Ball screw showerhead module adjuster assembly for showerhead module of semiconductor substrate processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9290843-B2
Application number	US-201414177879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2014
Priority date	Feb 11, 2014
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus comprises a ball screw showerhead module adjuster assembly for adjusting the planarization of a showerhead module of the apparatus. The ball screw showerhead module adjuster assembly comprises a collar supported in a stepped opening of a top plate; a bellows forms an airtight seal between the collar and an adjuster plate supported above the collar by at least three adjustable ball screws operable to adjust the planarization of the adjuster plate with respect to the collar. An insulating sleeve extends through an opening in the collar, the bellows, and the adjuster plate. A stem of the showerhead module is supported in an opening of the insulating sleeve by a nut assembly such that the stem is supported and aligned within the insulating sleeve so that an adjustment of planarization of the adjuster plate thereby adjusts the planarization of the faceplate of the showerhead module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus for processing semiconductor substrates comprising:
a chemical isolation chamber in which individual semiconductor substrates are processed wherein a top plate forms an upper wall of the chemical isolation chamber;
a process gas source in fluid communication with the chemical isolation chamber for supplying a process gas into the chemical isolation chamber;
a showerhead module which delivers the process gas from the process gas source to a processing zone of the processing apparatus wherein the individual semiconductor substrates are processed wherein the showerhead module comprises a base attached to a lower end of a stem wherein a faceplate having gas passages therethrough forms a lower surface of the base,
a substrate pedestal module which is configured to support the semiconductor substrate in the processing zone below the faceplate during processing of the substrate; and
a ball screw showerhead module adjuster assembly which supports the showerhead module in the top plate wherein the ball screw showerhead module adjuster assembly is operable to adjust the planarization of the faceplate of the showerhead module with respect to an upper surface of the substrate pedestal module adjacent the faceplate, the ball screw showerhead module adjuster assembly comprising:
a collar supported in a stepped opening of the top plate wherein an O-ring forms an airtight seal between a lower surface of the collar and a horizontal upper surface of the stepped opening;
a bellows which forms an airtight seal between the collar and an adjuster plate supported above the collar by at least three adjustable ball screws wherein the at least three adjustable ball screws are operable to adjust the planarization of the adjuster plate with respect to the collar; and
an insulating sleeve which extends through an opening in the collar, the bellows, and the adjuster plate, wherein a flange on an upper end of the insulating sleeve is fixedly supported on an upper surface of the adjuster plate and an O-ring forms an airtight seal therebetween;
wherein the stem of the showerhead module is supported in a stepped opening of the insulating sleeve by a nut assembly, the nut assembly operable to compress a tapered/conical shoulder of the stem below the nut assembly against a conical shoulder of the insulating sleeve such that the stem of the showerhead module is fixedly supported and aligned within the insulating sleeve so that an adjustment of planarization of the adjuster plate thereby adjusts the planarization of the faceplate of the showerhead module.

2. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nut assembly comprises a nut which engages with external threads around an upper portion of the stem, and a washer below the nut which compresses a seal between the insulating sleeve and the washer so as to form an airtight seal between the stem and the insulating sleeve when the nut of the nut assembly is tightened.

3. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable ball screw adjuster is grounded by the top plate wherein the insulating sleeve electrically insulates the stem from the top plate.

4. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the collar includes stepped openings and fasteners in the stepped openings attach the collar to the top plate.

5. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the flange of the insulating sleeve and the adjuster plate include corresponding openings wherein fasteners in the corresponding openings attach the flange of the insulating sleeve to the adjuster plate.

6. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bellows is welded at an upper end to the adjuster plate and at a lower end to the collar.

7. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an upper end of each ball screw is threadedly supported in the adjuster plate and a lower end of each ball screw is rotatably received in a respective ball socket of the collar.

8. A ball screw showerhead module adjuster assembly which is configured to support a showerhead module in a top plate of a semiconductor substrate processing apparatus used for processing semiconductor substrates is operable to adjust the planarization of a faceplate of the showerhead module with respect to an upper surface of a substrate pedestal module configured to be adjacent the faceplate, the ball screw showerhead module adjuster assembly comprising:
a collar configured to be supported in a stepped opening of the top plate wherein an O-ring is configured to form an airtight seal between a lower surface of the collar and a horizontal upper surface of the stepped opening;
a bellows which forms an airtight seal between the collar and an adjuster plate supported above the collar by at least three adjustable ball screws wherein the at least three adjustable ball screws are operable to adjust the planarization of the adjuster plate with respect to the collar; and
an insulating sleeve which extends through an opening in the collar, the bellows, and the adjuster plate, wherein a flange on an upper end of the insulating sleeve is fixedly supported on an upper surface of the adjuster plate and an O-ring forms an airtight seal therebetween;
wherein a stepped opening of the insulating sleeve is configured to receive a stem of the showerhead module which can be attached by a nut assembly configured to compress a tapered/conical shoulder of the stem below the nut assembly against a conical shoulder of the insulating sleeve such that the stem of the showerhead module is fixedly supported and aligned within the insulating sleeve so that an adjustment of planarization of the adjuster plate thereby adjusts the planarization of the faceplate of the showerhead module.

9. The ball screw showerhead module adjuster assembly of claim 8 , wherein the collar includes stepped openings configured to receive fasteners which attach the collar to the top plate.

10. The ball screw showerhead module adjuster assembly of claim 8 , wherein the flange of the insulating sleeve and the adjuster plate include corresponding openings wherein fasteners in the corresponding openings attach the flange of the insulating sleeve to the adjuster plate.

11. The ball screw showerhead module adjuster assembly of claim 8 , wherein an upper end of each ball screw is threadedly supported in the adjuster plate and a lower end of each ball screw is rotatably received in a respective ball socket of the collar.

12. The ball screw showerhead module adjuster assembly of claim 8 , wherein the nut assembly comprises a nut which is configured to engage with external threads around an upper portion of the stem, and a washer below the nut which is configured to compress a seal between the insulating sleeve and the washer so as to form an airtight seal between the stem and the insulating sleeve when the nut of the nut assembly is tightened.

13. The ball screw showerhead module adjuster assembly of claim 8 , wherein the bellows is welded at an upper end to the adjuster plate and at a lower end to the collar.

14. A showerhead module comprising the ball screw showerhead module adjuster assembly of claim 8 , the showerhead module configured to deliver process gas from a process gas source to a processing zone of the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus wherein individual semiconductor substrates are processed wherein the showerhead module comprises a base attached to a lower end of the stem wherein a faceplate having gas passages therethrough forms

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Madsen Eric Russell

Classifications

• H10P50/00

  Etching of wafers, substrates or parts of devices · CPC title

• H10W20/045

  for deposition from the gaseous phase, e.g. for chemical vapour deposition [CVD] · CPC title

• H10W20/033

  in openings in dielectrics · CPC title

• H01L21/76843

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05K3/143

  Masks therefor (H05K3/048 takes precedence) · CPC title