Gas-cooled cover for drain line of substrate processing system

Abstract

A gas cooling cover for an exhaust connector of a substrate processing system includes a first cover portion configured to be disposed about a first portion of the exhaust connector of the substrate processing system and including a first body defining a first gas chamber and a second gas chamber. A first gas inlet is disposed on an outer surface of the first body and is in fluid communication with the first gas chamber. A first plurality of nozzles is disposed on an inner surface of the first cover portion and is in fluid communication with the first gas chamber. A first plurality of exhaust ports is disposed on the inner surface of the first cover portion and is configured to direct gas between the first cover portion and the first portion of the exhaust connector to the second gas chamber of the first body.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 404,582, filed on September 8, 2022. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to substrate processing systems and, more particularly, to a gas cooled cover for an exhaust line of a substrate processing system. Background Art

[0003] The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally presenting the background of the present disclosure. The work of the currently designated inventors within the scope described in this background section and aspects of the specification that could not be determined as prior art at the time of filing the application are neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art against the present disclosure.

[0004] The substrate processing system can be used to process substrates such as semiconductor wafers. Substrate processing can include deposition, etching, cleaning and other processing. Exemplary processes that can be performed on a substrate include, but are not limited to, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), conductor etching, rapid thermal processing (RTP), ion implantation, physical vapor deposition (PVD), and / or other etching, deposition or cleaning processes.

[0005] The substrate may be disposed on a substrate support, such as a pedestal or electrostatic chuck (ESC), in a process chamber of a substrate processing system. During processing, a showerhead (or other gas delivery device) may be used to introduce a gas mixture, such as a precursor or etching gas, into the process chamber, and a plasma may be used to initiate a chemical reaction. The reactants are exhausted from the process chamber and transported to a facility exhaust system.

[0006] The exhaust line connects the process chamber to the valve and pump. Over time, reactants can build up on the inner surface of the exhaust line and require cleaning. During maintenance, a remote plasma can be supplied to the exhaust line to remove the buildup. The remote plasma is very hot (>1000°C) and may damage the exhaust line and / or nearby seals unless cooling is used. Summary of the invention

[0007] A gas cooling cover for an exhaust connector of a substrate processing system comprises: a first cover portion configured to be disposed around a first portion of the exhaust connector of the substrate processing system, and comprising: a first body defining a first gas chamber and a second gas chamber. A first gas inlet is disposed on an outer surface of the first body and is in fluid communication with the first gas chamber. A first plurality of nozzles are disposed on an inner surface of the first cover portion and are in fluid communication with the first gas chamber. A first plurality of exhaust ports are disposed on the inner surface of the first cover portion and are configured to direct gas located between the first cover portion and the first portion of the exhaust connector to the second gas chamber of the first body.

[0008] In other features, a second cover portion is configured to be disposed around the second portion of the drain connector and to be connected to the first cover portion, and includes a second body defining a first gas chamber and a second gas chamber. A second gas inlet is disposed on an outer surface of the second body and is in fluid communication with the first gas chamber of the second body. A second plurality of nozzles are disposed on an inner surface of the second cover portion and are in fluid communication with the first gas chamber. A second plurality of exhaust ports are disposed on the inner surface of the second cover portion and are configured to direct gas located between the second cover portion and the second portion of the drain connector to the second gas chamber of the second body.

[0009] In other features, a first plurality of spacers are disposed on the inner surface of the first portion of the first body to maintain spacing between the gas cooling cover and the exhaust connector. The first body of the first cover portion also includes a first outer wall that partially defines the second gas chamber of the first body. The first outer wall includes a third plurality of exhaust ports to receive exhaust gas from outlets of the first plurality of exhaust ports.

[0010] In other features, the third plurality of exhaust ports are misaligned relative to outlets of the first plurality of exhaust ports. The second body of the second cover portion includes an arcuate body portion and an arcuate bracket. The arcuate body portion and the arcuate bracket are configured to attach around a remote plasma cleaning (RPC) inlet of the exhaust connector.

[0011] In other features, the arcuate main body portion includes a first arcuate flange disposed on one side thereof. The arcuate bracket includes a second arcuate flange and a third arcuate flange disposed on one side thereof and a gap between the second arcuate flange and the third arcuate flange to allow heated gas to escape. The gas cooling cover is manufactured using additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing involves depositing materials to build parts additively using printable materials, rather than starting with a piece of material and machining the contour of the part. The gas cooling cover is made of a printable material selected from the group consisting of a metal alloy, a ceramic, a polymer, a polymer mixed with particles, and a polymer mixed with reinforcing fibers. The gas cooling cover is made of a printable aluminum alloy.

[0012] In other features, the first ends of the first cover portion and the second cover portion are joined around the drain connector using a fastener. The second ends of the first cover portion and the second cover portion are joined around the drain connector using a spring fastener.

[0013] An exhaust system for a substrate processing chamber includes an exhaust connector, comprising: one or more exhaust lines configured to be connected to one or more outlets of a processing chamber; and an outlet configured to be connected to a valve. A gas cooling cover is disposed around the exhaust connector and comprises a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of exhaust ports. The gas cooling cover is configured to receive a cooling gas, supply the cooling gas to the exhaust connector through the plurality of nozzles to cool the exhaust connector, and remove heated gas between the gas cooling cover and the exhaust connector through the plurality of exhaust ports.

[0014] In other features, the gas cooling cover is manufactured using additive manufacturing. The gas cooling cover is made of a printable material selected from the group consisting of metal alloys, ceramics, polymers, polymers and particles, and polymers and reinforcing fibers.

[0015] In other features, the gas cooling cover includes a first cover portion and a second cover portion. The first ends of the first cover portion and the second cover portion are attached together around the drain connector. The second ends of the first cover portion and the second cover portion are attached together around the drain connector.

[0016] In other features, the first cover portion includes a first body that defines a first gas chamber and a second gas chamber. A first gas inlet is disposed on an outer surface of the first body and is in fluid communication with the first gas chamber. A first plurality of nozzles of the plurality of nozzles are disposed on an inner surface of the first cover portion and are in fluid communication with the first gas chamber. A first plurality of exhaust ports of the plurality of exhaust ports are disposed on the inner surface of the first cover portion and are configured to direct gas located between the first cover portion and the exhaust connector to the second gas chamber of the first body. The second cover portion includes a second body that defines a first gas chamber and a second gas chamber. A second gas inlet is disposed on an outer surface of the second body and is in fluid communication with the first gas chamber of the second body. A second plurality of nozzles of the plurality of nozzles are disposed on an inner surface of the second cover portion and are in fluid communication with the first gas chamber. A second plurality of exhaust ports of the plurality of exhaust ports are disposed on the inner surface of the second cover portion and are configured to direct gas located between the second cover portion and the exhaust connector to the second gas chamber of the second body.

[0017] In other features, a first plurality of spacers are disposed on the inner surface of the first body. A second plurality of spacers are disposed on the inner surface of the second body. The first plurality of spacers and the second plurality of spacers maintain a spacing between the gas cooling cover and the exhaust connector.

[0018] In other features, the first body of the first cover portion further includes a first outer wall that partially defines the second gas chamber of the first body. The second body of the second cover portion further includes a second wall portion that partially defines the second gas chamber of the first body. The first outer wall includes a third plurality of exhaust ports in the plurality of exhaust ports to receive exhaust gas from an outlet of the first plurality of exhaust ports in the plurality of exhaust ports. The second wall portion includes a fourth plurality of exhaust ports in the plurality of exhaust ports to receive exhaust gas from an outlet of the second plurality of exhaust ports in the plurality of exhaust ports.

[0019] In other features, the second body of the second cover portion includes: an arcuate body portion; and an arcuate bracket. The arcuate body portion and the arcuate bracket are configured to be attached around a remote plasma cleaning (RPC) inlet of the exhaust connector. The arcuate body portion includes a first arcuate flange disposed on one side thereof. The arcuate bracket includes a second arcuate flange and a third arcuate flange disposed on one side thereof and a gap between the second arcuate flange and the third arcuate flange to allow heated gas to be exhausted.

[0020] Further scope of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims and drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of an example of a substrate processing system according to the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a discharge connector disposed between the process chamber and the valve and pump;

[0024] Figure 3 is a perspective view of an example of a gas cooling cover for a drain connector according to the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 4 is an interior view of an example of a first cover portion of a gas cooling cover according to the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 5 is a simplified cross-sectional view of an example of first and second gas chambers of a first cover portion according to the present disclosure; and

[0027] Figure 6 is an interior view of an example of a second cover portion of a gas cooling cover according to the present disclosure.

[0028] Among the drawings, reference numerals may be repeated to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] One or more exhaust lines or forelines of the exhaust connector are connected to one or more outlets of the process chamber. In some examples, the exhaust connector combines multiple exhaust lines into a single exhaust line that is connected to the inlet of the valve and pump. In other examples, a single exhaust line can be used.

[0030] During operation of the substrate processing system, reactants are exhausted from the processing chamber through the exhaust connector, and some reactants accumulate on the inner surface of the exhaust connector. After processing the substrate for a period of time, maintenance is performed to remove the reactants on the inner surface of the exhaust connector.

[0031] The exhaust connector may include a remote plasma cleaning (RPC) inlet located near the junction of the two exhaust lines. In other examples, the RPC gas may enter the exhaust line upstream of the exhaust connector. In other examples, a cleaning substance that does not need to dissociate to be sufficiently reactive may be used instead of a plasma.

[0032] During operation of the process chamber and / or during maintenance such as RPC, the drain connector is heated. The drain connector may need to be cooled (or heated) to prevent damage. For example, the remote plasma may be heated to a temperature greater than 1000°C. Other major heat sources may include exothermic chemical reactions between the plasma and the deposits and free radical recombination on the inner surface of the drain connector.

[0033] Cooling tubes (e.g., copper tubes) carrying a fluid (e.g., process cooled water) have been connected to the outer surface of the drain connector to remove heat from the drain connector. However, the cooling tubes may leak fluid and cause contamination and / or electrical problems. If the fluid does not flow through the tubes at a sufficient flow rate, boiling of the fluid may occur. These tubes are also difficult to package.

[0034] Instead of using a cooling tube that carries a cooling fluid, a substrate processing system according to the present disclosure includes a gas cooling cover or jacket disposed around a portion of a discharge connector. The inner surface of the gas cooling cover is spaced apart from the outer surface of the discharge connector to allow the cooling gas to exchange heat with the discharge connector. A cooling gas, such as air, is supplied to a first gas chamber of the gas cooling cover. The cooling gas in the first gas chamber flows through a nozzle (located on the inner surface of the gas cooling cover) and flows to the discharge connector. The inner surface of the gas cooling cover also includes a discharge port, which includes a through hole to receive heated gas and output the heated gas to a second gas chamber of the gas cooling cover. Although in some examples, cooling gas is used to cool the discharge connector, the cover may also receive heated gas to heat components below a desired temperature.

[0035] Reference now Figure 1 , the substrate processing system 100 includes a processing chamber 102 that surrounds components of the substrate processing system 100 and contains an RF plasma. The processing chamber 102 includes an upper electrode 104 and a substrate support 106, which can be an electrostatic chuck (ESC). During operation, a substrate 108 is disposed on the substrate support 106. Although a specific example of the substrate processing system 100 and the processing chamber 102 is shown as an example, the principles of the present disclosure can be applied to other types of substrate processing systems and chambers, such as substrate processing systems using remote plasma generation and delivery (e.g., using a plasma tube, a microwave tube), etc.

[0036] The gas distribution device 111 distributes the processing gas. By way of example only, the upper electrode 104 may be combined with a showerhead 109 (to act as the gas distribution device 111). The showerhead 109 may include a stem portion including one end connected to the top surface of the processing chamber 102. The base portion is generally cylindrical and includes a gas plenum and extends radially outward from the opposite end of the stem portion at a position spaced from the top surface of the processing chamber 102. The surface or faceplate of the base portion of the showerhead 109 facing the substrate includes holes for the flow of processing gas or purge gas. Alternatively, the upper electrode 104 may include a conductive plate and the processing gas may be introduced in another manner.

[0037] The substrate support 106 includes a bottom plate 110 that is electrically conductive and acts as a lower electrode. The bottom plate 110 supports a top plate 112 that may be formed of ceramic. In some examples, the top plate 112 may include one or more heating layers, such as a ceramic multi-zone heating plate. The one or more heating layers may include one or more heating elements, such as conductive traces, as further described below.

[0038] An adhesive layer 114 is disposed between the top plate 112 and the bottom plate 110 and bonds the top plate 112 to the bottom plate 110. The bottom plate 110 may include one or more coolant channels 116 for flowing a coolant through the bottom plate 110. In some examples, the substrate support 106 may include an edge ring 118 disposed around the periphery of the substrate 108.

[0039] The RF generation system 120 generates and outputs an RF voltage to one of the upper electrode 104 and the lower electrode (e.g., the bottom plate 110 of the substrate support 106). The other of the upper electrode 104 and the bottom plate 110 may be DC grounded, AC grounded, or floating. By way of example only, the RF generation system 120 may include an RF voltage generator 122 that generates an RF voltage that is fed to the upper electrode 104 by a matching and distribution network 124. In other examples, the RF voltage is provided to the bottom plate 110. In other examples, the plasma may be generated inductively or remotely. Although the RF generation system 120 corresponds to a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) system, the principles of the present disclosure may also be implemented in other suitable systems, such as a transformer coupled plasma (TCP) system, an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) system, a CCP cathode system, a remote microwave plasma generation and delivery system, and the like.

[0040] The gas delivery system 130 includes one or more gas sources 132-1, 132-2 ..., and 132-N (collectively referred to as gas sources 132), where N is an integer greater than zero. The gas source supplies one or more gas mixtures. The gas source can also supply a purge gas. A vaporized precursor can also be used. The gas source 132 is connected to the manifold 140 through valves 134-1, 134-2 ..., and 134-N (collectively referred to as valves 134) and mass flow controllers 136-1, 136-2 ..., and 136-N (collectively referred to as mass flow controllers 136). A second set of valves (not shown) can be provided between the mass flow controllers 136 and the manifold 140. The output of the manifold 140 is fed to the process chamber 102. By way of example only, the output of the manifold 140 is fed to the showerhead 109.

[0041] The temperature controller 142 may be connected to a heating element, such as a thermal control element (TCE) 144 disposed in the top plate 112. For example, the heating element may include, but is not limited to, a giant heating element corresponding to a corresponding zone in a multi-zone heating plate and / or an array of micro-heating elements configured across multiple zones of the multi-zone heating plate. The temperature controller 142 may be used to control the heating element to control the temperature of the substrate support 106 and the substrate 108.

[0042] The temperature controller 142 may communicate with the coolant assembly 146 to control the coolant flowing through the channel 116. For example, the coolant assembly 146 may include a coolant pump and a reservoir. The temperature controller 142 operates the coolant assembly 146 to selectively flow the coolant through the channel 116 to cool the substrate support 106.

[0043] A valve 150 and a pump 152 are connected to the exhaust line 148 and are used to exhaust reactants from the processing chamber 102. A controller 160 can be used to control components of the substrate processing system 100. One or more manipulators 161 can be used to transfer a substrate to the substrate support 106 and remove the substrate from the substrate support 106. A remote plasma source 174 selectively delivers a remote plasma to an exhaust line connecting the processing chamber to the valve 150 to clean the exhaust line. A valve (not shown) can be disposed between the remote plasma source 174 and the valve 150. A gas cooling cover 180 is disposed around a portion of the exhaust connector 200. A gas source 184 and a valve 186 can be used to supply a cooling gas such as air or other cooling gas to the gas cooling cover 180.

[0044] Now refer to Figure 2, an example of a drain connector 200 is shown for illustrative purposes. In this example, the drain connector includes a first drain line 214, a second drain line 218, and an RPC inlet 222. As described above, the drain connector 200 can have different configurations. For example, the drain connector 200 can include one or more drain lines and the RPC inlet 222 can be omitted.

[0045] In this example, the first exhaust line 214 and the second exhaust line 218 converge into an outlet exhaust line 224 connected to a flange 226. The flange 226 connects the exhaust connector 200 to a valve 150 (e.g., a pendulum valve) and a pump 152 (e.g., a turbomolecular pump). A seal (not shown) may be disposed between the flange 226 and the valve 150. The exhaust connector 200 also includes a remote plasma cleaning (RPC) inlet 222 leading to the outlet exhaust line 224. During RPC, a remote plasma is supplied to the exhaust connector 200 to clean the exhaust line. The exhaust connector 200 undergoes significant heating and requires cooling to prevent damage to the exhaust connector 200 and / or the seals.

[0046] Now refer to Figure 3 The gas cooling cover 180 further includes a first cover portion 310 and a second cover portion 330, which are disposed around the outlet discharge line 224 of the discharge connector 200 and fastened together. The shapes of the first cover portion 310 and the second cover portion 330 may be asymmetrical or symmetrical (not shown). The shapes of the first cover portion 310 and the second cover portion 330 may vary according to the corresponding shapes of the discharge connector 200 and other components disposed nearby.

[0047] The first cover portion 310 includes a body 311, which includes one or more inlets 312 disposed on its outer surface to receive cooling gas. The body 311 defines a first gas chamber 313 that receives cooling gas from the inlet 312. The inner surface 309 of the body 311 includes an outlet of a nozzle 314 to supply a jet of cooling gas from the first gas chamber 313 to the exhaust connector 200. In some examples, the nozzle 314 includes a through hole. The inner surface of the body 311 also includes an inlet to the exhaust port 316 (including a through hole 315 disposed in a tapered cavity) to receive heated gas. As will be further described below, the first gas chamber 313 is in fluid communication with the nozzle 314 and is isolated from exhaust gas flowing through the through hole 315. The outer wall 317 of the body 311 partially surrounds the second gas chamber 318 and includes an outlet of the exhaust port (as shown below) that is not aligned with the outlet of the through hole 315 (not shown) to reduce noise.

[0048] The second cover portion 330 includes a body 331, which includes one or more inlets 332 disposed on its outer surface 335 to receive a cooling gas such as pressurized air. The body 331 defines a first gas chamber 333 that receives the cooling gas from the inlet 332. The inner surface of the body 331 includes an outlet of a nozzle 334 to supply the cooling gas from the first gas chamber 313 to the exhaust connector 200. The inner surface of the body 331 also includes an inlet of an exhaust port, which includes a through hole (not shown) to receive the heated gas and deliver the heated gas to the second gas chamber 338. The first gas chamber 333 is in fluid communication with the nozzle 334 and is isolated from the heated gas flowing from the through hole 315 to the second gas chamber 338. The outer wall 337 of the body 331 is spaced apart from the interior of the body 331, partially surrounds the second gas chamber 338, and includes an exhaust port (as shown below) that is not aligned with the outlet (not shown) of the through hole 315.

[0049] The body 331 of the second cover portion 330 also includes an arcuate body portion 340 configured to fit around a first arcuate portion of the outer surface of the RPC inlet 222 (when in use). The arcuate bracket 350 is configured to fit around a second arcuate portion of the outer surface of the RPC inlet 222. The arcuate bracket 350 is connected to the arcuate body portion 340 to engage the outer surface of the RPC inlet 222.

[0050] The inner surface of the arcuate body portion 340 is spaced from the outer surface of the RPC inlet 222 and includes a nozzle 334 configured to supply cooling gas between the gas cooling cover 180 and the RPC inlet 222. In some examples, fasteners 352 and 360 are used to connect the arcuate bracket 350 to the arcuate body portion 340 around the RPC inlet 222. In some examples, the arcuate body portion 340 and the arcuate bracket 350 include arcuate flanges 336 and 354, respectively, which extend radially outward on one or both sides thereof to contain cooling gas between the arcuate body portion 340 and the arcuate bracket 350 and maintain spacing from the RPC inlet. An open or flangeless portion 356 is located on the arcuate bracket 350 between the arcuate flanges 336 and 354 to allow heated gas to escape. The arcuate bracket 350 also includes a protrusion 370 to allow a spring fastener 372 to connect the aligned ends of the second cover portion 330 and the first cover portion 310 together.

[0051] Now refer to Figure 4 and 5 , shows the inner surface of the first portion of the main body 311 of the first cover portion 310. Figure 4In the embodiment, spacers 320 are provided at multiple locations on the inner surface of the first cover portion 310 to maintain the spacing between the inner surface of the body 311 and the drain connector 200 and ensure sufficient cooling airflow. The end face 510 matches the corresponding face of the second cover portion 330. The end faces 510 and 512 include mounting holes for receiving the fastener 360 and the spring fastener 372, respectively.

[0052] exist Figure 5 , the first gas chamber 313 supplies the cooled gas to the adjacent portion of the discharge connector 200 through the nozzle 314. The cooled supply gas is heated by the discharge connector 200 and then returns through the nearby discharge port 316 and the through hole 315. The through hole 315 passes through the cylinder 514 provided in the first gas chamber 313 to prevent the cooled supply gas from mixing with the heated gas. The heated gas enters the second gas chamber 318 and then passes through the outer wall 317 and / or the gap between the outer wall 317 and the body 311 through the discharge opening 410 at the top and bottom surfaces of the gas cooling cover 180.

[0053] Reference now Figure 6 , shows the inner surface of the first portion of the body 331 of the second cover portion 330. As can be appreciated, due to the asymmetric shape of the drain connector 200, the shape of the second cover portion 330 is different from the shape of the first cover portion 310. The second cover portion 330 includes an arcuate portion 604 that extends upward and then extends downward into the step portion 606 to accommodate the shape of the RPC inlet 222 and the connector 220. Spacers 618 are provided at multiple locations to maintain a predetermined distance between the second cover portion 330 and the drain connector 200, thereby allowing gas flow. The exhaust port 615 and the through hole 616 return the heated gas to the second gas chamber 318.

[0054] In some embodiments, the gas cooling cover is manufactured using additive manufacturing. In some examples, the gas cooling cover is made of a printed material selected from a group consisting of printed metal alloys (e.g., printed aluminum), non-reinforced polymers, reinforced polymers (e.g., glass particles or reinforcing fibers, such as glass fibers, etc.), printed ceramics, or other suitable materials. In some examples, a plurality of nozzles are disposed around the discharge port. For example, 4 to 8 nozzles (e.g., 6 nozzles) surround each discharge port (to the extent that sufficient space is available), and the nozzles may be shared by adjacent discharge ports.

[0055] The gas cooling cover 180 provides impingement cooling directly on the complex surface of the exhaust connector 200. Exhaust gases are locally directed back through the gas cooling cover 180. Due to the high gas flow rates required, the offset exhaust ports located on the outer wall of the cooling gas cover reduce ambient noise.

[0056] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is by no means intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or use. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms. Therefore, although the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the present disclosure should not be so limited, because when studying the drawings, the specification and the appended claims, other modifications will become apparent. It should be understood that, without changing the principles of the present disclosure, one or more steps in the method can be performed in different orders (or simultaneously). In addition, although each embodiment is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described relative to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in the features of any other embodiment and / or combined with the features of any other embodiment, even if the combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and the replacement of one or more embodiments with each other remains within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0057] Various terms are used to describe the spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, between circuit elements, between semiconductor layers, etc.), including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "next to," "on top of," "above," "below," and "disposed." Unless the relationship between a first and a second element is explicitly described as "direct," when such a relationship is described in the above disclosure, the relationship can be a direct relationship, in which there are no other intervening elements between the first and second elements, but can also be an indirect relationship, in which there are one or more intervening elements (spatially or functionally) between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" should be interpreted to mean a logical (A or B or C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be interpreted to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

Claims

1. A gas cooling cover for an exhaust connector of a substrate processing system, comprising: A first cover portion configured to be disposed around a first portion of the drain connector of the substrate processing system and comprising: a first body defining a first gas chamber and a second gas chamber; a first gas inlet disposed on an outer surface of the first body and in fluid communication with the first gas chamber; a first plurality of nozzles disposed on an inner surface of the first cover portion and in fluid communication with the first gas chamber; as well as A first plurality of drain ports are disposed on the inner surface of the first cover portion and are configured to direct gas located between the first cover portion and the first portion of the drain connector to the second gas chamber of the first body.

2. The gas cooling cover according to claim 1, further comprising a second cover portion configured to be disposed around the second portion of the drain connector and for connection to the first cover portion, and comprising: a second body defining a first gas chamber and a second gas chamber; a second gas inlet disposed on an outer surface of the second body and in fluid communication with the first gas chamber of the second body; a second plurality of nozzles disposed on an inner surface of the second cover portion and in fluid communication with the first gas chamber; as well as A second plurality of drain ports are disposed on the inner surface of the second cover portion and are configured to direct gas between the second cover portion and the second portion of the drain connector to the second gas chamber of the second body. 3 . The gas cooling cover of claim 1 , further comprising a first plurality of spacers disposed on the inner surface of the first portion of the first body to maintain a spacing between the gas cooling cover and the drain connector. 4 . The gas cooling cover of claim 1 , wherein the first body of the first cover portion further comprises a first outer wall, the first outer wall partially defining the second gas chamber of the first body. 5 . The gas cooling cover of claim 4 , wherein the first outer wall includes a third plurality of exhaust ports to receive exhaust gas from outlets of the first plurality of exhaust ports.

6. The gas cooling cover of claim 5, wherein the third plurality of exhaust ports are misaligned relative to outlets of the first plurality of exhaust ports.

7. The gas cooling cover according to claim 2, wherein the second body of the second cover portion comprises: The main part of the bow; and An arcuate bracket, wherein the arcuate body portion and the arcuate bracket are configured to attach about a remote plasma cleaning (RPC) inlet of the exhaust connector.

8. The gas cooling cover according to claim 7, wherein: The arcuate body portion includes a first arcuate flange disposed on one side thereof; and The arcuate bracket includes second and third arcuate flanges disposed on one side thereof and a gap between the second and third arcuate flanges to allow heated gas to be exhausted. 9 . The gas cooling cover according to claim 1 , wherein the gas cooling cover is manufactured using additive manufacturing.

10. The gas cooling cap of claim 9, wherein the gas cooling cap is made of a printable material selected from the group consisting of metal alloys, ceramics, polymers, polymers mixed with particles, and polymers mixed with reinforcing fibers.

11. The gas cooling cover of claim 9, wherein the gas cooling cover is made of a printable aluminum alloy.

12. The gas cooling cover according to claim 2, wherein: The first ends of the first cover portion and the second cover portion are joined around the drain connector using a fastener; and The second ends of the first cover portion and the second cover portion are joined around the drain connector using a spring fastener.

13. An exhaust system for a substrate processing chamber, comprising: A drain connector comprising: one or more exhaust lines configured to connect to one or more outlets of the process chamber; as well as an outlet configured to be connected to a valve; as well as a gas cooling cover disposed around the discharge connector and comprising a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of discharge ports, The gas cooling cover is configured to receive cooling gas, supply the cooling gas to the drain connector through the plurality of nozzles to cool the drain connector, and remove heated gas between the gas cooling cover and the drain connector through the plurality of drain ports.

14. The exhaust system of claim 13, wherein the gas cooling cover is manufactured using additive manufacturing.

15. The exhaust system of claim 13, wherein the gas cooling cover is made of a printable material selected from the group consisting of metal alloys, ceramics, polymers, polymers and particles, and polymers and reinforcing fibers.

16. The exhaust system of claim 13, wherein: The gas cooling cover comprises a first cover portion and a second cover portion; The first ends of the first cover portion and the second cover portion are attached together around the drain connector; and Second ends of the first cover portion and the second cover portion are attached together around the drain connector.

17. The exhaust system of claim 16, wherein: The first cover portion comprises: a first body defining a first gas chamber and a second gas chamber; a first gas inlet disposed on an outer surface of the first body and in fluid communication with the first gas chamber; a first plurality of nozzles of the plurality of nozzles disposed on an inner surface of the first cover portion and in fluid communication with the first gas chamber; and a first plurality of exhaust ports of the plurality of exhaust ports disposed on the inner surface of the first cover portion and configured to guide gas between the first cover portion and the exhaust connector to the second gas chamber of the first body, and The second cover portion comprises: a second body defining a first gas chamber and a second gas chamber; a second gas inlet disposed on an outer surface of the second body and in fluid communication with the first gas chamber of the second body; a second plurality of nozzles of the plurality of nozzles disposed on an inner surface of the second cover portion and in fluid communication with the first gas chamber; and A second plurality of exhaust ports among the plurality of exhaust ports are disposed on the inner surface of the second cover portion and are configured to guide gas between the second cover portion and the exhaust connector to the second gas chamber of the second body.

18. The exhaust system of claim 17, further comprising: a first plurality of spacers disposed on the inner surface of the first body; and a second plurality of spacers disposed on the inner surface of the second body, Wherein the first plurality of spacers and the second plurality of spacers maintain a spacing between the gas cooling cover and the drain connector.

19. The gas cooling cover of claim 17, wherein: The first body of the first cover portion further comprises a first outer wall, the first outer wall partially defining the second gas chamber of the first body, The second body of the second cover portion further includes a second wall portion that partially defines the second gas chamber of the first body; The first outer wall includes a third plurality of exhaust ports among the plurality of exhaust ports to receive exhaust gas from outlets of the first plurality of exhaust ports among the plurality of exhaust ports, and The second wall portion includes a fourth plurality of exhaust ports among the plurality of exhaust ports to receive exhaust gas from outlets of the second plurality of exhaust ports among the plurality of exhaust ports.

20. The exhaust system of claim 17, wherein the second body of the second cover portion comprises: The main part of the bow; and Bow bracket, wherein the arcuate body portion and the arcuate bracket are configured to be attached around a remote plasma cleaning (RPC) inlet of the exhaust connector, wherein the arcuate body portion includes a first arcuate flange disposed on one side thereof; and The arcuate bracket includes a second arcuate flange and a third arcuate flange disposed on one side thereof and a gap between the second arcuate flange and the third arcuate flange to allow heated gas to be discharged.

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