Apparatus and deposition chambers having a diffuser and methods of forming a diffuser

Abstract

An apparatus is provided comprising a diffuser including a plurality of opening structures. Each of the plurality of opening structures includes a corresponding pin hole among a plurality of pin holes. The apparatus further includes a thermocouple wire embedded in the diffuser. The thermocouple wire is disposed between a first pin hole of a first opening structure and a second pin hole of a second opening structure among the plurality of opening structures.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention generally relates to the manufacture of electronic components. More specifically, this invention relates to a diffuser for a deposition chamber system having an embedded thermocouple region. Prior Technology

[0002] Electronic component manufacturing apparatus may include multiple chambers, such as process chambers and loading gate chambers. This apparatus may employ robotic devices in transfer chambers configured to transfer substrates between multiple chambers. In some cases, multiple substrates are transferred together.

[0003] Process chambers can be used in electronic component manufacturing apparatuses to perform one or more processes on a substrate, such as deposition and etching processes. For many processes, gases are introduced into the process chamber. Traditionally, the flow of process gases into the process chamber is non-uniform. This non-uniformity of the gas flow can cause some areas of the substrate to be exposed to more process gases than other areas. Consequently, the films produced by deposition and / or etching processes may be non-uniform. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one embodiment, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a diffuser comprising a plurality of opening structures. Each of the plurality of opening structures includes a corresponding pin hole among a plurality of pin holes. The apparatus further includes a thermocouple wire embedded in the diffuser. The thermocouple wire is disposed between a first pin hole of a first opening structure and a second pin hole of a second opening structure among the plurality of opening structures.

[0005] According to another embodiment, a deposition chamber system is provided. The deposition chamber system includes a diffuser comprising a plurality of opening structures. Each of the plurality of opening structures includes a corresponding pin hole in a plurality of pin holes. The deposition chamber system further includes a thermocouple wire embedded in the diffuser. The thermocouple wire is disposed between a first pin hole of a first opening structure and a second pin hole of a second opening structure in the plurality of opening structures. The deposition chamber system further includes: a chamber body; a first insulator disposed between the diffuser and the chamber body; and a second insulator embedded in the chamber body adjacent to the first insulator.

[0006] According to another embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes: placing thermocouple wires in a first groove of a first plate and fixing the first plate to a second plate having a second groove to form a combined plate. The thermocouple wires are accommodated within an area defined by the first and second grooves. The method further includes forming a diffuser from the combined plate, the diffuser including a plurality of opening structures and thermocouple wires embedded in the diffuser. Each of the plurality of opening structures includes a corresponding pin hole in a plurality of pin holes. The thermocouple wires are located between a first pin hole of a first opening structure and a second pin hole of a second opening structure in the plurality of opening structures. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0007] The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and without limitation in the accompanying drawings, in which the same symbols denote similar elements. It should be noted that different references to "an" or "one" embodiments in the present disclosure do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.

[0008] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a deposition chamber system for forming electronic components according to some embodiments.

[0009] Figure 2 is a top-down view of an exemplary diffuser with an embedded thermocouple according to some embodiments.

[0010] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary thermocouple according to some embodiments.

[0011] Figures 4A through 4C are views of a portion of an exemplary diffuser according to some embodiments.

[0012] Figures 5A through 5F are cross-sectional views of an exemplary process flow for manufacturing a diffuser with an embedded thermocouple according to some embodiments.

[0013] Figures 6A to 6B are cross-sectional views of a portion of a deposition chamber system according to some embodiments.

[0014] Figures 7A to 7B are flowcharts of an exemplary method for manufacturing a diffuser with an embedded thermocouple according to some embodiments. Implementation

[0015] Processes used to manufacture electronic components (such as semiconductor devices) generally involve depositing materials (e.g., one or more thin film layers) on a substrate or wafer and processing the material. Deposition chamber systems, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber systems, utilize process gases to perform deposition processes to deposit materials on a substrate. Examples of CVD deposition processes include plasma-enhanced (PE) CVD, thermally enhanced (TE) CVD, high-density plasma (HDP) CVD, and the like. To perform such CVD deposition processes, a substrate or wafer is placed in a reactor chamber, and a chemical vapor is introduced into the reactor chamber to deposit a specific material. For example, this specific material can be a dielectric material. An example of a dielectric material that can be deposited using a deposition process is silicon oxide (SiO₂x).

[0016] Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) or flat panels are commonly used in active matrix displays, such as computer monitors and television monitors. PECVD is typically used to deposit thin films on substrates, such as transparent substrates for flat panel displays or semiconductor wafers. PECVD is usually accomplished by introducing a precursor gas or gas mixture into a vacuum chamber containing the substrate mounted on a temperature-controlled substrate support (e.g., a pedestal). The gas mixture may include reactive and inert gases, which combine to form material on the substrate. The precursor gas or gas mixture is typically guided downwards through a distribution plate located near the top of the chamber. The gas mixture can be excited or aroused into plasma by applying radio frequency (RF) power to the chamber via one or more RF sources self-coupled to the chamber, where the excited inert gas can sputter-etch the material formed on the substrate by the reactive gas. Thus, a combination of deposition and etching can be used to fill portions of elements (e.g., display elements) with dielectric materials. The deposition rate is directly related to the reactive gas flow rate, and the etching rate is directly related to the inert gas flow rate. However, the ratio of deposition rate to etch rate should be controlled to achieve controlled dielectric material deposition and removal. This is especially true due to the smaller feature size and higher aspect ratio of the components. To control the reactive gas flow rate and / or the inert gas flow rate, and thus the ratio between the deposition rate and the etch rate, the CVD deposition chamber can use a gas delivery system including a diffuser and gas lines, wherein the diffuser controls the distribution of the reactive gas and / or inert gas, and the gas lines guide the reactive gas and / or inert gas into the reactor.

[0017] An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) may include an anode, a cathode, and an organic light-emitting layer between the anode and cathode. Electron injection and hole injection into the organic light-emitting layer can be performed via the cathode and anode, respectively, to generate light-emitting particles. An OLED device may be a display device comprising several OLEDs. Some OLED display devices use thin-film transistor (TFT) display panels, such as low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) TFT display panels. LTPS TFT display panels result in high production costs and power consumption for display devices. To address the shortcomings of LTPS TFTs, low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) TFT display panels have been developed. LTPO TFT display panels have similar properties to LTPS TFT display panels (e.g., similar resolution, response speed, brightness, and aperture ratio), but with improvements in production costs and power consumption. For example, silicon monoxide (SiO) and / or silicon dioxide (SiO2) (also known as silica) films can be deposited on the display substrate to achieve OLED surface passivation after the OLED cathode is formed.

[0018] Flat panels used for display devices, processed by PECVD technology, can have large areas, often exceeding 4 square meters. The diffusers (e.g., gas distribution plates) used to provide uniform process gas flow over the flat panel are relatively large, especially compared to diffusers used for semiconductor wafer processing. Furthermore, since the substrates used to form display devices are generally rectangular, the edges (e.g., their sides and corners) may experience conditions different from those experienced by other parts of the substrate. These different conditions affect processing parameters such as film thickness, deposition uniformity, and / or film stress. Therefore, as the size of flat panel display substrates continues to increase, controlling film thickness and uniformity for large-area PECVD becomes a challenge. For example, the difference in deposition rate and / or film properties (e.g., film thickness or stress) between the center and edges of the substrate becomes significant.

[0019] During the deposition process, process control issues such as THK offset, uniformity offset, and zinc separation can be observed. These process control issues may be related to diffuser temperature. While the temperature of some components of the deposition chamber system can be measured for process control, the diffuser may not have sensors for measuring its temperature. Therefore, it may be impossible to systematically address such process control issues because the current diffuser temperature may not be accurately measured.

[0020] The present disclosure addresses these and other disadvantages of the prior art by providing a deposition chamber diffuser ("diffuser") with an embedded thermocouple region. More specifically, the embedded thermocouple region may include a thermocouple wire. For example, the thermocouple wire may include a pair of thermocouple wires. The diffuser described herein can be implemented in any suitable deposition chamber system. In some embodiments, the diffuser is implemented in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system configured to process large-area substrates, such as for the fabrication of OLED displays. The materials formed by the deposition chamber system may include dielectric materials (e.g., oxides and / or nitrides). For example, the materials may include dielectric stacks comprising pairs of alternating oxide and nitride layers, wherein each pair of layers is formed during a specific PECVD cycle. In some embodiments, the oxide layers may include silicon oxide materials (e.g., SiO2), and the nitride layers may include silicon nitride materials (e.g., SiN).

[0021] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a deposition chamber system 100 for forming electronic components according to some embodiments. In this illustrative embodiment, system 100 is a PECVD system. However, system 100 is merely an exemplary system that can be used for electronic components on a substrate, and other deposition chambers may be used according to the embodiments described herein.

[0022] The chamber 100 generally includes a wall 102, a bottom 104, a gas distribution plate or diffuser 110, and a substrate support 130 defining a process volume 206. The process volume 106 is accessed via a sealable slit valve 108 formed through the wall 102, allowing the substrate to be transferred into and out of the chamber 100. The substrate support 130 includes a substrate receiving surface 132 for supporting a substrate 105, and a rod 134 coupled to a lifting system 136 for raising or lowering the substrate support 130. During processing, a shielding frame 133 can be placed above the periphery of the substrate 105. A lifting pin 138 is movably disposed through the substrate support 130 to move the substrate 105 to and from the substrate receiving surface 132, thereby facilitating substrate transfer. The substrate support 130 may also include heating and / or cooling elements 139 to maintain the substrate support 130 and the substrate 105 thereon at a desired temperature. The substrate support 130 may also include a grounding strip 131 providing RF grounding around the periphery of the substrate support 130.

[0023] The diffuser 110 is coupled to the backplate 112 at its periphery via a suspension 114. Alternatively, the diffuser 110 can be coupled to the backplate 112 via one or more central supports 116 to prevent the diffuser 110 from sinking and / or to control the straightness / curvature of the diffuser 110. A gas source 120 is coupled to the backplate 112 to supply gas via the backplate 112 to a plurality of gas channels 111 formed in the diffuser 110 and to the substrate receiving surface 132. A vacuum pump 109 is coupled to the chamber 100 to control the pressure within the process volume 106. An RF power supply 122 is coupled to the backplate 112 and / or the diffuser 110 to provide RF power to the diffuser 110, thereby generating an electric field between the diffuser 110 and the substrate support 130, allowing plasma to be formed from the gas present between the diffuser 110 and the substrate support 130. Various RF powers can be used, such as frequencies between approximately 0.3 MHz and approximately 200 MHz. In one embodiment, RF power supply 122 provides power to diffuser 110 at a frequency of 13.56 MHz.

[0024] A remote plasma source 124, such as an inductively coupled remote plasma source, may also be coupled between the gas source 126 and the backplane 112. A cleaning gas may also be supplied to the remote plasma source 124 between the processing substrates, and this cleaning gas is excited to form a remote plasma. Dissociated cleaning gas species are generated and supplied from this remote plasma to clean the chamber assembly. The cleaning gas can be further excited by the provided RF power supply 122, causing it to flow through the diffuser 110 to reduce the recombination of dissociated cleaning gas species. Suitable cleaning gases include, but are not limited to, NF3, F2, and SF6.

[0025] In one embodiment, during deposition, heating and / or cooling elements 139 can be used to maintain the temperature of the substrate support 130 and the substrate 105 thereon at below 400 degrees Celsius or lower. In one embodiment, heating and / or cooling elements 139 can be used to control the substrate temperature to below 100 degrees Celsius, for example, 20 degrees Celsius to about 90 degrees Celsius.

[0026] During deposition, the distance between the top surface of the substrate 105 disposed on the substrate receiving surface 132 and the bottom surface 140 of the diffuser 110 can be between 400 mils and about 1200 mils, for example, between 400 mils and about 800 mils. In one embodiment, the bottom surface 140 of the diffuser 110 may include a concave curvature, wherein, as shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 1, the central region is thinner than the peripheral region.

[0027] Chamber 100 can be used to deposit silicon oxide (SiO₂x) using a silane (SiH₄) gas diluted in nitrous oxide (N₂O) via a PECVD process. Silicon oxide (SiO₂x) is widely used in TFTs and AMOLEDs as gate insulating films, heat dissipation buffer layers, and etch stop layers. The uniformity (i.e., thickness) of the oxide film has a significant impact on the final device performance, such as flowability and drain current uniformity, and is therefore crucial in process development. A film uniformity of approximately 5% or less and minimal edge rejection on the substrate surface are required. While much progress has been made to achieve this goal, some substrate regions do not achieve this uniformity. For example, substrate edges (e.g., corner regions and edges of the substrate) experience lower deposition rates, resulting in film thicknesses in these regions that are less than in other regions. While not intended to be theoretically limited, the lower deposition rates at edge regions stem from electromagnetic field variations and / or gas distribution in the vicinity of these regions. To overcome these effects and minimize the non-uniformity of the film formed on the substrate 105, we developed and tested an innovative diffuser 110.

[0028] Figure 2 is a top-down view of an exemplary diffuser 200 with embedded thermocouples according to some embodiments. The diffuser 200 includes a porous region 210. A plurality of opening structures, including opening structures 215, are formed in the porous region 210. For simplicity, only a portion of the opening structures of the diffuser 200 is illustrated. A set of thermocouples 220-1 and 220-2 is connected to corresponding locations on the diffuser 200. The sets of thermocouples 220-1 and 220-2 together form embedded thermocouples for spatially and temporally monitoring the temperature of the diffuser. In this illustrative example, five thermocouples are within the porous region 210, and four thermocouples are outside the porous region 210, with the thermocouples located at corresponding positions along a diagonal line passing through the center of the diffuser 200. For example, the thermocouple sets 220-1 and 220-2 are located at positions indicated by circles 230-1 to 230-5.

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary thermocouple 300 according to some embodiments. As shown, the thermocouple 300 may include voltage contacts 310, 320, and 330. A pair of electrodes 340-1 and 340-2 may, in operation, couple the temperature sensor voltage contact 310 to the temperature reference voltage contact 320. A pair of conductive wires 350-1 and 350-2 may, in operation, couple the temperature reference voltage contact 320 to the temperature measurement voltage contact 330. For example, electrode 340-1 may be a positive conductor, and electrode 340-2 may be a negative conductor. Each of conductive wires 350-1 and 350-2 may include the same conductive material. For example, each of conductive wires 350-1 and 350-2 may include copper (Cu). However, each of conductive wires 350-1 and 350-2 may include any suitable material conforming to the embodiments described herein.

[0030] Thermocouple 300 converts voltage difference into temperature measurement using the thermoelectric effect during operation. More specifically, the thermocouple utilizes the Seebeck effect, which is the electromotive force (EMF) generated between two points of a conductive material when there is a temperature difference between them. Therefore, thermocouple 300 can generate a temperature-dependent voltage measurement, which can then be converted into a temperature measurement.

[0031] More specifically, thermocouple 300 can be used to determine the object temperature (T sense) at the measurement point, which is measured at voltage contact 310. For example, the measurement point can be one of the positions 230-1 to 230-5 described above with reference to Figure 2. For this purpose, a reference temperature (T ref) can be set with respect to voltage contact 320, and voltmeter 332 at voltage contact 330 can be used to measure voltage (V).

[0032] The measured voltage V can be determined based on the difference between the voltage contribution caused by electrode 340-1 (i.e., the change from T sense to T ref) and the voltage contribution caused by electrode 340-2 (i.e., the change from T ref to T sense). For example, V = Where S+ and S- are the Seebeck coefficients (i.e., thermoelectric sensitivities) of electrodes 340-1 and 340-2, respectively. Since conductors 350-1 and 350-2 comprise the same material, the voltage contribution caused by conductor 350-1 (i.e., the change from T ref to the temperature ("T meter") associated with voltage contact 330 (e.g., a voltmeter)) cancels out the voltage contribution caused by conductor 350-2 (i.e., the change from T meter to T ref). The temperature T ref at voltage contact 320 is known. For example, voltage contact 320 can be cooled so that T ref is 0°C. In another example, a temperature sensor can be used to measure the temperature at voltage contact 320.

[0033] The equation E(T sense) = V + E(T ref) can be used to determine T sense, where E(T) is the characteristic function. V + E(T ref) can be calculated using V and T ref as described above. In other words, the goal is to determine the T sense value; when this T sense value is input into the characteristic function, V + E(T ref) is obtained. For example, E(T) = , where C is the integration constant. C can be chosen such that E(0) = 0.

[0034] Electrodes 340-1 and 340-2 may comprise any suitable conductive material according to the embodiments described herein. In some embodiments, thermocouple 300 is a nickel alloy thermocouple. More specifically, at least one of electrodes 340-1 or 340-2 comprises a nickel alloy. For example, electrode 340-1 may comprise a nickel-chromium alloy (e.g., Chromium®), and electrode 340-2 may comprise a nickel-aluminum alloy (e.g., Alpha®). Thermocouple 300 may be referred to as a type K thermocouple.

[0035] In another example, electrode 340-1 may comprise a nickel-chromium alloy (e.g., Chromium®), and electrode 340-2 may comprise a nickel-copper alloy. For example, the nickel-copper alloy may be constantan®. Alternatively, electrode 340-2 may comprise a nickel-manganese-copper alloy (e.g., manganese-nickel-copper®). Thermocouple 300 may be referred to as a Type E thermocouple.

[0036] In another example, electrode 340-1 may comprise iron (Fe), and electrode 340-2 may comprise a nickel-copper alloy (e.g., constantan®). Thermocouple 300 may be referred to as a type J thermocouple.

[0037] In another example, electrode 340-1 may comprise a nickel-molybdenum alloy, and electrode 340-2 may comprise a nickel-cobalt alloy. Thermocouple 300 may be referred to as a type M thermocouple. In some embodiments, the nickel-molybdenum alloy has an atomic percentage (at.%) of nickel (Ni) between about 75 and about 85 and an atomic percentage (at.%) of molybdenum (Mo) between about 25 and about 15. For example, the nickel-molybdenum alloy may be 82 at.% Ni and about 18 at.% Mo. In some embodiments, the nickel-cobalt alloy has an at.% Ni between about 90 and about 100 and an at.% cobalt (Co) between about 0 and about 10. For example, the nickel-molybdenum alloy may be about 99.2 at.% Ni and about 0.8 at.% Co.

[0038] In another example, electrode 340-1 may comprise a nickel-chromium-silicon alloy (e.g., nickel-chromium-silicon), and electrode 340-2 may comprise a nickel-silicon alloy (e.g., nickel-silicon). Thermocouple 300 may be referred to as an N-type thermocouple.

[0039] In another example, electrode 340-1 may comprise copper (Cu), and electrode 340-2 may comprise a nickel-copper alloy (e.g., constantan®). Thermocouple 300 may be referred to as a type T thermocouple.

[0040] In some embodiments, thermocouple 300 is a platinum-based thermocouple. More specifically, at least one of electrodes 340-1 or 340-2 may comprise platinum (Pt) or a Pt alloy. In some embodiments, the Pt alloy is a platinum-rhodium alloy. In some embodiments, the Pt alloy is a platinum-molybdenum alloy.

[0041] For example, electrode 340-1 may include a first platinum-rhodium alloy, and electrode 340-2 may include a second platinum-rhodium alloy. In some embodiments, the first platinum-rhodium alloy has at.% Pt between about 60 and about 80 and at.% Rh between about 20 and about 40. For example, the first platinum-rhodium alloy may be about 70 at.% Ni and about 30 at.% Rh. In some embodiments, the second platinum-rhodium alloy has at.% Pt between about 85 and about 99 and at.% Rh between about 1 and about 15. For example, the second platinum-rhodium alloy may be about 94 at.% Pt and about 6 at.% Rh. Thermocouple 300 may be referred to as a type B thermocouple.

[0042] In another example, electrode 340-1 may comprise a platinum-rhodium alloy, and electrode 340-2 may comprise Pt. In some embodiments, the first platinum-rhodium alloy has at.% Pt between about 75 and about 95 and at.% rhodium (Rh) between about 5 and about 25. For example, the platinum-rhodium alloy may be about 87 at.% Ni and about 13 at.% Rh. Thermocouple 300 may be referred to as a type R thermocouple. In another example, the platinum-rhodium alloy may be about 90 at.% Ni and about 10 at.% Rh. Thermocouple 300 may be referred to as a type S thermocouple.

[0043] In some embodiments, thermocouple 300 is a tungsten-based thermocouple. More specifically, at least one of electrodes 340-1 or 340-2 may comprise tungsten (W) or a W alloy. In some embodiments, the W alloy is a tungsten-rhenium alloy.

[0044] For example, electrode 340-1 may include a first tungsten-rhenium alloy, and electrode 340-2 may include a second tungsten-rhenium alloy. In some embodiments, the first tungsten-rhenium alloy has at.% W between about 85 and about 99 and at.% Rhenium (Re) between about 1 and about 15. In some embodiments, the second tungsten-rhenium alloy has at.% Pt between about 50 and about 80 and at.% Rh between about 20 and about 50. For example, the first tungsten-rhenium alloy may be about 95 at.% W and about 5 at.% Re, and the second tungsten-rhenium alloy may be about 74 at.% W and about 26 at.% Re. Thermocouple 300 may be referred to as a type C thermocouple. In another example, the first tungsten-rhenium alloy may be about 97 at.% W and about 3 at.% Re, and the second tungsten-rhenium alloy may be about 75 at.% W and about 25 at.% Re. Thermocouple 300 can be referred to as a type D thermocouple.

[0045] In another example, electrode 340-1 may include W, and electrode 340-2 may include a tungsten-rhenium alloy. In some embodiments, the second tungsten-rhenium alloy has at.% Pt between about 50 and about 80 and at.% Rh between about 20 and about 50. For example, the second tungsten-rhenium alloy may be about 74 at.% W and about 26 at.% Re. Thermocouple 300 may be referred to as a type G thermocouple.

[0046] Other types of thermocouples may be used. For example, thermocouple 300 may be a thermocouple based on a noble metal alloy (e.g., a type P thermocouple). In another example, thermocouple 300 may be an iridium-rhodium-based thermocouple (e.g., one electrode 340-1 or 340-2 contains an iridium alloy, while the other electrode 340-1 or 340-2 contains a rhodium alloy).

[0047] The selection of materials (i.e., the type of thermocouple) used to form electrodes 340-1 and 340-2 can depend on a set of parameters, such as operating temperature or temperature range, desired sensitivity (e.g., µV / ℃), inertness, cost, etc.

[0048] Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an exemplary diffuser 400 according to some embodiments. The diffuser 400 may include multiple opening structures, such as the opening structure 215 described above with reference to Figure 2. The diffuser 400 includes a first opening structure 215-1 and a second opening structure 215-2. More specifically, the first opening structure 215-1 includes a first opening portion 410-1, a second opening portion 410-2, and a pin hole 430-1, and the second opening structure 215-2 includes a first opening portion 420-1, a second opening portion 420-2, and a pin hole 430-2. The geometry of the opening structures shown in Figure 4 should not be considered limiting.

[0049] Length "D1" indicates the length of the first openings 410-1 and 410-2. In some embodiments, D1 can range from about 20 mm to about 30 mm. For example, D1 can be about 25 mm. Length "D2" indicates the length of the second openings 420-1 and 420-2. In some embodiments, D2 can range from about 5 mm to about 15 mm. For example, D2 can be about 10 mm. Length "D3" indicates the length of the pin hole. In some embodiments, D3 can range from about 1 mm to about 5 mm. For example, D3 can be about 3 mm. Length "D4" indicates the total length of the opening structure. In some embodiments, D4 can range from about 26 mm to about 50 mm. For example, D4 ​​can be about 38 mm.

[0050] As further shown in the figure, a thermocouple wire 440 is formed in the embedded thermocouple region of the diffuser 400 between pin holes 430-1 and 430-2. It is assumed that the layer of pin holes 430-1 and 430-2, where the thermocouple wire 400 enters / exits the page in the cross-sectional view, is a safe zone through which the thermocouple wire 440 passes. The diameter of the thermocouple wire 440 shown is equal to the length of pin holes 430-1 and 430-2 (i.e., D3). Thermocouple wire 440 may include a pair of thermocouple wires 442. In some embodiments, the length of thermocouple wire 440 is in the range of about 2 mm to about 2.5 mm. For example, the length of thermocouple wire 440 may be about 2.3 mm. In some embodiments, the height of thermocouple wire 440 is in the range of about 1.2 mm to about 1.6 mm. For example, the height of thermocouple wire 440 may be about 1.4 mm. If the available path width is 6.3 mm, D3 is 3 mm, the length of thermocouple wire 440 is 2.3 mm, and the height of thermocouple wire 440 is 1.4 mm, then the machining tolerance for the length can be: mm = ±2 mm, while the machining tolerance for height can be... mm = ±0.8 mm.

[0051] Figures 4B through 4C are top-down views of a portion of an exemplary diffuser 400 according to some embodiments. A thermocouple region 440 may span any suitable line 410 across the region between the opening structures 215. The opening structures 215 may be arranged such that the distance between the centers of a pair of opening structures is indicated by a length "D5". In some embodiments, D5 may range from about 4 mm to about 12 mm. For example, D5 may be about 8 mm. According to Pythagorean theorem, if D5 is 8 mm, the total path width may be about 6.9 mm. If the pinhole size is 0.6 mm, the usable path width may be about 6.3 mm (6.9 mm - 0.6 mm).

[0052] The opening structure 215 may include opening structures 215-1 to 215-3. The center of opening structure 215-3 may be located at approximately the midpoint between opening structures 215-1 and 215-2 ("1 / 2 D5"). Furthermore, each of the opening structures (e.g., opening structure 215-3) may have an opening width indicated by the width "D6". More specifically, D6 may be defined as the diameter of opening structure 215-3. The distance "D7" indicates the distance between the center of opening structure 215-3 and the center of opening structure 215-1 (or the center of opening structure 215-2). A right triangle may be formed, where one leg has a length of approximately 1 / 2 D5, the other leg has a length of D7, and the hypotenuse has a length of D5. Thus, D7 can be determined using the Pythagorean theorem as approximately... D5. The distance between the boundary of the opening structure 215-3 (marked by "D8") and the boundary of the opening structure 215-1 (or the boundary of the opening structure 215-2). For example, D8 can be defined as... .

[0053] Figures 5A through 5F are cross-sectional views 500A through 500F of an exemplary process flow for manufacturing an element 500 including a diffuser with an embedded thermocouple, according to some embodiments. Figure 5A shows an upper plate 510-1 and a lower plate 510-2. Figure 5A further illustrates the formation of a groove 515-1 in the upper plate 510-1 and a groove 515-2 in the lower plate 510-2. Grooves 515-1 and 515-2 represent corresponding recessed areas for receiving thermocouple wires when the upper plate 510-1 and the lower plate 510-2 are secured together (e.g., forged together). The upper plate 510-1 and the lower plate 510-2 may have any suitable height according to the embodiments described herein. In some embodiments, the upper plate 510-1 has a height of about 20 mm to about 30 mm, and the lower plate 510-2 has a height of about 8 mm to about 14 mm. For example, the upper plate 510-1 may have a height of about 26.5 mm, and the lower plate 510-2 may have a height of about 11.5 mm.

[0054] Figure 5B illustrates the placement of thermocouple wire 520 in slot 515-2. Thermocouple wire 520 may include a thermocouple wire. For example, thermocouple wire 520 may include a pair of thermocouple wires. Thermocouple wire 520 may be of any suitable type (e.g., open-ended, shell-type, or insulated). Thermocouple wire 520 may have a length of about 2 mm to about 2.5 mm and a height of about 1.2 mm to about 1.6 mm. Further details regarding thermocouple wire 520 are described above with reference to Figures 2 through 4C.

[0055] Figure 5C illustrates fixing an upper plate 510-1 and a lower plate 510-2 to obtain a combined plate (e.g., an inseparable plate), and forming a plurality of back-side openings, including back-side openings 532-1 and 532-2, in a region of the combined plate corresponding to the back side of the diffuser, thereby obtaining an intermediate structure 530. Fixing the upper plate 510-1 and the lower plate 510-2 may include forging the upper plate 510-1 and the lower plate 510-2. For example, forging can be performed using a high-pressure forging process. The plurality of back-side openings, including back-side openings 532-1 and 532-2, can be formed using any suitable method. For example, the plurality of back-side openings, including back-side openings 532-1 and 532-2, can be formed by drilling.

[0056] Figure 5D illustrates the cleaning and flipping of the intermediate structure 530. In this illustrative example, after flipping, the back openings 532-1 and 532-2 maintain their relative orientation (i.e., back opening 532-1 is to the left of back opening 532-2). In an alternative embodiment, after flipping, the relative orientation of the back openings 532-1 and 532-2 may change (e.g., back opening 532-1 may be to the right of back opening 532-2).

[0057] Figure 5E illustrates the formation of a plurality of front openings, including front openings 542-1 and 542-2 formed in the region corresponding to the front side of the diffuser, thereby obtaining the intermediate structure 540. The plurality of front openings, including front openings 542-1 and 542-2, can be formed by drilling. Forming the plurality of front openings, including front openings 542-1 and 542-2, provides a hollow cathode effect (HCE) for plasma distribution.

[0058] Figure 5F illustrates the formation of a plurality of pin holes, including pin holes 552-1 and 552-2 formed through the front opening, thereby obtaining a diffuser structure 550. The diffuser structure 550 includes a plurality of opening structures, each opening including a corresponding back opening, a corresponding front opening, and a corresponding pin hole connecting the back opening and the front opening. For example, a first opening structure includes a back opening 532-1, a front opening 542-2, and a pin hole 552-1, and a second opening structure includes a back opening 532-2, a front opening 542-2, and a pin hole 552-2. Further details regarding element 500 have been described above with reference to Figures 1 through 4C.

[0059] Figures 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views of a portion of a deposition chamber system ("System") 600 according to some embodiments. As shown in Figure 6A, System 600 includes a pair of thermocouple wires embedded in a diffuser 620, including a first thermocouple wire 610-1 and a second thermocouple wire 610-2. The diffuser 620 may include a diffuser structure, illustrated in this example as diffuser structure 550 in Figure 5D. Circular region 630 indicates a portion of System 600 illustrated in Figure 6B. As shown in Figure 6B, System 600 further includes a backplate 640, a chamber body 650, insulators 660-1 to 660-3, and a sealing structure (e.g., an O-ring) including a sealing structure 670. Insulator 660-1 is disposed between the diffuser 620 and the chamber body 650, and insulator 660-2 is embedded within the chamber body 650 adjacent to insulator 660-1. Thermocouple wire 610-2 crosses diffuser 620, insulator 660-1, and insulator 660-2, and exits from insulator 660-2. The second thermocouple wire 610-2 may have branches 612-1 to 612-5. Although five branches are illustrated, the number of branches should not be considered limiting. RF leakage via thermocouple wires 610-1 and 610-2 can be protected by using a material with high permeability and high inductance as the thermocouple shielding material (e.g., Ni). Thermocouple wires 610-1 and 610-2 can be of any type. Exemplary types include open-ended, shell-type, and insulated types.

[0060] Figure 7A is a flowchart of an exemplary method 700 for manufacturing a diffuser with an embedded thermocouple according to some embodiments. In block 710, a first groove is formed in a first plate, and a second groove is formed in a second plate. For example, the first plate may be a lower plate, and the second plate may be an upper plate. In some embodiments, each of the first and second grooves is a corresponding recessed region. Further details regarding block 710 have been described above with reference to Figure 5A.

[0061] In block 720, a thermocouple wire is placed in the first slot. The thermocouple wire may include a thermocouple filament. For example, the thermocouple wire may include a pair of thermocouple filaments (e.g., a first thermocouple filament and a second thermocouple filament). The thermocouple wire may be of any suitable type (e.g., open-ended, shell-type, or insulated). The thermocouple wire may have a length ranging from about 2 mm to about 2.5 mm and a height ranging from about 1.2 mm to about 1.6 mm. Further details regarding block 720 are described above with reference to Figure 5B.

[0062] In block 730, the first plate is secured to the second plate to form a combined plate. More specifically, the area in the combined plate defined by the first and second slots can accommodate thermocouple wires. For example, the combined plate may be an inseparable plate. In some embodiments, securing the first plate to the second plate may include forging the first plate to the second plate. For example, forging may include a high-pressure forging process. Further details regarding block 730 are described above with reference to Figure 5C.

[0063] In block 740, a diffuser is formed from the self-assembly plate. More specifically, the diffuser may include a plurality of opening structures and thermocouple wires embedded in the diffuser. Each of the plurality of opening structures may include a corresponding pin hole in a plurality of pin holes. The thermocouple wire may be located between a first pin hole of a first opening structure and a second pin hole of a second opening structure in the plurality of opening structures. Each of the plurality of pin holes may have a length of about 1 mm to about 5 mm. Further details regarding block 740 have been described above with reference to Figures 5C to 5F, and further details regarding block 740 will be described below with reference to Figure 7B.

[0064] Figure 7B is a flowchart of an exemplary method 740 for forming a diffuser from an upper plate and a lower plate according to some embodiments. In block 742, a plurality of back-side openings are formed to obtain a first intermediate structure. More specifically, the first intermediate structure can be formed from a composite plate (e.g., the composite plate formed in block 730 as described above with reference to Figure 7A). Each of the plurality of back-side openings corresponds to a corresponding opening structure in the plurality of opening structures. The plurality of back-side openings corresponds to the back side of the diffuser. For example, forming the plurality of back-side openings may include drilling the plurality of back-side openings. Further details regarding block 742 are described above with reference to Figure 5C.

[0065] In block 744, the first intermediate structure is flipped. In some embodiments, the first intermediate structure is cleaned before flipping. In some embodiments, the first intermediate structure is cleaned after flipping. Thus, the first intermediate structure can be cleaned after it has been formed. Further details regarding block 744 have been described above with reference to Figure 5D.

[0066] In block 746, a plurality of front openings are formed to obtain a second intermediate structure. More specifically, a plurality of front openings are formed in the first intermediate structure. Each of the plurality of front openings corresponds to a corresponding opening structure in the plurality of opening structures. The plurality of front openings corresponds to the front side of the diffuser. In some embodiments, the plurality of front openings are formed to provide a hollow cathode effect with respect to plasma distribution. For example, forming the plurality of front openings may include drilling the plurality of front openings. Further details regarding block 746 have been described above with reference to Figure 5E.

[0067] In block 748, a plurality of pin holes are formed. More specifically, forming the plurality of pin holes may include forming a corresponding pin hole among the plurality of pin holes through each of the plurality of front openings. For example, forming the plurality of pin holes may include drilling the plurality of pin holes. Each of the plurality of pin holes may have a length ranging from about 1 mm to about 5 mm. Further details regarding block 748 are described above with reference to Figure 5F.

[0068] The foregoing description sets forth numerous specific details, such as examples of particular systems, components, methods, etc., to provide a good understanding of several embodiments of the invention. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that at least some embodiments of the invention can be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, known components or methods are not described in detail, and are omitted in a simple block diagram format to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Therefore, the specific details set forth are merely exemplary. Specific implementations may differ from these exemplary details and remain within the scope of the invention.

[0069] Throughout this specification, references to "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that at least one embodiment includes a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment. Therefore, the appearance of the phrase "in one embodiment" or "in one embodiment" throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment of this disclosure. Additionally, the term "or" is used to mean an inclusive "or" rather than a specific "or". When the terms "about" or "approximately" are used herein, they are intended to mean an accuracy of ±10% of the proposed nominal values.

[0070] Although the operations of the methods herein are shown and described in a specific order, the order of operations for each method may be changed so that some operations can be performed in reverse order, or that some operations can be performed at least partially concurrently with other operations. In another embodiment, instructions or sub-operations of different operations may be performed intermittently and / or alternately.

[0071] It should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art will understand many other embodiments after reading and understanding the above description. Although this disclosure describes specific examples, it will be understood that the systems and methods of this disclosure are not limited to the examples described herein, but can be practiced with modifications within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the specification and drawings are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. The scope of this disclosure should therefore be determined by referring to the appended claims and the full scope of their authorized equivalents.

[0072] 100: Deposition Chamber System 102:Wall 104: Bottom 105:Substrate 106: Process Volume 108: Sealable slit valve 109: Vacuum Pump 110: Diffuser 111: Gas Channel 112: Backplate 114: Suspension 116: Central support component 120: Gas source 122: RF Power Supply 124: Remote Plasma Source 130: Substrate support 131: Grounding strip 132: Substrate receiving surface 133: Masking frame 134: Rod 136: Lifting System 138: Lifting pin 139: Cooling element 140: Bottom surface 200: Diffuser 210: Porous region 215: Open structure 215-1: First opening structure 215-2: Second opening structure 215-3: Open Structure 220-1: Thermocouple 220-2: Thermocouple 230-1: Circle 230-2: Circle 230-3: Circle 230-4: Circle 230-5: Circle 300: Thermocouple 310: Voltage contact 320: Voltage contact 330: Voltage contact 332: Voltmeter 340-1: Electrode 340-2: Electrode 350-1: Conductive wire 350-2: Conductive wire 400: Diffuser 410: Line 410-1: First opening section 410-2: Second opening section 420-1: First opening section 420-2: Second opening section 430-1: Pin Hole 430-2: Pin Hole 440: Thermocouple wire 442: Thermocouple wire 500: Components 510-1: On the board 510-2: Lower plate 515-1: Slot 515-2: Slot 520: Thermocouple wire 530: Intermediate Structure 532-1: Dorsal opening 532-2: Dorsal opening 540: Intermediate Structure 542-1: Front opening 542-2: Front opening 550: Diffuser Structure 552-1: Pin Hole 552-2: Pin Hole 600: System 610-1: First thermocouple wire 610-2: Second thermocouple wire 612-1: Side Quest 612-2: Side Quest 612-3: Side Quest 612-4: Side Quest 612-5: Side Quest 620: Diffuser 630: Circular area 640: Backplate 650: Main body of the chamber 660-1: Insulator 660-2: Insulator 660-3: Insulator 670: Sealed structure 700: Method 710: Square 720: Square 730: Square 740: Square 742: Square 744: Square 746: Square 748: Square D1: Length D2: Length D3: Length D4: Length D5: Length D6: Width D7: Distance D8: Distance

[0073] Domestic storage information (please note in order of storage institution, date, and number) none Overseas storage information (please note in the order of storage country, institution, date, and number) none

Claims

1. A diffuser device for a deposition chamber system, comprising: A diffuser comprising a plurality of opening structures, each of the plurality of opening structures comprising one of a plurality of pin holes; A thermocouple wire is embedded in the diffuser, the thermocouple wire being disposed between a first pin hole in a first opening structure and a second pin hole in a second opening structure among the plurality of opening structures; wherein each opening structure among the plurality of opening structures includes a back opening corresponding to a back side of the diffuser and a front opening corresponding to a front side of the diffuser, and wherein each pin hole among the plurality of pin holes is disposed between a corresponding back opening and a corresponding front opening.

2. The diffuser device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of front openings provide a hollow cathode effect with respect to plasma distribution.

3. The diffuser device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of pin holes may have a length ranging from about 1 millimeter (mm) to about 5 mm.

4. The diffuser device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermocouple wire comprises a pair of thermocouple wires.

5. The diffuser device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermocouple wire has a type selected from the group consisting of open-ended, shell-type and insulated types.

6. The diffuser device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermocouple wire has a length ranging from about 2 mm to about 2.5 mm and a height ranging from about 1.2 mm to about 1.6 mm.

7. A deposition chamber system comprising: A diffuser comprising a plurality of opening structures, each of the plurality of opening structures including a corresponding pin hole of a plurality of pin holes; a thermocouple wire embedded in the diffuser, the thermocouple wire being disposed between a first pin hole of a first opening structure and a second pin hole of a second opening structure of the plurality of opening structures; a chamber body; a first insulator disposed between the diffuser and the chamber body; and a second insulator embedded in the chamber body adjacent to the first insulator; wherein each of the plurality of opening structures includes a back opening corresponding to a back side of the diffuser and a front opening corresponding to a front side of the diffuser, and wherein each pin hole of the plurality of pin holes is disposed between a corresponding back opening and a corresponding front opening.

8. The deposition chamber system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the plurality of front openings provide a hollow cathode effect with respect to plasma distribution.

9. The deposition chamber system as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of pin holes may have a length ranging from about 1 mm to about 5 mm.

10. The deposition chamber system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the thermocouple wire comprises a pair of thermocouple wires.

11. The deposition chamber system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the thermocouple wire has a type selected from the group consisting of open, shell and insulated types.

12. The deposition chamber system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the thermocouple wire has a length ranging from about 2 mm to about 2.5 mm and a height ranging from about 1.2 mm to about 1.6 mm.

13. A method for forming a diffuser device for a deposition chamber system, comprising the following steps: A thermocouple wire is placed in a first groove of a first plate; the first plate is fixed to a second plate having a second groove to form a combined plate, wherein the thermocouple wire is accommodated in an area defined by the first groove and the second groove; and a diffuser is formed from the combined plate, which includes a plurality of opening structures and the thermocouple wire embedded in the diffuser, each of the plurality of opening structures including a corresponding pin hole of a plurality of pin holes, wherein the thermocouple wire is located between a first pin hole of a first opening structure of the plurality of opening structures and a second pin hole of a second opening structure of the plurality of opening structures.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of forming the diffuser further comprises the following steps: forming a plurality of back-side openings corresponding to a back side of the diffuser in the assembly plate to obtain a first intermediate structure, each of the plurality of back-side openings corresponding to a corresponding opening structure among the plurality of opening structures; after forming the first intermediate structure, flipping the first intermediate structure; and after flipping the intermediate structure, forming a plurality of front-side openings corresponding to a front side of the diffuser in the first intermediate structure to obtain a second intermediate structure.

15. The method as described in claim 14, wherein the step of forming the diffuser further includes the step of cleaning the first intermediate structure after forming the first intermediate structure.

16. The method as described in claim 14, wherein the plurality of front openings are formed to provide a hollow cathode effect with respect to plasma distribution.

17. The method as described in claim 14, wherein the step of forming the diffuser further comprises the step of forming one of the plurality of pin holes through each of the plurality of front openings.

18. The method as described in claim 13, wherein the thermocouple wire comprises a pair of thermocouple wires.

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