Gas box for CVD chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11049699-B2
Application number	US-201916516419-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2019
Priority date	Jul 31, 2018
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to apparatus for improving quality of films deposited on a substrate by a CVD process. More specifically, a branched gas feed assembly uniformly distributes a process gas entering an annular plenum. Each conduit of a first plurality of conduits having substantially equal flow conductance is in fluid communication with one or more conduits of a second plurality of conduits having substantially equal flow conductance. Each conduit of the second plurality of conduits terminates at one of a plurality of outlets. Each outlet of the plurality of outlets is in fluid communication with one or more inlet ports of a plurality of inlet ports formed in the annular plenum. Each inlet port of the plurality of inlet ports is spaced equidistant about a central axis of the annular plenum.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a lid and a chamber body defining a process volume therein, the lid having a port formed therethrough;
a gas feed tube having a first end and a second end, an opening at the first end in fluid communication with the port;
a first plurality of conduits having substantially equal flow conductance in fluid communication with the gas feed tube, each conduit of the first plurality of conduits terminating at one of a first plurality of outlets;
a second plurality of conduits having substantially equal flow conductance, each conduit of the second plurality of conduits in fluid communication with one of the first plurality of outlets, each conduit of the second plurality of conduits terminating at one of a second plurality of outlets; and
a plenum body defining an annular plenum therein, the plenum body having a plurality of inlet ports formed therein, each outlet of the second plurality of outlets in fluid communication with at least one of the plurality of inlet ports, the plurality of inlet ports spaced equidistant about a central axis of the plenum body, the gas feed tube having at least one aperture in fluid communication with the annular plenum, wherein the at least one aperture:
is a continuous annular opening, or
comprises a plurality of radially distributed openings about the central axis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plenum body is spaced apart from the lid.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a remote plasma source in fluid communication with the second end of the gas feed tube.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of outlets are spaced equidistant about the central axis of the plenum body.

5. An apparatus, comprising:
a lid and a chamber body defining a process volume therein, the lid having a port formed therethrough;
a gas feed tube having a first end and a second end, an opening at the first end in fluid communication with the port;
a first plurality of conduits having substantially equal flow conductance in fluid communication with the gas feed tube, each conduit of the first plurality of conduits terminating at one of a first plurality of outlets;
a second plurality of conduits having substantially equal flow conductance, each conduit of the second plurality of conduits in fluid communication with one of the first plurality of outlets, each conduit of the second plurality of conduits terminating at one of a second plurality of outlets;
a plenum body defining an annular plenum therein, the plenum body having a plurality of inlet ports formed therein, each outlet of the second plurality of outlets in fluid communication with at least one of the plurality of inlet ports, the plurality of inlet ports spaced equidistant about a central axis of the plenum body, the gas feed tube having at least one aperture in fluid communication with the annular plenum; and
a showerhead disposed between the process volume and the opening at the first end of the gas feed tube, the showerhead having a plurality of passages formed therethrough, the plurality of passages in fluid communication with the gas feed tube and the process volume.

6. An apparatus, comprising:
a lid having a port formed therethrough;
a gas feed tube having a first end and a second end, an opening at the first end in fluid communication with the port;
a first plenum body defining a first plenum therein, the first plenum body having a first inlet in fluid communication with the gas feed tube, the first plenum body having at least a first outlet and a second outlet, the at least the first outlet and the second outlet each having substantially equal flow conductance;
a second plenum body defining a second plenum therein, the second plenum body having at least a second inlet and a third inlet, the second inlet and the third inlet in fluid communication with the at least the first outlet and the second outlet, the second plenum body having at least a third outlet, a fourth outlet, a fifth outlet, and a sixth outlet, the at least the third outlet, the fourth outlet, the fifth outlet, and the sixth outlet each having substantially equal flow conductance;
a third plenum body defining an annular plenum therein, the third plenum body having a plurality of inlet ports formed therein, the plurality of inlet ports spaced equidistant about a central axis of the third plenum body and in fluid communication with at least one of the third outlet, the fourth outlet, the fifth outlet, and the sixth outlet, the gas feed tube having at least one aperture in fluid communication with the annular plenum; and
a showerhead disposed adjacent to the opening at the first end of the gas feed tube, the showerhead having a plurality of passages formed therethrough, the plurality of passages in fluid communication with the gas feed tube.

7. An apparatus, comprising:
a lid having a port formed therethrough;
a gas feed tube having a first end and a second end, an opening at the first end in fluid communication with the port;
a first plenum body defining a first plenum therein, the first plenum body having a first inlet in fluid communication with the gas feed tube, the first plenum body having at least a first outlet and a second outlet, the at least the first outlet and the second outlet each having substantially equal flow conductance;
a second plenum body defining a second plenum therein, the second plenum body having at least a second inlet and a third inlet, the second inlet and the third inlet in fluid communication with the at least the first outlet and the second outlet, the second plenum body having at least a third outlet, a fourth outlet, a fifth outlet, and a sixth outlet, the at least the third outlet, the fourth outlet, the fifth outlet, and the sixth outlet each having substantially equal flow conductance; and
a third plenum body defining an annular plenum therein, the third plenum body having a plurality of inlet ports formed therein, the plurality of inlet ports spaced equidistant about a central axis of the third plenum body and in fluid communication with at least one of the third outlet, the fourth outlet, the fifth outlet, and the sixth outlet, the gas feed tube having at least one aperture in fluid communication with the annular plenum, wherein the at least one aperture:
is a continuous annular opening, or
comprises a plurality of radially distributed openings about the central axis.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
a remote plasma source in fluid communication with the second end of the gas feed tube.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein a volume of the annular plenum is less than a volume of each of the first plenum and the second plenum.

10. The An apparatus, comprising:
a lid having a port formed therethrough;
a gas feed tube having a first end and a second end, an opening at the first end in fluid communication with the port;
a first plenum body defining a first plenum therein, the first plenum body having a first inlet in fluid communication with the gas feed tube, the first plenum body having at least a first outlet and a second outlet, the at least the first outlet and the second outlet each having substantially equal flow conductance;
a second plenum body defining a second plenum therein, the second plenum body having at least a second inlet and a third inlet, the second inlet and the third inlet in fluid communication with the at least the first outlet and the second outlet, the second plenum body having at least a third outlet, a fourth outlet, a fifth outlet, and a sixth outlet, the at least the third outlet, the fourth outlet, the fifth outlet, and the sixth outlet each having substantially equal flow conduct

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Ulavi Tejas
• Bansal Amit Kumar
• Pathak Nitin
• Balakrishna Ajit

Classifications

• H10P14/6336

  in the presence of a plasma [PECVD] · CPC title

• H01J37/32449 Primary

  Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow · CPC title

• C23C16/45565

  Shower nozzles · CPC title

• C23C16/45561 Primary

  Gas plumbing upstream of the reaction chamber · CPC title

• H01J37/32357 Primary

  Generation remote from the workpiece, e.g. down-stream · CPC title