Showerhead assemblies, semiconductor processing systems including showerhead assemblies and associated methods

Abstract

To provide showerhead assemblies and semiconductor processing systems including showerhead assemblies, and related methods.SOLUTION: A showerhead assembly and a semiconductor processing system including the showerhead assembly are disclosed. The disclosed showerhead assembly includes a lid, a showerhead plate, and an annular flow ring disposed between the lid and the showerhead plate. There is a method for regulating gas flow to and from a reaction chamber when performing a process. The disclosed method includes positioning the annular flow ring at a first position and a second position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to semiconductor processing equipment, related processing methods, and the field of device and integrated circuit manufacturing. More particularly, the present disclosure relates generally to showerhead assemblies, semiconductor processing systems including such showerhead assemblies, and related methods of processing substrates in reaction chambers. [Background technology]

[0002] A showerhead assembly may be used during a deposition process to provide a uniform gas flow over a substrate supported within the reaction chamber. However, effective purging of the reaction chamber can be difficult to achieve within a desired period of time due to the limited exhaust path through a common showerhead assembly.

[0003] Any discussion set forth in this section, including the discussion of problems and solutions, is included in this disclosure solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure, and should not be construed as an admission that any or all of the discussion was known at the time the invention was made or that they otherwise constitute prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This summary introduces selected concepts in a simplified form that are described in more detail below. This summary is not necessarily intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0005] Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a showerhead assembly, a semiconductor processing system including the showerhead assembly, and a method for regulating gas flow to and from a reaction chamber when performing a process.

[0006] According to one aspect, a showerhead assembly includes a lid having an upper lid surface and a lower lid surface, the lower lid surface including an exhaust channel; and a showerhead plate disposed below the lid and having a plate central axis, the showerhead plate including a plurality of inner through-holes extending through the showerhead plate from the upper plate surface to the lower plate surface, the plurality of inner through-holes being positioned in an inner region of the showerhead plate concentric with the plate central axis, and a plurality of inner through-holes disposed concentrically around the inner region and extending through the showerhead plate from the upper plate surface to the lower plate surface. a showerhead plate including a plurality of outer through-holes extending through a first radial distance from a plate central axis, the plurality of outer through-holes being positioned a first radial distance from a plate central axis; and an annular flooring disposed between the lid and the showerhead plate and having a ring central axis coincident with the plate central axis, the annular flooring including a plurality of exhaust through-holes concentrically disposed at the first radial distance from the ring central axis and extending through the annular flooring from an upper ring surface to a lower ring surface, adjacent through-holes of the plurality of exhaust through-holes alternate in sequence between a first diameter and a second diameter, the first diameter being smaller than the second diameter.

[0007] In one embodiment of the showerhead assembly, adjacent through holes of the plurality of outer through holes are separated by a first arc length and adjacent through holes of the plurality of exhaust through holes are separated by a second arc length, where the second arc length is one-half the radial distance of the first arc length.

[0008] In one embodiment of the showerhead assembly, the annular flooring has an inner radius that is larger than the radius of the inner region of the showerhead plate.

[0009] In one embodiment of the showerhead assembly, the exhaust channel in the lid, the plurality of outer through-holes in the showerhead plate, and the plurality of exhaust through-holes in the annular flooring are radially aligned with one another.

[0010] In one embodiment of the showerhead assembly, the annular flooring further comprises an actuator coupling constructed and arranged to couple with an actuator device configured to rotate the annular flooring about the ring central axis from a first position to a second position.

[0011] In one embodiment of the showerhead assembly, the plurality of exhaust through holes having a first diameter are configured to align with the plurality of outer through holes in the showerhead plate at a first position, and the plurality of exhaust through holes having a second diameter are configured to align with the plurality of outer through holes in the showerhead plate at a second position.

[0012] According to another aspect, a semiconductor processing system includes a reaction chamber; and a showerhead assembly configured to regulate gas flow to and from the reaction chamber, the showerhead assembly including: a lid having an upper lid surface and a lower lid surface, the upper lid surface including a main inlet configured to couple to a gas supply source, and the lower lid surface including an exhaust channel; a showerhead plate disposed below the lid and having a plate central axis, the showerhead plate including: a plurality of inner through-holes extending through the showerhead plate from the upper plate surface to the lower plate surface, the plurality of inner through-holes being positioned in an inner region of the showerhead plate concentric with the plate central axis; and a plurality of outer through-holes arranged concentrically around the plurality of inner through-holes and extending through the showerhead plate from the upper plate surface to the lower plate surface, the plurality of outer through-holes being positioned a first radial distance from the plate central axis; and a gas supply unit disposed between the lid and the showerhead plate. the annular flooring having a ring central axis that is aligned with the plate central axis, the annular flooring comprising: an actuator coupling disposed on a surface of the annular flooring; and a plurality of exhaust through-holes concentrically disposed at a first radial distance from the ring central axis and extending through the annular flooring from an upper ring surface to a lower ring surface, the plurality of exhaust through-holes alternating in sequence between a first diameter and a second diameter, the first diameter being smaller than the second diameter; an actuator device coupled to the actuator coupling, the actuator device configured to rotate the annular flooring about the ring central axis from a first position to a second position; a valve manifold constructed and arranged to control a supply of gas from a gas source to the showerhead assembly; a vacuum assembly coupled to the exhaust channel, the vacuum assembly constructed and arranged to evacuate gas from the reaction chamber; and a control system constructed and arranged to synchronize the actuator device and the valve manifold.

[0013] In one embodiment of the semiconductor processing system, adjacent through holes of the plurality of outer through holes are separated by a first arc length and adjacent through holes of the plurality of exhaust through holes are separated by a second arc length, the second arc length being half the first arc length.

[0014] In one embodiment of the semiconductor processing system, the annular flooring has an inner radius that is larger than the radius of the inner region of the showerhead plate.

[0015] In one embodiment of the semiconductor processing system, the exhaust channel, the plurality of outer through-holes in the showerhead plate, and the plurality of exhaust through-holes in the annular flooring are radially aligned with one another.

[0016] In one embodiment of the semiconductor processing system, the actuator device comprises an actuated two-state valve, the first valve state positioning the annular flooring in a first position and the second valve state positioning the annular flooring in a second position.

[0017] In one embodiment of the semiconductor processing system, a plurality of exhaust through holes having a first diameter are configured to align with a plurality of outer through holes in the showerhead plate at a first location, and a plurality of exhaust through holes having a second diameter are configured to align with a plurality of outer through holes in the showerhead plate at a second location.

[0018] According to another aspect, a method for regulating gas flow to and from a reaction chamber when performing a process includes a showerhead assembly including an annular flooring disposed between a lid and a showerhead plate, the annular flooring including a plurality of exhaust through-holes concentrically disposed at a first radial distance from a ring central axis and extending through the annular flooring from an upper ring surface to a lower ring surface, the plurality of exhaust through-holes alternating in sequence between a first diameter and a second diameter, the first diameter being smaller than the second diameter. In the showerhead assembly, the method includes: positioning the annular flooring at a first position such that the through-holes of the first diameter are aligned with the plurality of outer through-holes extending through the showerhead plate; introducing process gas into the reaction chamber; positioning the annular flooring at a second position such that the through-holes of the second diameter are aligned with the plurality of outer through-holes extending through the showerhead plate; and purging the reaction chamber.

[0019] In one embodiment of the method, positioning the annular flooring includes actuating an actuator device coupled to the annular flooring by an actuator coupling disposed on a surface of the annular flooring, the actuator device configured to rotate the annular flooring from a first position to a second position about a ring central axis.

[0020] In one embodiment of the method, adjacent through holes of the plurality of outer through holes are separated by a first arc length and adjacent through holes of the plurality of exhaust through holes are separated by a second arc length, the second arc length being half the first arc length.

[0021] In one embodiment of the method, positioning the annular flooring further includes rotating the annular flooring a second arc length about the ring central axis.

[0022] In one embodiment of the method, the steps of positioning the annular flooring at a first position, introducing a process gas into the reaction chamber, positioning the annular flooring at a second position, and purging the reaction chamber are performed one or more times.

[0023] In one embodiment of the method, the process comprises an atomic layer deposition process.

[0024] In one embodiment of the method, the method further includes positioning the annular flooring in the first position prior to performing the pulse step of the atomic layer deposition process.

[0025] In one embodiment of the method, the method further includes positioning the annular flooring at a second position prior to performing the pulse step of the atomic layer deposition process.

[0026] For purposes of summarizing the invention and the advantages achieved over the prior art, certain objects and advantages of the invention have been described hereinabove. Of course, it will be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught or suggested herein, without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages that may be taught or suggested herein.

[0027] All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the invention disclosed herein. These and other embodiments will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of certain embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, although the invention is not limited to any particular embodiment disclosed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or operation, the most significant digit(s) of a reference number refers to the figure number in which that element is first introduced.

[0029] A more complete understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be obtained by reference to the detailed description and claims in light of the following illustrative drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary reactor according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an exemplary showerhead assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of an exemplary showerhead plate according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a top view of an exemplary annular flooring according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary semiconductor processing system including a showerhead assembly in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary process for adjusting gas flow to and from a reaction chamber when performing a process in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a top cutaway view of a portion of a showerhead assembly having an annular flooring in a first position according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a top cutaway view of a portion of a showerhead assembly having an annular flooring in a second position in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] It will be understood that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of the illustrated embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] Detailed Description The descriptions of exemplary embodiments of methods and compositions provided below are merely exemplary and intended for illustrative purposes only. The following descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure or the claims. Moreover, the recitation of multiple embodiments having stated features or steps is not intended to exclude other embodiments having additional features or steps, or other embodiments incorporating different combinations of the stated features or steps.

[0033] In this disclosure, any two numbers for a variable can constitute a workable range for that variable, and any range stated may include or exclude endpoints. In addition, any value for a stated variable (whether or not it is stated with "about") may refer to an exact or approximate value, including its equivalent, and in some embodiments, may refer to an average, median, representative value, key value, etc. Furthermore, in this disclosure, the terms "including," "constituted by," and "having" can, in some embodiments, independently refer to "typically or broadly comprising," "comprising," "consisting essentially of," or "consisting of." In this disclosure, any defined meaning does not necessarily exclude the ordinary and customary meaning in some embodiments. In some cases, percentages stated herein may be relative or absolute percentages.

[0034] It will be understood that the terms "on" or "over" may be used herein to describe relative location relationships. Another element, film, or layer may be directly on top of the layer being referred to, or another layer (intermediate layer) or element may be interposed therebetween, or a layer may be disposed on top of the layer being referred to but not completely cover the surface of the layer being referred to. Thus, unless the term "directly" is used separately, the terms "on" or "over" will be interpreted as relative concepts. Similarly, it will be understood that the terms "under," "underlying," or "below" will be interpreted as relative concepts.

[0035] Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to showerhead assemblies, semiconductor processing systems including such showerhead assemblies, and related methods for processing substrates.

[0036] A commonly utilized showerhead assembly can include a first series of through-holes (i.e., gas inlet through-holes) (i.e., openings) through which process gases are introduced into an associated reaction chamber, and a second series of through-holes (i.e., gas exhaust through-holes) through which excess process gases, inert gases (e.g., purge gases, carrier gases), and any reaction by-products are exhausted from the reaction chamber. The dimensions (e.g., diameters) of such through-holes are typically fixed and determined by the mechanical process used to fabricate the through-holes. However, having through-holes of fixed dimensions can have a detrimental effect on substrate processing when utilizing certain processing methods.

[0037] As a non-limiting example, atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes typically involve a two-step process in which (a) process gases (e.g., precursors / reactants, etc.) are introduced into the reaction chamber through a showerhead assembly (commonly referred to as a pulse step), and (b) excess process gas and reaction by-products are exhausted from the reaction chamber through the showerhead assembly (commonly referred to as a purge step). In certain embodiments, during the pulse step, the process gas resides within the reaction space within the reaction chamber for a period sufficient to allow saturation of the substrate surface and / or completion of reaction with absorbing species on the substrate. During the purge step, excess process gas and reaction by-products are typically removed as quickly as possible to optimize the cycle time of the ALD process, and thus the throughput and / or deposition rate. However, in such embodiments, the fixed-size gas exhaust through-holes in the showerhead assembly are not optimized for both retention of process gases within the reaction chamber and rapid purging of the reaction chamber. For example, rapid purging of the reaction chamber can be achieved using gas exhaust through-holes with large dimensions to rapidly remove gases from the reaction chamber using a high-conductance path. In contrast, if gas exhaust through-holes optimized for the purge step (e.g., having large dimensions) are used during the pulse step, the process gas may have insufficient residence time within the reaction space, resulting in incomplete saturation / reaction, ineffective utilization of the process gas, and reduced life and efficiency of equipment and components downstream of the reaction chamber.

[0038] Accordingly, various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a showerhead assembly including an annular flooring disposed between a lid (including exhaust channels) and a showerhead plate (including gas inlet and exhaust through-holes) of the assembly. In various embodiments, the annular flooring includes a plurality of exhaust through-holes that alternate in sequence between a first dimension (e.g., optimized for a pulsing operation) and a second dimension (e.g., optimized for a purging operation). In various embodiments, the annular flooring can be coupled to an actuator device that can be triggered by a control system to rotate the annular flooring so that the exhaust through-holes optimized for the pulsing operation align with the showerhead plate exhaust through-holes during the pulsing operation, and can subsequently be triggered by the control system to rotate the annular flooring so that the exhaust through-holes optimized for the purging operation align with the showerhead plate exhaust through-holes during the purging operation.

[0039] The present technology may be described in terms of functional block components and various process steps. These functional blocks may be realized by any number of components configured to perform the specified functions and achieve various results. For example, the present technology may employ various reaction chambers, susceptors, valves, precursors, and delivery lines.

[0040] Referring now to the figures, FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary semiconductor processing system 100 including a reactor 102 configured to process a substrate (e.g., substrate 208 in FIG. 2 ). The reactor 102 may be configured to deposit a layer on the substrate, perform etching, etc. The semiconductor processing system 100 may further include a source vessel 104 configured to contain or hold chemicals (e.g., precursors / reactants, inert gases, etc.) used in the semiconductor manufacturing process. The chemicals in the source vessel 104 may initially be in a solid, liquid, or gas phase. For solid or liquid chemicals, the solid or liquid may be converted to a gas phase. For example, the source vessel 104 may include various devices and / or systems for converting the solid or liquid to a gas. The conversion to a gas phase may occur within the source vessel 104. Additionally, the semiconductor processing system 100 may further include a gas line 106 for transporting gas to the reactor 102. For example, the gas line 106 may be coupled at a first end to the source vessel 104 and at a second end to the reactor 102. In various embodiments, the semiconductor processing system 100 may further comprise a valve manifold 108 configured to provide controlled flow and mixing of multiple gas sources before entering the reactor 102. The valve manifold 108 may be coupled directly to the reactor 102 or may be coupled to the gas line 106 and may be configured to receive gases from the source vessel 104. Additionally, the semiconductor processing system 100 may include a vacuum assembly 110 in fluid communication with the reactor 102 by a vacuum line 112. The vacuum assembly 110 (and associated vacuum line 112) may be used to remove excess chemicals and reaction by-products from the reactor 102 as well as to control the pressure within the reactor 102.

[0041] 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the reactor 102 of FIG. 1, illustrating an exemplary internal configuration of various components and assemblies within the reactor 102. Note that the following description with reference to FIG. 2 simply illustrates the spatial relationships of various components within the reactor 102, particularly components comprising the showerhead assembly of the present disclosure.

[0042] 2, the reactor 102 may include a reaction chamber 200 and a showerhead assembly 202 positioned above the reaction chamber 200. The reaction chamber 200 may include a reaction space 204 and a substrate support 206 (such as a susceptor) configured to support a substrate 208.

[0043] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the showerhead assembly 202 may include a lid 210, a showerhead plate 212, and an annular flooring 214 disposed between the lid 210 and the showerhead plate 212. Briefly, the lid 210 of the showerhead plate 212 includes an upper lid surface 216 and a lower lid surface 218. The upper lid surface 216 includes a main inlet 220 configured to fluidly couple with a gas source via a valve manifold (e.g., supplied from the source vessel 104 of FIG. 1). Additionally, the lid 210 includes an exhaust channel 222 disposed in the lower lid surface 218, as discussed in more detail below. In some embodiments, the exhaust channel 222 is in fluid communication with a vacuum assembly via a vacuum line (e.g., the exemplary vacuum assembly 110 and vacuum line 112 of FIG. 1).

[0044] In various embodiments, the showerhead assembly 202 also includes a showerhead plate 212 disposed below the lid 210. The showerhead plate 212 includes a plurality of inner through-holes 224 and a plurality of outer through-holes 226, as described in more detail below.

[0045] In various embodiments, the showerhead assembly 202 also includes an annular flooring 214 disposed between the lid 210 and the showerhead plate 212. As described in more detail below, the annular flooring 214 can include a plurality of exhaust through-holes 228. In various embodiments, the plurality of exhaust through-holes 228 alternate radially around the annular flooring 214 between a first diameter and a second diameter, the first diameter being smaller than the second diameter. The alternating diameters of the plurality of exhaust through-holes 228 in the annular flooring 214 can be utilized to adjust the size of an exhaust path from the reaction space 204 to the exhaust channel 222 within the reaction chamber 200, as described in more detail below.

[0046] 3 shows an exploded view of showerhead assembly 202 (of FIG. 1) in which the horizontal orientation of the components is maintained and the vertical separation between exhaust channel 222 (located in lower lid surface 218 of lid 210 of FIG. 2), annular flooring 214, and showerhead plate 212 is expanded to more clearly show the components of showerhead assembly 202. Additionally, FIGS. 4 and 5 show top views of showerhead plate 212 and annular flooring 214, respectively.

[0047] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and referring to FIG. 3, the showerhead assembly 202 includes a lid with an exhaust channel 222 (the lid 210 of FIG. 2 is omitted in FIG. 3 to better illustrate the exhaust channel 222, and the exhaust channel is shown in dashed lines to indicate that it is disposed internally within the lower lid surface of the lid).

[0048] In various embodiments, the showerhead assembly 202 includes a showerhead plate 212 disposed below the lid and having a plate central axis 302, as shown in FIGS.

[0049] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the showerhead plate 212 may include a plurality of inner through-holes 224 extending through the showerhead plate 212 from the upper plate surface 304 to the lower plate surface 306. In such embodiments, the plurality of inner through-holes 224 may be positioned within an inner region 308 of the showerhead plate 212, the inner region 308 being concentric with the plate central axis 302. As a non-limiting example, the plurality of inner through-holes 224 of the showerhead plate 212 may be used to introduce process gases into the reaction chamber (i.e., the plurality of inner through-holes 224 include gas introduction through-holes).

[0050] According to further embodiments of the present disclosure, the showerhead plate 212 may include a plurality of outer through-holes 226 arranged concentrically around the inner region 308 and extending through the showerhead plate 212 from the upper plate surface 304 to the lower plate surface 306. In such embodiments, the plurality of outer through-holes 226 may be positioned a first radial distance 310 from the plate central axis 302. In further embodiments, adjacent through-holes of the plurality of outer through-holes (such as the illustrative adjacent outer through-holes 426a and 426b in FIG. 4 ) may be radially separated by a first arc length 430. As a non-limiting example, the plurality of outer through-holes 226 of the showerhead plate 212 may be used to exhaust process gases (and any reaction by-products) from the reaction chamber 200 (i.e., the plurality of outer through-holes 226 comprise gas exhaust through-holes).

[0051] In various embodiments, the showerhead assembly 202 also includes an annular flooring 214. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the annular flooring 214 is disposed between the exhaust channel 222 (in the lower lid surface of the lid 210 in FIG. 2) and the showerhead plate 212, as shown in FIGS.

[0052] 3 and 5, the annular flooring 214 comprises a ring central axis 312. In some embodiments, the ring central axis 312 (of the annular flooring 214) coincides with the plate central axis 302 (of the showerhead plate 212), i.e., the ring central axis 312 (of the annular flooring 214) and the plate central axis 302 (of the showerhead plate 212) are aligned with each other.

[0053] Additionally, in various exemplary embodiments, the exhaust channel 222 comprises an annular exhaust channel extending into the lower lid surface 218 of the lid 210 of FIG. 2. In such embodiments, the annular exhaust channel may have a central channel axis 318 (see FIG. 3). For example, the central channel axis 318 may coincide with both the ring central axis 312 and the plate central axis 302 such that the central axes of the exhaust channel 222, the annular flooring 214, and the showerhead plate are aligned with one another. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the components of the showerhead assembly 202 (e.g., the exhaust channel 222 in the lid 210, the annular flooring 214, and the showerhead plate 212) all share a common showerhead assembly central axis 230.

[0054] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the annular flooring 214 includes a plurality of exhaust through-holes 228. For example, the plurality of exhaust through-holes 228 can extend from the upper ring surface 314 to the lower ring surface 316, as shown in FIG. 3. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of exhaust through-holes 228 can be concentrically arranged around the ring central axis 312. In such an embodiment, the plurality of exhaust through-holes 228 can be positioned at a first radial distance 310 from the ring central axis 312, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. 3, the central axes (i.e., axes 302 and 304) of both annular flooring 214 and showerhead plate 212 are coincident (i.e., aligned), and both outer through-holes 226 (of showerhead plate 212) and exhaust through-holes 228 (of annular flooring 214) are positioned a first radial distance 310 from the coincident axes (i.e., axes 302 and 304) such that outer through-holes 226 and exhaust through-holes 228 are radially aligned with one another. The radial alignment of outer through-holes 226 (of showerhead plate) and exhaust through-holes 228 (of annular flooring 214) is clearly shown in FIG. 3, with alignment marks 320a and 320b indicating the alignment. 3, the exhaust channels 222 in the lower lid surface may also be radially aligned with the plurality of outer through-holes 226 (in the showerhead plate 212) and the plurality of exhaust through-holes 228 (in the annular flooring 214). Thus, in some embodiments, the exhaust channels 222 in the lid (e.g., 210 in FIG. 2), the plurality of outer through-holes 226 (in the showerhead plate 212), and the plurality of exhaust through-holes 228 in the annular flooring are radially aligned with one another.

[0055] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, adjacent through-holes of the plurality of exhaust through-holes 228 in the annular flooring 214 (such as the illustrative adjacent exhaust through-holes 528a and 528b in FIG. 5 ) are radially separated by a second arc length 530, which is half the radial distance of the first arc length 430 ( FIG. 4 ). In other words, the radial distance between adjacent through-holes (e.g., through-holes 228) extending through the annular flooring 214 is half the radial distance between adjacent through-holes extending through the showerhead plate 212.

[0056] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, adjacent through-holes of the plurality of exhaust through-holes 228 in the annular flooring 214 (such as the exemplary adjacent pair of exhaust through-holes 528c and 528d) alternate between a first diameter (e.g., the diameter of 528c) and a second diameter (e.g., the diameter of 528b), where the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter. As a non-limiting example, the exemplary exhaust through-hole 528c can be dimensionally optimized and aligned with the plurality of outer through-holes of the showerhead plate during a pulsed operation of the ALD process, and the exemplary exhaust through-hole 528d can be dimensionally optimized and aligned with the plurality of outer through-holes 226 of the showerhead plate 212 during a purge operation of the ALD process. In some embodiments, the through-hole of the first diameter may have the same or substantially the same diameter as the diameter of the plurality of outer through-holes of the showerhead plate. In some embodiments, the through-hole of the second diameter may have a diameter smaller than the diameter of the plurality of outer through-holes of the showerhead plate.

[0057] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the annular flooring has an inner radius that is larger than the radius of the inner region of the showerhead plate. As previously described, the showerhead plate 212 includes a plurality of inner through-holes 224 that may be positioned within the inner region 308, which may be concentric with the plate central axis 302 (see FIG. 3 ). In various embodiments, the plurality of inner through-holes 224 may be used to introduce process gases into the reaction chamber (e.g., the through-holes 224 may include gas introduction through-holes). The annular flooring 214 may be constructed and arranged to maintain a free gas flow path through the showerhead assembly to allow process gases to flow unobstructed through the showerhead assembly from the lid, through the plurality of inner through-holes 224 of the showerhead plate 212, and into the reaction chamber.

[0058] Thus, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the annular flooring 214 (see FIG. 3 ) comprises an outer radius 324, an inner radius 322, and an annular ring width defined by the difference between the outer radius 324 and the inner radius 322. In such an embodiment, the inner radius 322 of the annular flooring 214 is greater than the radius of the inner region of the showerhead plate (i.e., radius 326). Thus, the plurality of inner through-holes 224 positioned within the inner region 308 are unobstructed by the annular flooring 214.

[0059] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the annular flooring further comprises an actuator coupling. In such embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the annular flooring 214 comprises an actuator coupling 328 that provides a mechanical connection between the body of the annular flooring 214 and an actuator device 330. In some embodiments, the actuator device 330 can be configured to rotate the annular flooring 214 about the ring central axis 312 from a first position to a second position, as described in more detail below.

[0060] Various embodiments of the present disclosure also provide semiconductor processing systems, particularly semiconductor processing systems that include the showerhead assembly described above.

[0061] 6 illustrates an exemplary semiconductor processing system 600 including a showerhead assembly 202, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In various embodiments, the semiconductor processing system 600 includes a reactor 102, a reaction chamber 200, and a showerhead assembly 202 disposed above the reaction chamber 200. In some embodiments, the showerhead assembly 202 is configured to control gas flow into and out of the reaction chamber 200.

[0062] 6 includes a lid 210 (as described above) having an upper lid surface and a lower lid surface. In some embodiments, the upper lid surface of the lid 210 includes a main inlet 220 configured to couple to a gas source 602 via a valve manifold 108, and the lower lid surface includes an exhaust channel 222 configured to couple to a vacuum assembly 110 via a vacuum line 112.

[0063] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the showerhead assembly 202 of the semiconductor process 600 ( FIG. 6 ) includes a showerhead plate 212 disposed below the lid 210 and having a plate central axis 302. As described above, the showerhead plate 212 can include a plurality of inner through-holes 224 extending through the body of the showerhead plate 212, the plurality of inner through-holes 224 being positioned within an inner region concentric with the plate central axis. In some embodiments, the showerhead plate 212 also includes a plurality of outer through-holes 226 concentrically disposed around the plurality of inner through-holes 224 and extending into the body of the showerhead plate 212, the plurality of outer through-holes 226 being positioned at a first radial distance from the plate central axis, as described above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 .

[0064] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the showerhead assembly 202 of the semiconductor process 600 ( FIG. 6 ) includes an annular flooring 214 disposed between the lid 210 and the showerhead plate 212 and having a ring central axis 312 aligned with the plate central axis 302. In such an embodiment, the annular flooring 214 includes a plurality of exhaust through-holes 228 concentrically disposed at a first radial distance from the ring central axis 312 and extending into the body of the annular flooring 214, as described above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 5 . The plurality of exhaust through-holes 228 may alternate in sequence between a first diameter and a second diameter, as described above, where the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter.

[0065] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the annular flooring 214 can also include an actuator coupling 328 disposed on a surface of the annular flooring 214. In such embodiments, the actuator coupling 328 can be configured to couple with an actuator device 330. In one aspect, the actuator device 330 includes an actuated two-state valve, where a first valve state positions the annular flooring 214 in a first position and a second valve state positions the annular flooring 214 in a second position. In another aspect, the actuator device 330 includes a continuous rotation actuator that provides continuous rotation to the annular flooring 214 such that the first diameter through-hole aligns with the plurality of inner through-holes 224 in the showerhead plate 212 during a first time period and the second diameter through-hole aligns with the plurality of inner through-holes 224 in the showerhead plate 212 during a second time period. In another aspect, the actuator device 330 comprises a stepper device that provides stepwise rotation to the annular flooring 214 such that the through-holes of a first diameter align with the plurality of inner through-holes 224 in the showerhead plate 212 during a first time period and the second through-holes align with the plurality of inner through-holes 224 in the showerhead plate 212 during a second time period.

[0066] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the semiconductor processing system 600 includes a valve manifold 108 constructed and arranged to control the supply of gas from a gas supply 602 to a showerhead assembly.

[0067] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, semiconductor processing system 600 includes a control system 604 constructed and arranged to operate / control various components and assemblies of semiconductor processing system 600. In one aspect, control system 604 is configured to synchronize actuator devices and valve manifolds, as described in more detail below with reference to methods and processes associated with semiconductor processing system 600.

[0068] Various embodiments of the present disclosure also provide methods for regulating gas flow to and from a reaction chamber when performing a process in a semiconductor processing system, particularly a semiconductor processing system that includes the showerhead assembly described above.

[0069] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary process 700 for adjusting gas flow to and from a reaction chamber of a semiconductor processing system, such as, for example, semiconductor processing system 600 (FIG. 6) including showerhead assembly 202 (FIG. 3).

[0070] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, process 700 (FIG. 7) includes performing a method for regulating gas flow to and from a reaction chamber comprising a showerhead assembly including an annular flooring disposed between a lid and a showerhead plate, the annular flooring being concentrically arranged at a first radial distance from a ring central axis and including a plurality of exhaust through-holes extending through the annular flooring from an upper ring surface to a lower ring surface, the plurality of exhaust through-holes alternating in sequence between a first diameter and a second diameter (as described above), the first diameter being smaller than the second diameter.

[0071] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, process 700 (FIG. 7) can include positioning an annular flooring in a first position such that a first diameter through-hole aligns with a plurality of outer through-holes extending through a showerhead plate (step 702).

[0072] 8 illustrates a top cutaway view of a portion of the showerhead assembly 202 showing the annular flooring 214 (above the showerhead plate 212) in a first position, with dashed circles indicating exhaust through-holes in the showerhead plate 212 that are obscured by the annular flooring 214. As shown in FIG. 8, the annular flooring 214 is rotated (to a first position) so that the first diameter through-holes 528a are aligned with the plurality of outer through-holes 226 in the showerhead plate 212. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, when the annular flooring 214 is rotated and positioned in the first position (as illustrated in FIG. 8), the gas conductance path to the aligned exhaust channels (not shown) is reduced, thereby allowing sufficient time for process gases (introduced in subsequent steps of the process 700) to interact with the substrate.

[0073] According to the present disclosure, positioning the annular flooring includes actuating an actuator device 330 coupled to the annular flooring 214 by an actuator coupling 328 disposed on the surface of the annular flooring, as shown in Figure 8. In such an embodiment, the actuator device 330 may be configured to rotate the annular flooring 214 about the ring central axis.

[0074] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, process 700 (FIG. 7) may further include introducing a process gas into the reaction chamber (step 704). In such embodiments, the process gas may include a precursor / reactant that interacts with a substrate supported in the reaction chamber. In such embodiments, positioning the annular flooring 214 in the first position (as shown in FIG. 8) allows sufficient residence of the process gas in the reaction space within the reaction chamber, where the process gas interacts (e.g., absorbs, reacts, etc.) with the substrate.

[0075] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, process 700 (FIG. 7) may further include positioning the annular flooring in a second position (step 706) such that the second diameter through-holes are aligned with the plurality of outer through-holes extending through the showerhead plate.

[0076] 9 illustrates a top cutaway view of a portion of the showerhead assembly 202 showing the annular flooring 214 in a second position (above the showerhead plate 212). As shown in FIG. 9, the annular flooring 214 is rotated (to the second position) so that the second diameter through-holes 528b are aligned with the outer through-holes 226 of the showerhead plate 212. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the annular flooring 214 is rotated (as shown in FIG. 9) to the second position, gas conductance to the aligned exhaust channels (not shown) may be increased compared to the first position, thereby enabling more rapid purging of the reaction chamber (in a subsequent step of the process 700).

[0077] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, process 700 (FIG. 7) may further include purging the reaction chamber (step 708). In such embodiments, excess process gas and any reaction by-products may be rapidly exhausted from the reaction chamber. In such embodiments, positioning the annular flooring 214 in the second position (as shown in FIG. 9) may create an increased conductance gas path between the reaction chamber and the exhaust channel (not shown), thereby increasing the efficiency of purging the reaction chamber.

[0078] In accordance with the present disclosure, positioning the annular flooring in the second position includes actuating an actuator device 330 coupled to the annular flooring 214 by an actuator coupling 328 disposed on the surface of the annular flooring, as shown in Figure 9. In such an embodiment, the actuator device 330 may be configured to rotate the annular flooring 214 from the first position to the second position about the ring central axis.

[0079] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, adjacent through-holes of the plurality of outer through-holes 226 (of the showerhead plate 212) are separated by a first arc length 430 (as shown in FIG. 8 ), and adjacent through-holes of the plurality of exhaust through-holes (528a and 528b) of the annular flooring 214 are separated by a second arc length 530, where the second arc length is half the first arc length. In such an embodiment, positioning the annular flooring 214 includes rotating the annular flooring 214 by the second arc length about the ring central axis 312. In other words, moving the annular flooring 214 from the first position to the second position includes rotating the annular flooring 214 by a rotational distance equal to the second arc length (i.e., the distance between adjacent exhaust through-holes in the annular flooring 214).

[0080] 8 , the plurality of inner through-holes 224 of the showerhead plate 212 (through which process gases can be introduced into the reaction chamber) are unobstructed by the annular flooring 214. In some embodiments, blocking of the plurality of inner through-holes 224 is achieved by the annular flooring 214 having an inner radius 322 that is larger than the radius of an inner region 326 of the showerhead plate 212.

[0081] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, process 700 (FIG. 7) may further include repeating a cycle of positioning an annular flooring in a first position (step 702), introducing a process gas into the reaction chamber (step 704), positioning the annular flooring in a second position (step 706), and purging the reaction chamber (step 708). In such embodiments, the cycle (represented by cycle loop 712) may be repeated one or more times, the number of times depending on the process being performed in the reaction chamber.

[0082] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the process performed in the reaction chamber may include a cyclic process, such as, for example, an atomic layer deposition process. In such embodiments, the atomic layer deposition may include a pulsed step. In a pulsed step, a process gas may be introduced into the reaction chamber. Accordingly, in some embodiments, process 700 may include positioning an annular flooring in a first position (step 702) before performing a pulsed step of the atomic layer deposition process. In such embodiments, the atomic layer deposition may also include a purge step. In the purge step, excess process gas and any reaction by-products may be purged from the reaction chamber. Accordingly, in some embodiments, process 700 may include positioning an annular flooring in a second position (step 706) before performing a purge step of the atomic layer deposition process.

[0083] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the step of positioning the annular flooring at a first position (step 702) and the step of positioning the annular flooring at a second position (step 706) can be initiated by a control system (such as control system 604 in FIG. 6 ). In such embodiments, the control system can be coupled to an actuator device to initiate the positioning of the annular flow. In some embodiments, the control system is also coupled to a valve manifold (e.g., valve manifold 108 in FIG. 6 ). In such embodiments, the control system can control one or more valves in the valve manifold to initiate gas flow to the reaction chamber. In some embodiments, the control system can synchronize the positioning of the annular flooring (e.g., between the first and second positions) with the control of the valve manifold such that the introduction of process gas into and out of the reaction chamber is synchronized with the positioning of the annular flooring.

[0084] For purposes of summarizing the invention and the advantages achieved over the prior art, certain objects and advantages of the invention have been described hereinabove. Of course, it will be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught or suggested herein, without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages that may be taught or suggested herein.

[0085] All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the invention disclosed herein. These and other embodiments will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of certain embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, although the invention is not limited to any particular embodiment disclosed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 100 Semiconductor Processing System 102 Reactor 104 Source container 106 Gas Line 108 Valve Manifold 110 Vacuum Assembly 112 Vacuum Line 200 reaction chambers 202 shower head assembly 204 Reaction Space 206 Base material support 208 Base material 210 Lid 212 shower head plate 214 Circular Flooring 216 Upper lid surface 218 Lower lid surface 220 Main Entrance 222 Exhaust Channel 224 Inner through hole 226 Outer through hole 228 Exhaust through hole 230 Shower head assembly central axis 302 Plate central axis 304 Upper plate surface 306 Lower plate surface 308 Inner area 310 first radial distance 312 Ring center axis 314 Upper ring surface 316 Lower ring surface 318 Channel Center Axis 320 Alignment Mark 322 inner radius 324 outer radius 326 Inner area 328 Actuator Coupling 330 Actuator Device 426 Outer through hole 430 First Arc Length 528 Through Hole 528 Exhaust through hole 530 Second Arc Length 600 Semiconductor Processing System 602 Gas Supply Source 604 Control System

Claims

1. a lid comprising an upper lid surface and a lower lid surface, the lower lid surface comprising an exhaust channel; a showerhead plate disposed below the lid and having a plate central axis, a plurality of inner through-holes extending through the showerhead plate from an upper plate surface to a lower plate surface, the plurality of inner through-holes being positioned within an inner region of the showerhead plate concentric with the plate central axis; a plurality of outer through-holes arranged concentrically around the inner region and extending through the showerhead plate from the upper plate surface to the lower plate surface, the plurality of outer through-holes being positioned a first radial distance from the plate central axis; a shower head plate comprising: an annular flooring disposed between the lid and the showerhead plate, the annular flooring having a ring central axis coincident with the plate central axis; an annular flooring comprising a plurality of exhaust through-holes concentrically arranged at the first radial distance from the ring central axis and extending through the annular flooring from an upper ring surface to a lower ring surface, wherein adjacent through-holes of the plurality of exhaust through-holes alternate in sequence between a first diameter and a second diameter, and the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter; A shower head assembly comprising:

2. 10. The showerhead assembly of claim 1, wherein adjacent ones of the outer through-holes are separated by a first arc length and adjacent ones of the exhaust through-holes are separated by a second arc length, the second arc length being one-half the radial distance of the first arc length.

3. 3. The showerhead assembly of claim 2, wherein the annular flooring has an inner radius that is larger than a radius of the inner region of the showerhead plate.

4. 4. The showerhead assembly of claim 3, wherein the exhaust channel in the lid, the plurality of outer through-holes in the showerhead plate, and the plurality of exhaust through-holes in the annular flooring are radially aligned with one another.

5. 5. The showerhead assembly of claim 4, wherein the annular flooring further comprises an actuator coupling constructed and arranged to couple with an actuator device, the actuator device configured to rotate the annular flooring about the ring central axis from a first position to a second position.

6. 6. The showerhead assembly of claim 5, wherein the plurality of exhaust through holes having the first diameter are configured to align with the plurality of outer through holes of the showerhead plate at the first position, and the plurality of exhaust through holes having the second diameter are configured to align with the plurality of outer through holes of the showerhead plate at the second position.

7. a reaction chamber; a showerhead assembly configured to regulate gas flow into and out of the reaction chamber, the showerhead assembly comprising: a lid comprising an upper lid surface and a lower lid surface, the upper lid surface comprising a main inlet configured to connect to a gas source, and the lower lid surface comprising an exhaust channel; a showerhead plate disposed below the lid and having a plate central axis, the showerhead plate comprising: a plurality of inner through-holes extending through the showerhead plate from an upper plate surface to a lower plate surface, the plurality of inner through-holes being positioned within an inner region of the showerhead plate concentric with the plate central axis; a plurality of outer through-holes arranged concentrically around the plurality of inner through-holes and extending through the showerhead plate from the upper plate surface to the lower plate surface, the outer through-holes positioned a first radial distance from the plate central axis; a shower head plate comprising: an annular flooring disposed between the lid and the showerhead plate and having a ring central axis coincident with the plate central axis, the annular flooring comprising: an actuator coupling disposed on the surface of the annular flooring; a plurality of exhaust through-holes concentrically arranged at the first radial distance from the ring central axis and extending through the annular flooring from an upper ring surface to a lower ring surface, the plurality of exhaust through-holes alternating in sequence between a first diameter and a second diameter, the first diameter being smaller than the second diameter; annular flooring comprising: a showerhead assembly comprising: an actuator device coupled to the actuator coupling, the actuator device configured to rotate the annular flooring about the ring central axis from a first position to a second position; a valve manifold constructed and arranged to control the supply of gas from the gas source to the showerhead assembly; a vacuum assembly coupled to the exhaust channel and constructed and arranged to evacuate gases from the reaction chamber; a control system configured to synchronize the actuator device and the valve manifold; A semiconductor processing system comprising:

8. 8. The semiconductor processing system of claim 7, wherein adjacent through holes of said plurality of outer through holes are separated by a first arc length and adjacent through holes of said plurality of exhaust through holes are separated by a second arc length, said second arc length being half of said first arc length.

9. 10. The semiconductor processing system of claim 8, wherein the annular flooring has an inner radius that is greater than a radius of the inner region of the showerhead plate.

10. 10. The semiconductor processing system of claim 9, wherein the exhaust channel, the plurality of outer through-holes of the showerhead plate, and the plurality of exhaust through-holes of the annular flooring are radially aligned with one another.

11. 11. The semiconductor processing system of claim 10, wherein the actuator device comprises an actuated two-state valve, a first valve state positioning the annular flooring in the first position and a second valve state positioning the annular flooring in the second position.

12. 12. The semiconductor processing system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of exhaust through holes having the first diameter are configured to align with the plurality of outer through holes of the showerhead plate at the first position, and the plurality of exhaust through holes having the second diameter are configured to align with the plurality of outer through holes of the showerhead plate at the second position.

13. 1. A method for regulating gas flow into and out of a reaction chamber when performing a process, comprising: a showerhead assembly including an annular flooring disposed between a lid and a showerhead plate, the annular flooring including a plurality of exhaust through-holes concentrically disposed at a first radial distance from a ring central axis and extending through the annular flooring from an upper ring surface to a lower ring surface, the plurality of exhaust through-holes alternating in sequence between a first diameter and a second diameter, the first diameter being smaller than the second diameter; positioning the annular flooring in a first position such that the first diameter through-hole is aligned with a plurality of outer through-holes extending through the showerhead plate; introducing a process gas into the reaction chamber; positioning the annular flooring in a second position such that the second diameter through-hole is aligned with the plurality of outer through-holes extending through the showerhead plate; purging the reaction chamber; A method comprising:

14. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein positioning the annular flooring includes actuating an actuator device coupled to the annular flooring by an actuator coupling disposed on a surface of the annular flooring, the actuator device configured to rotate the annular flooring about the ring central axis from the first position to the second position.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein adjacent through holes of the plurality of outer through holes are separated by a first arc length and adjacent through holes of the plurality of exhaust through holes are separated by a second arc length, the second arc length being half of the first arc length.

16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein positioning the annular flooring further comprises rotating the annular flooring about the ring central axis by the second arc length.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the steps of positioning the annular flooring at the first position, introducing the process gas into the reaction chamber, positioning the annular flooring at the second position, and purging the reaction chamber are performed one or more times.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the process comprises an atomic layer deposition process.

19. 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising positioning the annular flooring in the first position prior to performing a pulse step of the atomic layer deposition process.

20. 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising positioning the annular flooring in the second position prior to performing a pulse step of the atomic layer deposition process.

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