Disclosed herein is a showerhead electrode of a plasma processing chamber in which semiconductor components can be manufactured. The fabrication of an integrated circuit chip typically begins with a thin, polished slice of high-purity, single crystal semiconductor material substrate (such as silicon or germanium) called a “substrate.” Each substrate is subjected to a sequence of physical and chemical processing steps that form the various circuit structures on the substrate. During the fabrication process, various types of thin films may be deposited on the substrate using various techniques such as thermal oxidation to produce silicon dioxide films, chemical vapor deposition to produce silicon, silicon dioxide, and silicon nitride films, and sputtering or other techniques to produce other metal films.
After depositing a film on the semiconductor substrate, the unique electrical properties of semiconductors are produced by substituting selected impurities into the semiconductor crystal lattice using a process called doping. The doped silicon substrate may then be uniformly coated with a thin layer of photosensitive, or radiation sensitive material, called a “resist.” Small geometric patterns defining the electron paths in the circuit may then be transferred onto the resist using a process known as lithography. During the lithographic process, the integrated circuit pattern may be drawn on a glass plate called a “mask” and then optically reduced, projected, and transferred onto the photosensitive coating.
The lithographed resist pattern is then transferred onto the underlying crystalline surface of the semiconductor material through a process known as plasma etching. Vacuum processing chambers are generally used for etching and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of materials on substrates by supplying an etching or deposition gas to the vacuum chamber and application of a radio frequency (RF) field to the gas to energize the gas into a plasma state.
Described herein is a showerhead electrode for a showerhead electrode assembly in a capacitively coupled plasma processing chamber, the showerhead electrode assembly comprising a backing plate having gas injection holes extending between upper and lower faces thereof, a plurality of stud/socket assemblies and cam shafts, an alignment ring, and a plurality of alignment pins; the showerhead electrode comprising: a plasma exposed surface on a lower face thereof; a mounting surface on an upper face thereof; a plurality of gas injection holes extending between the plasma exposed surface and the mounting surface thereof and arranged in a pattern matching the gas injection holes in the backing plate; wherein the gas injection holes have a diameter less than or equal to 0.04 inch and are arranged in a pattern with one center gas injection hole at a center of the electrode and eight concentric rows of gas injection holes, the first row having seven gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 0.6-0.7 inch from the center of the electrode; the second row having seventeen gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 1.3-1.4 inches from the center of the electrode; the third row having twenty-eight gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 2.1-2.2 inches from the center of the electrode; the fourth row having forty gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 2.8-3.0 inches from the center of the electrode; the fifth row having forty-eight gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 3.6-3.7 inches from the center of the electrode; the sixth row having fifty-six gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 4.4-4.5 inches from the center of the electrode; the seventh row having sixty-four gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 5.0-5.1 inches from the center of the electrode; the eighth row having seventy-two gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 5.7-5.8 inches from the center of the electrode; the gas injection holes in each row are azimuthally equally spaced.
A parallel plate capacitively coupled plasma reaction chamber typically consists of a vacuum chamber with an upper electrode assembly and a lower electrode assembly positioned therein. A substrate (usually a semiconductor) to be processed is covered by a suitable mask and placed directly on the lower electrode assembly. A process gas such as CF4, CHF3, CClF3, HBr, Cl2, SF6 or mixtures thereof is introduced into the chamber with gases such as O2, N2, He, Ar or mixtures thereof. The chamber is maintained at a pressure typically in the millitorr range. The upper electrode assembly includes a showerhead electrode with gas injection hole(s), which permit the gas to be uniformly dispersed through the upper electrode assembly into the chamber. One or more radio-frequency (RF) power supplies transmit RF power into the vacuum chamber and dissociate neutral process gas molecules into a plasma. Highly reactive radicals in the plasma are forced towards the substrate surface by an electrical field between the upper and lower electrodes. The surface of the substrate is etched or deposited on by chemical reaction with the radicals. The upper electrode assembly can include a single (monolithic) electrode or inner and outer electrodes, the monolithic electrode and inner electrode attached to a backing plate made of a different material. The monolithic/inner electrode is heated by the plasma and/or a heater arrangement during operation and may warp, which can adversely affect uniformity of processing rate across the substrate. In addition, differential thermal expansion of the monolithic/inner electrode and the backing plate can lead to rubbing therebetween during repeated thermal cycles. Rubbing can produce particulate contaminants that degrade the device yield from the substrate.
To reduce warping of the monolithic/inner electrode, described herein is a showerhead electrode assembly including a plurality of cam locks engaged with the interior of a mounting surface of the monolithic/inner electrode. The monolithic/inner electrode is not edge clamped with a clamp ring around the outer edge thereof. Instead, attachment to the backing plate is achieved solely by cam locks which fasten the monolithic/inner electrode to the backing plate at a plurality of positions distributed across the electrode.
The showerhead electrode assembly 100 as shown in
During use, process gas from a gas source is supplied to the upper electrode 110 through one or more passages in the backing plate which permit process gas to be supplied to a single zone or multiple zones above the substrate.
The inner electrode 120 is preferably a planar disk or plate. The inner electrode 120 can have a diameter smaller than, equal to, or larger than a substrate to be processed, e.g., up to 300 mm, if the plate is made of single crystal silicon, which is the diameter of currently available single crystal silicon material used for 300 mm substrates. For processing 300 mm substrates, the outer electrode 130 is adapted to expand the diameter of the inner electrode 120 from about 12 inches to about 17 inches (as used herein, “about” refers to ±10%). The outer electrode 130 can be a continuous member (e.g., a single crystal silicon, polycrystalline silicon, silicon carbide or other suitable material in the form of a ring) or a segmented member (e.g., 2-6 separate segments arranged in a ring configuration, such as segments of single crystal silicon, polycrystalline silicon, silicon carbide or other material). To supply process gas to the gap between the substrate and the upper electrode 110, the inner electrode 120 is provided with a plurality of gas injection holes (not shown), which are of a size and distribution suitable for supplying a process gas, which is energized into a plasma in a reaction zone beneath the upper electrode 110.
Details of the gas injection hole pattern can be critical to some plasma processes. Preferably, the diameter of the gas injection holes 106 is less than or equal to 0.04 inch; more preferably, the diameter of the gas injection holes 106 is between 0.01 and 0.03 inch; most preferably, the diameter of the gas injection holes 106 is 0.02 inch. A preferred gas injection hole pattern is shown in
Single crystal silicon is a preferred material for plasma exposed surfaces of the upper electrode 110. High-purity, single crystal silicon minimizes contamination of substrates during plasma processing as it introduces only a minimal amount of undesirable elements into the reaction chamber, and also wears smoothly during plasma processing, thereby minimizing particles. Alternative materials including composites of materials that can be used for plasma-exposed surfaces of the upper electrode 110 include polycrystalline silicon, Y2O3, SiC, Si3N4, and AlN, for example.
In an embodiment, the showerhead electrode assembly 100 is large enough for processing large substrates, such as semiconductor substrates having a diameter of 300 mm. For 300 mm substrates, the inner electrode 120 is at least 300 mm in diameter. However, the showerhead electrode assembly 100 can be sized to process other substrate sizes.
The backing plate 140 is preferably made of a material that is chemically compatible with process gases used for processing semiconductor substrates in the plasma processing chamber, has a coefficient of thermal expansion closely matching that of the electrode material, and/or is electrically and thermally conductive. Preferred materials that can be used to make the backing plate 140 include, but are not limited to, graphite, SIC, aluminum (Al), or other suitable materials.
The backing plate 140 is preferably attached to the thermal control plate with suitable mechanical fasteners, which can be threaded bolts, screws, or the like. For example, bolts can be inserted in holes in the thermal control plate and screwed into threaded openings in the backing plate 140. The thermal control plate is preferably made of a machined metallic material, such as aluminum, an aluminum alloy or the like. The upper temperature controlled plate is preferably made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy.
The outer electrode 130 and the annular shroud 190 can be mechanically attached to the backing plate 140 by cam locks.
The cam locks shown in
With reference to
The cam lock includes a stud (locking pin) 205 mounted into a socket 213. The stud may be surrounded by a disc spring stack 215, such, for example, stainless steel Belleville washers. The stud 205 and disc spring stack 215 may then be press-fit or otherwise fastened into the socket 213 through the use of adhesives or mechanical fasteners. The stud 205 and the disc spring stack 215 are arranged into the socket 213 such that a limited amount of lateral movement is possible between the outer electrode 130 or the inner electrode 120 or the annular shroud 190, and the backing plate 140. Limiting the amount of lateral movement allows for a tight fit between the outer electrode 130 or the inner electrode 120 or the annular shroud 190, and the backing plate 140, thus ensuring good thermal contact, while still providing some movement to account for differences in thermal expansion between the two parts. Additional details on the limited lateral movement feature are discussed in more detail, below.
In a specific exemplary embodiment, the socket 213 is fabricated from high strength Torlon®. Alternatively, the socket 213 may be fabricated from other materials possessing certain mechanical characteristics such as good strength and impact resistance, creep resistance, dimensional stability, radiation resistance, and chemical resistance may be readily employed. Various materials such as polyamide-imide, acetals, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene materials may all be suitable. High temperature-specific plastics and other related materials are not required for forming the socket 213 as 230° C. is a typical maximum temperature encountered in applications such as etch chambers. Generally, a typical operating temperature is closer to 130° C.
The cam shaft 160 or 150 is mounted into a bore machined into the backing plate 140. In a typical application for an etch chamber designed for 300 mm semiconductor substrates, eight or more cam shafts may be spaced around the periphery of the backing plate 140.
The stud 205 and cam shaft 160 or 150 may be machined from stainless steel (e.g., 316, 316L, 17-7, NITRONIC-60, etc.) or any other material providing good strength and corrosion resistance.
Referring now to
In
The stud/socket assembly 303 illustrates an inside diameter in an upper portion of the socket 213 being larger than an outside diameter of a mid-section portion of the stud 205. The difference in diameters between the two portions allows for the limited lateral movement in the assembled cam lock as discussed above. The stud/disc spring assembly 301 is maintained in rigid contact with the socket 213 at a base portion of the socket 213 while the difference in diameters allows for some lateral movement. (See also,
With reference to
For example, with continued reference to
In an exemplary mode of operation, the cam shaft 160 or 150 is inserted into the backing plate bore 211. The cam shaft 160 or 150 is rotated counterclockwise to its full rotational travel. The stud/socket assemblies 303 (
With reference to
The mounting surface 120b also includes two smooth (unthreaded) blind holes 540a and 540b configured to receive alignment pins (details shown in
The mounting surface 120b also includes threaded sockets arranged in a first circular row and a second circular row which divide the mounting surface 120b into a central portion, a middle portion and an outer portion. The first circular row is preferably located on a radius of ¼ to ½ the radius of the inner electrode 120, further preferably at a radial distance of about 2.4-2.6 inches from the center of the inner electrode 120; the second circular row is preferably located on a radius greater than ½ the radius of the inner electrode 120, further preferably at a radial distance of about 5.3-5.5 inches from the center of the inner electrode 120. In a preferred embodiment, a first row of eight 7/16-28 (Unified Thread Standard) threaded sockets 520a, each of which configured to receive a stud/socket assembly 303, are circumferentially spaced apart on a radius between 2.49 and 2.51 inches from the center of the inner electrode 120 and azimuthally offset by about 45° between each pair of adjacent threaded sockets 520a. Each of the threaded sockets 520a has a total depth of about 0.2 inch, a threaded depth of at least 0.163 inch from the entrance edge, and a 45° chamfer of about 0.03 inch wide on an entrance edge. One of the threaded sockets 520a is azimuthally aligned with the blind hole 540a. A second row of eight 7/16-28 (Unified Thread Standard) threaded sockets 520b, each of which configured to receive a stud/socket assembly 303, are circumferentially spaced apart on a radius between 5.40 and 5.42 inches from the center of the inner electrode 120 and azimuthally offset by about 45° between each pair of adjacent threaded holes 520b. Each of the threaded sockets 520b and 520a has a total depth of about 0.2 inch, a threaded depth of at least 0.163 inch from the entrance edge, and a 45° chamfer of about 0.03 inch wide on an entrance edge. One of the holes 520b is azimuthally aligned with the blind hole 540a.
The mounting surface 120b further includes first, second and third smooth (unthreaded) blind holes configured to receive receipt of alignment pins (530a, 530b and 530c, respectively, or 530 collectively) (details shown in
Referring to
The cam locks 151 and 152 provide points of mechanical support, improve thermal contact with the backing plate 140, reduce warping of the inner electrode 120, and hence reduce processing rate non-uniformity and thermal non-uniformity.
The second ring 6102 has an inner diameter of at least 1.35 inches (e.g. between 1.72 and 1.78 inches) and an outer diameter of at most 2.68 inches (e.g. between 2.25 and 2.35 inches). The second ring 6102 is connected to a third ring 6103 by three radially extending and azimuthally evenly spaced spokes 6123a, 6123b and 6123c, each of which has a width of about 0.125 inch. One spoke 6123a is offset azimuthally from one of the spokes 6112 by about 180°.
The third ring 6103 has an inner diameter of at least 2.68 inches (e.g. between 3.15 and 3.20 inches) and an outer diameter of at most 4.23 inches (e.g. between 3.70 and 3.75 inches). The third ring is connected to a fourth ring 6104 by four radially extending and azimuthally evenly spaced spokes 6134. Each spoke has a width of about 0.125 inch. One of the spokes 6134 is offset azimuthally by about 22.5° counterclockwise from the spoke 6123a. The third ring 6103 also includes two round holes 6103x and 6103y located at a radial distance between 1.70 and 1.75 inches from the center of the inner gasket 6100. The round holes 6103x and 6103y have a diameter of about 0.125 inch. The round hole 6103x is offset azimuthally by about 5° counterclockwise from the spoke 6123a. The round hole 6103y is offset azimuthally by about 180° from the spoke 6123a. The round holes 6103x and 6103y are configured to receive alignment pins.
The fourth ring 6104 has an inner diameter of at least 4.23 inches (e.g. between 4.68 and 4.73 inches) and an outer diameter of at most 5.79 inches (e.g. between 5.27 and 5.32 inches). The fourth ring 6104 is connected to a fifth ring 6105 by a set of 8 radially extending and azimuthally evenly spaced spokes 6145a and another set of 8 radially extending and azimuthally evenly spaced spokes 6145b. One of the spokes 6145b is offset azimuthally by about 8.5° counterclockwise from the spoke 6123a. One of the spokes 6145a is offset azimuthally by about 8.5° clockwise from the spoke 6123a. Each spoke 6145a and 6145b has a width of about 0.125 inch. The spokes 6145a and 6145b extend inward radially and separate the fourth ring 6104 into eight arcuate sections each of which has a central angle of about 28°.
The fifth ring 6105 has an inner diameter of at least 5.79 inches (e.g. between 6.33 and 6.38 inches) and an outer diameter of at most 7.34 inches (e.g. between 6.71 and 6.76 inches). The fifth ring 6105 is connected to a sixth ring 6106 by four radially extending and azimuthally evenly spaced spokes 6156. One of the spokes 6156 is offset azimuthally by about 90° from the spoke 6123a. Each the spokes 6156 has a width of about 0.125 inch.
The sixth ring 6106 has an inner diameter of at least 7.34 inches (e.g. between 7.90 and 7.95 inches) and an outer diameter of at most 8.89 inches (e.g. between 8.23 and 8.28 inches). The sixth ring 6106 is connected to a seventh ring 6107 by a set of four radially extending and azimuthally evenly spaced spokes 6167a and another set of four radially extending and azimuthally evenly spaced spokes 6167b. One of the spokes 6167b is offset azimuthally by about 6.4° counterclockwise from the spoke 6123a. One of the spokes 6167a is offset azimuthally by about 6.4° clockwise from the spoke 6123a. Each spoke 6167a and 6167b has a width of about 0.125 inch.
The seventh ring 6107 has an inner diameter of at least 8.89 inches (e.g. between 9.32 and 9.37 inches) and an outer diameter of at most 10.18 inches (e.g. between 9.65 and 9.70 inches). The seventh ring 6107 is connected to an eighth ring 6108 by a set of eight radially extending and azimuthally evenly spaced spokes 6178a and another set of eight radially extending and azimuthally evenly spaced spokes 6178b. One of the spokes 6178b is offset azimuthally by about 5° counterclockwise from the spoke 6123a. One of the spokes 6167a is offset azimuthally by about 5° clockwise from the spoke 6123a. Each spoke 6167a and 6167b has a width of about 0.125 inch.
The eighth ring 6108 has an inner diameter of at least 10.18 inches (e.g. between 10.59 and 10.64 inches) and an outer diameter of at most 11.46 inches (e.g. between 10.95 and 11.00 inches). The eighth ring 6108 is connected to a ninth ring 6109 by a set of eight radially extending and azimuthally evenly spaced spokes 6189a and another set of eight radially extending and azimuthally evenly spaced spokes 6189b. One of the spokes 6189b is offset azimuthally by about 5° counterclockwise from the spoke 6123a. One of the spokes 6189a is offset azimuthally by about 5° clockwise from the spoke 6123a. Each spoke 6167a and 6167b has a width of about 0.125 inch. Eight arcuate cutouts 6108h with a central angle of about 6° inch separate the eighth ring 6108 into eight sections. The cutouts 6108h are azimuthally equally spaced. One of the cutout 6108h is azimuthally aligned with the spoke 6123a.
The ninth ring 6109 has an inner diameter between 11.92 and 11.97 inches and an outer diameter between 12.45 and 12.50 inches. The ninth ring 6109 has three small-diameter cutouts 6109a, 6109b and 6109c on its inner perimeter. The cutouts 6109b and 6109c are azimuthally offset from the cutout 6109a by about 92.5° counterclockwise and about 190° counterclockwise, respectively. The cutout 6109c is azimuthally aligned with the spoke 6123a. The centers of the cutouts 6109a, 6109b and 6109c are located at a radial distance of about 6.02 inches from the center of the inner gasket 6100. The cutouts 6109a, 6109b and 6109c face inward and include a semi-circular outer periphery with a diameter of about 0.125 inch and include an inner opening with straight radial edges. The ninth ring 6109 also has three large-diameter round and outwardly facing cutouts 6109x, 6109y and 6109z on its outer perimeter. The cutouts 6109x, 6109y and 6109z are azimuthally equally spaced and have a diameter of about 0.72 inch. Their centers are located at a radial distance of about 6.48 inches from the center of the inner gasket 6100. The cutout 6109z is azimuthally offset from the spoke 6123a by about 37.5° clockwise.
The first annular gasket 6200 has an inner diameter of about 14.06 inches and an outer diameter of about 16.75 inches. The first annular gasket 6200 has eight circular holes 6209a equally spaced azimuthally. The centers of the holes 6209a are located at a radial distance of about 7.61 inches from the center of the first annular gasket 6200. The holes 6209a have a diameter of about 0.55 inch. When installed in the showerhead electrode assembly 100 (as described in details hereinbelow), one of the holes 6209a is azimuthally aligned with spoke 6123a of the inner gasket 6100. The first annular gasket 6200 also has one round inwardly facing cutout 6209b on the inner perimeter of the first annular gasket 6200. The center of this cutout 6209b is located at a distance of about 6.98 inches from the center of the first annular gasket 6200. The cutout 6209b has a diameter of about 0.92 inch. When installed in the showerhead electrode assembly 100 (as described in details hereinbelow), the cutout 6209b is azimuthally offset from the spoke 6123a by about 202.5° counterclockwise. The first annular gasket 6200 further has three circular holes 6210, 6220 and 6230 configured to allow tool access. These holes are located at a radial distance of about 7.93 inches and have a diameter of about 0.14 inch. The holes 6210, 6220 and 6230 are offset azimuthally by about 7.5°, about 127.5° and about 252.5° respectively clockwise from the cutout 6209b.
The second annular gasket 6300 has an inner diameter of about 17.29 inches and an outer diameter of about 18.69 inches. The second annular gasket 6300 has eight round outwardly facing cutouts 6301 equally spaced azimuthally on the outer perimeter. The centers of the cutouts 6301 are located at a radial distance of about 9.30 inches from the center of the third annular gasket 6300. The cutouts 6301 have a diameter of about 0.53 inch.
When the inner electrode 120 is installed in the chamber 100, an alignment ring, two inner alignment pins and three outer alignment pins are first inserted into the annular groove 550, holes 540a and 540b and holes 530, respectively. The inner gasket 6100 is then mounted to the inner electrode 120. The holes 6103x and 6103y correspond to the inner alignment pins; and the center hole of the inner gasket 6100 corresponds to the alignment ring and the center gas injection hole in the inner electrode 120. Openings between the nine rings and in the spokes in the inner gasket 6100 correspond to the first row through the eighth row of gas injection holes in the inner electrode 120. The cutouts 6109a, 6109b and 6109c on the ninth ring correspond to the holes 530a, 530b and 530c, respectively. Eight stud/socket assemblies 303 are threaded into the eight threaded sockets 520a and eight stud/socket assemblies 303 are threaded into the eight threaded sockets 520b to fasten the inner electrode 120 to the backing plate 140, with the inner gasket 6100 sandwiched therebetween. The stud/socket assemblies 303 support the inner electrode 120 at a location between the center and outer edge, improve thermal contact with the backing plate 140 and reduce warping of the inner electrode 120 caused by temperature cycling during processing of substrates. The inner electrode 120 is fastened against the backing plate 140 by rotating the cam shafts 150. Eight stud/socket assemblies 303 are threaded into eight threaded sockets in the outer electrode 130. The first annular gasket 6200 is placed on the outer electrode 130. Eight stud/socket assemblies 303 are threaded into eight threaded sockets in the annular shroud 190. The second annular gasket 6300 is placed on the annular shroud 190. The outer electrode 130 and the annular shroud 190 are fastened to the backing plate 140 by rotating the cam shafts 160. The eight holes 6209a correspond to the eight stud/socket assemblies 303 threaded on the outer electrode 130. The cutouts 6301 correspond to the eight stud/socket assemblies 303 threaded on the shroud 190.
The rings 6101-6109 and the spokes in the inner gasket 6100 may be arranged in any suitable pattern as long as they do not obstruct the gas injection holes 106, the cam locks 151 and 152, alignment ring, or alignment pins in the inner electrode 120.
While the showerhead electrode assembly, showerhead electrode, outer electrode, gasket set and gas hole pattern have been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made, and equivalents employed, without departing from the scope of the appended claims.
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