Showerhead for diffusion bonding multi-zone gas dispersion

Abstract

A showerhead for a substrate processing chamber configured to perform body deposition includes a face plate, a back plate, and a face plate. The panel defines a first plenum and a second plenum, the first plenum corresponding to the central region and the intermediate region, and the second plenum corresponding to the edge region. The panel includes a plurality of first apertures spread throughout the central region and the intermediate region, and a plurality of second apertures spread throughout the edge region. The middle plate body is arranged between the face plate and the back plate. The panel is configured to receive a first gas mixture supplied to the central region via a central inlet, to receive a second gas mixture supplied to the intermediate region via an intermediate inlet, to mix the first gas mixture and the second gas mixture within the first plenum chamber, and to mix the first gas mixture and the second gas mixture within the second plenum chamber. And receiving a third gas mixture supplied to the edge region via an edge inlet.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 413,846, filed on October 6, 2022. The entire disclosure of the above-referenced application is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to showerhead, pedestal, and chamber designs for substrate processing systems. 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 were not determined to be prior art at the time of filing the application are neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art against the present disclosure.

[0004] Substrate processing tools typically include multiple stations to perform deposition, etching, and other processes on a substrate (e.g., a semiconductor wafer). Examples of processes that can be performed on a substrate include a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, a chemically enhanced plasma vapor deposition (CEPVD) process, a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, a sputtering physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, an atomic layer deposition (ALD), and a plasma enhanced ALD (PEALD). Additional examples of processes that can be performed on a substrate include etching (e.g., chemical etching, plasma etching, reactive ion etching, etc.) and cleaning processes.

[0005] During processing, a substrate is disposed in a processing chamber on a substrate support (e.g., an electrostatic chuck (ESC) or a pedestal). A processing gas is introduced into the processing chamber, and, in some examples, a plasma is ignited. The processing gas is introduced using a gas distribution device (e.g., a showerhead). Summary of the invention

[0006] A showerhead for a substrate processing chamber, which is configured to perform bulk deposition on a substrate, the showerhead includes a panel, a back plate and a panel. The panel defines at least a first plenum and a second plenum, the first plenum corresponding to a center region and a middle region of the panel, the middle region being located radially outward of the center region, and the second plenum corresponding to an edge region radially outward of the middle region. The panel includes a plurality of first holes distributed throughout the center region and the middle region, and a plurality of second holes distributed throughout the edge region. The second plenum is not fluidically connected to the first plenum. The intermediate plate is disposed between the panel and the back plate. The panel is configured to receive a first gas mixture supplied to the center region via a center inlet, receive a second gas mixture supplied to the middle region via an intermediate inlet, mix the first gas mixture and the second gas mixture in the first plenum, and receive a third gas mixture supplied to the edge region via an edge inlet.

[0007] In other features, the panel, the intermediate plate and the back plate are diffusely bonded together. The first plenum is not fluidically connected to the second plenum. The showerhead also includes a rod, and the first gas mixture is supplied to the central area through the rod via a first flow path. The second gas mixture is supplied to the middle area through the rod, the back plate and the intermediate plate via a second flow path. The third gas mixture is supplied to the edge area through the rod, the back plate and the intermediate plate via a third flow path. The back plate includes a third plenum, wherein the third gas mixture is supplied to the third plenum, and is supplied to the second plenum from the third plenum via the edge inlet. The intermediate plate includes a fourth plenum, wherein the second gas mixture is supplied to the fourth plenum, and is supplied to the first plenum from the fourth plenum via the middle inlet.

[0008] In other features, the showerhead further includes a plurality of first cylinders defined within the first plenum. The plurality of first cylinders are configured to facilitate mixing of the first gas mixture and the second gas mixture within the first plenum. The showerhead further includes a plurality of second cylinders defined within the first plenum. The plurality of second cylinders are configured to facilitate heat transfer from the panel to the intermediate plate. The cylinders in the plurality of second cylinders have a greater height than the cylinders in the plurality of first cylinders. The cylinders in the plurality of second cylinders have a greater diameter than the cylinders in the plurality of first cylinders. The plurality of first cylinders and the plurality of second cylinders extend downward from the lower surface of the intermediate plate into the first plenum.

[0009] In other features, the openings of the holes in the plurality of first holes and the plurality of second holes on the lower surface of the panel are conical. The openings of the holes are flared outward at an angle between 40 and 60 degrees. A substrate processing chamber includes the showerhead and also includes a pedestal configured to support the substrate. The gap between the panel and the pedestal is between 0.125 inches and 0.750 inches (3.175 mm and 19.05 mm).

[0010] A substrate processing chamber, which is configured to perform bulk deposition on the substrate after nucleation of the substrate, the substrate processing chamber includes a showerhead, the showerhead includes a head and a rod, the head defines at least a first plenum and a second plenum, the first plenum corresponds to a central region and a middle region, the middle region is located radially outside the central region, and the second plenum corresponds to an edge region located radially outside the middle region. The head includes a plurality of first holes distributed throughout the central region and the middle region, and a plurality of second holes distributed throughout the edge region. The second plenum is not in fluid communication with the first plenum. The showerhead is configured to receive a first gas mixture supplied to the central region via a central inlet, receive a second gas mixture supplied to the middle region via a middle inlet, mix the first gas mixture and the second gas mixture in the first plenum, and receive a third gas mixture supplied to the edge region via an edge inlet. The susceptor is configured to support the substrate. The gap between the lower surface of the head and the base is between 0.125 inches and 0.750 inches (3.175 mm and 19.05 mm).

[0011] In other features, a system includes the substrate processing chamber and further includes a gas delivery system configured to independently supply corresponding gases of a plurality of gases to the central region, the middle region, and the edge region. The openings of the holes of the plurality of first holes and the plurality of second holes on the lower surface of the head are conical. The head of the showerhead includes a face plate, an intermediate plate body, and a back plate that are diffusion bonded together.

[0012] 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 disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of a substrate processing system according to the present disclosure, including an exemplary carrier ring;

[0015] Figure 2shows an exemplary processing chamber, showerhead, and substrate support according to the present disclosure; and

[0016] Figure 3A An exemplary plenum chamber according to the present disclosure is shown;

[0017] Figure 3B showing an exemplary surface of a plate body of a showerhead according to the present disclosure; and

[0018] Figure 4 Depicted are steps of an exemplary method of performing a deposition process according to the present disclosure.

[0019] Among the drawings, reference numerals may be repeated to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] A substrate processing tool includes one or more processing modules or chambers. For example, a multi-station module (e.g., a quad station module (QSM)) includes multiple stations in which deposition, etching, and other processes are performed on a substrate. Different processes may be implemented in each station. In contrast, a single station module includes only a single station.

[0021] In some examples, a nucleation process (e.g., an atomic layer deposition (ALD) nucleation step) is performed in a first station of a multi-station module, while a bulk fill / deposition step is performed in other stations of the multi-station module. The optimal chamber size and geometry and / or process parameters may be different for each step. For example, the optimal chamber pressure and temperature for the nucleation step may be lower than the optimal chamber pressure and temperature for the bulk deposition step. However, because the stations in a multi-station module share the same process chamber, the process chamber conditions may not be optimal for the nucleation or bulk deposition steps.

[0022] A processing module according to the present disclosure includes components optimized for the bulk deposition step of an ALD process. For example, the processing module is a single-station module that is configured to perform the bulk deposition step separately from the nucleation step. The nucleation step can be performed in a different module or tool before being transferred to the processing module. Thus, the nucleation and bulk deposition steps can be performed under their respective optimal processing conditions. Although described with respect to bulk deposition, the principles of the present disclosure may also be applied to other types of deposition.

[0023] The processing module includes a showerhead configured to perform bulk deposition. For example, the showerhead is configured to provide multi-zone gas dispersion with radial film profile adjustability. In one example, the showerhead has a diffusion bonded structure that provides high heat loads, having integrated channels defined in three separate regions (e.g., a central region, a radial or middle region, and an outer or edge region). Each region can be controlled to add or remove reactants supplied to different regions of the substrate, thereby adjusting the deposition rate and film properties in different regions of the substrate.

[0024] Reference now Figure 1 , shows an example of a substrate processing system 100 including a showerhead 104 according to the present disclosure. The showerhead 104 is disposed within an upper surface or portion of a processing chamber 108. During processing, a substrate 112 is disposed on a substrate support 116 (e.g., a pedestal for CVD and / or ALD deposition). For example, the bulk deposition of an ALD process is performed on the substrate 112.

[0025] The gas delivery system 120 includes gas sources 122-1, 122-2, ..., and 122-N (collectively referred to as gas sources 122), which are connected to valves 124-1, 124-2, ..., and 124-N (collectively referred to as valves 124) and mass flow controllers 126-1, 126-2, ..., and 126-N (collectively referred to as MFCs 126). MFCs 126 control the flow of gases from gas sources 122 to manifold 128, where the gases are mixed. The output of manifold 128 is supplied to manifold 136. The output of manifold 136 is input to the showerhead 104 (e.g., a multi-injection port, multi-zone showerhead, as described in more detail below). Although manifolds 128 and 136 are shown, a single manifold may be used.

[0026] In some examples, a resistive heater 144 can be used to control the temperature of the substrate support 116. The substrate support 116 can include a coolant channel 146. A cooling fluid is supplied to the coolant channel 146 from a fluid reservoir 148 and a pump 150. Pressure sensors 152, 154 can be disposed in the manifold 128 or the manifold 136, respectively, to measure the pressure. A valve 156 and a pump 158 can be used to evacuate reactants from the process chamber 108 and / or control the pressure within the process chamber 108.

[0027] The controller 160 includes a dosage controller 162 that controls the dosage provided by the showerhead 104. The controller 160 also controls the delivery of gases from the gas delivery system 120. The controller 160 controls the pressure in the process chamber and / or the evacuation of reactants using the valve 156 and the pump 158. The controller 160 controls the temperature of the substrate support 116 and the substrate 112 based on temperature feedback (e.g., from a sensor in the substrate support (not shown) and / or a sensor measuring the coolant temperature (not shown)).

[0028] Although described as being used to perform a deposition process, the substrate processing system 100 can be configured to perform an etching process. In some examples, the substrate processing system 100 can be configured to perform etching on the substrate 112 within the same processing chamber 108 as the deposition process. Thus, the substrate processing system 100 can include an RF generation system 164 configured to generate and provide RF power (e.g., as a voltage source, current source, etc.) to one of a lower electrode (e.g., a bottom plate of the substrate support 116, as shown) and an upper electrode (e.g., showerhead 104). The other of the lower electrode and the upper electrode can be DC grounded, AC grounded, or floating.

[0029] By way of example only, the RF generation system 164 may include an RF generator 166 configured to generate an RF voltage fed by a matching and distribution network 168 to generate a plasma within the processing chamber 108 to etch the substrate 112. In other examples, the plasma may be generated inductively or remotely. Although, for example purposes, the RF generation system 164 corresponds to a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) system, the principles of the present disclosure may also be implemented in other suitable systems, such as, by way of example only, a transformer coupled plasma (TCP) system, a CCP cathode system, a remote microwave plasma generation and delivery system, etc.

[0030] The substrate support 116 includes a carry ring 170. In some examples, the inner edge of the carry ring 170 overlaps the outer edge of the substrate 112. In some examples, the substrate support 116 is lowered to transfer the substrate 112 into the processing chamber 108. For example, the substrate 112 is transferred onto lift pins (not shown) that are exposed when the substrate support 116 is lowered. Next, the substrate support 116 is raised to engage the substrate 112 and the carry ring 170.

[0031] Figure 2 An exemplary process chamber 200 including a showerhead 204 according to the present disclosure is shown. In one example, the process chamber 200 corresponds to a station of a single station module. The process chamber 200 is configured to perform a bulk deposition step on a substrate 208 after a nucleation step, which is performed in a different process chamber. For example, after the nucleation step, the substrate 208 is transferred to a substrate support (e.g., a pedestal) 212 within the process chamber 200.

[0032] In one example, when the pedestal 212 is in the lowered position, the substrate 208 is transferred through a slot or other opening 214 in the sidewall of the processing chamber 200. When the pedestal 212 is in the lowered position, the lift pins 216 extend above the upper surface of the pedestal 212, and the substrate 208 is placed onto the lift pins 216 (e.g., using a transfer robot). Next, the pedestal 212 is raised to lift and support the substrate 208 in the raised position, such as Figure 2 shown.

[0033] Each of the process chamber 200, the showerhead 204, and the pedestal 212 is configured to minimize azimuthal asymmetry in a deposition region 218 defined between the showerhead 204 and the pedestal 212. For example, the deposition region 218 is a symmetrical annular volume defined between a substrate-facing lower faceplate 220 of the showerhead 204, an annular inner surface 222 of the process chamber 200, and the pedestal 212. In addition, the gap between the faceplate 220 and the pedestal 212 is minimized to maintain uniformity of process gas flow and distribution within the deposition region 218. For example, the width of the gap between the faceplate 220 and the pedestal 212 is between 0.125 and 0.750 inches (3.175 and 19.05 mm).

[0034] The showerhead 204 is composed of a base or head 226 and a stem 228. The stem 228 extends through the upper wall (e.g., cover 230) of the processing chamber 200 to connect to the head 226. For example, the head 226 includes a face plate 220, a back plate 232, and an intermediate plate 234 disposed between the face plate 220 and the back plate 232. In this example, the face plate 220 serves as the upper surface of the processing chamber 200.

[0035] Therefore, the head 226 is composed of multiple parts connected together. In one example, the face plate 220, the back plate 232, and the intermediate plate body 234 are diffusion bonded together. In one example, the showerhead has a diffusion bonded high stiffness structure, which provides high heat load and promotes temperature uniformity, as described in more detail below.

[0036] The face plate 220, the back plate 232, and the intermediate plate body 234 define at least three flow paths and corresponding plenums 238 within the head 226 to provide radial adjustability and process configurability. For example, one or more plenums 238-1 are defined in the upper surface of the face plate 220, the plenum 238-2 is defined in the upper surface of the intermediate plate body 234, the plenum 238-3 is defined in the upper surface of the back plate 232, and the plenum 238-4 is defined in the face plate 220 radially outward of the plenum 238-1. The plenums 238-1, 238-2, 238-3, and 238-4 are collectively referred to as plenums 238.

[0037] As shown, a first flow path (shown as a solid line / arrow) 240 supplies gas through the stem 228 and into a corresponding plenum defined in a central region 242 of the panel 220. A second flow path (shown as a dotted line / arrow) 244 supplies gas through the stem 228 and into a corresponding plenum defined in a radial or middle region 246 of the panel 220. A third flow path (shown as a dashed line / arrow) 248 supplies gas through the stem 228 and into a corresponding plenum defined in an outer or edge region 250 of the panel 220. By way of example only, the first flow path 240 is routed through the rod portion 228 to supply gas to the center region 242 through the center inlet 252-1; the second flow path 244 is routed through the back plate 232 and the middle plate body 234 to supply gas to the middle region 246 through the middle inlet 252-2; and the third flow path 248 is routed through the back plate 232 and the middle plate body 234 to supply gas to the edge region 250 through the edge inlet 252-3.

[0038] The faceplate 220 includes a plurality of holes 254 extending from the plenum 238 to the deposition region 218 within the process chamber 200. For example, the gas in the first flow path 240 flows through the holes 254 in the center region 242, the gas in the second flow path 244 flows through the holes 254 in the middle region 246, and the gas in the third flow path 248 flows through the holes 254 in the edge region 250. In some examples, the bottom portion or opening 256 of the hole 254 is conical to allow the gas exiting the hole 254 to flare outward. For example, the opening 256 flares outward at an angle between 40 and 60 degrees. In this way, the coverage of each hole 254 is widened to compensate for the reduced gap between the faceplate 220 and the substrate 208.

[0039] The gases supplied to the center region 242, the middle region 246, and the edge region 250 may be independently controlled to add or remove specific reactants (i.e., gases) supplied to the corresponding regions of the substrate 208. As an example, the gas mixture supplied to the deposition region 218 to perform bulk deposition may include various reactive and non-reactive gases, such as argon (Ar), molecular hydrogen (H2), tungsten hexafluoride (WF6), molecular nitrogen (N2), etc. In other examples, other gases and gas mixtures may be supplied, such as diborane (C2H6), silane (SiH4), etc. The amount of each gas supplied to the corresponding regions 242, 246, 250 may be controlled (e.g., using individually controllable components of a gas control system, such as the gas control system 120) to adjust the deposition rate and film properties in different regions of the substrate 208. In other words, the amount of each gas supplied to each region may be independently controlled.

[0040] For example, to increase the deposition rate, the amount of reactant gas (e.g., WF6) supplied to the selected region may be increased, and / or the amount of diluent gas (e.g., Ar) may be reduced. Conversely, to decrease the deposition rate, the amount of reactant gas supplied to the selected region may be decreased, and / or the amount of diluent gas may be increased.

[0041] like Figure 2 As shown, the gas provided to the edge region 250 via the third flow path 248 is provided only to the outermost hole 260 in the panel 220. In other words, the third flow path 248 does not supply gas to the central region 242 and the middle region 246. For example, the hole 260 is in fluid communication with the plenum 238-3 and the plenum 238-4 defined in the edge region 250 of the panel 220, but is not in fluid communication with the plenum 238-1 defined in the central region 242 and the middle region 246. As an example, the plenum 238-4 in the edge region 250 is separated from the plenum 238-1 in the central region 242 and the middle region 246.

[0042] On the contrary, the plenum 238-1 may correspond to a single plenum defined in both the central region 242 and the middle region 246. Therefore, the gas supplied via the first flow path 240 and the second flow path 244 is supplied to the same plenum 238-1. The gas supplied via the first flow path 240 and the second flow path 244 mixes within the plenum 238-1 and flows through the hole 254.

[0043] Reference now Figure 3A and 3B And continue to refer to Figure 2 , an exemplary spray head 300 is shown including a plenum 302 defined between an upper surface 304 of a face plate 308 and a bottom or lower surface 312 of an intermediate plate body 316 . Figure 3A The central area or zone 318 of the showerhead 300 is shown. Figure 3B The lower surface 312 of the intermediate plate 316 is shown.

[0044] like Figure 3A As shown, the panel 308 includes a plurality of holes 320 extending from the plenum 302 to the bottom or lower surface 324 of the panel 308. The plenum 302 and the holes 320 are in fluid communication with the central inlet 328 of the spray head 300. In contrast, the plenum 332 is defined in the upper surface 334 of the intermediate plate body 316. The plenum 332 is a portion of the plenum 302 radially outward of the central region 318 ( Figure 3A The back plate 340 is not shown in the figure) and is in fluid communication with the hole 320. The plenum 336 (corresponding to the plenum 238-3) is defined in the upper surface 338 of the back plate 340.

[0045] A plurality of cylinders 344 extend downwardly from the lower surface 312 of the middle plate 316 into the plenum 302. The cylinders 344 include a first cylinder 344-1 and a second cylinder 344-2 (collectively referred to as cylinders 344). The height of the second cylinder 344-2 is greater than the height of the first cylinder 344-1. Therefore, the second cylinder 344-2 is taller than the first cylinder 344-1 and extends closer to the upper surface 304 of the panel 308 than the first cylinder 344-1. In some examples, the second cylinder has a larger diameter than the first cylinder. In some examples, the second cylinder 344-2 contacts the upper surface 304 of the panel 308 within the plenum 302.

[0046] In this manner, the second column 344-2 increases the robustness of the showerhead 300 and provides a thermally conductive path between the faceplate 308 and the intermediate plate 316. In other words, the second column 344-2 reduces the overall volume of the plenum 302 and increases the surface area within the plenum 302. Thus, the temperature uniformity of the faceplate 308 is increased.

[0047] On the contrary, the first cylinder 344-1 causes turbulence of the gas mixture within the plenum 302. For example, the first cylinder 344-1 prevents the gas from flowing through the plenum 302 in a direct path. Instead, the first cylinder 344-1 interrupts the gas flow and changes the direction of the gas flow to promote the mixing of different gases. Therefore, the gas mixture flowing through the hole 320 includes a more uniform mixture of the multiple gases supplied to the plenum 302. For example, the first cylinder 344-1 promotes the mixing of gases that are respectively supplied to the plenum 344-1 via different flow paths (e.g., the first flow path 240 and the second flow path 244).

[0048] The pattern of the first pillars 344-1 can be selected to provide a desired amount of gas flow and turbulence within the plenum 302. In one example, the first pillars 344-1 are arranged in a hexagonal pattern around corresponding pillars in the second pillars 344-2. In another example, the first pillars 344-1 are arranged in a Vogel or other spiral pattern.

[0049] Figure 4 Depicts the steps of an exemplary method 400 for performing a deposition process according to the present disclosure. For example, the deposition process is an ALD process, such as Figure 1 The process of the present invention is performed in one or more processing chambers using controller 160, gas delivery system 120, etc. In one implementation, the nucleation step is performed on a substrate disposed in a first processing chamber or station optimized specifically for the nucleation step. After the nucleation step, the substrate is transferred to a second processing chamber or station optimized for the bulk deposition step. For example, the second processing chamber is a single-station module that is configured to minimize azimuthal asymmetry in the bulk deposition step, such as in the above Figure 2 The processing chamber 200 described in.

[0050] At 404, the substrate is arranged at a first station in a processing chamber configured to perform nucleation (e.g., a nucleation processing chamber). In some examples, the first station is a station in a four-station module. At 408, a first nucleation step is performed on the substrate. At 412, the method 400 (e.g., the controller 160) determines whether the nucleation is complete. For example, in an embodiment, multiple nucleation steps may be performed on the same substrate at different stations in a multi-station module. If yes, the method 400 continues to 416. If no, the method 400 continues to 420. At 420, the substrate is transferred to another station (e.g., the second station, the third station, the fourth station, etc.) in the multi-station module to perform another nucleation step.

[0051] When nucleation is complete, at 416, the substrate is transferred out of the nucleation chamber and into a station in a chamber optimized for bulk deposition (e.g., a bulk deposition chamber). In one implementation, the bulk deposition chamber is a single station module. At 424, bulk deposition is performed on the substrate. Figure 2 As described in, performing main body deposition according to the present disclosure includes individually adjusting the gas flow rate in multiple areas of the showerhead to add reactant gas to specific areas of the deposition area above the substrate, or removing reactant gas therefrom. In this way, deposition uniformity can be improved. In some examples, deposition non-uniformity may be intentionally introduced to achieve different deposition thicknesses in different areas of the substrate (e.g., to compensate for non-uniformity in previous and / or subsequent steps, to compensate for other processing non-uniformities, etc.).

[0052] At 428, the method 400 (eg, the controller 160) determines whether the bulk deposition is complete. For example, the method 400 determines whether a target deposition or accumulation amount is reached. If yes, the method 400 ends. If no, the method 400 continues with the bulk deposition at 424.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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."

[0055] In some implementations, the controller is part of a system, which can be part of the above examples. Such a system can include a semiconductor processing device, which includes one or more processing tools, one or more chambers, one or more platforms for processing, and / or specific processing components (wafer pedestals, gas flow systems, etc.). These systems can be integrated with electronic devices for controlling their operation before, during, and after the processing of semiconductor wafers or substrates. The electronic device can be referred to as a "controller", which can control various components or subcomponents of one or more systems. Depending on the processing requirements and / or system type, the controller can be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, including the delivery of process gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, position and operation settings, wafer transfer in and out of tools connected or docked with specific systems and other transfer tools and / or load locks.

[0056] In general, a controller can be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive instructions, issue instructions, control operations, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, etc. The integrated circuit can include a chip in the form of firmware that stores program instructions, a digital signal processor (DSP), a chip defined as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). The program instructions can be instructions sent to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files) that define operating parameters for performing specific processing on or for a semiconductor wafer or system. In some embodiments, the operating parameters can be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to complete one or more processing steps during the manufacture of one or more (kinds of) layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or dies of a wafer.

[0057] In some implementations, the controller may be part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with the system, coupled to the system, otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller may be in the "cloud" or may be all or part of a wafer fab host system that may allow remote access to wafer processing. The computer may enable remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of a manufacturing operation, check the history of past manufacturing operations, check trends or performance criteria for multiple manufacturing operations, to change the parameters of the current processing, set processing steps to follow the current processing, or start a new processing. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) may provide a processing recipe to the system via a network (which may include a local network or the Internet). The remote computer may include a user interface that enables input or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then sent from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data that specify parameters for each processing step to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of processing to be performed and the type of tool that the controller is configured to interface with or control. Thus, as described above, the controller may be distributed, for example, by including one or more discrete controllers networked together and working toward a common purpose (e.g., processing and control as described herein). An example of a distributed controller for such a purpose is one or more integrated circuits on a chamber that communicate with one or more integrated circuits remotely (e.g., at a platform level or as part of a remote computer), which combine to control processing on the chamber.

[0058] Exemplary systems may include, but are not limited to, plasma etching chambers or modules, deposition chambers or modules, spin rinse chambers or modules, metal plating chambers or modules, cleaning chambers or modules, chamfer edge etching chambers or modules, physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers or modules, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers or modules, atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers or modules, atomic layer etching (ALE) chambers or modules, ion implantation chambers or modules, track chambers or modules, and any other semiconductor processing system that may be associated with or used in the manufacture and / or preparation of semiconductor wafers.

[0059] As described above, depending on one or more processing steps to be performed by the tool, the controller can communicate with one or more other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout the factory, a host computer, another controller, or tools used in material transport to transport wafer containers to and from tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing facility.

Claims

1. A showerhead for a substrate processing chamber, configured to perform bulk deposition on a substrate, the showerhead comprising: a panel defining at least a first plenum and a second plenum, the first plenum corresponding to a central region of the panel and a middle region of the panel, the middle region being located radially outward of the central region, and the second plenum corresponding to an edge region being located radially outward of the middle region, wherein the panel includes a plurality of first holes distributed throughout the central region and the middle region and a plurality of second holes distributed throughout the edge region, and wherein the second plenum is not in fluid communication with the first plenum; Middle plate; as well as A back plate, wherein the intermediate plate body is arranged between the face plate and the back plate, and wherein the face plate is configured to (i) receive a first gas mixture, which is supplied to the central area via a central inlet, (ii) receive a second gas mixture, which is supplied to the central area via a middle inlet, (iii) mix the first gas mixture and the second gas mixture in the first gas-filled chamber, and (iv) receive a third gas mixture, which is supplied to the edge area via an edge inlet. 2 . The showerhead according to claim 1 , wherein the face plate, the intermediate plate body and the back plate are diffusion bonded together.

3. The showerhead of claim 1, wherein the first plenum chamber is not in fluid communication with the second plenum chamber. 4 . The showerhead of claim 1 , further comprising a stem portion, wherein the first gas mixture is supplied to the central region through the stem portion via a first flow path. 5 . The showerhead of claim 4 , wherein the second gas mixture is supplied to the middle region via a second flow path through the stem, the back plate, and the middle plate body. 6 . The showerhead of claim 5 , wherein the third gas mixture is supplied to the edge region through the stem, the back plate, and the middle plate via a third flow path.

7. The showerhead of claim 6, wherein the backing plate comprises a third plenum, and wherein the third gas mixture is (i) supplied to the third plenum, and (ii) supplied from the third plenum to the second plenum via the edge inlet.

8. The showerhead of claim 7, wherein the intermediate plate comprises a fourth plenum, and wherein the second gas mixture is (i) supplied to the fourth plenum, and (ii) supplied from the fourth plenum to the first plenum via the intermediate inlet.

9. The showerhead of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of first cylinders defined within the first plenum, and wherein the plurality of first cylinders are configured to facilitate mixing of the first gas mixture and the second gas mixture within the first plenum.

10. The showerhead of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of second posts defined within the first plenum, and wherein the plurality of second posts are configured to facilitate heat transfer from the face plate to the intermediate plate. 11 . The showerhead of claim 10 , wherein the pillars in the second plurality of pillars have a greater height than the pillars in the first plurality of pillars. 12 . The showerhead of claim 11 , wherein the pillars in the second plurality of pillars have a larger diameter than the pillars in the first plurality of pillars. 13 . The showerhead of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of first columns and the plurality of second columns extend downward from a lower surface of the intermediate plate into the first plenum chamber.

14. The showerhead of claim 1, wherein openings of the holes of the first plurality of holes and the second plurality of holes on the lower surface of the panel are conical.

15. The spray head of claim 14, wherein the opening of the hole flares outward at an angle between 40 and 60 degrees.

16. A substrate processing chamber comprising the showerhead of claim 1 and further comprising a pedestal configured to support the substrate, wherein a gap between the faceplate and the pedestal is between 0.125 inches and 0.750 inches (3.175 mm and 19.05 mm).

17. A substrate processing chamber configured to perform bulk deposition on a substrate after nucleation of the substrate, the substrate processing chamber comprising: A spray head, comprising a head and a stem, wherein the head defines at least a first air-filled chamber and a second air-filled chamber, wherein the first air-filled chamber corresponds to a central region and a middle region, the middle region is located radially outside the central region, and the second air-filled chamber corresponds to an edge region located radially outside the middle region, wherein the head comprises a plurality of first holes distributed throughout the central region and the middle region and a plurality of second holes distributed throughout the edge region, and wherein the second air-filled chamber is not in fluid communication with the first air-filled chamber; The showerhead is configured to (i) receive a first gas mixture, the first gas mixture being supplied to the central region via a central inlet, (ii) receive a second gas mixture, the second gas mixture being supplied to the central region via a middle inlet, (iii) mix the first gas mixture and the second gas mixture in the first plenum, and (iv) receive a third gas mixture, the third gas mixture being supplied to the edge region via an edge inlet; as well as A pedestal is configured to support the substrate, wherein a gap between a lower surface of the head and the pedestal is between 0.125 inches and 0.750 inches (3.175 mm and 19.05 mm).

18. A system comprising the substrate processing chamber of claim 17, further comprising a gas delivery system configured to independently supply respective gases of a plurality of gases to the central region, the middle region, and the edge region.

19. The substrate processing chamber of claim 17, wherein openings of the holes of the first plurality of holes and the second plurality of holes on the lower surface of the head are conical.

20. The substrate processing chamber of claim 17, wherein the head portion of the showerhead comprises a face plate, an intermediate plate, and a back plate that are diffusion bonded together.

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