US5964947A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Removable pumping channel liners within a chemical vapor deposition chamber
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
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Filing: 1997-05-16
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Granted: 1999-10-12
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Expires: 2017-05-16
Abstract
Abstract A substrate processing chamber, particularly a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber used both for thermal deposition of a conductive material and a subsequently performed plasma process. The invention reduces thermal deposition of the conductive material in a pumping channel exhausting the chamber. The pumping channel is lined with various elements, some of which are electrically floating and which are designed so that conductive material deposited on these elements do not deleteriously affect a plasma generated for processing the wafer.
Inventors
- 👤 Jun Zhao
- 👤 Ashok Sinha
- 👤 Avi Tepman
- 👤 Mei Chang
- 👤 Lee Luo
- 👤 Alex Schreiber
- 👤 Talex Sajoto
- 👤 Stefan Wolff
- 👤 Charles Dornfest
- 👤 Michal Danek
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 03:29
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/455; C23C16/45502; C23C16/45508; C23C16/4411; C23C16/4412; C23C16/458; C23C16/4582; C23C16/4583; C23C16/4585; C23C16/46; C23C16/50; C23C16/505; C23C16/509; C23C16/5096; C23C16/54; H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/32431; H01J37/3244; H01J37/32458; H01J37/32477; H01J37/32798; H01J37/32816; H01J37/32834; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; H10P72/70; H10P72/76; H10P72/7604; H10P72/7611; H10P72/7624; H01J2237/00; H01J2237/20; H01J2237/2001
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
65 words
A plasma reactor, comprising: a main processing chamber including a pedestal for supporting a substrate thereon; an inlet for admitting processing gas into said chamber; a pumping channel surrounding a periphery of said main processing chamber, vacuum sealed thereto, connected thereto by a passageway, and connectable to a vacuum pumping system; and at least one removable liner placed on walls inside of said pumping channel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
65 words
A plasma reactor, comprising: a main processing chamber including a pedestal for supporting a substrate thereon; an inlet for admitting processing gas into said chamber; a pumping channel surrounding a periphery of said main processing chamber, vacuum sealed thereto, connected thereto by a passageway, and connectable to a vacuum pumping system; and at least one removable liner placed on walls inside of said pumping channel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The plasma reactor of claim 1, wherein said passageway is formed between a main chamber body of said reactor and a lid of said reactor so that said passageway is substantially continuous.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The plasma reactor of claim 2, wherein said passageway presents a choke point for said processing gas flowing from said main processing chamber into said pumping channel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
The plasma reactor of claim 2, wherein said lid includes a biasable electrode opposed to said pedestal and further comprising an isolator member surrounding said biasable electrode for electrically insulating it from said main chamber body, said isolator member forming a portion of a wall of said pumping channel and including grooves formed therein and facing said pumping channel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The plasma reactor of claim 1, wherein at least one of said at least one removable liner is electrically floating.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The plasma reactor of claim 1, wherein said at least one removable liner comprises a metallic liner.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
The plasma reactor of claim 1, wherein said at least one removable liner comprises three metallic liners configured to be disposed on different wall portions of said pumping channel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
79 words
The plasma reactor of claim 7, wherein said three liners comprise: a first annular liner shaped in a band and having a first major diameter; a second annular liner shaped in a band and having a second major diameter greater than said first major diameter; and a third annular liner having a radially extending portion extending between said first major diameter and said second major diameter and an axially extending portion connected thereto and having said second major diameter.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The plasma reactor of claim 1, wherein said at least one removable liner comprises three removable liners configured to be disposed on different wall portions of said pumping channel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The plasma reactor of claim 1, wherein said processing chamber and said inlet are configured for chemical vapor deposition.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
57 words
An isolator ring usable in a plasma reaction chamber comprising an electrically insulating ceramic material and having a generally cylindrical shape about an axis with a first rim portion extending radially outwardly and a second skirt portion extending axially downwardly with circumferential grooves formed on a radially outwardly facing surface at a bottom of said skirt portion.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
57 words
An isolator ring usable in a plasma reaction chamber comprising an electrically insulating ceramic material and having a generally cylindrical shape about an axis with a first rim portion extending radially outwardly and a second skirt portion extending axially downwardly with circumferential grooves formed on a radially outwardly facing surface at a bottom of said skirt portion.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
The isolator ring of claim 11, wherein said grooves have rounded corners at said outwardly facing surface.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
45 words
The isolator ring of claim 12, wherein said skirt portion has a radial thickness in a range of 5 to 10 mm, and said grooves have widths in a range of 1 to 2 mm and depths in a range of 2.5 to 4.6 mm.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
77 words
A set of channel liners comprising metals and including: a first annular liner shaped in a band and having a first major diameter; a second annular liner shaped in a band and having a second major diameter greater than said first major diameter; and a third annular liner having a radially extending portion extending between said first major diameter and said second major diameter and an axially extending portion connected thereto and having said second major diameter.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
77 words
A set of channel liners comprising metals and including: a first annular liner shaped in a band and having a first major diameter; a second annular liner shaped in a band and having a second major diameter greater than said first major diameter; and a third annular liner having a radially extending portion extending between said first major diameter and said second major diameter and an axially extending portion connected thereto and having said second major diameter.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
14 words
The set of claim 14, wherein said first annular liner has rounded axial ends.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
84 words
A plasma reactor, comprising: a main processing chamber including a pedestal for supporting thereon a substrate to be processed; an inlet for admitting processing gas into said chamber; a pumping channel surrounding a periphery of said chamber, connected thereto by a restricted passageway, and connectable to vacuum pumping system; and a ceramic first liner and a ceramic second liner forming walls of said pumping channel and defining therebetween said passageway, wherein said first liner includes at least one annular groove facing said pumping channel.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
84 words
A plasma reactor, comprising: a main processing chamber including a pedestal for supporting thereon a substrate to be processed; an inlet for admitting processing gas into said chamber; a pumping channel surrounding a periphery of said chamber, connected thereto by a restricted passageway, and connectable to vacuum pumping system; and a ceramic first liner and a ceramic second liner forming walls of said pumping channel and defining therebetween said passageway, wherein said first liner includes at least one annular groove facing said pumping channel.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
17 words
The plasma reactor of claim 16, wherein said first and second liners are removable from said channel.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
The plasma reactor of claim 17, further comprising a removable metal third liner forming another wall of said pumping channel.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
30 words
The plasma reactor of claim 16, wherein said chamber includes an electrically biasable lid portion and wherein said first liner electrically isolates walls of said chamber form said lid portion.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
The plasma reactor of claim 16, wherein said processing chamber and said inlet are configured for chemical vapor deposition.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-10-11 | 2003-04-12 | 2003-10-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-10-11 | 2007-04-12 | 2007-10-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-10-11 | 2011-04-12 | 2011-10-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |