Heated showerhead assembly
US8876024B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 10, 2008 |
| Grant date | Nov 4, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 7, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/49815
- WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
The present invention generally comprises a heated showerhead assembly that may be used to supply processing gases into a processing chamber. The processing chamber may be an etching chamber. When processing gas is evacuated from the processing chamber, the uniform processing of the substrate may be difficult. As the processing gas is pulled away from the substrate and towards the vacuum pump, the plasma, in the case of etching, may not be uniform across the substrate. Uneven plasma may lead to uneven etching. To prevent uneven etching, the showerhead assembly may be separated into two zones each having independently controllable gas introduction and temperature control. The first zone corresponds to the perimeter of the substrate while the second zone corresponds to the center of the substrate. By independently controlling the temperature and the gas flow through the showerhead zones, etching uniformity of the substrate may be increased.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.