Patent · US Expired

Pattern of apertures in a showerhead for chemical vapor deposition

US6050506A · kind A · utility

589Cited by
9References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 13, 1998
Grant dateApr 18, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 13, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC23C16/455
  • WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A showerhead used for dispensing gas over a wafer in chemical vapor deposition (CVD), especially for CVD of metals. The patterns of holes is tailored to compensate for thermal and other effects, in particular by increasing the density of holes toward the periphery of the wafer in three or more zones. Such a variable pattern is particularly useful for liquid precursors that are atomized in a carrier gas, in which case a second perforated plate in back of the showerhead face can be eliminated, thereby reducing the flow impedance and the required pressure of the liquid-entrained gas, which tends to deposit out at higher pressures. The reduce flow impedance is particularly useful for CVD of copper.

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