passages, said method comprising: forming parallel
slots in one surface of a silicon carbide plate; covering said
slots with silicon carbide inserts; depositing a layer of silicon
carbide on said one surface of said silicon carbide plate; drilling
respective rows of annular openings through the deposited layer of
silicon carbide and through said silicon carbide inserts, said
annular openings communicating with respective ones of said
slots.
45. A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer, said
reactor comprising: a vacuum chamber side wall; a wafer support
pedestal for supporting said semiconductor wafer in said chamber;
an RF power source coupled to said wafer support pedestal; a
process gas source; a gas distribution plate at a ceiling location
of said chamber, said gas distribution plate comprising: a front
plate in said chamber and a back plate on an external side of said
front plate, said gas distribution plate comprising a gas manifold
adjacent said back plate, said back and front plates bonded
together and forming an assembly comprising: (a) an array of holes
through said front plate and communicating with said chamber, (b)
at least one gas flow-controlling orifice through said back plate
and communicating between said manifold and at least one of said
holes, said orifice having a diameter that determines gas flow rate
to the at least one hole; (c) flow diversion elements for
transforming gas flow between said front back plates from stream
patterns in said back plate to annular flow patterns in said front
plate.
46. The plasma reactor of claim 45 wherein: said stream patterns
correspond to a first radius and said annular patterns correspond
to a second radius larger than said first radius; said flow
diversion elements induce a rapid change of gas flow (a) from a
vertical flow in each stream pattern (b) to a horizontal flow from
said first radius to said second radius and (c) to a vertical flow
each corresponding annular pattern.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Various types of plasma reactors employed in the manufacture
of semiconductor microelectronic circuits require a large RF
electrode at the reactor chamber ceiling that overlies the
semiconductor workpiece. Typically, the workpiece is a
semiconductor wafer supported on a conductive pedestal. RF power is
applied to the support pedestal, and the ceiling or overhead
electrode is a counter electrode. In some reactors, the RF power
applied to the support pedestal is the plasma source power
(determining plasma ion density) and is also the plasma bias power
(determining ion energy at the wafer surface). In other reactors,
an RF power applicator other than the wafer pedestal furnishes the
plasma source power, while the RF power applied to the wafer
pedestal serves only as plasma RF bias power. For example, the
plasma source power may be applied by an inductive antenna or may
be applied by the ceiling electrode. Thus, the ceiling electrode
may either be a grounded counter electrode for the RF power applied
to the wafer support pedestal or it may be connected to an
independent RF power generator and function as an independent RF
power applicator. In either case, the most uniform distribution of
process gas is obtained by introducing the process gas through the
ceiling. This requires that the ceiling electrode be a gas
distribution plate.
[0002] There is a continuing need to improve the uniformity of
process gas distribution across the wafer surface in a plasma
reactor, particularly in a plasma reactor used for semiconductor
etch processes as well as other semiconductor processes. This need
arises from the ever-decreasing device geometries of
microelectronic circuits and minimum feature sizes, some
approaching 0.15 microns. Such small device geometries are dictated
in most cases by the desire for higher microprocessor clock speeds,
and require corresponding improvements in etch rates, etch
uniformity across the wafer surface and damage-free etching.
Previously, with devices having relatively large feature sizes, a
single gas inlet in the plasma reactor overhead ceiling
electrode/gas distribution plate provided adequate process gas
distribution uniformity. A single inlet would necessarily be of a
large size in order to meet the requisite gas flow
requirements.
[0003] One problem with such a large inlet is that it is more
susceptible to plasma entering the inlet and causing arcing or
plasma light-up within the inlet. Such arcing damages the plate
and/or enlarges the inlet and consumes power. Sputtering of the
plate material around the inlet can also contaminate the plasma
with by-products of the sputtering. With a large hole, the maximum
electric field occurs near the center of the hole, and this is the
likliest location for plasma light-up or arcing to begin. One
solution proposed for reactors having a single gas inlet was to
juxtapose a disk or puck in the center of the hole to keep gases
away from the intense electric field at the hole center (U.S. Pat.
No. 6,885,358 by Dan Maydan). However, with current device
geometries incorporating very small feature sizes, much better
process gas distribution uniformity across the wafer surface is
required. As a result, a single gas distribution inlet or orifice
in the ceiling gas distribution plate is inadequate to provide the
requisite gas distribution uniformity. Thus, an overhead gas
distribution plate is currently made by drilling thousands of fine
holes or orifices through the plate. The spatial distribution of
such a large number of orifices improves gas distribution
uniformity across the wafer surface. The smaller size makes each
hole less susceptible to plasma entering the hole.
[0004] Unfortunately, it has not been practical to place or hold an
individual puck in the center of each one of the thousands of holes
to ward the gas away from the high intensity electric fields near
the hole centers. Thus, in order to reduce plasma arcing, the gas
inlet holes must be of minimal diameter and within a small
dimensional hole-to-hole tolerance to ensure uniform gas
distribution. Drilling such a large number of holes is costly. This
is because the holes must have such a high aspect ratio, must be
drilled through very hard material (such as silicon carbide) and
sharp hole edges must be avoided. Moreover, the very need for such
accurately sized holes means that performance is easily degraded as
hole sizes are enlarged by plasma sputtering of the hole edges.
Depending upon plasma ion density distribution across the ceiling
surface, some holes will be widened at a greater rate than other
holes, so that a gas distribution plate initially having highly
uniform gas distribution across the wafer surface eventually fails
to provide the requisite uniformity.
[0005] Another problem is that the need for greater etch rate has
dictated a smaller wafer-to-ceiling gap in order to obtain denser
plasma. The small gas orifices produce very high velocity gas
streams. The high velocity gas streams thus produced can be so
narrowly collimated within the narrow wafer-to-ceiling gap that the
hole-to-hole spacing in the gas distribution plate produces
corresponding peaks and valleys in gas density at the wafer surface
and corresponding non-uniformities in etch rate across the wafer
surface.
[0006] As a result, there is a need for an overhead gas
distribution plate that functions as an electrode or counter
electrode, and that is not susceptible to plasma arcing in the gas
injection passages, that does not have high gas injection
velocities and in which the gas distribution uniformity and
velocity are not affected by enlargement of the gas injection
passages.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0007] The invention is embodied in a plasma reactor for processing
a semiconductor wafer, the reactor having a gas distribution plate
including a front plate in the chamber and a back plate on an
external side of the front plate, the gas distribution plate
comprising a gas manifold adjacent the back plate, the back and
front plates bonded together and forming an assembly. The assembly
includes an array of holes through the front plate and
communicating with the chamber, at least one gas flow-controlling
orifice through the back plate and communicating between the
manifold and at least one of the holes, the orifice having a
diameter that determines gas flow rate to the at least one hole. In
addition, an array of pucks is at least generally congruent with
the array of holes and disposed within respective ones of the holes
to define annular gas passages for gas flow through the front plate
into the chamber, each of the annular gas passages being
non-aligned with the orifice.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a simplified cut-away cross-sectional side view of
a plasma reactor embodying the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2A is a partially exploded cross-sectional side view of
a gas distribution plate of the plasma reactor of FIG. 1 in
accordance with a first embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 2B is a side view of an assembled gas distribution
plate of the plasma reactor corresponding to FIG. 2A.
[0011] FIG. 3A is a plan view of one implementation of the front
plate of the gas distribution plate of FIG. 2B.
[0012] FIG. 3B is a plan view of the front plate of FIG. 3A bonded
to the back plate in accordance with this implementation.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the assembly of
FIG. 3B corresponding to lines 4-4 of FIG. 3B.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of a gas distribution
plate of the plasma reactor of FIG. 1 in accordance with a second
embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 6 is a cut-away partially exploded perspective view of
a gas distribution plate of the plasma reactor of FIG. 1 in
accordance with a third embodiment.
[0016] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to lines 7-7
of FIG. 6.
[0017] FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D are sequential cut-away partial side
views of one portion of a gas distribution plate of FIG. 6,
illustrating a first process for fabricating the gas distribution
plate of FIG. 6.
[0018] FIGS. 9A, 9B, 9C and 9D are sequential cut-away partial side
views of one portion of a gas distribution plate of FIG. 6,
illustrating a second process for fabricating the gas distribution
plate of FIG. 6.
[0019] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of a gas distribution
plate of the plasma reactor of FIG. 1 in accordance with a third
embodiment.
[0020] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of an alternate gas
distribution plate as shown in FIG. 10.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, a plasma reactor includes a vacuum
chamber 100 bounded by a reactor chamber cylindrical side wall 105,
a ceiling 110 and floor 115. A vacuum pump 120 maintains a vacuum
within the chamber at a desired chamber pressure. A wafer support
pedestal 125 for supporting a semiconductor wafer or workpiece 130
is disposed at the bottom of the chamber 100 so that the wafer 130
faces the ceiling 110. The wafer support pedestal 125 has
conductive elements so that the pedestal 125 can serve as an
electrode or RF power applicator. For this purpose, an RF generator
135 is connected to the pedestal 125 through an RF impedance match
circuit 140. The ceiling 110 is conductive in the illustrated
embodiment and is connected to the RF return terminal of the RF
generator 135 so that the ceiling 110 serves as a counter electrode
for the wafer pedestal 125. In some types of reactors, another RF
generator 145 may be connected to the ceiling 110 through an RF
impedance match circuit 150, so that the ceiling 110 also serves as
another RF power applicator. In this case, the frequencies of the
two RF generators 135, 145 are very different so that the two RF
generators 135, 145 function independently.
[0022] Process gas is introduced so as to provide maximum gas
distribution uniformity across the top surface of the wafer 130 by
injecting it through many uniformly spaced gas injection inlets 160
in the ceiling 110. The ceiling 110 is thus a gas distribution
plate. A gas source or supply 165 is coupled to a gas manifold 170
in the ceiling/gas distribution plate 110, and the gas manifold 170
feeds each of the inlets 160. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the
inlets 160 of the gas distribution plate 110 are formed by two
parallel planar plates, namely a back plate 205 and a front plate
210 which are manufactured separately (FIG. 2A) and then bonded
together (FIG. 2B). The back plate 205 is on top and the front
plate 210 is on the bottom and faces the plasma in the interior of
the chamber 100. The back plate 205 consists of an array of
relatively large cylindrical openings 215 in its bottom surface
while the front plate 210 consists of an array of cylindrical pucks
220 matching the array of openings 215. As shown in FIG. 2B, the
pucks 220 of the front plate 210 fit within the openings 215 of the
back plate 205, the clearance between each opening 215 and matching
puck 220 forming an annular gap therebetween, the annular gap being
the gas inlet 160. Gas feed orifices 230 in the back plate 205 are
sized to provide the precise gas flow desired extend vertically
from the gas manifold 170 overlying the back plate 205 to the
annular gas inlets 160. Since the gas distribution plate 110
consists of an array of hundreds or thousands of annular inlets 160
to achieve spatially uniform gas distribution across the entire
wafer surface, the inlets 160 would in most cases allow too much
gas flow. Therefore, the finely-sized orifices 230 provide the
requisite flow control.
[0023] Significantly, each orifice 230 faces a horizontal gap 235
between the respective puck 220 and the back plate 205, so that the
gas is forced to make an abrupt turn to enter the gap 235 and
another abrupt turn to enter the annular inlet 160. It is difficult
if not impossible for plasma in the chamber travelling upward in
the annular inlets 160 to make both of these turns without being
extinguished by collisions with the gas distribution plate surfaces
within the annular inlet 160 and the horizontal gap 235. A result
is that the precisely sized orifices 230 are protected from plasma
sputtering. This leaves only the annular inlets 160 subject to
distortion in size from plasma sputtering or attack. However, the
area of each annular inlet 160 is so large that plasma sputtering
introduces only a small fractional difference in area from inlet to
inlet, so that gas distribution uniformity across the wafer surface
is virtually immune to such changes. Moreover, in the embodiment of
FIGS. 2A and 2B, gas flow uniformity is determined by the
uniformity of the orifices 230 only, so that changes in the sizes
of the various annular inlets 160 have virtually no affect on gas
flow uniformity. Thus, performance of the gas distribution plate
110 is virtually immune to changes induced by plasma sputtering or
attack, a significant advantage.
[0024] In one embodiment, the back plate 205 and front plate 210
are formed of silicon carbide and are bonded together using
existing techniques in silicon carbide manufacturing. One advantage
of using silicon carbide as the material of the gas distribution
plate 110 is that such material is practically impervious to attack
by certain process gases and plasma species, such as
halogen-containing process gases and plasma species. Also, silicon
carbide is relatively compatible with silicon semiconductor wafer
processing, so that contamination from plasma sputtering of such
material is not as harmful as are other materials such as
aluminum.
[0025] Another advantage of the annular-shaped gas inlets 160 is
that each puck 220 keeps the plasma ions and gases away from the
center of each opening 215 where electric fields are maximum. This
feature helps prevent arcing or plasma light-up. The two-plate
structure 205, 210 of the gas distribution plate 110 enables
cost-effective manufacture of hundreds or thousands of holes 215
and pucks 220 centered in each of the holes. The invention thus
provides an economical gas distribution plate with sufficient
uniformity of gas distribution to process extremely fine device
features (e.g., 0.15 microns) on a very large wafer (10 inch to 20
inch diameter) with minimal plasma arcing while being impervious to
long-term wear from plasma sputtering.
[0026] Another advantage is that the relatively large annular
openings 160 provide a much lower gas injection velocity. Although
each finely sized orifice 230 produces a very high velocity gas
stream into the respective horizontal gap 235, passage through the
horizontal gap 235 and through the large annular inlet 160
dissipates its velocity. As a result, the gas flow from the bottom
of the front plate 210 is much more uniform and free from high
velocity narrow gas streams and plasma plumes. Therefore, a small
wafer-to-ceiling gap does not lead to spatial non-uniformities in
the gas distribution at the wafer surface using the gas
distribution plate 110, a significant advantage.
[0027] Many of the advantages enumerated above are pertinent to
problems encountered in high power plasma reactors capable of high
plasma ion densities. One of these problems is that high plasma ion
density over the wafer surface is achieved in some reactors by a
small wafer-to-ceiling gap to better confine the plasma. As noted
above, the gas distribution plate 110 provides uniform gas
distribution within such a small gap because of the large size of
the annular inlets 160. Another one of these problems is that high
plasma ion density is achieved in some reactors by applying plasma
source power to the ceiling or overhead gas distribution plate,
which leads to arcing in the gas inlets. As noted above, the gas
distribution plate 110 includes the pucks 220 that confine the gas
closer to the periphery of each hole 215 where electric fields are
minimum so as to suppress or prevent arcing. Thus, the gas
distribution plate 110 is inherently suitable for use in high
density plasma reactors.
[0028] FIGS. 3A, 3B and 4 illustrate one implementation of the
embodiment of FIGS. 2A and 2B. FIG. 3A shows that the front plate
210 having the array of pucks 220 consists of a web of longitudinal
arms 310 and lateral arms 315 formed with the pucks 220 and holding
them in the fixed array. Referring to FIGS. 3B and 4, the back
plate 205 has longitudinal channels 320 and lateral channels 325
that receive the longitudinal and lateral arms 310, 315 when the
plates 205, 210 are joined together. The pucks 220 are centered in
the respective holes 215 and spaced apart from the back plate 205
by the horizontal gaps 235 and the annular inlets 160 and therefore
do not contact the back plate 205. Contact between the back plate
205 and the front plate 210 is along the longitudinal and lateral
arms 310, 315 that fit snuggly within the corresponding
longitudinal and lateral channels 320, 325. It is along these
contacting surfaces that the two plates 205, 210 are bonded
together. As noted previously above, if the two plates are silicon
carbide material, then the bonding is carried out using standard
silicon carbide bonding techniques.
[0029] FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment in which a single orifice
235a feeds a group of neighboring annular gas inlets 160a, 160b,
160c. The single orifice 235a feed the middle annular gas inlet
160b directly via the horizontal gap 235b, and feeds the adjacent
annular inlets 160a, 160c through internal channels 505, 510
connecting the adjacent annular inlets 160a, 160c with the middle
annular inlet 160b. One advantage of this embodiment is that the
number of finely sized orifices 235 that must be drilled in the
back plate 205 is greatly reduced.
[0030] FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment in which a back plate 600
has parallel lateral slots 605 and a front plate 610 has an array
of holes 615 and pucks 620. The circular holes 615 and the
cylindrical pucks 620 are concentrically arranged so that they
define corresponding annular gas ports 616. The slots 605 are
aligned with respective rows of the holes 615 and pucks 620. The
width of each slot 605 is less than the diameter of each hole 615
(e.g., less than half). The plates 600, 610 are joined together so
that each slot 610 is centered with a respective row of the array
of holes 615. Referring to the cross-sectional view of FIG. 7, the
resulting gas passage aligned with each hole 615 consists of a pair
of arcuate slots 630a, 630b which appear in FIG. 7 in solid line.
Process gas is fed into each slot 605 by a single fine orifice 635
through the back plate 600. The diameter of the orifice 635 is
selected to provide the requisite gas flow rate.
[0031] The embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 is simpler to form because
there is no horizontal gap (e.g., the horizontal gap 235 of FIG. 2)
between the puck 620 and the back plate 600. Instead, the bond
between the plates 600, 610 is formed along the entirety of their
adjoining surfaces. The pucks 620 are similarly bonded across the
entirety of their top surfaces to the bottom surface of the plate
600. The only areas of the top surfaces of the pucks 620 not thus
bonded are the areas facing the narrow slots 605.
[0032] In the foregoing embodiments, the pucks 620 function as flow
diversion elements for transforming gas flow between the front and
back plates 610, 600 from stream patterns in the back plate 600 to
annular flow patterns in the front plate 610. The stream patterns
correspond to a first radius (i.e., the radius of the top orifices
635) and the annular patterns correspond to a second radius (i.e.,
the radius of each annular opening 660) which is larger than the
first radius. The flow diversion elements 620 induce a rapid change
of gas flow (a) from a vertical flow of the stream pattern in each
orifice 635 (b) to a horizontal flow from the first radius (of each
orifice 635) to the second radius (of the corresponding annular
opening 660) and (c) to a vertical flow in each corresponding
annular opening 660.
[0033] FIGS. 8A-8D illustrate one method for fabricating the gas
distribution plate of FIGS. 6 and 7 as a monolithic silicon carbide
piece. In FIG. 8A, the back plate 600 is formed of sintered silicon
carbide and the slots 605 are milled in the plate 600. In FIG. 8B,
graphite inserts 805 are placed in the slots 605. In FIG. 8C, the
front plate 610 is formed by chemical vapor deposition of silicon
carbide on the bottom surface 600a of the back plate 600. Then, the
graphite inserts are all removed by heating the entire assembly
until the graphite material burns away, leaving the slots 605
empty, as shown in FIG. 8D. In FIG. 8D, an array of annular
openings 660 are milled completely through the entire thickness of
the front plate 610, corresponding to the holes 615 and pucks 620
illustrated in FIG. 6. FIG. 8D also depicts the orifice 635, which
may be milled during one of the foregoing steps.
[0034] FIGS. 9A-9D illustrate another method for fabricating the
gas distribution plate of FIGS. 6 and 7 as a monolithic silicon
carbide piece. In FIG. 9A, the back plate 600 is formed of sintered
silicon carbide and the slots 605 are milled in the plate 600. In
addition, a wide shallow channel 810 is formed in the back plate
600 centered along and parallel to each slot 605. In FIG. 8B,
silicon carbide inserts 815 are placed in the wide shallow slots
810 in FIG. 8C, the front plate 610 is formed by chemical vapor
deposition of silicon carbide on the bottom surface 600a of the
back plate 600. In FIG. 8D, an array of annular openings 660 are
milled completely through the combined thicknesses of the front
plate 610 and the silicon carbide inserts 815, corresponding to the
holes 615 and pucks 620 illustrated in FIG. 6.
[0035] FIG. 10 illustrates yet another embodiment in which the back
plate 600 and the front plate 610 are both formed of anodized
aluminum. The anodization produces an alumina thin film 600-1 on
the back plate 600 and an alumina thin film 610-1 on the front
plate 610. The anodization layer protects the aluminum plates from
the plasma.
[0036] While the invention has been described with reference to
embodiments in which the ceiling gas distribution plate must
function as an electrode (and therefore comprise conductive
material), the gas distribution plate of the invention is also well
suited to applications in which the gas distribution plate does not
function as an electrode.
[0037] In those embodiments in which the ceiling gas distribution
plate functions as an overhead electrode, it may consist of silicon
carbide, as described above. If it is desired that the gas
distribution plate have a resistivity less than that of silicon
carbide (0.005-1.0 Ohm-cm), then each of the silicon carbide plates
600, 610 may be fabricated in such a manner as to have a thin
highly conductive graphite layers 910, 920 running through the
center of the plates and co-planar with the respective plate, as
illustrated in FIG. 11. This is accomplished by forming each plate
600, 610 as a graphite plate. Each graphite plate is machined to
form the structural features described above with reference to
FIGS. 6 and 7. Then, each graphite plate 600, 610 is siliconized
using conventional techniques. However, the siliconization process
is carried out only partially so as to siliconize the graphite
plates to a limited depth beyond the external surface of the
graphite. This leaves an interior portion of the graphite
un-siliconized, corresponding to the graphite layers 910, 920
enclosed within the silicon carbide plates 600, 610. The graphite
layers 910, 920 have a resistivity about one order of magnitude
less than that of silicon carbide. Since the graphite layers 910,
920 are completely enclosed in silicon carbide, they are protected
from the plasma.
[0038] While the gas distribution plate of FIGS. 2A and 2B has been
described as being formed of silicon carbide, it may, instead, be
formed of silicin.
[0039] While the invention has been described in detail with
reference to preferred embodiments, it is understood that
variations and modifications thereof may be made without departing
from the true spirit and scope of the invention.
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