Pumping apparatus and method for substrate processing chambers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11078568-B2
Application number	US-201916685340-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2019
Priority date	Jan 8, 2019
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to pumping devices, components thereof, and methods associated therewith for substrate processing chambers. In one example, a pumping ring for substrate processing chambers includes a body. The body includes an upper wall, a lower wall, an inner radial wall, and an outer radial wall. The pumping ring also includes an annulus defined by the upper wall, the lower wall, the inner radial wall, and the outer radial wall. The pumping ring also includes a first exhaust port in the body that is fluidly coupled to the annulus, and a second exhaust port in the body that is fluidly coupled to the annulus. The pumping ring also includes a first baffle disposed in the annulus adjacent to the first exhaust port, and a second baffle disposed in the annulus adjacent to the second exhaust port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pumping ring for substrate processing chambers, comprising:
an upper wall, a lower wall, an inner radial wall, and an outer radial wall;
an annulus defined by the upper wall, the lower wall, the inner radial wall, and the outer radial wall;
a first exhaust port in the lower wall that is fluidly coupled to the annulus;
a second exhaust port in the lower wall that is fluidly coupled to the annulus, the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port defining a linear axis therebetween;
a first baffle disposed in the annulus adjacent to the first exhaust port; and
a second baffle disposed in the annulus adjacent to the second exhaust port, the first baffle and the second baffle disposed at a baffle angle measured between an end of the respective first or second baffle and the linear axis, wherein the baffle angle is within a range of about 0.01 degrees to about 55 degrees.

2. The pumping ring of claim 1 , further comprising one or more openings that are configured to direct a fluid into the annulus, wherein the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port are fluidly coupled to a foreline.

3. The pumping ring of claim 1 , wherein the first baffle and the second baffle are both curved.

4. The pumping ring of claim 1 , wherein the baffle angle of the first baffle and the second baffle is within a range of about 30 degrees to about 55 degrees.

5. The pumping ring of claim 4 , wherein the baffle angle of the first baffle and the second baffle is about 30 degrees.

6. The pumping ring of claim 5 , wherein the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port are disposed equidistantly from each other about a circumferential axis of the pumping ring.

7. The pumping ring of claim 1 , wherein the first baffle and the second baffle are configured to direct a fluid around a first end and a second end of each respective first baffle and second baffle.

8. The pumping ring of claim 7 , the fluid comprising a processing gas and a processing residue.

9. A pumping ring for substrate processing chambers, comprising:
a top surface, an upper wall, a lower wall, an inner radial wall, and an outer radial wall;
one or more openings configured to direct a fluid therethrough;
a first exhaust port;
a second exhaust port, the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port defining a linear axis therebetween;
a first baffle disposed adjacent the first exhaust port; and
a second baffle disposed adjacent the second exhaust port, the first baffle and the second baffle disposed at a baffle angle measured between an end of the respective first or second baffle and the linear axis, wherein the baffle angle is within a range of about 0.01 degrees to about 55 degrees.

10. The pumping ring of claim 9 , wherein the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port are disposed equidistantly from each other about a circumferential axis of the pumping ring.

11. The pumping ring of claim 9 , wherein the baffle angle of the first baffle and the second baffle is within a range of about 30 degrees to about 55 degrees.

12. A substrate processing chamber, comprising:
a chamber body;
a pedestal disposed in the chamber body;
a pumping ring disposed around the pedestal, the pumping ring comprising an upper wall, a lower wall, an inner radial wall, and an outer radial wall;
an annulus defined by the upper wall, the lower wall, the inner radial wall, and the outer radial wall;
a first exhaust port in the pumping ring that is fluidly coupled to the annulus;
a second exhaust port in the pumping ring that is fluidly coupled to the annulus, the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port defining a linear axis therebetween;
a first baffle disposed in the annulus adjacent the first exhaust port; and
a second baffle disposed in the annulus adjacent the second exhaust port, the first baffle and the second baffle disposed at a baffle angle measured between an end of the respective first or second baffle and the linear axis, wherein the baffle angle is within a range of about 0.01 degrees to about 55 degrees; and
a foreline that is fluidly coupled to the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port.

13. The substrate processing chamber of claim 12 , wherein the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port are disposed about a circumferential axis of the pumping ring approximately 180 degrees from each other.

14. The substrate processing chamber of claim 12 , the pumping ring further comprising one or more openings that are configured to direct a fluid from an internal volume of the chamber body to the annulus.

15. The substrate processing chamber of claim 14 , the fluid comprising a processing gas and a processing residue.

16. The substrate processing chamber of claim 12 , wherein the first exhaust port is fluidly coupled to the foreline through a first vertical conduit and a horizontal conduit, and the second exhaust port is fluidly coupled to the foreline through a second vertical conduit and the horizontal conduit.

17. The substrate processing chamber of claim 16 , the horizontal conduit comprising a first portion that is coupled to the first vertical conduit, a second portion that is coupled to the second vertical conduit, and a third portion that is coupled to the foreline, wherein the first portion and the second portion diverge from the third portion at a first oblique angle and a second oblique angle.

18. The substrate processing chamber of claim 17 , wherein the first vertical conduit is fluidly coupled to the first exhaust port through a first conduit in the chamber body, the second vertical conduit is fluidly coupled to the second exhaust port through a second conduit in the chamber body, and the foreline is configured to exhaust a fluid from the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port.

19. The substrate processing chamber of claim 17 , wherein the horizontal conduit comprises a first end adjacent to the first vertical conduit, and a second end adjacent to the second vertical conduit.

20. The pumping ring of claim 9 , wherein the one or more openings are oriented at an angle relative to an axis parallel to the linear axis, and the angle is within a range of 0.01 degrees to 90 degrees.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Ghosh Kalyanjit
• Blahnik David
• Bansal Amit Kumar
• Nguyen Tuan Anh

Classifications

• C23C16/4412 Primary

  Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps · CPC title

• C23C16/45591

  Fixed means, e.g. wings, baffles · CPC title

• C23C16/4586

  Elements in the interior of the support, e.g. electrodes, heating or cooling devices · CPC title

• C23C16/5096 Primary

  Flat-bed apparatus · CPC title

• H10P72/70

  for supporting or gripping · CPC title