A gas showerhead

Abstract

This utility model discloses a gas spray head. The upper surface of the gas spray head has multiple lifting holes, each with a central axis. The lifting holes include: an upper section hole near the upper surface of the gas spray head, the sidewall of which extends vertically, and the opening of the upper section hole including at least one arc-shaped edge. The distance from any point on the arc-shaped edge to the central axis is a first distance. The opening of the upper section hole also includes at least one edge such that the distance from any point on that edge to the central axis is less than the first distance; a lower section hole away from the upper surface of the gas spray head, the distance from any point on the sidewall of the lower section hole to the central axis being the first distance; and a stepped portion extending from the lower edge of the upper section hole away from the central axis and connecting to the upper edge of the lower section hole. The lifting holes of the gas spray head provided by this utility model are segmented, and the stepped portion engages with fasteners in the vertical direction, eliminating the need for internal thread machining, resulting in a simple structure and high reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor equipment, specifically to a gas spray head and a plasma processing chamber. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, plasma processing chambers are widely used in critical process steps such as etching and deposition. Showerheads, as an important component of the plasma processing chamber, are typically installed at the top of the chamber to uniformly introduce reactive gases into the processing area and, to some extent, control the plasma distribution. For ease of installation and maintenance, the showerheads are generally suspended from the top of the chamber using fasteners (such as bolts), and therefore their upper surface has holes for hoisting.

[0003] In existing technologies, bolts are typically connected directly to the lifting holes of the spray head, which often have internal threads. However, machining these internal threads presents challenges for spray head bodies, which are usually made of silicon or other brittle materials. Since the threaded structure typically contains multiple sharp corners, it is prone to defects such as chipping and cracking during precision machining, and may also lead to localized damage due to stress concentration during subsequent use. These problems not only increase manufacturing costs and scrap rates but also severely affect the structural reliability and service life of the spray head, thereby impacting the stability and repeatability of the entire plasma treatment process. Therefore, optimizing the structural design of the lifting holes while ensuring secure mounting to improve the mechanical strength and machining feasibility of the spray head has become an urgent technical problem to be solved.

[0004] The statements herein provide only background information relating to this invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a gas spray head and plasma treatment chamber that have simpler processing of the lifting hole and higher reliability during use.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a gas spray head suitable for use in plasma etching chambers. The upper surface of the gas spray head has multiple lifting holes, each with a central axis. Each lifting hole includes: an upper section hole near the upper surface of the gas spray head, the sidewall of which extends vertically, and the opening of which includes at least one arcuate edge. The distance from any point on the arcuate edge to the central axis is a first distance. The opening of the upper section hole also includes at least one edge such that the distance from any point on it to the central axis is less than the first distance; a lower section hole away from the upper surface of the gas spray head, the distance from any point on the sidewall of which to the central axis is the first distance; and a stepped portion extending from the lower edge of the upper section hole away from the central axis and connecting to the upper edge of the lower section hole.

[0007] Compared with the prior art, the gas spray head provided by this utility model has a segmented design for the lifting hole. The stepped part cooperates with the fastener in the vertical direction, eliminating the need to machine threads in the lifting hole. The structure is simple, and the reliability is high during use, and the hole is not easily damaged.

[0008] In one embodiment, the opening of the upper hole has a first edge, a second edge, a third edge, and a fourth edge connected in sequence, wherein the first edge and the third edge are arc-shaped edges, and the distance from any point on the second edge and the fourth edge to the central axis is less than the first distance.

[0009] In one embodiment, the central angle corresponding to the first edge and the third edge is 90°.

[0010] In one embodiment, in the horizontal plane, the line connecting the two endpoints of the second edge to the central axis is perpendicular to each other, and the line connecting the two endpoints of the fourth edge to the central axis is perpendicular to each other.

[0011] In one embodiment, the second and fourth edges are straight lines.

[0012] In one embodiment, the step portion is a plane or a cone.

[0013] In one embodiment, the depth of the lifting hole is 3mm to 8mm.

[0014] In one embodiment, the depth of the upper hole is 20% to 80% of the depth of the lifting hole.

[0015] In one embodiment, the depth of the lifting hole is 6 mm, and the depth of the upper hole is 2.8 mm.

[0016] In one embodiment, the diameter of the lower hole is 5mm to 15mm. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the mounting hole of a gas spray head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a top view of the mounting hole of a gas spray head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the hoisting hole of a gas spray head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 For suitability and such Figures 1-3 A schematic diagram of the first fastener that mates with the lifting hole.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the hoisting hole of a gas spray head according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the hoisting hole of the gas spray head according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figures 1-6 The annotations in the accompanying drawings are explained as follows: Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0025] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," "having," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or terminal device that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or terminal device. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." or "including..." does not exclude the presence of additional elements in the process, method, article, or terminal device that includes said element.

[0026] It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are all in a very simplified form and use non-precise ratios. In this utility model, relational terms such as first and second are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. They are only used to facilitate and clarify the purpose of illustrating an embodiment of this utility model.

[0027] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is generally based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this application; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the hoisting hole of a gas spray head according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a top view of the mounting hole of a gas spray head according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the mounting hole of a gas spray head according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment of the present application, the upper surface of the gas spray head has a plurality of... Figures 1-3 The lifting hole 100 shown has a central axis S (only a physical concept, not an actual structure), and the lifting hole 100 includes an upper section hole 110 and a lower section hole 120, wherein the upper section hole 110 is the part close to the upper surface of the gas spray head, and the lower section hole 120 is the part away from the upper surface of the gas spray head.

[0029] Furthermore, in this utility model, the upper section hole 110 and the lower section hole 120 of the hoisting hole 100 have different shapes, such as... Figures 1-3 In the embodiments shown, particularly refer to Figure 2As shown, the sidewall of the upper hole extends vertically, and the upper hole opening 101 is an irregularly shaped hole. The upper hole opening 101 includes at least one arc-shaped edge. The distance from any point on the arc-shaped edge to the central axis S is a first distance. The upper hole opening 101 also includes at least one edge that satisfies that the distance from any point on it to the central axis S is less than the first distance. The lower hole 120 is a circular hole, and the distance from any point on its sidewall to the central axis S is also the first distance. In other words, the first distance is the radius of the lower hole. In this embodiment, as shown by the solid line, the upper hole 110 is an elongated hole. Specifically, the upper hole opening 101 (i.e., the hoisting hole opening) includes a first edge 111, a second edge 112, a third edge 113, and a fourth edge 114 connected in sequence, wherein the first edge 111 and the third edge 113 are opposite each other, and the second edge 112 and the fourth edge 114 are opposite each other. The first edge 111 and the third edge 113 are arc-shaped edges. Any point on the first edge 111 and the third edge 113, and any point on the upper hole sidewall located below them, is at a distance of the first distance from the central axis S. Furthermore, the vertical projections of the first edge 111 and the third edge 113 coincide with the circular hole of the lower hole 120. On the other hand, the distances from any point on the second edge 112 and the fourth edge 114, and any point on the upper hole sidewall located below them, to the central axis S are all less than the first distance, i.e., less than the radius of the lower hole 120. In other words, the vertical projections of the second edge 112 and the fourth edge 114 are located inside the lower hole 120.

[0030] It is important to note that, in cases such as Figures 1-3 In the illustrated embodiment, except for the arc-shaped edges (first edge 111, third edge 113), the remaining portions of the upper hole opening 101 (second edge 112, fourth edge 114) all satisfy the condition that the distance from any point on it to the central axis S is less than a first distance. In other embodiments, the upper hole opening 101 may include more segments, especially outside the arc-shaped edges. Among these multiple edges, some edges may include edges such that the distance from some points on them to the central axis S is greater than the first distance. That is, the projection of the upper hole 110 in the vertical direction may partially lie outside the lower hole 120. This application does not impose specific limitations here.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as Figure 3As shown, the sidewalls of both the upper hole 110 and the lower hole 120 extend vertically. However, the projection of the upper hole 110 in the vertical direction does not fully coincide with that of the lower hole 120 (specifically, the portions of the second edge 112 and the fourth edge 114). A stepped portion 130 is formed at the interface between the upper hole 110 and the lower hole 120. The stepped portion 130 serves to limit the fasteners subsequently installed in the lifting hole 100. Specifically, the stepped portion 130 extends from the lower edge of the upper hole 110 away from the central axis S and connects to the upper edge of the lower hole 120. In this embodiment, the stepped portion 130 extends horizontally. In other embodiments, the stepped portion 130 may preferably extend obliquely, that is, the upper hole 110 and the lower hole 120 are obliquely transitioned together. This will be discussed in detail later and will not be repeated here.

[0032] And as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the junction of the upper hole opening 101, the step portion 130 and the upper hole 110, as well as the bottom of the lifting hole 100, also have chamfers 141, 142 and 143, which reduce the sharp corners inside the lifting hole 100, making the fastener placement and rotation smoother and preventing additional friction damage.

[0033] For ease of understanding, the connection method between the fastener and the lifting hole 100 is briefly described below: Figure 4 For suitability and such Figures 1-3 A schematic diagram of the first fastener 150 that mates with the lifting hole 100 shown. Preferably, the fastener set that mates with the lifting hole 100 of the gas spray head provided by this utility model is a set of fasteners, including at least the first fastener 150 and a second fastener. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the first fastener 150 has at least one locking portion 151, and the shape of the locking portion 151 is the same as that of the upper section hole opening 101 (i.e., the lifting hole opening), so that the first fastener 150 can be inserted vertically from top to bottom into the lifting hole 100 until the locking portion 151 contacts the bottom of the lifting hole 100. At this time, the first fastener 150 is rotated 90° in the horizontal plane so that the locking portion 151 and the step portion 130 engage, preventing it from disengaging from the lifting hole 100 in the vertical direction. Next, the second fastener is inserted. The second fastener has a shape that matches the first edge 111 and / or the third edge 113 of the upper section hole 110. After being inserted into the lifting hole 100, it is suitable for filling the portion of the lower section hole 120 that is not occupied by the first fastener 150, thereby playing a limiting role and preventing the first fastener 150 from rotating in the horizontal plane, and thus preventing the first fastener 150 from coming out.

[0034] The gas spray head provided by this utility model has a lifting hole 100 designed as described above, which enables the step portion 130 to cooperate with the fastener set in the vertical direction. There is no need to machine threads in the lifting hole 100. The structure is simple, and the reliability is high during use. The hole is not easily damaged.

[0035] Understandably, to ensure that the first fastener 150 can be inserted, rotated, and secured, the angles corresponding to the first edge 111, second edge 112, third edge 113, and fourth edge 114 of the upper section hole 110 in the lifting hole 100 should be evenly divided. Specifically, the central angles corresponding to the arcs of the first edge 111 and the third edge 113 are 90° (i.e., in the horizontal plane, the line connecting the two endpoints of the first edge 111 / third edge 113 to the central axis S is perpendicular). Similarly, in the horizontal plane, the lines connecting the two endpoints of the second edge 112 to the central axis S are perpendicular to each other, and the lines connecting the two endpoints of the fourth edge 114 to the central axis S are perpendicular to each other.

[0036] Specifically, the depth H1 of the lifting hole (i.e., the vertical distance from the opening 101 of the lifting hole to the bottom surface) is 3mm to 8mm, preferably 5mm, 6mm, or 7mm, depending on the thickness of the gas spray head. The upper hole depth H2 is 20% to 80% of the lifting hole depth H1, and the sum of the upper hole depth H2 and the lower hole depth H3 is the lifting hole depth H1. For example... Figure 3 As shown, taking a lifting hole depth H1 of 6mm as an example, the upper hole depth H2 can be 1.2mm~4.8mm, preferably 2.8mm, and the lower hole depth H3 can be 1.2mm~4.8mm, preferably 3.2mm.

[0037] Specifically, the diameter D1 of the lower section hole (which is essentially equal to the length of the upper section hole 110) is 5mm to 15mm, preferably 6mm, 9mm, or 12mm. In this embodiment, due to the aforementioned angular relationship, it can be determined that the width D2 of the upper section hole (i.e., the distance between the two ends of the first edge 111) is equal to or approximately equal to the diameter D1 of the lower section hole. Times. For example... Figure 2 As shown, taking the lower section hole diameter D1 as an example of 9.1mm, the upper section hole width D2 is 6.4mm.

[0038] Furthermore, such as Figures 1-3 In the illustrated embodiment, the second edge 112 and the fourth edge 114 are preferably straight, which makes them easier to process. In other embodiments, the second edge 112 and the fourth edge 114 may also be processed into concave, convex or other irregular shapes, which are not specifically limited herein.

[0039] Furthermore, the above embodiments show that the angles of the first edge 111, the second edge 112, the third edge 113, and the fourth edge 114 are divided into four equal parts, that is, the corresponding central angles are all 90°. In some other embodiments, the upper hole opening 101 can also be set to three equal parts (the central angles corresponding to each edge are all 120°), six equal parts (the central angles corresponding to each arc-shaped edge are all 60°), or other cases. This application does not impose specific limitations here. However, it should be noted that three equal parts, because the shape is not centrally symmetrical, may result in uneven stress on the fastener; and as the number of divisions increases, the upper hole 110 will gradually approach a circle. It is understood that the stepped portion 130 will gradually become smaller, and the load-bearing capacity will gradually decrease. Therefore, this utility model preferably adopts the following configuration: Figures 1-3 The example shown.

[0040] Typically, the first fastener 150 is made of stainless steel. To prevent direct contact between the stainless steel first fastener 150 and the lifting hole 100 of the gas spray head, which could damage the spray head, a shim can be placed between the snap-fit ​​portion 151 of the first fastener 150 and the stepped portion 130 of the lifting hole 100. The shim can be made of plastic to provide a cushioning effect. In this case, the height of the snap-fit ​​portion 151 of the first fastener 150 is less than the depth of the lower hole 120, and the gap is used to install the shim, allowing the shim to directly contact the stepped portion 130. Furthermore, the upper surface of the shim conforms to the shape of the stepped portion 130.

[0041] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the mounting hole 200 of the gas spray head according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the mounting hole 200 of the gas spray head according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figures 5-6 The following is another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the gas spray head also has multiple lifting holes 200. The lifting holes 200 include an upper section hole 210 and a lower section hole 220. The upper section hole 210 is an elongated hole (as shown by the solid line), while the lower section hole 220 is a circular hole (as shown by the dashed line).

[0042] Compared to the previous embodiment, the difference in the lifting hole 200 in this embodiment lies in the shape of the step portion 230 between the upper hole 210 and the lower hole 220. Specifically, in this embodiment, the step portion 230 is not a plane, but a conical surface. The conical surface of the step portion 230 extends obliquely downward from the lower edge of the upper hole 210 in a direction away from the central axis S until it connects to the upper edge of the lower hole 220. This design increases the area of ​​the step portion 230 without changing the shape of the upper hole 210 and the lower hole 220, thereby increasing the contact surface between the fastener and the step portion 230 and improving the locking force that the lifting hole 200 can withstand.

[0043] Furthermore, this design can also use the first fastener 150 and the second fastener mentioned in the previous embodiment. By simply changing the shape of the gasket from a flat shape to a conical shape, the conformal fit between the upper surface of the gasket and the stepped portion can be maintained, reducing the risk of breakage of the lifting hole 200 while ensuring stable operating costs.

[0044] Although the present invention has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention. Various modifications and substitutions to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above content. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A gas spray head, suitable for use in a plasma etching chamber, characterized in that, The upper surface of the gas spray head has multiple lifting holes, each lifting hole having a central axis, and the lifting holes include: An upper section hole near the upper surface of the gas spray head, the sidewall of the upper section hole extends vertically, the opening of the upper section hole includes at least one arc-shaped edge, the distance from any point on the arc-shaped edge to the central axis is a first distance, and the opening of the upper section hole also includes at least one edge that satisfies that the distance from any point on it to the central axis is less than the first distance; The distance from any point on the sidewall of the lower section hole away from the upper surface of the gas spray head to the central axis is the first distance; And a stepped portion, which extends from the lower edge of the upper section hole away from the central axis and connects to the upper edge of the lower section hole.

2. The gas spray head as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The opening of the upper section hole has a first edge, a second edge, a third edge and a fourth edge connected in sequence, wherein the first edge and the third edge are arc-shaped edges, and the distance from any point on the second edge and the fourth edge to the central axis is less than the first distance.

3. The gas spray head as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The central angles corresponding to the first edge and the third edge are 90°.

4. The gas spray head as described in claim 2, characterized in that, In the horizontal plane, the lines connecting the two endpoints of the second edge to the central axis are perpendicular to each other, and the lines connecting the two endpoints of the fourth edge to the central axis are also perpendicular to each other.

5. The gas spray head as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The second edge and the fourth edge are straight lines.

6. The gas spray head as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The stepped portion is either a plane or a cone.

7. The gas spray head as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The depth of the lifting hole is 3mm to 8mm.

8. The gas spray head as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The depth of the upper section hole is 20% to 80% of the depth of the lifting hole.

9. The gas spray head as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The depth of the hoisting hole is 6mm, and the depth of the upper section hole is 2.8mm.

10. The gas spray head as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the lower section hole is 5mm to 15mm.

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