Gas distribution assembly and method of use

Abstract

To provide a gas distribution assembly, and a method for using the same.SOLUTION: A gas distribution assembly 100 for controlling a gas flow into a reaction chamber 106 passing a gas supply unit is used for uniformly increasing or reducing the gas flow passing the gas supply unit and increasing the gas flow into one region of the reaction chamber and reducing the gas flow into another region comprises: a gas manifold 114; a gas channel 102 positioned below the gas manifold; a shower plate assembly 104 positioned below the gas channel and communicated with the gas manifold by a fluid; and a controllable gap device. A gap is formed between the lower surface of the gas channel and the upper surface of the shower plate assembly; and the controllable gap device can move the gas channel to the shower plate assembly to control the size of the gap.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure generally relates to an apparatus for regulating the flow of gas through a gas supply unit into a reaction chamber, and methods of use thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Gas-phase reactors, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and the like, can be used for a variety of applications, including cleaning, depositing, and etching materials on substrate surfaces. For example, gas-phase reactors can be used to clean, deposit, and / or etch layers on substrates to form semiconductor devices, flat panel display devices, photovoltaic devices, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and the like.

[0003] In plasma processes, changing the gap between the shower plate and the gas channels changes the conductance of gas entering the shower plate, which can affect the film deposition profile. However, changing the gap generally requires designing and fabricating new gas channels and replacing the gas channels, which requires returning the reaction chamber to atmospheric pressure, cooling the chamber, disassembling the showerhead, replacing the gas channels, reassembling the showerhead, heating the reaction chamber, and depressurizing the reaction chamber. All of these steps are time-consuming and costly, which significantly affects the efficiency of the equipment. Furthermore, the thickness of the deposited film may be non-uniform due to unexpected causes such as imperfect alignment of the components that make up the equipment.

[0004] The plasma process can be further affected by the design of the shower plate. For example, the diameter, shape, number, and distribution pattern of the holes in the shower plate can be adjusted to obtain the desired controllability. However, manipulating any of these parameters generally involves the use of a different shower plate and the aforementioned time-consuming and expensive process of removing and replacing the shower plate for different conditions.

[0005] Therefore, improved devices, assemblies, systems, and methods that provide improved gas distribution control are desirable.

[0006] All descriptions, including descriptions of problems and solutions set forth in this section, are 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 descriptions were publicly known at the time the invention was made. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide apparatus and methods for adjusting the distribution of gas into a reaction chamber. While the ways in which various embodiments of the present disclosure address the shortcomings of conventional apparatus and methods are discussed in more detail below, various embodiments of the present disclosure generally provide a gas distribution assembly and method that can be used to adjust the amount of gas delivered from a showerhead to a reaction chamber.

[0008] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the gas distribution assembly includes a gas manifold, a gas channel below the gas manifold, a shower plate assembly below the gas channel and in fluid communication with the gas manifold, and one or more adjustable gap devices, wherein a gap is formed between a lower surface of the gas channel and an upper surface of the shower plate assembly, and the adjustable gap devices are configured to move the gas channel relative to the shower plate assembly, thereby adjusting the size of the gap.

[0009] The adjustable gap device may be configured to vertically move the gas channel and / or tilt the gas channel relative to the shower plate assembly. The adjustable gap device may be configured to be adjusted manually or remotely. Each of the one or more adjustable gap devices may be adjusted independently. In some embodiments, three or more adjustable gap devices are used. The adjustable gap device may be a screw, a bolt, or any other adjustment device. The adjustable gap device may further include a support ring having a surface area larger than an upper surface of the adjustable gap device, wherein the upper surface of the support ring contacts a lower surface of the gas channel.

[0010] The central portion of the gas channel may be disposed within the central portion of the shower plate assembly. The gas distribution assembly may further include one or more sealing structures positioned between outer sides of the central portion of the gas channel and inner sides of the central portion of the shower plate assembly to prevent or reduce gas leakage through a gap. The gas distribution assembly may also include one or more contact springs positioned between outer sides of the central portion of the gas channel and inner sides of the central portion of the shower plate assembly to electrically couple the shower plate assembly to a power source.

[0011] The gas distribution assembly may further include an insulator below the gas manifold and an adapter between the gas manifold and the insulator, the insulator configured to move in cooperation with the gas channel. The gas distribution assembly may further include a sealing structure between the adapter and the insulator to mitigate gas leakage from the adapter and the insulator.

[0012] In various embodiments, the shower plate assembly includes an upper plate, a lower plate having a plurality of openings, and one or more connectors connecting the upper plate to the lower plate, the one or more connectors configured to move at least one of the lower plate and the upper plate to thereby adjust the size of the gap. The shower plate assembly may be used with the gas distribution assembly described above or with a different gas distribution assembly. In some embodiments, the shower plate assembly further includes a sealing structure between the upper plate and the lower plate. In some embodiments, the upper plate includes a recess that receives an extension of the lower plate, and the connector connects the upper plate and the lower plate at the location of the recess and the extension.

[0013] These and other embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of specific embodiments which refer to the accompanying drawings, and the invention is not limited to any particular embodiment disclosed.

[0014] A more complete understanding of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be obtained by reference to the detailed description and claims when considered in conjunction with the following illustrative drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A illustrates a gas distribution assembly in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B illustrates a gas distribution assembly according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A illustrates a gas distribution assembly in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B illustrates a gas distribution assembly according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 illustrates a gas distribution assembly in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates the pin arrangement. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 illustrates an adjustable gap device in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 illustrates the gas manifold and insulators. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 illustrates a gas manifold, adapter, and insulator in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 illustrates a shower plate assembly. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 illustrates a portion of a shower plate assembly in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 illustrates a portion of a shower plate assembly in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 illustrates a portion of a shower plate assembly in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 illustrates a portion of a reaction chamber in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 illustrates a thickness profile of deposited silicon oxide according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 illustrates a gas manifold, adapter, insulator, and RF in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 illustrates an adjustable gap device in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] It will be appreciated 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.

[0017] Although certain specific embodiments and examples are disclosed below, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments of the invention and / or uses disclosed herein, as well as obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. Therefore, it is not intended that the scope of the disclosed invention should be limited by the specific disclosed embodiments set forth below.

[0018] The present disclosure generally relates to devices, assemblies, and systems including gas distribution assemblies and / or shower plate assemblies, and methods for using the same. As described in more detail below, the exemplary systems, assemblies, devices, and methods described herein can be used to modify gas flow distribution from gas channels through gas supply units to a reaction chamber of a reactor, for example, to improve deposition uniformity. Additionally or alternatively, gas flow distribution from the gas channels to the reaction chamber can be operated in a relatively short time and / or relatively inexpensively.

[0019] In this disclosure, "gas" can include materials that are gases, vaporized solids, and / or vaporized liquids at ambient temperature and pressure, and may consist of a single gas or a mixture of gases, depending on the circumstances. Gases other than process gases, i.e., gases introduced without passing through a gas supply unit (such as a showerhead or other gas distribution device), may be used, for example, to seal the reaction space and may include seal gases such as noble gases. Gases may be reactants or precursors involved in the reaction within the reaction chamber and / or may include ambient gases such as air.

[0020] In this disclosure, any two variables may constitute a workable range for that variable, since the workable range may be determined based on routine practice, and any stated range may include or exclude endpoints. Furthermore, in some embodiments, any value of a stated variable (whether or not it is indicated as "about") refers to an exact or approximate value, may include equivalents, and may also refer to an average, median, representative value, majority, etc. Furthermore, in this disclosure, the terms "comprised by," "included," "including," and "having" independently refer in some embodiments to "typically or broadly including," "comprises," "consisting essentially of," or "consisting of." In this disclosure, any defined meaning does not necessarily exclude the ordinary and customary meaning in some embodiments.

[0021] Referring now to the figures, FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a gas distribution assembly 100 in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The gas distribution assembly 100 includes a gas manifold 114, a gas channel 102, and a shower plate assembly 104. FIG. 1A illustrates vertical movement 110 of the gas channel 102 relative to the shower plate 104, where the region between the lower surface of the gas channel 102 and the upper surface of the shower plate 104 defines a gap 108. As the gas channel 102 moves upward, the height of the gap 108 defined between the lower surface of the gas channel 102 and the upper surface of the shower plate 104 increases. As the gas channel 102 moves downward, the height of the gap 108 decreases. FIG. 1B illustrates tilted movement 112 of the gas channel 102. The white arrows illustrate the amount of gas flow through the shower plate 104 and into the reaction chamber 106, as affected by the size of the gap 108, which can change with the vertical movement and tilt of the gas channel 102. 1B, as the gas channels 102 tilt downward in one location of the assembly 100, the gas flow through the shower plate 104 and into the reaction chamber 106 decreases at that location. The tilting movement can lift the gas channels 102 upward in other areas of the assembly, increasing the gas flow in those areas.

[0022] 2A and 2B illustrate a gas distribution assembly 200 in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. In the illustrated example, the assembly 200 includes a gas channel 202, a shower plate assembly 204, an adjustable gap device 208, and a gas manifold 210. FIG. 2A illustrates vertical movement 212 of the gas channel 202 relative to the shower plate 204 when the adjustable gap device 208 is rotated 214, according to some embodiments. The vertical movement changes the size of the gap 228. FIG. 2B illustrates a top view of the gas distribution assembly 200, showing three approximately evenly spaced adjustable gap devices 208. In the illustrated embodiment, the gas distribution assembly 200 includes three adjustable gap devices 208 spaced approximately 120 degrees apart. In this context, "approximately" means within plus or minus 10 degrees. In other embodiments, the gas distribution assembly 200 includes one adjustable gap device 208. In other embodiments, the gas distribution assembly 200 includes two adjustable gap devices 208. In yet other embodiments, the gas distribution assembly 200 includes several adjustable gap devices 208, e.g., four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, etc., which may be evenly spaced, for example.

[0023] 3 illustrates a gas distribution assembly 300 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The gas distribution assembly 300 includes an adjustable gap device 308 and further includes an adapter 312. The adjustable gap device 308 is used to adjust the vertical movement and / or tilt of the gas channels 302 relative to the shower plate assembly 304, and the adapter 312 allows the insulator 314 to move without affecting the gas manifold 310.

[0024] 4A illustrates a portion of a gas distribution assembly that uses a fixing pin 400 to fix the gap distance. As shown, the pin 400 passes through the shower plate assembly 404 and the gas channels 402 and is not adjustable; therefore, the gap is not adjustable without disassembly of the gas distribution assembly. A sealing structure 406 is disposed between the lower surface of the gas channels 402 and the upper surface of the shower plate assembly 404 to prevent or mitigate gas leakage. A contact spring 408, located between the lower surface of the gas channels 402 and the upper surface of the shower plate assembly 404, allows RF propagation from a power source through the shower plate assembly 404.

[0025] An exemplary adjustable gap apparatus 500 according to the present disclosure is illustrated in more detail in FIG. 5 . In contrast to pins conventionally used in gas distribution assemblies, such as pin 400, the adjustable gap apparatus 500 can be adjusted to raise or lower the gas channel 502 relative to the shower plate assembly 504. In some embodiments, the adjustable gap apparatus 500 is a screw. However, any adjustment device or mechanism, such as a threaded adjustment device (e.g., a bolt, a movable shim, etc.), can be used. If the adjustable gap apparatus 500 is a screw, the adjustable gap apparatus 500 or a similar device can include a hexagonal recess 506 for receiving a wrench key, which can be used to rotate the screw, for example. However, any type of screw and corresponding adjustment device can be used. In contrast to conventional gas distribution assemblies, the sealing structure 508 and contact spring 510 are laterally disposed between the outer surface of the gas channel 502 and the inner surface of the shower plate assembly 504. This can reduce or mitigate displacement of the sealing structure 508 and contact spring 510 as the gas channel 502 moves, thereby maintaining vacuum conditions and RF propagation. In some embodiments, the sealing structure 508 is an O-ring. However, any sealing device may be used. In some embodiments, one or more of the adjustable gap devices 500 are adjustable from outside the reactor. In some embodiments, one or more of the adjustable gap devices 500 are manually adjustable. In some embodiments, one or more of the adjustable gap devices 500 are remotely adjustable.

[0026] When the gas channel 502 is supported by fewer adjustable gap devices 500 (e.g., three or fewer), high pressure concentrations can occur at the adjustable gap devices 500. If the adjustable gap devices 500 are made of a material that cannot withstand the pressure, damage to the device can occur. Therefore, in some embodiments, a support ring 512 is added to increase the contact area between the adjustable gap devices 500 and the underside of the gas channel 502. In some embodiments, the support ring 512 is made from a strong alloy, such as carbon steel or chrome-molybdenum steel. In some embodiments, a spring (not shown) may be added to support the gas channel and reduce the resulting force on the adjustable gap devices 500.

[0027] In another embodiment, stress concentrations are reduced using one or more springs 1500, as shown in Figure 15. Springs 1500 can be added to prevent or reduce damage to the gas channels 1502 and shower plate assembly 1504. In some embodiments, one spring 1500 is used. In some embodiments, several springs 1500 are used, for example, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc., springs, which can be evenly spaced, for example.

[0028] An example of a gas manifold 600 and insulator 602 is shown in Figure 6. In previous gas distribution assemblies, the gas manifold 600 and insulator 602 are fixed. The gas channels 604 do not move and do not affect other components.

[0029] In contrast, some embodiments of the present disclosure include an adapter 700, as shown in FIG. 7 . In some embodiments, the adapter 700 is fixed to a gas manifold 702 and is disposed between the gas manifold 702 and an insulator 704. Furthermore, in contrast to manifolds previously used in gas distribution assemblies, the insulator 704 is not fixed. Rather, the insulator 704 can move in coordination with, for example, the vertical movement and tilt of the gas channel 706. In some embodiments, a horizontal gap 708 allows the insulator 704 to shift horizontally as the gas channel 706 tilts. In some embodiments, a vertical gap 710 allows the insulator 704 to shift vertically as the gas channel 706 moves vertically. In some embodiments, an adapter sealing structure 714 is used to mitigate or prevent gas leakage through the vertical and horizontal gaps.

[0030] In some embodiments, the RF cover 712 is a one-piece design. However, the RF cover may include two or more sections. Figure 14 illustrates another exemplary RF cover 1400. In this embodiment, the RF cover 1400 is divided into two sections: an inner section 1402 and an outer section 1404. The inner section surrounds an adapter 1406 and an insulator 1408. In some embodiments, the two sections have a contact spring between them, allowing RF to flow through the two sections.

[0031] In some embodiments, the shower plate assembly is also adjustable to control gas flow into the reaction chamber. Figure 8 illustrates a shower plate 800, where the shower plate 800 is a single plate that receives gas channels 802.

[0032] 9 illustrates a portion of a shower plate assembly 900 in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The shower plate assembly 900 includes an upper plate 902, a lower plate 904, and one or more connectors 906 that couple the upper plate 902 to the lower plate 904. A gap 908 is formed between the lower surface of the upper plate 902 and gas channels 912 and the upper surface of the lower plate 904. The connectors 906 are adjustable to control the size of the gap 908 and, therefore, the amount of gas flow from the gas channels 912 into the lower plate 904. In some embodiments, the adjusting connectors 906 move the lower plate 904 vertically relative to the upper plate 902. In some embodiments, the adjusting connectors 906 move the upper plate 902 vertically relative to the lower plate 904. In other embodiments, the adjusting connectors 906 move the upper plate 902 and the lower plate 904 in opposite directions to adjust the size of the gap 908.

[0033] Similar to the adjustable gap devices described above, in some embodiments, the connectors 906 are screws. However, any fastening device that can be used to adjust the size of the gap between the upper plate 902 and the lower plate 904 can be used. In some embodiments, the shower plate assembly 900 includes two connectors 906. However, the shower plate assembly 900 can include several connectors 906, such as three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, etc. connectors 906.

[0034] In some embodiments, the shower plate assembly 900 includes one or more sealing devices 910 configured to reduce or prevent gas leakage from the gap 908. In some embodiments, one sealing device 910 is used at each connector 906. In other embodiments, two sealing devices 910 are used, one adjacent to the connector 906 on the inner portion of the upper plate 902 and the lower plate 904 and one adjacent to the connector 906 on the outer portion of the upper plate 902 and the lower plate 904.

[0035] 10 illustrates a portion of another exemplary shower plate assembly 1000. In this embodiment, the shower plate assembly 1000 includes an upper plate 1002, a lower plate 1004, and one or more connectors 1006, where gas leakage through a gap 1008 is reduced or prevented in the absence of a sealing device. In some embodiments, a recess 1010 near the outer edge of the upper plate 1002 is configured to receive an extension 1012 on the lower plate 1004. This configuration creates a raised segment of the gap 1008 through which the connector 1006 passes. This configuration reduces gas leakage through the gap 1008 as gas passes from the gas channels 1014 to the lower plate 1004.

[0036] In some embodiments, one or more of the connectors 906 / 1006 are adjustable from outside the reactor. In some embodiments, one or more of the connectors 906 / 1006 are manually adjustable. In some embodiments, one or more of the connectors 906 / 1006 are remotely adjustable. As shown in Figure 11, in some embodiments, one or more of the connectors 1102 are adjusted via a stepper motor 1100 located outside the reactor and operably coupled to one or more of the connectors 906 / 1006.

[0037] Example 1 FIG. 12 illustrates a portion of a reaction chamber used to perform silicon oxide film deposition on a 300 mm Si substrate by a plasma-enhanced ALD process. The reaction chamber 1200 has two metal sealing structures, such as O-rings 1202 (inner and outer) adjacent to a connector 1204. The O-rings are made of Inconel 600 alloy and have a C-shaped cross section. They have a cross-sectional diameter of 8 mm and spring properties. The O-rings are used within the elastic deformation margin for adjusting the gap 1206. In addition, the surfaces are aluminum-coated to provide good sealing capability, prevent heavy metal contamination, and favorable magnetic permeability for RF power transmission from the upper plate 1208 to the lower plate 1210. The diameter of the substrate susceptor 1212 is 325 mm, and the diameter of the lower plate 1210 is 350 mm. 200 W of RF power (13.56 MHz) was applied to the upper plate 1208, and the susceptor 1212 was grounded. The substrate 1218 was placed on the substrate susceptor 1212 and the distance 1214 between the bottom plate 1210 and the gas channels 1216 was adjusted using the connector(s) 1204 .

[0038] FIG. 13 shows the process performance using the reaction chamber 900. The susceptor temperature was controlled at 100°C, and the reactor pressure was set at 400 Pa. The gap 1206 between the upper plate 1208 and the lower plate 1210 was adjusted from 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm. The gap 1206 between the two plates effectively controlled the film thickness profile. A narrower gap between the two plates resulted in a concave film profile, with a thinner center. A wider gap resulted in a convex film profile, with a thicker center.

[0039] Any of the shower plate assemblies described above can be used in any of the gas distribution assemblies described above. Alternatively, the shower plate assemblies can be used in other assemblies.

[0040] In some embodiments, a method is provided for adjusting the conductance of gas into a reaction chamber using one or more of the gas distribution assemblies and shower plate assemblies described above.

[0041] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure described above do not limit the scope of the present invention, as these embodiments are merely examples of embodiments of the present invention. Any equivalent embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. Indeed, various modifications of the present disclosure in addition to those shown and described herein may become apparent to those skilled in the art from the description, including alternative useful combinations of the described elements. Such modifications and embodiments are also intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 100, 200, 300, Gas Distribution Assembly 102, 202, 302, 402, 502, 604, 706, 802, 912, 1014, 1216, 1502 Gas Channel 104, 204, 304, 404, 504, 800, 900, 1000, 1504 Shower Plate (Shower Plate Assembly) 106, 1200 Reaction Chamber 108, 228, 908, 1008, 1206 Gap 110, 212 Vertical movement of gas channels 112 Inclined movement of gas channels 114, 210, 310, 600, 702 Gas manifold 208, 308, 500 Adjustable gap device 214 Rotating Adjustable Gap Device 312, 700, 1406 adapters 314, 602, 704, 1408 Insulators 400 fixing pin 406, 508 Sealed structure 408, 510 Contact springs 506, 1010 recess 512 Support ring 708 Horizontal Gap 710 Vertical Gap 712, 1400 RF Cover 714 Adapter Sealed Structure 902, 1002, 1208 Top Plate 904, 1004, 1210 Lower Plate 906, 1006, 1102, 1204 Connectors 910 Sealing device 1012 Lower plate extension 1100 stepper motor 1202 O-ring 1212 Substrate susceptor 1214 Distance between bottom plate and gas channel 1218 PCB 1402 Internal part 1404 External part 1500 springs

Claims

1. A gas distribution assembly for distributing gas to a reaction chamber, comprising: A gas manifold; a gas channel below the gas manifold; a shower plate assembly below the gas channel and in fluid communication with the gas manifold; one or more adjustable gap devices, each of the one or more adjustable gap devices comprising a support ring having a surface area greater than a top surface of the adjustable gap device, the top surface of the support ring contacting a bottom surface of the gas channel; a gap is formed between a lower surface of the gas channel and an upper surface of the shower plate assembly, The one or more adjustable gap devices are configured to move the gas channel relative to the shower plate assembly, thereby adjusting the size of the gap.

2. The gas distribution assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more adjustable gap devices are configured to move the gas channel in a direction perpendicular to the shower plate assembly.

3. The gas distribution assembly of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the one or more adjustable gap devices are configured to tilt the gas channels relative to the shower plate assembly.

4. The gas distribution assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more adjustable gap devices is configured to be independently adjusted.

5. The gas distribution assembly of claim 1 , comprising three or more adjustable gap devices.

6. The gas distribution assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more adjustable gap devices comprises a screw.

7. a central portion of the gas channel is disposed within a central portion of the shower plate assembly; the gas distribution assembly further comprising one or more sealing structures between an outer side of the central portion of the gas channel and an inner side of the central portion of the shower plate assembly; The gas distribution assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sealing structure is configured to mitigate leakage of the gas from the gap.

8. a central portion of the gas channel is disposed within a central portion of the shower plate assembly; the gas distribution assembly further comprising one or more contact springs between an outer side of the central portion of the gas channel and an inner side of the central portion of the shower plate assembly; The gas distribution assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more contact springs are configured to couple the shower plate assembly to a power source.

9. 10. The gas distribution assembly of claim 1, further comprising an insulator below the gas manifold and an adapter between the gas manifold and the insulator, the insulator configured to move in cooperation with the gas channel.

10. 10. The gas distribution assembly of claim 9, further comprising one or more sealing structures between the adapter and the insulator, the sealing structures configured to mitigate leakage of gas from the adapter and the insulator.

11. 1. A method for adjusting gas conductance to a reaction chamber, the method comprising adjusting a gas distribution assembly above the reaction chamber, the gas distribution assembly comprising: A gas manifold; a gas channel below the gas manifold; a shower plate assembly below the gas channel and in fluid communication with the gas manifold; one or more adjustable gap devices, each of the one or more adjustable gap devices comprising a support ring having a surface area greater than a top surface of the adjustable gap device, the top surface of the support ring contacting a bottom surface of the gas channel; a gap is formed between a lower surface of the gas channel and an upper surface of the shower plate assembly, the one or more adjustable gap devices are configured to move the gas channel relative to the shower plate assembly; The method, wherein adjusting the gas distribution assembly includes adjusting at least one of the adjustable gap devices.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein adjusting the one or more adjustable gap devices moves the gas channels in a direction perpendicular to the shower plate assembly.

13. 13. The method of claim 11 or claim 12, wherein adjusting the one or more adjustable gap devices tilts the gas channels relative to the shower plate assembly.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein adjusting the gas distribution assembly comprises manually or remotely adjusting the one or more adjustable gap devices.

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