Patent · US Active

Showerhead faceplate having flow apertures configured for hollow cathode discharge suppression

US10984987B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
2References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 10, 2018
Grant dateApr 20, 2021
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 23, 2039

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J37/3244
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A faceplate of a showerhead has a bottom side that faces a plasma generation region and a top side that faces a plenum into which a process gas is supplied during operation of a substrate processing system. The faceplate includes apertures formed through the bottom side and openings formed through the top side. Each of the apertures is formed to extend through a portion of an overall thickness of the faceplate to intersect with at least one of the openings to form a corresponding flow path for process gas through the faceplate. Each of the apertures has a cross-section that has a hollow cathode discharge suppression dimension in at least one direction. Each of the openings has a cross-section that has a smallest cross-sectional dimension that is greater than the hollow cathode discharge suppression dimension.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.