Shower head split cooling plate

Abstract

To provide a cooling assembly including a first subassembly and a second subassembly.SOLUTION: In a cooling assembly 200, a first subassembly 202 is connected to a shower head of a substrate processing system. The first subassembly is located near the shower head and includes a plurality of passages that are thermally connected to the shower head. The second subassembly 204 is removably connected to the first subassembly and includes a plurality of projections that align with the plurality of passages in the first subassembly.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross - Reference to Related Applications] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 037,176, filed on Jun. 10, 2020. The entire disclosure of the foregoing application is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This disclosure generally relates to substrate processing systems, and more particularly, to a split cooling plate for cooling a showerhead in a substrate processing system.

Background Art

[0003] The description of the background art provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the present disclosure. The research by the inventors named at the present time, within the scope described in this background art section, cannot be regarded as prior art against the present disclosure, whether explicitly or implicitly, in the same way as aspects of the description that cannot be separately regarded as prior art at the time of filing.

[0004] Substrate processing systems typically include a plurality of processing chambers (also referred to as process modules) for performing deposition, etching, and other processes on substrates such as semiconductor wafers. Examples of processes that can be performed on a substrate include, but are not limited to, plasma - enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), chemically enhanced plasma vapor deposition (CEPVD), sputtering physical vapor deposition (PVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and plasma - enhanced ALD (PEALD). Further examples of processes that can be performed on a substrate include, but are not limited to, etching (e.g., chemical etching, plasma etching, reactive ion etching, etc.) and cleaning processes.

[0005] During processing, the substrate is placed on a substrate support such as a pedestal or an electrostatic chuck (ESC) in the processing chamber of the substrate processing system. A computer-controlled robot usually transports the substrate from one processing chamber to another in the order in which the substrates are processed. During deposition, a gas mixture containing one or more precursors is introduced into the processing chamber, and plasma is collided to activate a chemical reaction. During etching, a gas mixture containing an etching gas is introduced into the processing chamber, and plasma is collided to activate a chemical reaction. The processing chamber is periodically cleaned by supplying a cleaning gas into the processing chamber and colliding plasma. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The cooling assembly includes a first sub-assembly and a second sub-assembly. The first sub-assembly is connected to the showerhead of the substrate processing system. The first sub-assembly includes a plurality of passages that are close to the showerhead and in thermal communication with the showerhead. The second sub-assembly is removably connected to the first sub-assembly. The second sub-assembly includes a plurality of protrusions that are respectively aligned with the plurality of passages.

[0007] In another feature, the first sub-assembly is a hollow cylindrical shape having an inner diameter. The second sub-assembly is a solid cylindrical shape having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter. The second sub-assembly is inserted into the first sub-assembly.

[0008] In another feature, each of the plurality of passages surrounds the plurality of protrusions without contacting the plurality of protrusions.

[0009] In another feature, the plurality of passages and the plurality of protrusions respectively extend radially from the central region of the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly.

[0010] In another feature, the second sub-assembly includes an inlet for receiving fluid flowing through the plurality of passages and an outlet for discharging fluid from the plurality of passages.

[0011] In another feature, each of the plurality of passages has a first width and a first depth. Each of the plurality of protrusions has a second width and a second height that are each smaller than the first width and the first depth, respectively.

[0012] In another feature, the plurality of passages and the plurality of protrusions are symmetric.

[0013] In another feature, the plurality of passages and the plurality of protrusions are asymmetric.

[0014] In another feature, the cooling assembly further includes a plurality of seals that each seal a contact point between the plurality of protrusions and the plurality of passages.

[0015] In other features, the first and second sub-assemblies are made of a first material. The cooling assembly is made of a second material that has a higher electron affinity than the first material and further includes a conductive element removably disposed in the second sub-assembly and in fluid communication with the fluid.

[0016] In another feature, the first sub-assembly includes a tubular structure that extends vertically through the center of the first sub-assembly and has a first end connected to a first inlet for receiving a process gas and a second end for outputting the process gas to a showerhead.

[0017] In another feature, the second sub-assembly includes a manifold that surrounds the tubular structure, is connected to a second inlet for receiving a coolant, and has an outlet in fluid communication with the plurality of passages.

[0018] In another feature, the second sub-assembly includes an inlet for receiving a purge gas and an outlet for outputting the purge gas to the showerhead.

[0019] In another feature, the cooling assembly further includes a plurality of fasteners that fix the second subassembly to the first subassembly.

[0020] In another feature, the cooling assembly further includes a plurality of fasteners that extend through bores in the first and second subassemblies and fix the cooling assembly to the shower head.

[0021] In yet another feature, the cooling assembly is connected to the shower head of the substrate processing system. The cooling assembly includes a first subassembly and a second subassembly. The first subassembly includes a first annular flange, a first cylindrical wall, and a plurality of passages. The first cylindrical wall extends from the first annular flange to a first base portion surrounding a distal end of the first cylindrical wall. The first base portion is attached to the shower head of the substrate processing system. The plurality of passages are disposed on a first side of the first base portion facing the first annular flange. The plurality of passages extend radially from a first central region of the first base portion towards an outer diameter of the first base portion. The second subassembly includes a second annular flange connected to the first annular flange, a second cylindrical wall, and a plurality of protrusions. The second cylindrical wall extends from the second annular flange to a second base portion. The second cylindrical wall surrounds a distal end of the second cylindrical wall. The first cylindrical wall surrounds the second cylindrical wall. The plurality of protrusions are disposed on a second side of the second base portion facing away from the second annular flange. The plurality of protrusions extend radially from a second central region of the second base portion towards an outer diameter of the second base portion. The plurality of protrusions are respectively aligned with the plurality of passages.

[0022] In another feature, the system includes a cooling assembly, a shower head, and a plurality of fasteners. The shower head is connected to a second side of the first base portion that is opposite to the first side of the first base portion. The plurality of fasteners traverse the cooling assembly and fix the shower head to the second side of the first base portion.

[0023] In other features, the first passage of the plurality of passages has a first width and a first depth. The first protrusion of the plurality of protrusions has a second width smaller than the first width and a second height smaller than the first depth.

[0024] In other features, the plurality of passages each surround a plurality of protrusions.

[0025] In other features, the plurality of passages each surround the plurality of protrusions without contacting the plurality of protrusions.

[0026] In other features, the first sub-assembly further includes a tubular structure that extends perpendicularly from a first central region of the first base portion toward the first annular flange. The second sub-assembly further includes a first inlet for receiving a coolant, a cylindrical manifold connected to the first inlet, and an outlet for discharging the coolant from the plurality of passages. The cylindrical manifold surrounds the tubular structure. The cylindrical manifold has an outlet in fluid communication with the plurality of passages.

[0027] In other features, the first and second sub-assemblies are made of a first material. The cooling assembly is made of a second material having a higher electron affinity than the first material and further includes a conductive element removably disposed in the second sub-assembly and in fluid communication with the coolant.

[0028] In other features, the cooling assembly further includes a plurality of fasteners for fixing the second annular flange to the first annular flange.

[0029] In other features, the cooling assembly further includes a plurality of seals for sealing the contact points between the plurality of protrusions and the plurality of passages.

[0030] In another feature, the tubular structure is hollow and includes a first end connected to a second inlet for receiving a process gas and a second end for outputting the process gas to a shower head.

[0031] In another feature, the second sub - assembly includes an inlet for receiving purge gas and an outlet for outputting the purge gas to the shower head.

[0032] In other features, the system includes a cooling assembly, a shower head, and a coolant supply. The shower head is connected to a second side of the first base portion that is opposite to the first side of the first base portion. The coolant supply is configured to supply coolant to a first inlet of the second sub - assembly.

[0033] In yet another feature, the assembly includes a first sub - assembly and a second sub - assembly. The first sub - assembly includes a first annular flange, a first cylindrical wall, and a plurality of passages. The first cylindrical wall extends from the first annular flange to a first base portion surrounding the distal end of the first cylindrical wall. The plurality of passages are disposed on a first side of the first base portion facing the first annular flange. The plurality of passages extend radially from a first central region of the first base portion towards the outer diameter of the first base portion. The second sub - assembly includes a second annular flange connected to the first annular flange, a second cylindrical wall, and a plurality of protrusions. The second cylindrical wall extends from the second annular flange to a second base portion. The second cylindrical wall surrounds the distal end of the second cylindrical wall. The first cylindrical wall surrounds the second cylindrical wall. The plurality of protrusions are disposed on a second side of the second base portion facing away from the second annular flange. The plurality of protrusions extend radially from a second central region of the second base portion towards the outer diameter of the second base portion. The plurality of protrusions are respectively aligned with the plurality of passages.

[0034] In other features, the first passage of the plurality of passages has a first width and a first depth. The first protrusion of the plurality of protrusions has a second width smaller than the first width and a second height smaller than the first depth.

[0035] In other features, the plurality of passages respectively surround the plurality of protrusions without contacting the plurality of protrusions.

[0036] In other features, the first sub - assembly further includes a tubular structure that extends perpendicularly from a first central region of the first base portion towards the first annular flange. The second sub - assembly further includes an inlet for receiving fluid, a cylindrical manifold connected to the inlet, and an outlet for discharging fluid from a plurality of passages. The cylindrical manifold surrounds the tubular structure. The cylindrical manifold has an outlet that is in fluid communication with the plurality of passages.

[0037] In other features, the first and second sub - assemblies are made of a first material. The assembly is made of a second material having a higher electron affinity than the first material and further includes a conductive element removably disposed in the second sub - assembly and in fluid communication with the fluid.

[0038] In other features, the assembly further includes a plurality of fasteners for fixing the second annular flange to the first annular flange.

[0039] In other features, the assembly further includes a plurality of seals for sealing the contact points between the plurality of protrusions and the plurality of passages respectively.

[0040] In other features, the system includes the assembly and an object connected to a second side of the first base portion that is opposite to the first side of the first base portion. The system further includes a plurality of fasteners that cross the assembly and fix the object to the second side of the first base portion. The system further includes a fluid supply for supplying fluid to the inlet of the second sub - assembly. The fluid includes a coolant for cooling the object or a high - temperature fluid for heating the object.

[0041] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, the claims, and the 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

[0042] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

[0043]

Figure 1

[0044]

Figure 2A

Figure 2B

[0045]

Figure 3

[0046]

Figure 4

[0047]

Figure 5

[0048]

Figure 6

[0049] In the drawings, reference numerals may be reused to identify similar and / or identical elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0050] Showerheads often include a heater. The showerhead may further include an electrode that operates with RF power to generate plasma. As a result, the showerhead can become hot during substrate processing. A cooling plate is coupled to the showerhead to cool the showerhead. Currently, the cooling plate is configured using vacuum brazing. Vacuum brazing is expensive, has a long lead time, and has constraints on the shape design of the cooling plate. Further, since the cooling plate is a permanent structure, it cannot be maintained or inspected, and if it becomes dirty or corroded, it is discarded. Also, the cooling plate may contain manufacturing debris, and the debris cannot be verified or removed when installing a new showerhead. The debris can potentially damage the substrate. Further, the components of these cooling plates have insufficient cooling efficiency.

[0051] The present disclosure provides a split cooling plate design that alleviates the above problems. This design uses seals and machined parts to form complex and efficient multiple cooling paths in the split cooling plate, improving heat exchange between the metal surrounding the cooling paths and the coolant flowing through the cooling paths. Since the split cooling plate can be disassembled, the components can be cleaned when dirty. This design also allows a new cooling plate to be disassembled before installation to remove manufacturing debris. Further, this design incorporates a sacrificial anode to prevent pitting corrosion of the cooling plate due to galvanic corrosion.

[0052] The split cooling plate according to the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as a cooling assembly) includes two sub-assemblies having a male-female structure (i.e., a protrusion on one sub-assembly and a recess or groove in the other sub-assembly), and when the two sub-assemblies are joined, they fit together to form the cooling assembly. The cooling assembly includes a path or passage through which a coolant flows. The passages are arranged in a hub-and-spoke manner, and the passages form the spokes. The passages conduct heat from the shower head, and heat is transferred from the passages to the coolant by heat exchange between the metal edges defining the passages and the coolant flowing through the passages. The width of the passages is narrow (measured circumferentially in the lateral or XY plane) and the depth is deep (measured longitudinally or along the Z-axis). Due to the narrow width of the passages, rapid heat exchange between the elements surrounding the passages and the coolant flowing through the passages is enabled, providing effective cooling. The depth of the passages allows the passages to carry a sufficient amount of coolant, providing effective cooling. Such narrow and deep passages are difficult to manufacture when the cooling assembly is manufactured as a single integrated device. However, as will be described in detail below, manufacturing is easier when the cooling assembly is split into two sub-assemblies in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0053] First, before describing the cooling assembly, an example of a substrate processing system in which a processing chamber includes a shower head will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The cooling assembly according to the present disclosure can be used in this substrate processing system and in any other substrate processing system in which the processing chamber includes a shower head. The teachings of the present disclosure are not limited to cooling shower heads. Rather, any structure or device can be cooled using the cooling assembly. Further, the teachings of the present disclosure are not limited to providing only cooling. Rather, the present teachings can be used to provide heating instead of cooling by means of an efficient heat exchange mechanism provided by the split design of the cooling assembly. In heating applications, a high-temperature fluid is flowed through the assembly instead of the coolant to heat the elements surrounding the passages.

[0054] FIG. 1 shows an example of a substrate processing system 100 that includes a processing chamber 102 configured to generate capacitive coupling plasma. The processing chamber 102 surrounds other components of the substrate processing system 100 and includes RF plasma (when used). The processing chamber 102 includes an upper electrode 104 and an electrostatic chuck (ESC) 106 or other type of substrate support. During operation, the substrate 108 is placed on the ESC 106.

[0055] For example, the upper electrode 104 may include a gas distribution device 110 such as a showerhead that introduces and distributes process gas. The gas distribution device 110 may include a stem portion that includes one end connected to the upper surface of the processing chamber 102. The base portion of the showerhead is generally cylindrical and extends radially outward from the end opposite the stem portion at a position spaced from the upper surface of the processing chamber 102. The substrate-facing surface or faceplate of the base portion of the showerhead includes a plurality of holes through which vaporized precursor, process gas, cleaning gas, or purge gas flows. Alternatively, the upper electrode 104 may include a conductive plate and the gas may be introduced in another way.

[0056] The ESC 106 includes a base plate 112 that functions as a lower electrode. The base plate 112 supports a heating plate 114 that may correspond to a ceramic multi-zone heating plate. A thermal resistance layer 116 may be disposed between the heating plate 114 and the base plate 112. The base plate 112 may include one or more channels 118 for flowing a coolant through the base plate 112.

[0057] When using plasma, the RF generation system (or RF source) 120 generates and outputs an RF voltage to one of the upper electrode 104 and the lower electrode (e.g., the base plate 112 of the ESC 106). The other of the upper electrode 104 and the base plate 112 may be DC grounded, AC grounded, or non - grounded. For example, the RF generation system 120 may include an RF generator 122 that generates the RF power supplied to the upper electrode 104 or the base plate 112 by the matching and distribution network 124. In other examples, although not shown, the plasma may be generated inductively or remotely and then supplied to the processing chamber 102.

[0058] The gas delivery system 130 includes one or more gas sources 132 - 1, 132 - 2, … 132 - N (collectively gas sources 132), where N is an integer greater than 0. The gas sources 132 are connected to the manifold 140 by valves 134 - 1, 134 - 2, … 134 - N (collectively valves 134) and mass flow controllers 136 - 1, 136 - 2, … 136 - N (collectively mass flow controllers 136). The vapor delivery system 142 supplies the vaporized precursor to the manifold 140 connected to the processing chamber 102 or another manifold (not shown). The output of the manifold 140 is supplied to the processing chamber 102. The gas sources 132 may supply process gas, cleaning gas, and / or purge gas.

[0059] The temperature controller 150 may be connected to a plurality of thermal control elements (TCEs) 152 disposed on the heating plate 114. The temperature controller 150 may be used to control the plurality of TCEs 152 to control the temperature of the ESC 106 and the substrate 108. The temperature controller 150 may communicate with the coolant assembly 154 to control the flow of coolant through the channel 118. For example, the coolant assembly 154 may include a coolant pump, a reservoir, and one or more temperature sensors (not shown). The temperature controller 150 may operate the coolant assembly 154 to selectively flow coolant through the channel 118 to cool the ESC 106. The valve 156 and the pump 158 may be used to discharge reactants from the processing chamber 102. The system controller 160 controls the components of the substrate processing system 100.

[0060] The cooling assembly 200, which will be described in detail below, is attached to the showerhead 110. The coolant assembly 154, which will be described in detail below, supplies coolant to the coolant assembly.

[0061] Figures 2A and 2B show a cooling assembly 200 according to the present disclosure. The cooling assembly includes two sub-assemblies, a first sub-assembly 202 and a second sub-assembly 204. The two sub-assemblies 202 and 204 are shown and described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively. Generally, the first sub-assembly 202 is a hollow cylindrical shape having an inner diameter. The second sub-assembly 204 is a solid cylindrical shape having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the first sub-assembly 202. Thus, the second sub-assembly 204 can slide (i.e., be inserted) into the first sub-assembly 202. The fastener 206 couples the two sub-assemblies 202 and 204 together to form the cooling assembly 200. Although the cooling assembly 200 is described as being cylindrical, any other shape is possible, in which case the components of the cooling assembly will be of the corresponding shape.

[0062] The cooling assembly 200 is attached to a showerhead (e.g., the showerhead 110 shown in FIG. 1) using a fastener 210 (refer to one of the fasteners 210 separately shown in FIG. 2B). The fastener 210 can be inserted into a bore that traverses the cooling assembly 200 and reaches the bottom portion of the cooling assembly 200. The fastener 210 enters the cooling assembly 200 from the upper portion of the cooling assembly 200 through the bore and attaches the bottom portion of the cooling assembly 200 to the upper portion of the showerhead. The passage of the first sub-assembly 202 and the protrusion of the second sub-assembly 204 are designed and arranged around these bores for the fastener 210 and other elements of the cooling assembly 200 as will be described later.

[0063] The cooling assembly 200 includes an inlet 212 through which a coolant is supplied (e.g., from the coolant assembly 154 shown in FIG. 1) and flows into the cooling assembly 200. The cooling assembly 200 includes an outlet 214 through which the coolant exits the cooling assembly 200 after circulating through passages (shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) within the cooling assembly 200 and removing heat from the elements of the cooling assembly 200 surrounding the passages.

[0064] The cooling assembly 200 is made of a metal such as aluminum. The bottom portion of the cooling assembly 200 is in thermal contact with the upper portion of the showerhead. Due to the thermal gradient between the cooling assembly 200 and the showerhead, the metal of the bottom portion of the cooling assembly 200 conducts heat from the upper portion of the showerhead. The heat from the metal of the bottom portion of the cooling assembly 200 is conducted by the coolant circulating through the passages within the cooling assembly 200 that cools the showerhead.

[0065] The cooling assembly 200 includes inlets 220 and 222 respectively for supplying process gas and purge gas (e.g., from the gas delivery system 130 shown in FIG. 1) through the cooling assembly 200 to the showerhead. The cooling assembly 200 includes a temperature sensor 224 that can be used to sense the temperature of the cooling assembly 200 or the coolant flowing through the cooling assembly 200. The controller 160 (or the temperature controller 150 shown in FIG. 1) shown in FIG. 1 shuts down the substrate processing system if the temperature of the cooling assembly 200 or the coolant flowing through the cooling assembly 200 sensed by the temperature sensor 224 is above a threshold value.

[0066] The cooling assembly 200 includes a sacrificial anode 226 that is in fluid communication with the coolant flowing through the cooling assembly 200. The sacrificial anode 226 is made of a material that has a greater affinity for any reactants present in the coolant than the metal used in the manufacture of the cooling assembly 200. Instead of the metal used in the manufacture of the cooling assembly 200, the sacrificial anode 226 attracts any reactive ions present in the coolant. As a result, the sacrificial anode 226 corrodes instead of the metal used to manufacture the cooling assembly 200 due to exposure to and reaction with any reactants present in the coolant. The sacrificial anode 226 is easier to remove and replace than the cooling assembly 200 and is much less expensive. Thus, the sacrificial anode 226 not only extends the life of the cooling assembly 200 but also reduces the maintenance required to remove corrosive substances accumulated inside the cooling assembly 200.

[0067] The sacrificial anode 226 is typically in the form of a threaded bolt or threaded rod. For example, the sacrificial anode 226 may include a head and a stud. The stud may be wholly or partially threaded. For example, only the first portion of the stud near the head is threaded so as to be bolted to the second sub-assembly 204. The sacrificial anode 226 is much less expensive than the cooling assembly 200 and can be easily replaced during corrosion.

[0068] Generally, the sacrificial anode 226 can include any conductive element (e.g., metals and alloys, etc.) of any size and shape. The conductive element can be removably disposed in the second sub-assembly 204 so as to be in fluid communication with the coolant. The conductive element has a higher electron affinity than the material of the cooling assembly 200.

[0069] FIG. 3 shows the first sub-assembly 202 of the cooling assembly 200. The first sub-assembly 202 is the female part of the cooling assembly 200 that mates with the male part (i.e., the second sub-assembly 204) of the cooling assembly 200 shown and described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0070] The first sub-assembly 202 is a hollow cylindrical structure that descends vertically from the flange 302 (i.e., extends downward) and includes a cylindrical wall 300 that joins to the base portion 301 at the outer circumference or outer diameter of the base portion 301. An annular groove 304 is formed at the upper end of the cylindrical wall 300 (i.e., the end opposite the base portion 301) along the inner diameter of the flange 302. The flange 302 and the annular groove 304 receive the corresponding elements of the second sub-assembly 204 (shown in FIG. 4), and the fastener 206 (shown in FIG. 2) secures the first sub-assembly 202 and the second sub-assembly 204 together.

[0071] The tubular structure 310 extends vertically upward from the base portion 301 of the first sub-assembly 202 and connects to an inlet 220 (shown in FIG. 2) that supplies process gas to a showerhead disposed below the base portion 301. The tubular structure 310 is hollow. The base portion 301 of the first sub-assembly 202 includes an opening at its center that coincides with the bottom portion of the tubular structure 310. The process gas from the inlet 220 flows through the tubular structure 310 and into the showerhead through the opening.

[0072] On the inner surface of the base portion 301 facing away from the shower head, the base portion 301 includes a plurality of passages through which a coolant flows. Only two passages are identified as 320. Not all passages are labeled so as not to obscure other details shown. One or all of the passages are hereinafter referred to as passage 320 (s).

[0073] Passage 320 extends radially from the central region of the base portion 301 (i.e., from the outer circumference or outer diameter of the tubular structure 310) toward the outer circumference or outer diameter of the base portion 301 where the base portion 301 is coupled to the cylindrical wall 300. Thus, the tubular structure 310 and passage 320 are in a hub-and-spoke arrangement. Passage 320 can start from the outer diameter of the tubular structure 310 or in its vicinity and terminate at or in the vicinity of the outer diameter of the base portion 301.

[0074] Passage 320 is shown, by way of example, as having a characteristic shape similar to the letter "T". Passage 320 need not have a characteristic shape. Rather, the shape of passage 320 may be defined by the application for which the cooling assembly 200 is used. For example, in the illustrated example, the shape of passage 320 is defined by the bore for the fastener 210, surrounding elements such as the tubular structure 310, etc. Thus, passage 320 can be of any shape that is possible or practical depending on the elements surrounding passage 320.

[0075] For example, in some applications, passage 320 may be linear, serpentine, zigzag, rectangular, or any other shape. For example, in some applications, passage 320 may be triangular (like a round pie or slice of pizza), with the base of the triangle close to the outer diameter of the base portion 301 and the apex of the triangle close to the central region of the base portion 301. In some applications, the triangle may be reversed.

[0076] Furthermore, not all the passages 320 need to have the same shape. Here too, depending on the size and shape of the surrounding elements, the passages 320 can have various shapes. For example, some of the passages 320 can have a regular shape, while some of the passages 320 may have an irregular shape. Further, the passages 320 do not need to be arranged radially; instead, they can be arranged in different arrangements (e.g., circumferentially). Each passage 320 has a shape that matches the shape of the corresponding protrusion (shown in FIG. 4) on the second sub-assembly 204 into which the passage 320 fits.

[0077] The passage 320 has a width measured circumferentially along the lateral or XY plane. The width of the passage 320 is greater than the width of the protrusion (shown in FIG. 4) on the second sub-assembly 204 that fits with the passage 320. If the width of the passage 320 is non-uniform because the shape of the passage 320 is irregular, the width of the passage 320 is greater than the width of the corresponding protrusion along all of the passages 320.

[0078] Furthermore, the passage 320 extends away from the flange 302 and longitudinally or vertically towards the bottom of the first sub-assembly 202 (i.e., towards the shower head) and has a depth measured along the vertical direction or the Z-axis. The depth of the passage 320 is greater than the height of the protrusion (shown in FIG. 4) on the second sub-assembly 204 that fits with the passage 320.

[0079] Thus, when the first sub-assembly 202 and the second sub-assembly 204 are joined together by the fastener 206, the distance from the metal edge of the passage 320 to the metal edge of the protrusion that fits with the passage 320 is relatively small. Because this distance is small, rapid heat transfer from the metal edge of the passage 320 and the protrusion to the central portion of the coolant flowing through the passage 320 is made possible. The rapid heat transfer from the metal to the coolant increases the efficiency of the cooling assembly 200 in cooling the shower head.

[0080] Conversely, in a heating application where a cooling assembly 200 (which may also be referred to as a heating assembly 200) is used to flow a heating fluid through the passage 320 to heat an object, the heat of the heating fluid flowing through the passage 320 is quickly transferred to the metal portion around the passage 320, and the object connected to the heating assembly 200 is efficiently heated.

[0081] FIG. 4 shows a second sub-assembly 204 of the cooling assembly 200. The second sub-assembly 204 is the male portion of the cooling assembly 200 that mates with the female portion (i.e., the first sub-assembly 202) of the cooling assembly 200 shown and described with reference to FIG. 3.

[0082] The second sub-assembly 204 is shown upside down to illustrate its features. In the following description of the second sub-assembly 204, the terms referring to the vertical direction are used assuming that the second sub-assembly 204 is installed (i.e., on top of) the first sub-assembly 202 shown in FIG. 3 such that the cooling assembly 200 is in the orientation shown in FIG. 2.

[0083] The second sub-assembly 204 is a solid cylindrical structure including a cylindrical wall 400 that descends vertically (i.e., extends downward) from the flange 402 and joins the base portion 401 at the outer circumference or outer diameter of the base portion 401. An annular groove 404 is formed at the upper end of the cylindrical wall 400 (i.e., the end opposite the base portion 401) along the inner diameter of the flange 402. The flange 402 and the annular groove 404 of the second sub-assembly 204 mate with the flange 302 and the annular groove 304 of the first sub-assembly 202 when the second sub-assembly 204 is installed on (i.e., on top of) the first sub-assembly 202 and the first sub-assembly 202 and the second sub-assembly 204 are fixed together by a fastener 206 (shown in FIG. 2). One or more O-rings (not shown) may be disposed in the flanges 302, 402 and / or the grooves 304, 404 to seal and join the first sub-assembly 202 and the second sub-assembly 204.

[0084] The second sub - assembly 204 includes, at its center, a cylindrical cavity 410 that extends across the length or height of the second sub - assembly 204. When the second sub - assembly 204 is placed on (i.e., on top of) the first sub - assembly 202, the tubular structure 310 of the first sub - assembly 202 extends through the cylindrical cavity 410 and connects to the inlet 220 (shown in FIG. 2).

[0085] On the outer surface of the base portion 401 facing the shower head, the base portion 401 includes a plurality of protrusions (i.e., male portions corresponding to the passageways 320). Only a few of the protrusions are identified as 420. Not all of the protrusions are labeled so as not to obscure the other details shown. One or all of the protrusions will be referred to hereinafter as protrusion(s) 420.

[0086] The protrusion(s) 420 extend radially from the central region of the base portion 401 (from the outer circumference or outer diameter of the cylindrical cavity 410) towards the outer circumference or outer diameter of the base portion 401 where the base portion 401 joins the cylindrical wall 400. Thus, the cylindrical cavity 410 and the protrusion(s) 420 are in a hub - and - spoke arrangement. The protrusion(s) 420 can start from the outer diameter of the cylindrical cavity 410 or in its vicinity and terminate at the outer diameter of the base portion 401 or in its vicinity.

[0087] The protrusion(s) 420 are shown, by way of example, as having a characteristic shape similar to the letter "T". The protrusion(s) 420 need not have a characteristic shape. Rather, the shape of the protrusion(s) 420 may be defined by the application for which the cooling assembly 200 is used. For example, in the illustrated example, the shape of the protrusion(s) 420 is defined by the bore for the fastener 210, the surrounding elements such as the cylindrical cavity 410, etc. Thus, the protrusion(s) 420 can be of any shape that is possible or practical depending on the elements surrounding the protrusion(s) 420.

[0088] For example, in some applications, the protrusion 420 may be linear, serpentine, zigzag, rectangular, or any other shape. For example, in some applications, the protrusion 420 may be triangular (such as a round pie or a slice of pizza), with the base of the triangle close to the outer diameter of the base portion 401 and the apex of the triangle close to the central region of the base portion 401. In some applications, the triangle may be reversed.

[0089] Furthermore, not all of the protrusions 420 need to be the same shape. Again, depending on the size and shape of the surrounding elements, the protrusions 420 can be of various shapes. For example, some of the protrusions 420 can have a regular shape, while some of the protrusions 420 can have an irregular shape. Furthermore, the protrusions 420 do not need to be arranged radially; instead, they can be arranged in different arrangements (e.g., circumferentially). Each protrusion 420 has a shape that matches the shape of the corresponding passage 320 into which the protrusion 420 fits.

[0090] The protrusion 420 has a width measured circumferentially along the transverse or XY plane. The width of the protrusion 420 is smaller than the width of the passage 320 (shown in FIG. 4) of the first sub-assembly 202 that the protrusion 420 fits into. If the width of the protrusion 420 is non-uniform due to the irregular shape of the protrusion 420, the width of the protrusion 420 is smaller than the width of the corresponding passage 320 along all of the protrusions 420.

[0091] Furthermore, the protrusion 420 extends vertically or perpendicularly away from the flange 402 and outward from the bottom of the second sub-assembly 204 (i.e., away from the base portion 401 and towards the shower head), and has a height measured along the vertical or Z-axis. The height of the protrusion 420 is smaller than the depth of the passage 320 (shown in FIG. 4) of the first sub-assembly 202 that the passage 320 fits into. According to this, when the first sub-assembly 202 and the second sub-assembly 204 are joined together by the fastener 206, there is a gap between the metal edge defining the passage 320 and the metal edge defining the protrusion 420.

[0092] Furthermore, the distance from the metal edge of the passage 320 to the metal edge of the protrusion 420 that mates with the passage 320 is relatively small. Because this distance is small, rapid heat transfer from the metal edges of the passage 320 and the protrusion 420 to the central portion of the coolant flowing through the passage 320 is enabled. The rapid heat transfer from the metal to the coolant enhances the efficiency with which the cooling assembly 200 cools the shower head.

[0093] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the first sub-assembly 202 illustrating the passage 320. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the second sub-assembly 204 illustrating the protrusion 420. In FIG. 5, a seal 500 is disposed at the metal edge of each passage 320. When the second sub-assembly 204 is installed on top of the first sub-assembly 202, the protrusion 420 mates with the passage 320, and the seal 500 prevents coolant from leaking from the passage into the surrounding area. The inlet 212 is connected to a manifold 502 that surrounds the tubular structure 410 and supplies coolant to the manifold 502. The passage 320 is connected to the manifold 502 and receives coolant from the manifold 502.

[0094] The number of protrusions 420 of the second sub-assembly 204 is equal to the number of passages 320 of the first sub-assembly 202. The number of passages 320 and protrusions 420 of the cooling assembly may depend on the application. Generally, the amount of cooling provided by the cooling assembly 200 is directly proportional to the number of passages 320 and protrusions 420 of the cooling assembly 200.

[0095] The foregoing description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or uses. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Accordingly, while the present disclosure includes specific examples, other modifications will become apparent upon a review of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims, and the true scope of the present disclosure should not be so limited.

[0096] It should be understood that, without changing the principles of the present disclosure, one or more steps within a method may be performed in a different order (or simultaneously). Further, while each of the embodiments has been described as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in any other embodiment, and / or can be 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 substituting one or more embodiments for each other is within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0097] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms such as "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "next to," "on," "above," "below," and "disposed." Unless explicitly stated to be "direct," when the relationship between a first and a second element is described in the above disclosure, the relationship can be a direct relationship with no other intervening elements between the first and second elements, but can also be an indirect relationship with 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 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."

[0098] In some embodiments, the controller is part of a system, and the system can be part of the examples described above. Such a system can include a semiconductor processing apparatus including one or more processing tools, one or more chambers, one or more processing platforms, and / or specific processing components (such as a wafer pedestal, a gas flow system, etc.). These systems may be integrated with electronics for controlling their operation before, during, and after processing of a semiconductor wafer or substrate. The electronics may sometimes be referred to as a "controller" and may control various components or sub-components of one or more systems.

[0099] The controller may be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, including delivery of process gases, temperature setting (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure setting, vacuum setting, power setting, radio frequency (RF) generator setting, RF matching circuit setting, frequency setting, flow rate setting, liquid delivery setting, position and motion setting, loading and unloading of wafers to and from the tool, and loading and unloading of wafers to and from other transfer tools and / or load locks connected or interfaced with a particular system, depending on the processing requirements and / or the type of system.

[0100] Broadly speaking, the controller can be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software, such as receiving commands, issuing commands, controlling operations, enabling cleaning operations, enabling endpoint measurements, etc. The integrated circuits may include chips in the form of firmware that stores program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software).

[0101] Program instructions may be instructions communicated to a controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files) that define operating parameters for performing a specific process on a semiconductor wafer, for the semiconductor wafer, or for a system. The operating parameters may, in some embodiments, be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to achieve one or more processing steps during the manufacture of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or dies of the wafer.

[0102] The controller may, in some embodiments, be part of a computer that is integrated into the system, connected to the system, otherwise network-connected to the system, or a combination thereof, or may be connected to such a computer. For example, the controller may be part of the "cloud", i.e., all or part of a fab host computer system, thereby enabling remote access to wafer processing. The computer may monitor the current progress of manufacturing operations, investigate the history of past manufacturing operations, investigate trends or performance criteria from multiple manufacturing operations, change the parameters of the current process, set processing steps to track the current process, or enable remote access to the system to initiate a new process.

[0103] In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) can provide a process 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, and the parameters and / or settings are then transmitted from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data that specify the parameters of each of the process steps to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process being performed and the type of tool that the controller is configured to interface with or control.

[0104] Thus, as described above, the controller may be distributed, such as by including one or more individual controllers that are networked together and operate towards a common purpose such as the processes and controls described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such a purpose is one or more integrated circuits on a chamber that are installed remotely (e.g., at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) and communicate with one or more integrated circuits that cooperate to control the process in the chamber.

[0105] Examples of systems may include, but are not limited to, a plasma etching chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a cleaning chamber or module, a bevel edge etching chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an atomic layer etching (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a track chamber or module, and any other semiconductor processing system that may be related to or used in the fabrication and / or manufacture of semiconductor wafers.

[0106] As described above, depending on one or more process steps executed by a tool, the controller may communicate with one or more of other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools disposed throughout the factory, main computers, other controllers, or tools used for material transfer to load and unload containers of wafers to and from tool positions and / or load ports within a semiconductor manufacturing factory.

Claims

1. A first sub-assembly connected to a shower head of a substrate processing system, the first sub-assembly comprising a plurality of passages that are proximate to and in thermal communication with the shower head; A second sub-assembly removably connected to the first sub-assembly, the second sub-assembly comprising a plurality of protrusions that are aligned with the plurality of passages; A cooling assembly comprising the above.

2. The cooling assembly according to Claim 1, wherein: The first sub-assembly is a hollow cylinder having an inner diameter; The second sub-assembly is a solid cylinder having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter; The second sub-assembly is inserted into the first sub-assembly. A cooling assembly.

3. The cooling assembly according to Claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of passages surrounds the plurality of protrusions without contacting the plurality of protrusions.

4. The cooling assembly according to Claim 1, wherein the plurality of passages and the plurality of protrusions each extend radially from a central region of the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly, respectively.

5. The cooling assembly according to Claim 1, wherein the second sub-assembly includes an inlet for receiving fluid flowing through the plurality of passages and an outlet for discharging the fluid from the plurality of passages.

6. The cooling assembly according to Claim 1, wherein: Each of the plurality of passages has a first width and a first depth; Each of the plurality of protrusions has a second width and a second height that are smaller than the first width and the first depth, respectively. A cooling assembly.

7. The cooling assembly according to Claim 1, wherein the plurality of passages and the plurality of protrusions are symmetric.

8. The cooling assembly according to Claim 1, wherein the plurality of passages and the plurality of protrusions are asymmetric.

9. The cooling assembly according to Claim 1, further comprising a plurality of seals for sealing each contact point between the plurality of protrusions and the plurality of passages.

10. The cooling assembly according to Claim 5, wherein the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly are made of a first material. The cooling assembly further includes a conductive element made of a second material having a higher electron affinity than the first material and removably disposed in the second sub-assembly and in fluid communication with the fluid. Cooling assembly. **Claim 11** The cooling assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first sub-assembly has a first end that extends vertically through the center of the first sub-assembly and is connected to a first inlet for receiving a process gas, and a second end for outputting the process gas to the showerhead, and comprises a tubular structure. **Claim 12** The cooling assembly according to claim 11, wherein the second sub-assembly comprises a manifold that surrounds the tubular structure, is connected to a second inlet for receiving a coolant, and has an outlet in fluid communication with the plurality of passages. **Claim 13** The cooling assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second sub-assembly comprises an inlet for receiving a purge gas and an outlet for outputting the purge gas to the showerhead. **Claim 14** The cooling assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of fasteners for fixing the second sub-assembly to the first sub-assembly. **Claim 15** The cooling assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of fasteners that extend through bores in the first sub-assembly and in the second sub-assembly and fix the cooling assembly to the showerhead. **Claim 16** A cooling assembly connected to a showerhead of a substrate processing system, a first annular flange, a first cylindrical wall extending from the first annular flange to a first base portion, the first base portion surrounding a distal end of the first cylindrical wall, and the first base portion being attached to the showerhead of the substrate processing system, a plurality of passages disposed on a first side surface of the first base portion facing the first annular flange and extending radially from a first central region of the first base portion towards an outer diameter of the first base portion, and a first sub-assembly comprising; a second annular flange connected to the first annular flange, A second cylindrical wall extending from the second annular flange to the second base portion, the second base portion surrounding the distal end of the second cylindrical wall, the first cylindrical wall surrounding the second cylindrical wall, Disposed on a second side surface of the second base portion facing away from the second annular flange, extending radially from a second central region of the second base portion toward the outer diameter of the second base portion, and a plurality of protrusions respectively aligned with the plurality of passages A second sub-assembly comprising A cooling assembly comprising

17. The cooling assembly according to claim 16, wherein The first sub-assembly is made of a first material and further comprises a tubular structure extending perpendicularly from the first central region of the first base portion toward the first annular flange, The second sub-assembly is made of the first material and A first inlet for receiving a coolant, A cylindrical manifold surrounding the tubular structure, connected to the first inlet, and having an outlet in fluid communication with the plurality of passages, An outlet for discharging the coolant from the plurality of passages Further comprising The cooling assembly is made of a second material having a higher electron affinity than the first material and further comprises a conductive element removably disposed within the second sub-assembly and in fluid communication with the coolant, Cooling assembly.

18. A first annular flange, A first cylindrical wall extending from the first annular flange to a first base portion, the first base portion surrounding the distal end of the first cylindrical wall, A plurality of passages disposed on a first side surface of the first base portion facing the first annular flange and extending radially from a first central region of the first base portion toward the outer diameter of the first base portion, A first sub-assembly comprising A second annular flange connected to the first annular flange, A second cylindrical wall extending from the second annular flange to a second base portion, the second base portion surrounding the distal end of the second cylindrical wall, the first cylindrical wall surrounding the second cylindrical wall, Disposed on a second side surface of the second base portion facing away from the second annular flange, extending radially from a second central region of the second base portion toward the outer diameter of the second base portion, and a plurality of protrusions respectively aligned with the plurality of passages a second sub-assembly comprising an assembly.

19. The assembly according to claim 18, wherein the first sub-assembly further comprises a tubular structure extending perpendicularly from the first central region of the first base portion towards the first annular flange, the second sub-assembly further comprises an inlet for receiving fluid, a cylindrical manifold surrounding the tubular structure, connected to the inlet and in fluid communication with the plurality of passages, and having an outlet, an outlet for discharging the fluid from the plurality of passages and comprising an assembly.

20. The assembly according to claim 19, an object connected to a second side of the first base portion, which is opposite to the first side of the first base portion, a plurality of fasteners traversing the assembly and fixing the object to the second side of the first base portion, a fluid supply unit for supplying the fluid to the inlet of the second sub-assembly and comprising wherein the fluid comprises a coolant for cooling the object or a high-temperature fluid for heating the object, a system.

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