Shaped showerhead for edge plasma modulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12338530-B2
Application number	US-202117371575-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2021
Priority date	Jul 9, 2021
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

Exemplary semiconductor processing chambers may include a chamber body. The chambers may include a substrate support disposed within the chamber body. The substrate support may define a substrate support surface. The chambers may include a showerhead positioned supported atop the chamber body. The substrate support and a bottom surface of the showerhead may at least partially define a processing region within the semiconductor processing chamber. The showerhead may define a plurality of apertures through the showerhead. The bottom surface of the showerhead may define an annular groove or ridge that is positioned directly above at least a portion of the substrate support.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor processing chamber, comprising:
a chamber body;
a substrate support disposed within the chamber body, the substrate support defining a substrate support surface; and
a showerhead positioned supported atop the chamber body, wherein:
the substrate support and a bottom surface of the showerhead at least partially define a processing region within the semiconductor processing chamber;
the showerhead defines a plurality of apertures through the showerhead, the plurality of apertures extending from a top surface of the showerhead through the bottom surface of the showerhead; and
the bottom surface of the showerhead defines an annular groove that is positioned directly above at least a portion of the substrate support, and wherein an inner edge, an outer edge, or both an inner edge and an outer edge of the annular groove are tapered, and the annular groove is disposed radially outward of the plurality of apertures.

2. The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein:
the substrate support comprises a heater pocket that protrudes upward from an upper surface of the substrate support; and
the annular groove has a size and shape that corresponds to a size and shape of the heater pocket.

3. The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 1 , further comprising:
an RF mesh embedded within the substrate support, wherein a vertical distance between the RF mesh and the bottom surface of the showerhead varies across a length of the showerhead.

4. The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein:
the bottom surface of the showerhead defines an annular ridge that protrudes downward from the bottom surface.

5. The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 4 , wherein:
the annular groove and the annular ridge are in contact with one another.

6. The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 4 , wherein:
the annular groove and the annular ridge are spaced apart from one another.

7. The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein:
both an inner edge and an outer edge of the annular groove are tapered.

8. The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein:
a depth of the groove is between about 5 mils and 100 mils.

9. A semiconductor processing chamber, comprising:
a chamber body;
a substrate support disposed within the chamber body, the substrate support defining a substrate support surface;
a showerhead positioned supported atop the chamber body, wherein:
the substrate support and a bottom surface of the showerhead at least partially define a processing region within the semiconductor processing chamber;
the showerhead defines a plurality of apertures through the showerhead, the plurality of apertures extending from a top surface of the showerhead through the bottom surface of the showerhead; and
the bottom surface of the showerhead defines an annular relief feature, and wherein an inner edge, an outer edge, or both an inner edge and an outer edge of the annular relief feature are tapered, and at least a portion of the annular relief feature is disposed radially outward of the plurality of apertures.

10. The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 9 , wherein:
the annular relief feature comprises one or both of a groove and a ridge.

11. The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 9 , wherein:
at least a portion of the annular relief feature is disposed radially inward of at least one of the plurality of apertures.

12. The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 11 , wherein:
a subset of the plurality of apertures is disposed within the annular relief feature.

13. The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 12 , wherein:
each of the plurality of apertures comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion having a smaller diameter than the upper portion; and
a lower portion of each of the plurality of apertures within the subset has a same size as each of the plurality of apertures that are not included in the subset.

14. The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 9 , wherein:
a depth or a height of the relief feature is constant across a width of the relief feature.

15. The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 9 , wherein:
a depth or a height of the relief feature varies across a width of the relief feature.

16. The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 9 , wherein:
the bottom surface of the showerhead defines an additional annular relief feature.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Pemmasani Saketh
• Benjamin Raj Daemian Raj
• Li Xiaopu
• Dhanakshirur Akshay
• Kulkarni Mayur Govind
• Mutyala Madhu Santosh Kumar
• Padhi Deenesh
• Yu Hang

Classifications

• H01J37/3244

  Gas supply means · CPC title

• H01J37/32082

  Radio frequency generated discharge (H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01J37/32532 Primary

  Electrodes · CPC title

• H01J2237/327

  Arrangements for generating the plasma · CPC title

• C23C16/505

  using radio frequency discharges · CPC title