Multizone showerhead for semiconductor processing

Abstract

Multi-zone showerheads featuring multiple gas distribution zones including an interior region or zone and one or more perimeter zones or regions, with first gas distribution ports distributed across both the interior region or zone and the one or more perimeter zones or regions. The first gas distribution ports in each respective zone or region may be provided one or more gases via separate flow paths internal to the showerhead, thereby allowing for segregated gas delivery to the different zones or regions. Optional second gas distribution ports may also be included that may provide for gas flow through the showerhead, e.g., from one side of the showerhead to the other.

Description

MULTIZONE SHOWERHEAD FOR SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSINGCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] A PCT Request Form is filed concurrently with this specification as part of the present application. Each application that the present application claims benefit of or priority to as identified in the concurrently filed PCT Request Form is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and for all purposes.BACKGROUND

[0002] Semiconductor processing tools typically require the supply of different reactant gases to wafer processing spaces located within one or more semiconductor processing chambers. In some cases, such gases may be supplied via, for example, a showerhead that is positioned above a semiconductor wafer that is being processed and which flows the process gases provided across the wafer. Some such showerheads may have the ability to distribute different process gases across such a wafer via different sets of gas distribution ports.

[0003] Discussed herein are various improvements to gas distribution systems for use in some semiconductor processing systems.SUMMARY

[0004] Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.

[0005] In some implementations, an apparatus may be provided that includes a body having a first side and a second side, transverse distribution passages located between the first side and the second side and extending along corresponding parallel first axes, and one or more perimeter distribution passages located in between the first side and the second side. The one or more perimeter distribution passages may include a first set of one or more perimeter distribution passages, and the one or more perimeter distribution passages and the transverse distribution passages may be fluidically isolated from each other within the body. The apparatus may also additionally include first gas distribution ports distributed across the first side of the body. Each first gas distribution port in a first set of the first gas distribution ports may intersect with one of the transverse distribution passages within the body, each first gasdistribution port in a second set of the first gas distribution ports may intersect with one of the one or more perimeter distribution passages within the body, and the one or more perimeter distribution passages in the first set of one or more perimeter distribution passages may define one or more outermost boundaries of an interior region that contains the first set of the first gas distribution ports.

[0006] In some implementations, the apparatus may further include transverse feeder passages. At least some of the transverse distribution passages may each be located between two adjacent transverse feeder passages and one or more of the transverse feeder passages may each be located between two adjacent transverse distribution passages.

[0007] In some such implementations, none of the first gas distribution ports may intersect the transverse feeder passages.

[0008] In some implementations, the apparatus may further include first linking passages, each first linking passage connecting a corresponding one of the transverse feeder passages with a corresponding one of the transverse distribution passages.

[0009] In some such implementations, each first linking passage may intersect the transverse distribution passage to which that first linking passage connects at a location between a corresponding pair of the first gas distribution ports that are adjacent to one another and that intersect the transverse distribution passage to which that first linking passage connects.

[0010] In some implementations, a first transverse distribution passage of the transverse distribution passages may be connected with two transverse feeder passages via corresponding first linking passages.

[0011] In some implementations, the corresponding first linking passages connected with the first transverse distribution passage may connect with the first transverse distribution passage at locations that are equidistant from a midpoint of the first transverse distribution passage.

[0012] In some implementations, the first transverse distribution passage may have a first portion spanning between locations where the corresponding first linking passages connect with the first transverse distribution passage, the first transverse distribution passage may have a second portion adjacent to, and extending away from one end of, the first portion, the first transverse distribution passage may have a third portion adjacent to, and extending away from the other end of, the first portion, and equal numbers of the first gas distribution ports may intersect with the second portion and the third portion.

[0013] In some implementations, each transverse distribution passage of the transverse distribution passages may be connected with the transverse feeder passages adjacent thereto via corresponding first linking passages.

[0014] In some implementations, the corresponding first linking passages connected with each transverse distribution passage may connect with that transverse distribution passage at locations that are equidistant from a midpoint of that transverse distribution passage.

[0015] In some implementations, each transverse distribution passage may have a corresponding first portion spanning between locations where the corresponding first linking passages that connect with that transverse distribution passage connect with that first transverse distribution passage, each transverse distribution passage may have a corresponding second portion adjacent to, and extending away from one end of, the corresponding first portion of that transverse distribution passage, each transverse distribution passage may have a corresponding third portion adjacent to, and extending away from the other end of, the corresponding first portion of that transverse distribution passage, and the corresponding second portion and the corresponding third portion for each transverse distribution passage may intersect with corresponding equal numbers of the first gas distribution ports.

[0016] In some implementations, the first gas distribution ports may be arranged in a triangular lattice pattern.

[0017] In some implementations, the apparatus may further include second gas distribution ports distributed across the first side of the body.

[0018] In some implementations, each of the first gas distribution ports may have a corresponding subset of the second gas distribution ports arranged thereabout and equidistantly spaced therefrom.

[0019] In some such implementations, the subsets of the second gas distribution ports may be arranged in a triangular lattice pattern and the first gas distribution ports may be arranged in the same triangular lattice pattern.

[0020] In some implementations, the second gas distribution ports may extend through the body to the second side of the body.

[0021] In some implementations, the second gas distribution ports may be larger than the first gas distribution ports.

[0022] In some implementations, the second gas distribution ports may be fluidically isolated within the body from the transverse distribution passages, the one or more perimeter distribution passages, and the first gas distribution ports.

[0023] In some implementations, at least one of the transverse distribution passages may follow a wavy path along the corresponding first axis.

[0024] In some implementations, each of the transverse distribution passages may extend along a corresponding wavy path along the corresponding first axis.

[0025] In some implementations, the first set of one or more perimeter distribution passages may include only a single perimeter distribution passage and the single perimeter distribution passage in the first set of one or more perimeter distribution passages may define at least 90% of the outermost boundaries of the interior region that comprises the transverse distribution passages.

[0026] In some implementations, the apparatus may include second linking passages and one or more perimeter feed passages. The one or more perimeter feed passages may not intersect with any of the first gas distribution ports, and each second linking passage may connect between one of the one or more perimeter feed passages and one of the one or more perimeter distribution passages.

[0027] In some implementations, the one or more perimeter distribution passages may further include a second set of one or more perimeter distribution passages, and at least one of the one or more perimeter feed passages may be within a perimeter region bounded between the one or more perimeter distribution passages in the first set of one or more perimeter distribution passages and the one or more perimeter distribution passages in the second set of one or more perimeter distribution passages.

[0028] In some implementations, the apparatus may include one or more coolant inlets, one or more coolant outlets, and cooling passages located within the body. The cooling passages may fluidically connect the one or more coolant inlets with the one or more coolant outlets, and the cooling passages may be fluidically isolated within the body from the transverse distribution passages, the one or more perimeter distribution passages, and the first gas distribution ports.

[0029] In some implementations, an apparatus may be provided that includes a body having a first side and a second side, transverse distribution passages located between the first side and the second side and extending along corresponding parallel first axes, and one or more inner distribution passages located in between the first side and the second side. The one or more inner distribution passages and the transverse distribution passages may be fluidically isolated from each other within the body and first gas distribution ports may be distributed across the first side of the body. Each first gas distribution port in a first set of the first gas distribution ports may intersect with one of the transverse distribution passages within the body, each first gas distribution port in a second set of the first gas distribution ports may intersect with one of the one or more inner distribution passages within the body, and the one or more inner distribution passages may be located within an interior region of the body and the transverse distribution passages may be located within an outer region of the body. The interior region may be contained within the outer region.

[0030] In some implementations, the apparatus may further include transverse feeder passages. At least some of the transverse distribution passages may each be located between two adjacent transverse feeder passages and one or more of the transverse feeder passages may each be located between two adjacent transverse distribution passages.

[0031] In some implementations, none of the first gas distribution ports may intersect the transverse feeder passages.

[0032] In some implementations, the apparatus may further include first linking passages, each first linking passage connecting a corresponding one of the transverse feeder passages with a corresponding one of the transverse distribution passages.

[0033] In some such implementations, each first linking passage may intersect the transverse distribution passage to which that first linking passage connects at a location between a corresponding pair of the first gas distribution ports that are adjacent to one another and that intersect the transverse distribution passage to which that first linking passage connects.

[0034] In some implementations, a first transverse distribution passage of the transverse distribution passages may be connected with two transverse feeder passages via corresponding first linking passages.

[0035] In some such implementations, the corresponding first linking passages connected with the first transverse distribution passage may connect with the first transverse distribution passage at locations that are equidistant from a midpoint of the first transverse distribution passage.

[0036] In some implementations, a first transverse distribution passage of the transverse distribution passages may be connected with one of the transverse feeder passages via two corresponding first linking passages.

[0037] In some such implementations, the corresponding first linking passages connected with the first transverse distribution passage may connect with the first transverse distribution passage at locations that are equidistant from a midpoint of the first transverse distribution passage.

[0038] In some implementations, the first transverse distribution passage may have a first portion spanning between locations where the corresponding first linking passages connect with the first transverse distribution passage, the first transverse distribution passage may have a second portion adjacent to, and extending away from one end of, the first portion, the first transverse distribution passage may have a third portion adjacent to, and extending away from the other end of, the first portion, and equal numbers of the first gas distribution ports may intersect with the second portion and the third portion.

[0039] In some implementations, each transverse distribution passage in a first set of the transverse distribution passages may extend in a continuous manner between two corresponding first gas distribution ports of the first gas distribution ports that are equidistantly spaced from a center axis of the interior region, each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages may be connected with two corresponding linking passages, each corresponding linking passage for each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages may connect that transverse distribution passage with one of the transverse feeder passages, and the corresponding linking passages connected with each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages may connect with that transverse distribution passage at locations that are equidistant from a midpoint of that transverse distribution passage.

[0040] In some implementations, a second set of the transverse distribution passages may include one or more pairs of the transverse distribution passages, the first axes of the transverse distribution passages in each pair of the transverse distribution passages in the second set of the transverse distribution passages may be coaxial, the transverse distribution passages in each pair of the transverse distribution passages in the second set of the transverse distribution passages may be separated from one another by the interior region.

[0041] In some such implementations, for each pair of transverse distribution passages in the second set of the transverse distribution passages, an equal number of first gas distribution ports may intersect with each transverse distribution passage in that pair of transverse distribution passages.

[0042] In some implementations, each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages may have a corresponding first portion spanning between locations where the corresponding linking passages that connect with that transverse distribution passage connect with that first transverse distribution passage, each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages may have a corresponding second portion adjacent to, and extending away from one end of, the corresponding first portion of that transverse distribution passage, each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages may have a corresponding third portion adjacent to, and extending away from the other end of, the corresponding first portion of that transverse distribution passage, and the corresponding second portion and the corresponding third portion for each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages may intersect with corresponding equal numbers of the first gas distribution ports.

[0043] In some implementations, the first gas distribution ports may be arranged in a triangular lattice pattern.

[0044] In some implementations, the apparatus may further include second gas distribution ports distributed across the first side of the body.

[0045] In some implementations, each of the first gas distribution ports may have a corresponding subset of the second gas distribution ports arranged thereabout and equidistantly spaced therefrom.

[0046] In some such implementations, the subsets of the second gas distribution ports may be arranged in the same triangular lattice pattern as the first gas distribution ports.

[0047] In some implementations, the second gas distribution ports may extend through the body to the second side of the body.

[0048] In some such implementations, the second gas distribution ports may be larger than the first gas distribution ports.

[0049] In some implementations, the second gas distribution ports may be fluidically isolated within the body from the transverse distribution passages, the one or more inner distribution passages, and the first gas distribution ports.

[0050] In some implementations, at least one of the transverse distribution passages may follow a wavy path along the corresponding first axis.

[0051] In some implementations, each of the transverse distribution passages may extend along a corresponding wavy path along the corresponding first axis.

[0052] In some implementations, the one or more inner distribution passages may include a first inner distribution passage that defines a closed loop.

[0053] In some implementations, the one or more inner distribution passages may further include a second inner distribution passage that extends into an interior of the closed loop from a first segment of the first inner distribution passage and that terminates at one of the first gas distribution ports located within the interior region.

[0054] In some implementations, the apparatus may further include a first gas inlet and an interior region feeder passage. The interior region feeder passage may fluidically connect the first gas inlet with a second segment of the first inner distribution passage opposite the first segment of the first inner distribution passage.

[0055] In some implementations, the apparatus may further include one or more coolant inlets, one or more coolant outlets, and cooling passages located within the body. The cooling passages may fluidically connect the one or more coolant inlets with the one or more coolant outlets, and the cooling passages may be fluidically isolated within the body from the transversedistribution passages, the one or more inner distribution passages, and the first gas distribution ports.

[0056] In some implementations, the apparatus may further include a processing chamber, a showerhead that comprises the body, and a pedestal located within the processing chamber and positioned below the showerhead.

[0057] In some implementations, the apparatus may further include a processing chamber, a showerhead that comprises the body, and a pedestal located within the processing chamber and positioned below the showerhead.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0058] Reference to the following Figures is made in the discussion below; the Figures are not intended to be limiting in scope and are simply provided to facilitate the discussion below.

[0059] FIG. 1 depicts a schematic of a portion of an example showerhead that is configured to supply one gas to an interior gas distribution zone and another gas to a perimeter gas distribution zone.

[0060] FIG. 2 depicts a schematic of a portion of another example showerhead that is configured to supply one gas to an interior gas distribution zone and another gas to a perimeter gas distribution zone.

[0061] FIG. 3 depicts a bottom isometric view of a portion of an example showerhead that is configured to supply one gas to an interior gas distribution zone and another gas to a perimeter gas distribution zone.

[0062] FIG. 4 depicts a top isometric view of the example showerhead of FIG. 3.

[0063] FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of the example showerhead of FIG. 3.

[0064] FIG. 6 depicts a top view of the example showerhead of FIG. 3.

[0065] FIG. 7 depicts a top section view of a cooling layer of the example showerhead of FIG.3.

[0066] FIG. 8 depicts a top section view of a gas distribution layer of the example showerhead of FIG. 3.

[0067] FIG. 9 depicts a top section view of a gas distribution layer of a variant of the example showerhead of FIG. 3.

[0068] FIG. 10 depicts a top section view of the example showerhead of FIG. 3 showing only the gas distribution ports that exit the underside of the example showerhead.

[0069] FIG. 11 depicts an exploded view of another example showerhead.

[0070] FIG. 12 depicts a top section view of a cooling layer of the example showerhead of FIG. 11.

[0071] FIG. 13 depicts a top section view of a gas distribution layer of the example showerhead of FIG. 11.

[0072] FIG. 14 is the same as FIG. 13 but is provided for the purposes of showing an interior region and outer or peripheral region of the example showerhead.

[0073] FIG. 15 depicts a sub-region of the embodiment of FIG. 13.

[0074] FIG. 16 depicts another sub-region of the embodiment of FIG. 13.

[0075] FIG. 17 depicts a cross-sectional view of a gas distribution layer for a showerhead that may provide somewhat similar capabilities to the examples of FIGS. 1 through 13 but which features flow paths that do not follow discrete paths to respective gas distribution ports.

[0076] FIG. 18 depicts a schematic of a semiconductor processing tool incorporating a showerhead such as the showerheads discussed with respect to FIGS. 1 through 13.

[0077] The above-described Figures are provided to facilitate understanding of the concepts discussed in this disclosure and are intended to be illustrative of some implementations that fall within the scope of this disclosure, but are not intended to be limiting — implementations consistent with this disclosure and which are not depicted in the Figures are still considered to be within the scope of this disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0078] Semiconductor processing tools or chambers may sometimes be configured to deliver different process gases or different ratios or mixtures of process gases to a wafer processing region above a pedestal via a dual-plenum (or multi-plenum) showerhead. Such showerheads typically include multiple internal plenum volumes that are fluidically isolated from one another within the showerhead; each such plenum volume may be fluidically connected within the showerhead with one or more corresponding gas inlets and a corresponding plurality of gas distribution ports. The one or more gas inlets for a plenum volume may be used to flow a corresponding process gas into that plenum volume, and the plurality of gas distribution ports for that plenum volume may then be used to flow that process gas out of the showerhead and into a wafer processing region (usually in a distributed manner across the wafer processing region). It will be understood that reference to a “process gas” herein is inclusive of pure gases (that contain only one molecular constituent) as well as gas mixtures (that contain multiple different molecular constituents). The gases that are flowed through the different plenums may, depending on the particular needs of a semiconductor process, be flowed at least partiallysimultaneously or may be flowed sequentially. The latter approach may be used to minimize the potential for direct mixing of the two gases within the wafer processing region or near the underside of the showerhead, if such mixing is of concern. The gases that are flowed into the wafer processing region are then typically evacuated from the semiconductor processing chamber housing the wafer processing region via one or more vacuum pumps that typically have inlets located underneath the pedestal such that the process gases are caused to flow radially outward across a wafer being processed and are then drawn downward into an exhaust system connected with the one or more vacuum pumps.

[0079] Disclosed herein are new multi-plenum showerhead designs for use in semiconductor processing tools. Such showerhead designs, for example, may be used to distribute different process gases across different, nested zones or regions underneath the showerhead, such as to an interior region and to a perimeter region that surrounds the interior region. Such showerheads may also optionally include additional gas distribution features, e.g., to allow process gases from sources above the showerhead to be flowed through the showerhead and towards a wafer positioned beneath the showerhead.

[0080] To provide such functionality, the showerheads in question may be designed so as to have a plurality of first gas distribution ports distributed across a first side, e.g., the underside, of the body. The first gas distribution ports may be grouped into multiple different sets, with at least a first set of the first gas distribution ports being located within the interior region and a second set of the first gas distribution ports being located within the perimeter region. The first gas distribution ports in the first set of first gas distribution ports may be provided with gas from one or more first inlets via a first set of flow paths within the body, while the first gas distribution ports in the second set of first gas distribution ports may be provided with gas from one or more second inlets via a second set of flow paths within the body.

[0081] Various examples of such showerheads are discussed below with reference to the Figures.

[0082] FIG. 1 depicts a schematic of a portion of an example showerhead that is configured to supply one gas to an interior gas distribution zone and another gas to a perimeter gas distribution zone.

[0083] As depicted in FIG. 1, a body 110 of a showerhead may include a plurality of first gas distribution ports 116 (represented by small, white-filled circles in FIG. 1) that are distributed across a first side, e.g., the underside, of the body 110. The body 110 may also optionally include a plurality of second gas distribution ports 118 (represented by small, grey-filled circles in FIG. 1) that may extend through the body 110, e.g., to allow process gases from a spaceabove the body 110 to pass through the body and out of the first side and towards a wafer positioned beneath the body 110. The second gas distribution ports 118 may, for example, be used to direct plasma or radicals generated by a plasma to pass through the body 110 and towards a wafer positioned therebeneath.

[0084] The first gas distribution ports 116 may, as noted earlier, be divided into multiple sets of first gas distribution ports 116. For example, a first set of the first gas distribution ports 116 may include the first gas distribution ports 116 that are within an interior region 156. The first gas distribution ports 116 that are in the first set of the first gas distribution ports 116 may each intersect with a corresponding transverse distribution passage 138 (indicated in FIG. 1 by a thick black line with a thinner- weight white dotted line within it) located within the body. The transverse distribution passages 138 may, in at least some implementations, extend along parallel first axes that are transverse to the body 110, e.g., in a plane that is perpendicular to a center axis of the body 110 that would be perpendicular to a wafer placed underneath the body 110 when the showerhead including the body 110 is used to perform processing operations on the wafer.

[0085] It will be understood that when reference is made to a passage extending along an axis, such as a first axis, this is inclusive of the passage in question being straight and colinear with the axis as well as of the passage, for example, following a path that is not linear but which generally follows the axis in question, such as a sinusoidal or wavy path that follows the axis in question, crossing back and forth over the axis and generally being on one side of the axis as much as it is on the opposite side of the axis. Examples depicting such passages are provided later in the Figures for clarity.

[0086] The first gas distribution ports 116 may also include a second set of first gas distribution ports 116 that lie outside of the interior region 156, e.g., in an outer region 158. The first gas distribution ports 116 in the second set of first gas distribution ports 116 may each intersect with a corresponding perimeter distribution passage 146 (indicated in FIG. 1 by a thick black line with dual, thinner- weight white dotted lines within it). In some implementations, there may be a single perimeter distribution passage 146, as shown in FIG. 1, and all of the first gas distribution ports 116 in the second set of first gas distribution ports 116 may intersect with that single perimeter distribution passage 146. However, in other implementations, and as discussed with respect to the implementation of FIG. 2, for example, there may be multiple perimeter distribution passages 146, each of which may intersect with one or more of the first gas distribution ports 116 in the second set of first gas distribution ports 116. Regardless, the one or more perimeter distribution passages 146 may include a first set of one or more perimeterdistribution passages 146 that defines at least some outermost boundaries of the interior region 156 (at least, when viewed along an axis that is parallel to the center axis of the body (discussed earlier above)). In this case, there is a single perimeter distribution passage 146 that defines a large portion of the outermost boundaries of the interior region 156, e.g., 90% or more of the outermost boundaries of the interior region 156.

[0087] The transverse distribution passages 138 may be fluidically connected within the body 110 to one or more first gas inlets 124, while the one or more perimeter distribution passages 146 may be fluidically connected within the body 110 to one or more second gas inlets 126. The one or more perimeter distribution passages 146 and the transverse distribution passages 138, however, may be fluidically isolated from one another within the body 110.

[0088] The transverse distribution passages 138 may, for example, be spaced apart from one another in a first direction perpendicular to the first axes and in a plane perpendicular to the center axis. In some implementations, the transverse distribution passages 138 may be evenly spaced apart from one another in the first direction. In some other implementations, however, some neighboring instances of the transverse distribution passages 138 may be spaced apart from one another along the first direction by unequal amounts. This may depend on, for example, the particular pattern of first gas distribution ports 116 that is used in the showerhead. In the depicted example, the first gas distribution ports are arranged in an equilateral triangular lattice pattern, and the transverse distribution passages 138 are arranged so as to be equally spaced along the first direction, e.g., with their centerlines spaced apart by a distance of -0.87 times the center-to-center distance of adjacent instances of the first gas distribution ports 116.

[0089] The body 110 may also include a plurality of transverse feeder passages 140 (indicated in FIG. 1 by a thick black line with a thinner- weight white dashed line within it) that may, in some implementations (and in contrast to the transverse distribution passages 138), not intersect with the first gas distribution ports 116 within the body 110. In some implementations, at least some of the transverse distribution passages 138 may each be located between two adjacent transverse feeder passages 140, and at least some of the transverse feeder passages 140 may each be located between two adjacent transverse distribution passages 138. The transverse feeder passages 140 may, for example, be used to distribute process gases from the one or more first gas inlets 124 to the transverse distribution passages 138.

[0090] In some implementations, the transverse feeder passages 140 may be connected with the adjacent instance or adjacent instances of the transverse distribution passages 138 by corresponding first linking passages 142 (indicated in FIG. 1 by a thick black line with a thinner- weight white solid line within it). Each first linking passage 142 may, for example,fluidically connect one of the transverse feeder passages 140 with one of the transverse distribution passages 138 (and be fluidically interposed therebetween).

[0091] For at least some, and in some instances, all, of the first linking passages 142, the first linking passage may connect with the corresponding transverse distribution passage 138 at a location that is midway between two of the first gas distribution ports 116 that intersect that transverse distribution passage 138 and are adjacent to one another, thereby being generally equidistant from those two first gas distribution ports 116.

[0092] In some implementations, at least one of the transverse distribution passages 138 may be in between two adjacent transverse feeder passages 140 and may be connected to each adjacent transverse feeder passage 140 by a corresponding first linking passage 142. In some such implementations, the first linking passages 142 that connect that transverse distribution passage 138 with the adjacent transverse feeder passages 140 may connect with that transverse distribution passage 138 at locations that are equidistantly spaced (and on opposite sides of) a midpoint of that transverse distribution passage 138.

[0093] Such arrangements may reduce or minimize the potential for flow bias towards one end or the other of the transverse distribution passages 138, thereby leading to more uniform gas distribution along the lengths of the transverse distribution passages and greater process uniformity.

[0094] In some additional implementations, one or more of the transverse distribution passages 138 that are connected with adjacent transverse feeder passages 140 by corresponding first linking passages 142 may each be divided into a corresponding first portion, a corresponding second portion, and a corresponding third portion. The first portions, for example, may be the portions of such transverse distribution passages 138 that are bracketed or spanning between the locations where the corresponding first linking passages 142 connect with those transverse distribution passages 138, while the second and third portions of such transverse distribution passages 138 may be the portions of those transverse distribution passages 138 that extend away from the corresponding first portions of those transverse distribution passages 138. For example, the second portions of those transverse distribution passages 138 may be adjacent to, and extend away from one end of, the first portions of those transverse distribution passages 138, while the third portions of those transverse distribution passages 138 may be adjacent to, and extend away from the other end of, the first portions of those transverse distribution passages 138. In some such implementations, the second portion and the third portion for one or more such transverse distribution passages 138 may each intersect with equal numbers of the first gas distribution ports 116. Such arrangements may similarly reduce or minimize thepotential for flow bias towards one end or the other of the transverse distribution passages 138, thereby leading to more uniform gas distribution along the lengths of the transverse distribution passages and greater process uniformity.

[0095] In some implementations, all of the transverse distribution passages 138 may connect with first linking passages 142 as discussed above, e.g., at locations in between adjacent first gas distribution ports 116 that intersect with such transverse distribution passages 138 and / or such that the second and third portions of each transverse distribution passage 138 have corresponding equal numbers of the first gas distribution ports 116 that intersect with that transverse distribution passage 138.

[0096] In some implementations and as discussed earlier, the body 110 may further include a plurality of second gas distribution ports 118. The second gas distribution ports 118 may, for example, be distributed across the underside of the body 110. In some implementations, the second gas distribution ports 118 may be arranged such that each first gas distribution port 116 has a corresponding subset of the second gas distribution ports 118 arranged about, and equidistantly spaced from, it. For example, in the example of FIG. 1, each first gas distribution port 116 has a subset of three second gas distribution ports 118 arranged in a circular array about it. In some such implementations, each first gas distribution port 116 and the subset of second gas distribution ports 118 arranged about that first gas distribution port 116 may form a pattern or arrangement of gas distribution ports that is then replicated for each first gas distribution port 116. In some such instances, the orientations of the second gas distribution ports 118 relative to the first gas distribution ports 116 may be kept the same for each such repetition of the pattern or arrangement of gas distribution ports (such an implementation is shown in FIGS. 1). In some further such implementations, the first gas distribution ports 116 may be arranged in a triangular lattice pattern, e.g., an equilateral triangular lattice patter, and the spacing between closest adjacent first gas distribution ports 116 may be set to be twice as large as the distance between closest adjacent second gas distribution ports 118. In such an example implementation, the second gas distribution ports 118 may generally form repeating clusters of six second gas distribution ports 118 arranged at locations corresponding with vertices of a hexagon and repeating clusters of three second gas distribution ports 118 at locations corresponding with vertices of a triangle.

[0097] In some implementations, the second gas distribution ports 118 may extend only partway into the body 110 and may be provided with process gas via one or more flow paths internal to the body 110. In other implementations, the second gas distribution ports 118 may extend entirely through the body 110. Such implementations may be particularly well-suitedfor use in tools where a volume above the showerhead (or body 110 of the showerhead) is configured to be able to produce a plasma and free radicals or other products of the plasma are to be flowed from that volume, through the showerhead body 110, and into the process chamber below the body 110. In some such implementations, the second gas distribution ports 118 may be sized to have a larger diameter than the first gas distribution ports 116. The second gas distribution ports 118 may, for example, be fluidically isolated within the body 110 from the transverse distribution passages 138, the one or more perimeter distribution passages 146, and the first gas distribution ports 116.

[0098] The body 110 may also include additional flow paths that may serve to distribute gases received via the first gas inlet(s) 124 and the second gas inlet(s) 126 to the transverse distribution passages 138, the transverse feeder passages 140, and the one or more perimeter distribution passages 146. For example, process gas provided to the first gas inlet 124 may be directed to one or more manifold passages 144 that may, in turn, connect the first gas inlet 124 with ends of the transverse feeder passages 140. In some implementations, such as that shown, the manifold passages 144 may extend along axes that are at an angle of 60° (or 120°) to the first axes. The manifold passages 144 may, for example, be similar to the transverse feeder passages 140 in that the manifold passages 144 may not intersect with any first gas distribution ports 116 and may thereby serve to convey process gas from the first gas inlet 124 to the transverse distribution passages 138 without any loss of the process gas prior to delivery of the process gas to the transverse distribution passages 138.

[0099] Similarly, the body 110 may also include an edge-feed plenum 152 that may, in some implementations, be larger in cross-section than any of the one or more perimeter distribution passages 146. The edge-feed plenum 152 may be configured to encircle or partially encircle the one or more perimeter distribution passages 146 and may be fluidically connected with the one or more perimeter distribution passages 146 by a plurality of bridging passages that are located at spaced-apart locations along the inner circumference or perimeter of the edge-feed plenum 152. In the example of FIG. 1, the bridging passages are provided by way of flowdivider features 154. Each flow-divider feature 154 may, for example, connect with the edgefeed plenum 152 at one location and then connect with the perimeter distribution passages at a plurality of locations. In some implementations, the flow-divider passages may bifurcate or branch one or more times in order to provide a single- or multi-level branching flow structure that may generally had bilateral symmetry in terms of flow paths leading from where the flowdivider feature 154 connects with the edge-feed plenum 152 to the locations where the flowdivider feature 154 connects with the perimeter distribution passage(s) 146.

[0100] The number and arrangement of gas distribution ports may, it will be understood, vary from what is shown. For example and as discussed earlier, the second gas distribution ports may, in some instances, be omitted entirely. In other implementations, there may be an increased or decreased number of first gas distribution ports 116 (and / or second gas distribution ports 118).

[0101] It will be apparent that the concepts discussed above may be implemented in a variety of ways. For example, in some implementations, there may be multiple perimeter distribution passages 146 and the body 110 may further include perimeter feeder passages that may act in a similar manner to the transverse feeder passages 140 but with respect to delivering process gas to the perimeter distribution passages 146.

[0102] FIG. 2 depicts a schematic of a portion of another example showerhead that is configured to supply one gas to an interior gas distribution zone and another gas to a perimeter gas distribution zone through such an arrangement of passages.

[0103] The elements of FIG. 2 are similar to those of FIG. 1. Unless discussed otherwise below, the discussion above pertaining to the elements of FIG. 1 is equally applicable to the similar elements in FIG. 2 that share the same last two digits of their callouts.

[0104] The implementation of FIG. 2 differs from that of FIG. 1 in that the second set of first gas distribution ports 216 includes a second ring of first gas distribution ports 216 (e.g., the first gas distribution ports 216 that correspond with the outermost first gas distribution ports 116 in the first set of first gas distribution ports 116 of FIG. 1) in addition to the outermost first gas distribution ports 216. The body 210 of FIG. 2 also differs from the body 110 of FIG. 1 in that the one or more perimeter distribution passages 246 include multiple perimeter distribution passages 246. For example, the perimeter distribution passages 246 are arranged in two “radial” tiers, e.g., positioned at two different radial distances from the center point of the body 210 that each include multiple discrete perimeter distribution passages 246. Similar to the body 110 of FIG. 1, the interior region 256 that contains the first set of first gas distribution ports 216 has at least some outermost boundaries that are defined by one or more of the perimeter distribution passages 246 — in this case, the six innermost perimeter distribution passages 246 define parts of six sides of the interior region 256.

[0105] A further difference between the body 210 and the body 110 is that the body 210 includes a perimeter feeder passage 248 (indicated in FIG. 2 by a thick black line with dual thinner- weight white dashed lines within it) that extends around the interior region 256. The perimeter feeder passage 248, may, in some implementations (and in contrast to the perimeter distribution passages 246), not intersect with the first gas distribution ports 216 within the body210. Moreover, there may be multiple perimeter feeder passages 248 in some implementations. For example, if there are three radial tiers of perimeter distribution passages 246, then there may be two radial tiers of perimeter feeder passages 248, with each perimeter feeder passage 248 radially interposed between radially adjacent sets of perimeter distribution passages 246. Second linking passages 250 (represented in FIG. 2 by a thick black line with dual thinnerweight solid white lines within it) may span between the perimeter feeder passage(s) 248 and the perimeter distribution passages 246 and serve to distribute process gas provided via the perimeter feeder passage 248 to the perimeter distribution passages 246. Each second linking passage 250 may, for example, intersect with a given one of the perimeter distribution passages 246 at locations midway between the locations where two adjacent first gas distribution ports 216 intersect with that perimeter distribution passage 246. The perimeter feeder passage 248 at each radial tier may also be broken up into discrete segments in some implementations, much like the perimeter distribution passages 246 are in this example.

[0106] In some implementations with multiple radial instances of the perimeter distribution passages 246 and with one or more perimeter feeder passages 248, at least one of the one or more perimeter feeder passages 248 maybe located within an outer or perimeter region 258 that is bounded between two sets of the perimeter distribution passages 246, e.g., a first set of one or more of the perimeter distribution passages 246 and a second set of one or more of the perimeter distribution passages 246. The perimeter distribution passages 246 in the first set of one or more of the perimeter distribution passages 246 may be radially inward of the perimeter distribution passages 246 in the second set of one or more of the perimeter distribution passages 246.

[0107] In some implementations, the first linking passages 242 may be designed so as to have equal, or nearly equal (e.g., within ±10% of one another) lengths, thereby generally providing for equivalent flow resistances between the first linking passages 242, which may, in turn, lead to greater uniformity in process gas flow from the first gas distribution ports 216 supplied with process gas via flow paths including those first linking passages 242. The second linking passages 250, if included, may similarly be designed to have equal or nearly equal lengths to provide a similar effect with respect to the first gas distribution ports 216 provided with process gas via flow paths that include those second linking passages 250.

[0108] A final difference between the implementation of FIG. 2 and that of FIG. 1 is that the edge feed plenum 252 is connected with the perimeter feeder passage 248 by way of a plurality of spoke passages, each of which extends between two of the perimeter distribution passages 246 before connecting up with the perimeter feeder passage 248.

[0109] While the above-discussed schematics convey the structure of showerheads constructed according to the concepts discussed herein, the such showerheads may also include other features or details not conveyed by such representations. FIGS. 3 through 10 depict various views of an example showerhead that is configured to supply one gas to an interior gas distribution zone and another gas to a perimeter gas distribution zone. FIG. 3 depicts a bottom isometric view of such an example showerhead, while FIG. 4 depicts a top isometric view of the example showerhead of FIG. 3. Generally speaking, the discussion set forth above with respect to the elements of FIGS. 1 and 2 is equally applicable to the elements in FIGS. 3 through 10 that are analogous thereto. Such analogous elements in FIGS. 3 through 10 are referred to by callouts having the same last two digits as counterpart elements in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0110] As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the example showerhead includes a body 310 that has a first side 312 that includes a plurality of first gas distribution ports 316 and a plurality of second gas distribution ports 318. As discussed earlier, the second gas distribution ports 318 may be optional in some implementations (and may thus be omitted in such implementations). An optional perimeter wall 320 may extend downward from the first side 312 and may, for example, be sized slightly larger than, for example, a pedestal that may be used to support a wafer during processing operations performed using the showerhead. This may allow, for example, the pedestal with the wafer to be raised up into the region circumferentially bounded by the perimeter wall 320 so that the wafer may be almost entirely enclosed between the pedestal, perimeter wall 320, and the first side 312 (except for a relatively thin circumferential gap that may exist between the outer edge of the pedestal and the inner surface of the perimeter wall 320.

[0111] It will be appreciated that while the first gas distribution ports 316 and the second gas distribution ports 318 are shown here as simple circular openings or orifices in the first side 312, other implementations may feature different designs of such gas distribution ports. For example, either or both of the first gas distribution ports 316 and the second gas distribution ports 318 may be threaded holes that may be configured such that threaded nozzle inserts can be screwed into the first gas distribution ports 316 and / or the second gas distribution ports 318. Such nozzle inserts may, in some instances, protrude some distance from the first side 312 of the body 310. For example, in a showerhead that has a perimeter wall 320, such as that depicted here, the nozzle inserts may, in some instances, extend away from the first side 312 to a point in between the bottom edge of the perimeter wall 320 and the first side 312. In some other implementations, the nozzle inserts may be designed to be flush or nearly flush with the first side 312.

[0112] As can be seen from FIG. 4, the second gas distribution ports 318 extend completely through, and to a second side 314 of, the body 310. The showerhead, in this case, is designed to interface with one or more other components so as to form a space above the showerhead that is able to be used to generate a plasma. For example, the showerhead may be designed to interface with a plasma dome (not shown) that may seal against a seal surface 322 that encircles the region containing the second gas distribution ports 318. The body 310 can also be seen to have multiple ports on the outside other than the first gas distribution ports 316 and the second gas distribution ports 318. For example, a first gas inlet 324 and a second gas inlet 326 are provided. The first gas inlet 324 may be used to provide process gas to the first gas distribution ports 316 that are within an interior region of the first side 312, while the second gas inlet 326 may be used to provide process gas to the first gas distribution ports 316 that are outside of the interior region.

[0113] The body 310 also includes a coolant inlet 328 and a coolant outlet 330. In this particular example, the showerhead is capable of being actively cooled by flowing a coolant through channels internal to the body 310. Such coolant may be introduced into the showerhead via the coolant inlet 328 and may be removed from the body 310 via the coolant outlet 330. If the showerhead in question does not have an active cooling capability, then the coolant inlet 328 and the coolant outlet 330 may be omitted from the body 310.

[0114] FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of the example showerhead of FIG. 3. In this example, the body 310 has been sliced into three different sections or layers by two sectioning planes, both of which are perpendicular to a centerline of the body 310. One sectioning plane extends through a set of cooling passages and the plenums that feed and receive coolant from such cooling passages, while the other sectioning plane extends through the transverse distribution passages of the body 310.

[0115] Each of these layers is depicted in various top views in FIGS. 6 through 10. For example, FIG. 6 depicts a top view of the example showerhead of FIG. 3. FIG. 7 depicts a top section view of the cooling passage layer of the example showerhead of FIG. 3. FIG. 8 depicts a top section view of the gas distribution layer of the example showerhead of FIG. 3. FIG. 9 depicts a top section view of an alternate design for the gas distribution layer of FIG. 3. FIG. 10 depicts a top section view of the example showerhead of FIG. 3 showing only the gas distribution ports that exit the underside of the example showerhead (this view is actually a section view of a sub-layer of the gas distribution layer, e.g., taken through a sectioning plane that is perpendicular to the body 310 centerline and in between the first side 312 and transverse distribution passages 338.

[0116] As can be seen in FIGS. 6 through 10, the body 310 includes an active cooling feature that includes a plurality of cooling passages 332 that extend transversely across the body 310. The cooling passages 332 are, in this example, wavy, e.g., they follow sinusoidal or other oscillatory paths that generally extend along axes that are transverse to the body 310 and in a plane that is perpendicular to the centerline of the body 310. The cooling passages 332 may, for example, each have a first end that is connected with a first cooling plenum 334a and a second end that is connected with a second cooling plenum 334b.

[0117] In some implementations, the cooling passages 332 may be spaced such that the second gas distribution ports 318 (if present) located in between each pair of adjacent cooling passages 332 are all located along a common respective axis and such that the portions of the cooling passages 332 that are closest to each of the second gas distribution ports 318 are all generally the same distance from the respective second gas distribution ports 318. Such an arrangement may help ensure cooling uniformity since each second gas distribution port 318 may be equidistant from the portions of the adjacent cooling passages 332 that it is closest to.

[0118] The cooling plenums 334a and 334b may, for example, be arcuate or curved in shape, with the cooling passages 332 connecting with them along inward-facing concave surfaces of the cooling passages 332. Of course, other arrangements of cooling plenums 334 may be implemented as well, such as linear, chevron, and / or segmented cooling plenums 334. The cooling plenums 334a and 334b may, in some instances, include one or more flow distribution features 336a and / or 336b, respectively. The flow distribution features 336a and 336b may, for example, be positioned within the cooling plenums 334a and 334b proximate the surfaces of the cooling plenums 334a and 334b that connect with the cooling passages 332 and may act to prevent or mitigate biasing effects that may cause fluid to flow less evenly through the cooling passages 332. For example, the cooling passages 332 that are directly in line with the coolant inlet 328 and the coolant outlet 330 may, due to the relatively direct flow path between those cooling passages 332 and the coolant inlet 328, normally receive a greater portion of the fluid flow received from the coolant inlet 328. However, if the flow distribution features 336a are positioned so as to block such direct fluid flow paths to those cooling passages 332, the flow of coolant is forced to take an indirect path to each of the cooling passages 332. A similar effect may be encountered, and mitigated similarly, in the other cooling plenum 334b. The flow distribution features 336 may, for example, be cylindrical, obround, or other cross- sectional posts that extend up from the floors of the cooling plenums 334a and 334b to the ceilings of the cooling plenums 334a and 334b.

[0119] Other types of internal cooling features may be included in place of the depicted cooling features, and actively cooled implementations of the showerheads discussed herein are not limited to only the specific cooling feature arrangement shown in FIGS. 5 and 7.

[0120] The cooling features in the depicted example body 310 are located in a layer of the body 310 that is in between the second side 314 and the layer of the body 310 that includes the transverse distribution passages 338. This may make it easier to route the cooling passages 332, as the cooling passages 332 need only be routed in between the second gas distribution ports 318 (if present) instead between both the second gas distribution ports 318 and the first gas distribution ports 316. However, in other implementations, the cooling passages 332 and the cooling plenums 334a and 334b may be located in a layer in between the first side 312 and the transverse distribution passages 338. Regardless, the cooling passages 332 and the cooling plenums 334a and 334b may all be kept fluidically isolated from the gas-carrying passages within the body 310, e.g., from the transverse distribution passages 338, the transverse feeder passages 340, the perimeter distribution passages 346, etc.

[0121] As can be seen in FIG. 8, the first gas inlet 324 and the second gas inlet 326 are fluidically connected with different sets of the first gas distribution ports 316 by way of flow paths that are fluidically isolated within the body 310 from one another. The first gas inlet 324 is connected with two manifold passages 344 that extend away from the point of connection along axes that are, in this example, 120° apart. Multiple transverse feeder passages 340 extend away from the manifold passages 344, traveling generally along axes that are parallel to one another and at, in this example, 120° from the manifold passage 344 to which each connects. Each transverse feeder passage 340 may then be connected with one or more of the transverse distribution passages 338 by way of a corresponding first linking passage 342.

[0122] It will be noted that in this example, the transverse distribution passages 338 extend along first axes 360, which are all parallel to, and evenly spaced apart from, one another (multiple first axes 360 are shown, but to avoid undue clutter, an additional first axis is shown at bottom left in the Figure — the first axes 360 for the transverse distribution passages 338 are parallel to the labeled first axis 360 but not separately called out). However, it will also be noted that the transverse distribution passages 338, like the cooling passages 332, follow wavy or generally sinusoidal paths, repeatedly crossing back and forth across their respective first axes 360. It will thus be understood that for a passage to “extend along” an axis refers not only to the passage in question following a linear path that is colinear with that axis, but also to the passage in question following a path that is locally non-linear but where such local nonlinearities may form a repeating linear pattern along such an axis, as is the case here. By havingthe transverse distribution passages 338, as well as the transverse feeder passages 340, follow such wavy or sinusoidal paths, the channels that provide the transverse distribution passages 338 and the transverse feeder passages 340 may generally be kept a maximum minimum distance away from the second gas distribution ports 318. For example, the minimum distance between such a passage and one of the second gas distribution ports 318 may be increased by moving the passage radially outward from the second gas distribution port, but at some point, the distance between the passage and another adjacent second gas distribution port will be less than the distance between the passage and the second gas distribution port that the passage is being moved away from. By having the passage be positioned halfway between the two adjacent second gas distribution ports 318, the minimum distance between the passage and those second gas distribution ports 318 may be maximized. Such wavy or sinusoidal paths may serve to accomplish such positioning. Such balanced positioning may help ensure that each second gas distribution port 318 has a minimum amount of thermal mass around it, e.g., a cylindrical volume that is bounded along a partial edge by one of the curved segments of the channel or passage.

[0123] In some implementations, e.g., such as that shown in FIG. 8, the first linking passages 342 that connect with a given transverse feeder passage 340 may connect with that transverse feeder passage 340 at locations that are offset from one another along the first axis 360 of that transverse feeder passage 340. In some such instances, the first linking passages 342 that connect with each transverse feeder passage 340 may be offset from one another by the same distances along the first axes 360. In yet some further such instances, the first linking passages 342 for at least some transverse feeder passages 340 maybe offset along the first axes 360 from the locations along the first axes 360 of the corresponding first linking passages 342 for neighboring transverse feeder passages 340. For example, in FIG. 8, it can be seen that for the transverse feeder passages 340 that are each connected with two first linking passages 342, the two first linking passages 342 that connect with each such transverse feeder passage are spaced apart such that three second gas distribution ports 318 are located along the upper right side of that transverse feeder passage 340 in between the two connection locations. However, it can also be seen that the first linking passages 342 at the ends of alternating transverse feeder passages 340 are at different distances from a centerline of the body that passes through the centers of the transverse distribution passages 338, thereby staggering the first linking passages 342 and further acting to more evenly distribute the gas flows directed along the transverse feeder passages 340 and the transverse distribution passages 338. This may further increasethe flow uniformity of process gases flowed out of the first gas distribution ports 316 in the first set of first gas distribution ports 316.

[0124] As can be further seen in FIG. 8, the perimeter distribution passage 346 (and, if present, the perimeter feeder passage(s)) may also follow wavy or sinusoidal paths, similar to the transverse distribution passages 338. The perimeter distribution passage 346, in this case, is provided with process gases from the second gas inlet 326 via an edge feed plenum 352 that connects with the perimeter distribution passage 346 via a plurality of flow-divider features 354 that are located at circumferentially equally spaced distances about the edge feed plenum 352. The edge feed plenum 352 may, for example, have a cross-section that is much larger, e.g., 5X or 10X larger, than the individual cross-sections of the flow-divider features 354 (or other passages) that connect the edge feed plenum 352 with the perimeter distribution passage 346. This may cause the pressure within the edge feed plenum 352 to generally equalize across the length of the edge feed plenum 352 and may, in turn, cause the pressure and flow conditions at the entrances to each of the flow-divider features 354 to be more uniform. This, in turn, may cause the flow rates of the process gas into each of the flow-divider features 354 to be more uniform and may thus lead to more uniform process gas distribution via the first gas distribution ports 316 that intersect with the perimeter distribution passage 346.

[0125] As noted earlier, FIG. 9 depicts an alternate implementation that is identical to that of FIG. 8 except that instead of there being a single, continuous perimeter distribution passage 346, there are multiple perimeter distribution passages 346 that are not connected with one another. Such an arrangement may still, however, produce a generally uniform distribution of the process gas provided by the second gas inlet to the first gas distribution ports 316 that intersect with the perimeter distribution passages 346.

[0126] FIG. 10, as noted earlier, depicts a top section view of the example showerhead of FIG. 3 showing only the gas distribution ports that exit the underside of the example showerhead. As can be seen, the first gas distribution ports 316 are arranged in an equilateral triangular lattice pattern, with the centers of the first gas distribution ports 316 arranged at the intersections between three sets of evenly spaced gridlines (not depicted) that are each rotated 60° from the other sets and wherein each intersection of a gridline in one set of gridlines with a gridline in one of the other sets of gridlines is also a point of intersection with a gridline in the third set of gridlines (thus, the gridlines form a mesh of equilateral triangles).

[0127] It can also be seen that each first gas distribution port 316 is surrounded by a triplet of second gas distribution ports 318 — a single instance of such a triple arrangement is shown at top, above the cross-sectional view. To better identify each first gas distribution port316 / second gas distribution port 318 triplet, each first gas distribution port 316 / second gas distribution port 318 triplet is bounded by a dotted triangular boundary. As can be seen, the orientations of the triangular boundaries in this example are all aligned with one another, but in other implementations, the orientations of such boundaries may, for example, be rotated so that a vertex of the triangular boundary is always pointing toward the centerline of the body 310.

[0128] FIG. 11 depicts an exploded view of another example showerhead. The showerhead 1100 of FIG. 11 is similar in external appearance to the showerhead 300, although with the first gas inlet in a different location and configuration. The showerhead 1100, however, has a different configuration of internal passages that provide a different gas distribution pattern from the showerhead 300. FIG. 12 depicts a top section view of a cooling layer of the example showerhead of FIG. 11, while FIG. 13 depicts a top section view of a gas distribution layer of the example showerhead of FIG. 11. FIG. 14 is the same as FIG. 13 but is provided for the purposes of showing an interior region 1156 and outer or peripheral region 1158 of the showerhead.

[0129] For example, instead of transverse distribution passages 338 being located in an interior region that is encircled by a perimeter distribution passage 346 located in an outer region that encloses the interior region, the showerhead 1100 features transverse distribution passages 1138 that are distributed within the outer or peripheral region 1158 that encloses the interior region 1156. The interior region 1156 may include one or more inner distribution passages 1145 that may deliver a first process gas provided via first gas inlet 1124 to first gas distribution ports (not shown in FIG. 11, but see first gas distribution ports 1116 in FIG. 13), while a second process gas may be delivered to the transverse distribution passages 1138 in the outer region 1158 via the second gas inlet 1126 for distribution through first gas distribution ports that intersect with those transverse distribution passages 1138.

[0130] The various structures called out in FIG. 11, as well as in subsequent FIGS. 12 and 13, with the same last two digits in their callouts as corresponding structures in FIGS. 3 through 10 may be assumed to be similar in structure as the corresponding structures in FIGS. 3 through 10, unless indicated otherwise via the discussion herein and / or what is depicted in FIGS. 11 through 13. The discussion provided earlier regarding elements of FIGS. 3 through 10 may be assumed to be equally applicable to the corresponding elements with the same last two digits in their callouts unless indicated otherwise by the context.

[0131] In this example, the transverse distribution passages 1138 are split into two sets — a first set where the transverse distribution passages 1138 each extend in a continuous mannerbetween two corresponding first gas distribution ports 1116 that are equidistantly spaced from a center axis of the interior region 1156, e.g., an axis passing through the first gas distribution port #Mml6 shown in the center of the body 1110, and a second set in which there are multiple pairs of transverse distribution passages 1138, with the transverse distribution passages 1138 in each pair of transverse distribution passages 1138 extending along a corresponding common first axis, e.g., having first axes that are coaxial with one another, and being separated from one another by the interior region 1156.

[0132] In this example, the outermost three transverse distribution passages 1138 on both sides (when evaluated relative to an axis that passes through the middle first gas distribution port 1116 and is parallel to the first axes of the transverse distribution passages 1138) are in the first set of transverse distribution passages 1138, while the three pairs of transverse distribution passages 1138 located in between the two sets of three transverse distribution passages 1138 in the first set of transverse distribution passages 1138 are in the second set of transverse distribution passages 1138.

[0133] In some implementations, the number of first gas distribution ports 1116 that intersect with each transverse distribution passage 1138 in each pair of transverse distribution passages 1138 in the second set of transverse distribution passages 1138 may be the same, e.g., each transverse distribution passages 1138 in a pair of transverse distribution passages 1138 may have the same number of first gas distribution ports 1116 that intersect with it.

[0134] In the depicted example, the transverse distribution passages 1138 are provided gas from an edge feed plenum 1152 that extends around at least some of the outer region 1158 containing the transverse distribution passages 1138. Gas from the second gas inlet(s) 1126 may be provided to the edge feed plenum 1152 and may then flow in both directions along the edge feed plenum 1152 and supplied to the transverse distribution passages 1138 in the outer region 1158 by way of transverse feeder passages 1140, which may, like the transverse feeder passages 340, extend in directions parallel to the first axes and in between adjacent transverse distribution passages 1138. In some implementations, a flow divider feature 1154 may be included in the passage extending from the second gas inlet(s) 1126 to the edge feed plenums 1152. Such a flow divider feature 1154 may be positioned midway across the width of such a passage and may act to generate a back pressure that may act to cause the gas flow past both sides of the flow divider feature 1154 to be more balanced, thereby more evenly distributing the gas flow between opposing halves of the edge feed plenum 1152. Each transverse feeder passage 1140 may be connected with one or both transverse distribution passages 1138 via corresponding linking passages 1142. Like in the showerhead of FIG. 3, the transverse feederpassages 1140 do not intersect with the first gas distribution ports 1116, whereas the transverse distribution passages 1138 do intersect with the first gas distribution ports 1116.

[0135] In some implementations, one or two linking passages 1142 may connect a given transverse distribution passage 1138 with one or two adjacent transverse feeder passages 1140. In some instances, each transverse feeder passage may connect with one adjacent transverse distribution passage 1138 via one linking passage 1142 and with another adjacent transverse distribution passage 1138 via another linking passage 1142 that connects with the transverse feeder passage 1140 on an opposite side thereof. In other instances, such as that depicted in FIGS. 11 through 13, one or more of the transverse feeder passages 1140 may each be connected with a corresponding single transverse distribution passage 1138 via one or more linking passages 1142, e.g., via two linking passages 1142.

[0136] In implementations in which two linking passages 1142 connect with a given transverse distribution passage 1138, each such linking passage 1142 may connect with that transverse distribution passage 1138 at locations that are equidistant from a midpoint of that transverse distribution passage 1138. Generally speaking, each linking passages 1142 may connect with one of the transverse distribution passages 1138 at locations that are midway between two first gas distribution ports 1116 that intersect with that transverse distribution passage 1138.

[0137] It will be noted that in some instances, the wavy paths that the transverse distribution passages 1138 and the transverse feeder passages 1140 follow transitions to two straight, parallel paths in regions where one of the linking passages 1142 connects a transverse distribution passage 1138 and a transverse feeder passage 1140. Such an arrangement may be practiced in locations where the linking passages 1142 would connect a transverse distribution passage 1138 and a transverse feeder passage 1140 at a location where such passages are spaced furthest apart (e.g., when both such passages are at “peak” wave heights in opposite directions), while other linking passages 1142 are positioned at locations between the transverse distribution passages 1138 and the transverse feeder passages 1140 where portions of such passages that do not include a first gas distribution port 1116 are at their closest (at “trough” wave heights in opposite directions). By replacing the “peak” segments of such transverse distribution passages 1138 and the transverse feeder passages 1140 with straight segments that are spaced apart by the same distance as the “trough” segments, the lengths of the linking passages 1142 may be kept the same for all linking passages 1142, thereby facilitating more even gas distribution by the showerhead.

[0138] FIGS. 15 and 16 may provide further insight. FIG. 15 depicts a linking passage 1142 that connects the “troughs” of a transverse distribution passage 1138 and a transverse feederpassage 1140; at this location, the linking passage 1142 may be considered to be X distance long. FIG. 16 depicts a linking passage 1142 that would, if the straight portions of the transverse distribution passage 1138 and the transverse feeder passage 1140 did not exist, have a length Y if otherwise positioned in the same lateral location (midway between two second gas distribution ports 1118 that are adjacent to one another along an axis parallel to the first axes along which the transverse distribution passages 1138 extend). However, by replacing the wave portion shown in dotted outline in FIG. 16 with a straight passage segment, as shown, the length of the linking passage 1142 in FIG. 16 may be reduced to X as well, thereby ensuring that the linking passages 1142 are generally all equal in length and avoiding potential flowbiasing issues that might arise if the linking passages 1142 on one side of the showerhead were to be shorter than on the other. For example, a linking passage 1142 of distance Y in length would be approximately 50% longer than a linking passage 1142 of distance X in length, which would cause there to be a noticeable difference in flow conductance between the two linking passages 1142.

[0139] In some implementations, one or more of the transverse distribution passages 1138 that are connected with adjacent transverse feeder passages 1140 by corresponding linking passages 1142 may each be divided into a corresponding first portion, a corresponding second portion, and a corresponding third portion, similar to transverse distribution passages discussed above with respect to the example of FIG. 1. The first portions, for example, may be the portions of such transverse distribution passages 1138 that are bracketed or spanning between the locations where the corresponding linking passages 1142 connect with those transverse distribution passages 1138, while the second and third portions of such transverse distribution passages 1138 may be the portions of those transverse distribution passages 1138 that extend away from the corresponding first portions of those transverse distribution passages 1138. For example, the second portions of those transverse distribution passages 1138 may be adjacent to, and extend away from one end of, the first portions of those transverse distribution passages 1138, while the third portions of those transverse distribution passages 1138 may be adjacent to, and extend away from the other end of, the first portions of those transverse distribution passages 1138. In some such implementations, the second portion and the third portion for one or more such transverse distribution passages 1138 may each intersect with equal numbers of the first gas distribution ports 1116. As in the example showerhead of FIG. 3, such arrangements may similarly reduce or minimize the potential for flow bias towards one end or the other of the transverse distribution passages 1138, thereby leading to more uniform gas distribution along the lengths of the transverse distribution passages and greater process uniformity. 1

[0140] In some implementations, all of the transverse distribution passages 1138 may connect with linking passages 1142 as discussed above, e.g., at locations in between adjacent first gas distribution ports 1116 that intersect with such transverse distribution passages 1138 and / or such that the second and third portions of each transverse distribution passage 1138 have corresponding equal numbers of the first gas distribution ports 1116 that intersect with that transverse distribution passage 1138.

[0141] As can be seen in FIGS. 11 through 13, the depicted showerhead also has a plurality of second gas distribution ports 1118 which are, like the second gas distribution ports 318, through-holes that extend from the first side of the body 1110 to the second side of the body 1110 and which are fluidically isolated from the transverse distribution passages 1138, the transverse feeder passages 1140, and the first gas distribution ports 1116. As with the example of FIG. 3, the first gas distribution ports 1116 and the second gas distribution ports 1118 may be arranged as shown in FIG. 10.

[0142] The one or more inner distribution passages 1145 in this example include a first inner distribution passage 1145 that forms a closed loop. The first gas distribution ports 1116 that intersect with the first inner distribution passage 1145 may generally define vertices of a polygon defining the interior region 1156. The inner distribution passages 1145 in this example also include a second inner distribution passage 1145 that extends from a first segment of the first inner distribution passage 1145 towards an interior of the closed loop, where it may terminate at the centermost first gas distribution port 1116. The body 1110 may also include an interior region feeder passage 1147 that may intersect with a second segment of the first inner distribution passage 1145 that is located opposite the first segment of the first inner distribution passage 1145 and may connect the inner distribution passages 1145 with the first gas inlet 1124.

[0143] As with the example of FIG. 3, the body 1110 also includes a coolant inlet 1128 and a coolant outlet 1130. In this particular example, the showerhead is capable of being actively cooled by flowing a coolant through channels internal to the body 1110. Such coolant may be introduced into the showerhead via the coolant inlet 1128 and may be removed from the body 1110 via the coolant outlet 1130. If the showerhead in question does not have an active cooling capability, then the coolant inlet 1128 and the coolant outlet 1130 may be omitted from the body 1110.

[0144] As can be seen in FIGS. 11 and 12, the body 1110 includes an active cooling feature that includes a plurality of cooling passages 1132 that extend transversely across the body 1110. The cooling passages 1132 are, in this example, wavy, e.g., they follow sinusoidal or otheroscillatory paths that generally extend along axes that are transverse to the body 1110 and in a plane that is perpendicular to the centerline of the body 1110. The cooling passages 1132 may, for example, each have a first end that is connected with a first cooling plenum 1134a and a second end that is connected with a second cooling plenum 1134b.

[0145] In some implementations, the cooling passages 1132 may be spaced such that the second gas distribution ports 1118 (if present) located in between each pair of adjacent cooling passages 1132 are all located along a common respective axis and such that the portions of the cooling passages 1132 that are closest to each of the second gas distribution ports 1118 are all generally the same distance from the respective second gas distribution ports 1118. Such an arrangement may help ensure cooling uniformity since each second gas distribution port 1118 may be equidistant from the portions of the adjacent cooling passages 1132 that it is closest to.

[0146] As with the cooling plenums 334, the cooling plenums 1134a and 1134b may, for example, be arcuate or curved in shape, with the cooling passages 1132 connecting with them along inward-facing concave surfaces of the cooling passages 1132. Of course, other arrangements of cooling plenums 1134 may be implemented as well, such as linear, chevron, and / or segmented cooling plenums 1134. The cooling plenums 1134a and 1134b may, in some instances, include one or more flow distribution features 1136a and / or 1136b, respectively. The flow distribution features 1136a and 1136b may, for example, be positioned within the cooling plenums 1134a and 1134b proximate the surfaces of the cooling plenums 1134a and 1134b that connect with the cooling passages 1132 and may act to prevent or mitigate biasing effects that may cause fluid to flow less evenly through the cooling passages 1132. For example, the cooling passages 1132 that are directly in line with the coolant inlet 1128 and the coolant outlet 1130 may, due to the relatively direct flow path between those cooling passages 1132 and the coolant inlet 1128, normally receive a greater portion of the fluid flow received from the coolant inlet 1128. However, if the flow distribution features 1136a are positioned so as to block such direct fluid flow paths to those cooling passages 1132, the flow of coolant is forced to take an indirect path to each of the cooling passages 1132. A similar effect may be encountered, and mitigated similarly, in the other cooling plenum 1134b. The flow distribution features 1136 may, for example, be cylindrical, obround, or other cross-sectional posts that extend up from the floors of the cooling plenums 1134a and 1134b to the ceilings of the cooling plenums 1134a and 1134b.

[0147] Other types of internal cooling features may be included in place of the depicted cooling features, and actively cooled implementations of the showerheads discussed herein are not limited to only the specific cooling feature arrangement shown in FIGS. 11 and 12.

[0148] While not shown, the showerhead depicted in FIGS. 11 through 13 may also have a perimeter wall 1120 in some implementations.

[0149] Furthermore, as with the showerhead of FIG. 3, it will be appreciated that while the first gas distribution ports 1116 and the second gas distribution ports 1118 are shown here as simple circular openings or orifices in the first side 1112, other implementations may feature different designs of such gas distribution ports. For example, either or both of the first gas distribution ports 1116 and the second gas distribution ports 1118 may be threaded holes that may be configured such that threaded nozzle inserts can be screwed into the first gas distribution ports 1116 and / or the second gas distribution ports 1118. Such nozzle inserts may, in some instances, protrude some distance from the first side 1112 of the body 1110. For example, in a showerhead that has a perimeter wall 1120, such as that depicted here, the nozzle inserts may, in some instances, extend away from the first side 1112 to a point in between the bottom edge of the perimeter wall 1120 and the first side 1112. In some other implementations, the nozzle inserts may be designed to be flush or nearly flush with the first side 1112.

[0150] Showerheads that are based on the concepts discussed above may offer several advantages. For example, and as discussed earlier, such showerheads may be able to deliver multiple different gases and / or mixtures of gases in different combinations (which may include identical combinations of gases but at different proportions) to different nominally concentric zones or regions beneath the showerhead. For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “concentric,” when used to refer to such zones or regions, at least, includes not only circular or annular zones or regions, but also regions or zones of other shapes, such as the hexagon regions or zones discussed earlier herein. In such instances, such non-circular shapes may still be considered to be “concentric” if, for example, one such non-circular shape has a perimeter that is offset inward or outward from the perimeter of another such shape by a similar offset amount in each direction.

[0151] Such a zone-based approach may allow for different process gas chemistries, or different ratios of the same process gas chemistry, to be applied to different radial zones or regions of a wafer placed beneath such a showerhead. This may, for example, facilitate edgespecific processing operations, e.g., allowing for increased (or reduced) process gas flow near the edges of a wafer in order to increase (or decrease) the rate at which a process, e.g., deposition or etching, occurs at the wafer edge as compared to the interior of the wafer.

[0152] As can be seen quite readily, the amount of free volume within the showerhead body may also be kept relatively small — the various flow paths generally represent a very small volume relative to the volume of the body that contains such flow paths.

[0153] For example, if one compares the depicted arrangement of flow paths with an alternate showerhead design (which is also within the scope of this disclosure) that avoids the use of discrete flow paths routed to each first gas distribution port, it will be apparent that the free volume of the flow paths to each first gas distribution port within the confines of the edge-feed plenum (which may, for the purposes of this comparison, be viewed as equal between the two designs) may be on the order of 100% to 200% larger than the free volume of an equivalent showerhead that implements the various concepts discussed herein.

[0154] FIG. 17, for example, depicts a cross-sectional view of a gas distribution layer for a similar showerhead but which features flow paths that do not follow discrete paths to each first gas distribution port. For purposes of illustration and comparison, the heights of the various flow paths in the example of FIG. 17 and the heights of the flow paths in the example of FIG. 8 are to be considered equal. For example, and as can be seen in FIG. 17, a showerhead body 1710 may include two, generally open plenum regions — a first plenum region 1770 that is provided process gas via a first gas inlet 1724 and a second plenum region 1772 that is provided process gas via a second gas inlet 1726. A first set of first gas distribution ports 1716 may intersect with the first plenum region 1770, while a second set of the first gas distribution ports 1716 may intersect with the second plenum region 1772. A plurality of pillars 1774, each of which has a second gas distribution port 1718 passing through it, may be distributed throughout both the first plenum region 1770 and the second plenum region 1772, as shown in FIG. 17. The pillars 1774 may act to as flow-dividing structures that help distribute process gas flow within each respective plenum region and may also serve to fluidically isolate the second gas distribution ports 1718 from the plenum regions. If desired, additional pillars 1774 (indicated by dotted outlines) without second gas distribution ports 1718 passing therethrough may be included to provide additional flow- splitting structures and further reduce the free volume within such plenums.

[0155] The first plenum region 1770 and the second plenum region 1772 may, for example, serve a similar purpose to the first plenum region 370 and the second plenum region 372 in the body 310 in FIG. 8, and may generally represent the free volumes of the gas flow paths within the body and within a cylindrical region bounded by the inner wall of the edge feed plenums 1752 and 352 (a dash-dot-dash circle is provided in FIG. 17 to indicate this cylindrical region).

[0156] In this example, the ratio of the free volume of the first plenum region 1770 to the overall volume bounded by the inner wall of the edge feed plenum 1752 and the top and bottom surfaces of the first plenum region 1770 is approximately 16% (12% if the optional pillars 1774 are included), while the ratio of the free volume of the second plenum region 1772 to the overallvolume bounded by the inner wall of the edge feed plenum 1752 and the top and bottom surfaces of the second plenum region 1772 is approximately 25% (22% if the optional pillars 1774 are included).

[0157] In comparison, similar ratios for the free volumes of the first plenum region 370 and the second plenum region 372 to the overall volume bounded by the inner wall of the edge feed plenum 352 (similarly indicated by a dash-dot-dash circle in FIG. 8) and the top and bottom surfaces of the first plenum region 1770 and the second plenum region 1772 are approximately 5% and 11%, respectively.

[0158] Thus, when the plenum regions in each of the bodies 810 and 1710 are viewed in aggregate, it can be seen that in this particular example, the ratio of the total free volume to the overall volume bounded by the inner wall of the edge feed plenums 352 / 1752 and the top and bottom surfaces of the first plenum regions 370 / 1770 and the second plenum regions 372 / 1772 are, respectively, -16% and 41% (34% if the optional pillars 1774 are included). Thus, the showerhead depicted in cross-section in FIG. 17 has between 100% and 200% more free volume within it than the design of the showerhead depicted in FIG. 8. A similar evaluation of the showerhead shown in FIGS. 11 through 13 yields equivalent volumetric ratios of 3% (for the first plenum, e.g., the interior region plenum) and 18% for the second plenum (the outer region plenum), resulting in a ratio of the total free volume to the overall volume bounded by the inner wall of the edge feed plenum 1152 and the top and bottom surfaces of the first and second plenum regions that is 21%, which is also significantly less than the 41% ratio exhibited by the showerhead design of FIG. 17.

[0159] While the amount of free volume reduction offered by showerhead designs such as those disclosed herein may vary depending on the specified dimensions used and the nature of the showerhead to which such a design is being compared, the showerhead designs disclosed herein may generally offer minimum or near-minimum free volumes inboard of the edge feed plenum as compared with most other showerhead designs, while at the same time providing for more uniform process gas delivery across the first and second sets of first gas distribution ports.

[0160] Such reduced free volumes in the showerhead concepts discussed earlier may significantly reduce the transient response time of such showerheads, e.g., the amount of time it takes for gas that is introduced to the first gas inlet or the second gas inlet to reach all of the gas distribution ports fluidically connected with that gas inlet. They may also significantly reduce the amount of process gas that needs to be supplied to the showerhead before process gas starts flowing out of all of the gas distribution ports of the showerhead. This may reduceprocess gas waste. Such improvements may, for example, scale generally proportionally with the reduction in free volume compared to other showerhead designs.

[0161] There may also be maintenance and manufacturing benefits to showerheads designed according to the principles discussed above. Showerheads that include features such as those described herein may be made of aluminum alloys, stainless steel, ceramics (such as aluminum oxide or aluminum nitride), etc., and may be manufactured in a variety of ways. In some instances, each showerhead body may include multiple discrete plates or structures, e.g., similar to the sections shown in FIG. 5, that may have one side in which some of the various cooling passages, transverse / perimeter distribution passages, or other passages discussed above are machined. Once the various plates / structures are fully machined, they may then be joined together, e.g., via brazing, diffusion bonding, etc., in order to form a single, integrated part that is hermetically sealed and that keeps the various different flow paths housed therein (e.g., a first flow path connected with the first gas inlet, a second flow path connected with the second gas inlet, and a third flow path for coolant) fluidically isolated from one another within the body of the showerhead.

[0162] In some alternate implementations, such showerheads may be manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques such as selective laser melting (SLM) (which may be used to produce ceramic or silicon versions of such showerheads) or direct metal laser melting (DMLM) (which may be used to produce metal versions thereof). In particular, the showerhead designs discussed herein may be particularly suitable for being manufactured using laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing techniques, which may include manufacturing processes such as SLM, DMLM, SLS (selective laser sintering), and DMLS (direct metal laser sintering), all of which may be used to create metal-based components (and some of which, like SLS and SLM, may be used to create ceramic-based components).

[0163] Regardless of what manufacturing technique is used to manufacture the showerheads discussed herein, it may be desirable to perform one or more cleaning operations on such showerheads prior to service or after being used in service for some period of time. In the case of a newly manufactured showerhead, such cleaning may be used to wash out any debris (particles remaining from machining or joining operations, unfused powder granules from additive manufacturing processes, etc.) or other residues (chemicals, cutting lubricants, etc.) that may be resident within the various passages housed within the body of the showerhead that may arise due to the manufacturing techniques used. In in-use showerheads, periodic cleaning operations may be performed to clean out any debris or particulates that may, in some cases, find their way into, or be generated within, one or more of such passages.

[0164] The showerhead designs discussed above may be particularly well-suited for such cleaning operations. For example, it will be noted that there are no areas of significant flow stagnation that exist in the depicted flow paths. For example, every surface of the various transverse distribution, transverse feeder, perimeter feeder, perimeter distribution, and first and second linking passages may, in some implementations, be within a short distance, e.g., on the order of 10mm or less, 9mm or less, 8mm or less, 7mm or less, 5mm or less, or 4mm or less of a shortest-distance flow path from either the first gas inlet or the second gas inlet to one or more of the first gas distribution ports. For clarity, the “shortest distance flow path” between two points refers to a hypothetical flow path that a fluid particle would flow along in traveling between the two points in as direct a manner as possible (given the constraints imposed by the walls of the passages that define such a flow path). Such an arrangement avoids or reduces the potential for areas of flow stagnation, e.g., where there are larger-width areas in which the fluid flow may experience a significant reduction in velocity as compared with smaller-width areas. Put another way, the cross-sectional areas of the transverse distribution, transverse feeder, perimeter feeder, perimeter distribution, and first and second linking passages (taken in planes perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow in each such passage) may, in some implementations, be kept to within a relatively small range, e.g., within 5 sq mm, within 10 sq mm, within 15 sq mm, within 20 sq mm, within 25 sq mm, within 30 sq mm, within 35 sq mm, within 40 sq mm, within 45 sq mm, or within 50 sq mm.

[0165] By arranging the passages and flow paths in such a manner, it is possible to maintain a relatively high fluid velocity through the passages of such showerheads during cleaning fluid flow, especially compared with designs in which the plenum regions are larger, open areas, e.g., like the plenum regions 1770 and 1772. For example, if water is flowed through a showerhead similar to those depicted in FIGS. 8 and 17 at an inlet velocity of 0.5 m / s, one may define “stagnant” flow to be at 10% of that inlet flow velocity. Under such conditions, almost none (or none) of the water flowed through the transverse distribution, transverse feeder, perimeter feeder, perimeter distribution, and first and second linking passages of the body 310 will drop low enough in velocity to be considered stagnant, while nearly all of the water flowed through open, pillar- filled volumes of the body 1710 will experience velocity drops sufficient to cause the water flow in these regions to be considered “stagnant.”

[0166] Showerheads with bodies such as the body 310 may, due to the fact that they suffer from a much reduced chance of having stagnant fluid flow within them, be better able to maintain elevated cleaning fluid flow rates throughout all of the flow paths contained therein, which may thus make such cleaning fluid flows better able to maintain higher pressures andvelocities that may be more effective at dislodging particles and other contaminants that may need to be removed from the showerhead. Such characteristics may also allow such showerheads to be more easily purged of process gases, e.g., by flowing an inert purge gas therethrough.

[0167] As mentioned earlier, showerheads designed according to the concepts discussed herein may be used in semiconductor processing tools to facilitate various semiconductor processing operations, such as deposition and / or etching operations. FIG. 18 depicts a schematic of one such tool, although showerheads constructed according to the designs discussed herein may also be used in other types of semiconductor processing tools in which it may be desirable to have segregated process gas flows delivered to the edge regions and interior regions of wafers, e.g., to help with radial process uniformity tuning between such edge and interior regions.

[0168] As can be seen in FIG. 18, a semiconductor processing tool 1800 may be equipped with a chamber 1802 that has a showerhead 1808 positioned above a pedestal 1804. The pedestal 1804 may be used to support a wafer 1806 during wafer processing operations.

[0169] The showerhead 1808, in this example, is a showerhead such as the example showerheads discussed herein, e.g., having the capability to flow process gas through a first set of first gas distribution ports 1816 in an interior region of the showerhead 1808 and through a second set of first gas distribution ports 1816 in a perimeter region of the showerhead that encircles the interior region of the showerhead 1808.

[0170] The semiconductor processing tool 1800, in this case, has a remote plasma generation capability. For example, the semiconductor processing tool 1800 may include a plasma dome 1884 that is made of a radio-frequency (RF) transmissive material, e.g., quartz, that may enclose a region above the showerhead 1808.

[0171] A plasma 1892 may be generated within the enclosed region above the showerhead 1808 by energizing a process gas that is provided to the enclosed region using RF energy provided via RF coils 1886. RF coils 1886 may be connected to an RF power source 1890 via a matching network 1888. Radicals from the energized process gas / plasma may flow towards the showerhead 1808, through second gas distribution ports 1818 that pass through the showerhead 1808, and across the wafer 1806.

[0172] The showerhead 1808, in this example, also includes active cooling features, e.g., similar to the cooling features discussed above with respect to various example showerheads discussed herein. The showerhead 1808 may, for example, receive coolant via a coolant inlet 1828, flow such coolant through a plurality of cooling passages internal to the showerhead 1808, and then exhaust the coolant via a coolant outlet 1830. The coolant may, for example,be circulated through the showerhead 1808 via a pump 1880. The pump 1880 may also pump the coolant through a chiller or cooler 1882 that may be controlled to cool the coolant to a desired temperature prior to being flowed through the showerhead 1808.

[0173] The showerhead 1808 may, as discussed above, have first gas distribution ports 1816 in different regions that may be configured to be able to provide process gases separately from one another, e.g., process gases in different concentrations, having different flow rates, having different compositions, and / or having different flow timing. For example, one or more first process gases may be flowed through a first gas inlet 1824 and out of the first gas distribution ports 1816 in the interior region of the showerhead 1808, while one or more second process gases may be flowed through a second gas inlet 1826 and out of the first gas distribution ports 1816 in the perimeter region of the showerhead 1808, as discussed earlier with respect to various example showerhead implementations.

[0174] The process gases flowed into the enclosed region above the showerhead 1808, as well as to the first gas inlet 1824 and the second gas inlet 1826, may be provided by a gas distribution system 1876 that may be connected with one or more gas sources 1878a-c. The gas distribution system 1876 may include a number of gas flow paths, e.g., provided by rigid and / or flexible tubing or machined manifold blocks, valves (including manually actuated and / or automated valves), pressure regulators, pressure sensors, flow meters (such as mass flow meters), heaters, filters, coolers, etc., and may be controllable by a controller 1894 so as to be able to cause selected gases or combinations of gases to be independently directed to each of the enclosed region above the showerhead 1808, the first gas inlet 1824, and the second gas inlet 1826. It will be appreciated that the gas sources 1878a-c may, in some instances, include more than three, or less than three, gases, and that the gas distribution system may be actuatable to control the flow (and composition) of the process gas(es) that are provided via the first gas distribution ports 1816 and the second gas distribution ports 1818 of the showerhead 1808.

[0175] The controller 1894 may also control various other aspects of the semiconductor processing tool 1800, including, but not limited to, the pump 1880 and the cooler 1882, the matching network 1888, the RF power source 1890, etc.

[0176] Generally speaking, the systems or tools discussed above may be integrated with electronics for controlling their operation before and after processing of a semiconductor wafer or substrate. The electronics, as noted above, may be referred to as the “controller,” which may control various components or subparts of the system or systems. The controller, depending on the processing requirements and / or the type of system, may be programmed to control any of the systems disclosed herein, including operation of the various valves and flowcontrol devices in the gas distribution system, operation of vertical lift mechanisms for moving lift pins up and down to raise and lower the wafer (lift pins may, for example, be pin-like structures that may extend through holes in the pedestal and may lie within the outer perimeter of the wafer (when present); causing the lift pins to protrude from the top of the pedestal may thus cause the wafer to be lifted off of the pedestal and allow, for example, a wafer handling robot to insert an end effector underneath the wafer — the wafer may then be lowered onto the end effector by causing the lift pins to retract into the pedestal, and the wafer may then be moved by the end effector), or various other components that may be included in, or provided in association with, semiconductor processing chambers or tools as described herein.

[0177] Broadly speaking, the controller may be defined as electronics having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive instructions, issue instructions, control operation, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, and the like. The integrated circuits may include chips in the form of firmware that store program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors, or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). Program instructions may be instructions communicated to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files), defining operational parameters for carrying out a particular operation using a semiconductor processing chamber as described herein.

[0178] The controller, in some implementations, may be a part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with, coupled to the system, otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller may be in the “cloud” or all or a part of a fab host computer system, which can allow for remote access of the wafer processing. The computer may enable remote access to the system to monitor current progress of fabrication operations, examine a history of past fabrication operations, examine trends or performance metrics from a plurality of fabrication operations, to change parameters of current processing, to set processing steps to follow a current process, or to start a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g. a server) can provide process recipes to a system over a network, which may include a local network or the Internet. The remote computer may include a user interface that enables entry or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then communicated to the system from the remote computer. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data, which specify parameters for each of the processing steps to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process to be performed and the type of tool that the controller is configured tointerface with or control. Thus, as described above, the controller may be distributed, such as by comprising one or more discrete controllers that are networked together and working towards a common purpose, such as the processes and controls described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such purposes would be one or more integrated circuits on a chamber in communication with one or more integrated circuits located remotely (such as at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) that combine to control a process gas flow operations to a showerhead as described herein.

[0179] Without limitation, semiconductor processing chambers as described herein may be connected with one or more other pieces of equipment, including a plasma etch chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin-rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a clean chamber or module, a bevel edge etch chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an atomic layer etch (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a track chamber or module, or any other semiconductor processing systems that may be associated or used in the fabrication and / or manufacturing of semiconductor wafers.

[0180] As noted above, depending on the process step or steps to be performed by the tool, the controller might communicate with one or more of other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout a factory, a main computer, another controller, or tools used in material transport that bring containers of wafers, e.g., FOUPs, to and from tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing factory.

[0181] For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “fluidically connected” is used with respect to volumes, plenums, holes, etc., that may be connected with one another, either directly or via one or more intervening components or volumes, in order to form a fluidic connection, similar to how the term “electrically connected” is used with respect to components that are connected together to form an electric connection. The term “fluidically interposed,” if used, may be used to refer to a component, volume, plenum, or hole that is fluidically connected with at least two other components, volumes, plenums, or holes such that fluid flowing from one of those other components, volumes, plenums, or holes to the other or another of those components, volumes, plenums, or holes would first flow through the “fluidically interposed” component before reaching that other or another of those components, volumes, plenums, or holes. For example, if a pump is fluidically interposed between a reservoir and an outlet, fluid that flowed from the reservoir to the outlet would first flow through the pump before reaching the outlet. The term"fluidically adjacent," if used, refers to placement of a fluidic element relative to another fluidic element such that there are no potential structures fluidically interposed between the two elements that might potentially interrupt fluid flow between the two fluidic elements. For example, in a flow path having a first valve, a second valve, and a third valve placed sequentially therealong, the first valve would be fluidically adjacent to the second valve, the second valve fluidically adjacent to both the first and third valves, and the third valve fluidically adjacent to the second valve.

[0182] The use, if any, of ordinal indicators, e.g., (a), (b), (c)... or (1), (2), (3)... or the like, in this disclosure and claims is to be understood as not conveying any particular order or sequence, except to the extent that such an order or sequence is explicitly indicated. For example, if there are three steps labeled (i), (ii), and (iii), it is to be understood that these steps may be performed in any order (or even concurrently, if not otherwise contraindicated) unless indicated otherwise. For example, if step (ii) involves the handling of an element that is created in step (i), then step (ii) may be viewed as happening at some point after step (i). Similarly, if step (i) involves the handling of an element that is created in step (ii), the reverse is to be understood. It is also to be understood that use of the ordinal indicator “first” herein, e.g., “a first item,” should not be read as suggesting, implicitly or inherently, that there is necessarily a “second” instance, e.g., “a second item.”

[0183] It is to be understood that the phrases “for each <item> of the one or more <items>,” “each <item> of the one or more <items>,” or the like, if used herein, are inclusive of both a single-item group and multiple-item groups, i.e., the phrase “for ... each” is used in the sense that it is used in programming languages to refer to each item of whatever population of items is referenced. For example, if the population of items referenced is a single item, then “each” would refer to only that single item (despite the fact that dictionary definitions of “each” frequently define the term to refer to “every one of two or more things”) and would not imply that there must be at least two of those items. Similarly, the term “set” or “subset” should not be viewed, in itself, as necessarily encompassing a plurality of items — it will be understood that a set or a subset can encompass only one member or multiple members (unless the context indicates otherwise).

[0184] The term “between,” as used herein and when used with a range of values, is to be understood, unless otherwise indicated, as being inclusive of the start and end values of that range. For example, between 1 and 5 is to be understood to be inclusive of the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, not just the numbers 2, 3, and 4.

[0185] The term “operatively connected” is to be understood to refer to a state in which two components and / or systems are connected, either directly or indirectly, such that, for example, at least one component or system can control the other. For example, a controller may be described as being operatively connected with a resistive heating unit, which is inclusive of the controller being connected with a sub-controller of the resistive heating unit that is electrically connected with a relay that is configured to controllably connect or disconnect the resistive heating unit with a power source that is capable of providing an amount of power that is able to power the resistive heating unit so as to generate a desired degree of heating. The controller itself likely cannot supply such power directly to the resistive heating unit due to the currents involved, but it will be understood that the controller is nonetheless operatively connected with the resistive heating unit.

[0186] It is understood that the examples and implementations described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art. Although various details have been omitted for clarity’s sake, various design alternatives may be implemented. Therefore, the present examples are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the disclosure is not to be limited to the details given herein but may be modified within the scope of the disclosure.

[0187] Implementation 1: An apparatus including: a body having a first side and a second side; transverse distribution passages located between the first side and the second side and extending along corresponding parallel first axes; and one or more inner distribution passages located in between the first side and the second side, where: the one or more inner distribution passages and the transverse distribution passages are fluidically isolated from each other within the body; and first gas distribution ports are distributed across the first side of the body, where: each first gas distribution port in a first set of the first gas distribution ports intersects with one of the transverse distribution passages within the body, each first gas distribution port in a second set of the first gas distribution ports intersects with one of the one or more inner distribution passages within the body, and the one or more inner distribution passages are located within an interior region of the body and the transverse distribution passages are located within an outer region of the body, where the interior region is contained within the outer region.

[0188] Implementation 2: The apparatus of implementation 1, further including transverse feeder passages, where at least some of the transverse distribution passages are each located between two adjacent transverse feeder passages and one or more of the transverse feeder passages are each located between two adjacent transverse distribution passages.

[0189] Implementation 3: The apparatus of implementation 2, where none of the first gas distribution ports intersect the transverse feeder passages.

[0190] Implementation 4: The apparatus of implementation 2, further including first linking passages, each first linking passage connecting a corresponding one of the transverse feeder passages with a corresponding one of the transverse distribution passages.

[0191] Implementation 5: The apparatus of implementation 4, where each first linking passage intersects the transverse distribution passage to which that first linking passage connects at a location between a corresponding pair of the first gas distribution ports that are adjacent to one another and that intersect the transverse distribution passage to which that first linking passage connects.

[0192] Implementation 6: The apparatus of implementation 4, where a first transverse distribution passage of the transverse distribution passages is connected with two transverse feeder passages via corresponding first linking passages.

[0193] Implementation 7: The apparatus of implementation 6, where the corresponding first linking passages connected with the first transverse distribution passage connect with the first transverse distribution passage at locations that are equidistant from a midpoint of the first transverse distribution passage.

[0194] Implementation 8: The apparatus of implementation 4, where a first transverse distribution passage of the transverse distribution passages is connected with one of the transverse feeder passages via two corresponding first linking passages.

[0195] Implementation 9: The apparatus of implementation 8, where the corresponding first linking passages connected with the first transverse distribution passage connect with the first transverse distribution passage at locations that are equidistant from a midpoint of the first transverse distribution passage.

[0196] Implementation 10: The apparatus of implementation 7, where: the first transverse distribution passage has a first portion spanning between locations where the corresponding first linking passages connect with the first transverse distribution passage, the first transverse distribution passage has a second portion adjacent to, and extending away from one end of, the first portion,the first transverse distribution passage has a third portion adjacent to, and extending away from the other end of, the first portion, and equal numbers of the first gas distribution ports intersect with the second portion and the third portion.

[0197] Implementation 11: The apparatus of implementation 2, where: each transverse distribution passage in a first set of the transverse distribution passages extends in a continuous manner between two corresponding first gas distribution ports of the first gas distribution ports that are equidistantly spaced from a center axis of the interior region; each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages is connected with two corresponding linking passages; each corresponding linking passage for each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages connects that transverse distribution passage with one of the transverse feeder passages; and the corresponding linking passages connected with each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages connect with that transverse distribution passage at locations that are equidistant from a midpoint of that transverse distribution passage.

[0198] Implementation 12: The apparatus of implementation 11, where: a second set of the transverse distribution passages includes one or more pairs of the transverse distribution passages, the first axes of the transverse distribution passages in each pair of the transverse distribution passages in the second set of the transverse distribution passages are coaxial, the transverse distribution passages in each pair of the transverse distribution passages in the second set of the transverse distribution passages are separated from one another by the interior region.

[0199] Implementation 13: The apparatus of implementation 12, where, for each pair of transverse distribution passages in the second set of the transverse distribution passages, an equal number of first gas distribution ports intersects with each transverse distribution passage in that pair of transverse distribution passages.

[0200] Implementation 14: The apparatus of implementation 11, where: each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages has a corresponding first portion spanning between locations where the corresponding linking passages that connect with that transverse distribution passage connect with that first transverse distribution passage,each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages has a corresponding second portion adjacent to, and extending away from one end of, the corresponding first portion of that transverse distribution passage, each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages has a corresponding third portion adjacent to, and extending away from the other end of, the corresponding first portion of that transverse distribution passage, and the corresponding second portion and the corresponding third portion for each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages intersect with corresponding equal numbers of the first gas distribution ports.

[0201] Implementation 15: The apparatus of any one of implementations 1 through 14, where the first gas distribution ports are arranged in a triangular lattice pattern.

[0202] Implementation 16: The apparatus of any one of implementations 1 through 14, further including second gas distribution ports distributed across the first side of the body.

[0203] Implementation 17: The apparatus of implementation 16, where each of the first gas distribution ports has a corresponding subset of the second gas distribution ports arranged thereabout and equidistantly spaced therefrom.

[0204] Implementation 18: The apparatus of implementation 17, and including the elements of implementation 15, where the subsets of the second gas distribution ports are arranged in the same triangular lattice pattern as the first gas distribution ports.

[0205] Implementation 19: The apparatus of implementation 16, where the second gas distribution ports extend through the body to the second side of the body.

[0206] Implementation 20: The apparatus of implementation 19, where the second gas distribution ports are larger than the first gas distribution ports.

[0207] Implementation 21: The apparatus of any one of implementation 16, where the second gas distribution ports are fluidically isolated within the body from the transverse distribution passages, the one or more inner distribution passages, and the first gas distribution ports.

[0208] Implementation 22: The apparatus of any one of implementations 1 through 14, where at least one of the transverse distribution passages follows a wavy path along the corresponding first axis.

[0209] Implementation 23: The apparatus of any one of implementations 1 through 14, where each of the transverse distribution passages extends along a corresponding wavy path along the corresponding first axis.

[0210] Implementation 24: The apparatus of any one of implementations 1 through 14, where the one or more inner distribution passages includes a first inner distribution passage that defines a closed loop.

[0211] Implementation 25. The apparatus of implementation 24, where the one or more inner distribution passages further includes a second inner distribution passage that extends into an interior of the closed loop from a first segment of the first inner distribution passage and that terminates at one of the first gas distribution ports located within the interior region.

[0212] Implementation 26. The apparatus of implementation 25, further including a first gas inlet and an interior region feeder passage, where the interior region feeder passage fluidically connects the first gas inlet with a second segment of the first inner distribution passage opposite the first segment of the first inner distribution passage.

[0213] Implementation 27: The apparatus of any one of implementations 1 through 14, further including: one or more coolant inlets; one or more coolant outlets; and cooling passages located within the body, where: the cooling passages fluidically connect the one or more coolant inlets with the one or more coolant outlets, and the cooling passages are fluidically isolated within the body from the transverse distribution passages, the one or more inner distribution passages, and the first gas distribution ports.

[0214] Implementation 28: The apparatus of any one of implementations 1 through 14, further including: a processing chamber; a showerhead that includes the body; and a pedestal located within the processing chamber and positioned below the showerhead.

[0215] Implementation 29: An apparatus including: a body having a first side and a second side; transverse distribution passages located between the first side and the second side and extending along corresponding parallel first axes; one or more perimeter distribution passages located in between the first side and the second side, where: the one or more perimeter distribution passages includes a first set of one or more perimeter distribution passages, andthe one or more perimeter distribution passages and the transverse distribution passages are fluidically isolated from each other within the body; and first gas distribution ports distributed across the first side of the body, where: each first gas distribution port in a first set of the first gas distribution ports intersects with one of the transverse distribution passages within the body, each first gas distribution port in a second set of the first gas distribution ports intersects with one of the one or more perimeter distribution passages within the body, and the one or more perimeter distribution passages in the first set of one or more perimeter distribution passages define one or more outermost boundaries of an interior region that contains the first set of the first gas distribution ports.

[0216] Implementation 30: The apparatus of implementation 29, further including transverse feeder passages, where at least some of the transverse distribution passages are each located between two adjacent transverse feeder passages and one or more of the transverse feeder passages are each located between two adjacent transverse distribution passages.

[0217] Implementation 31 : The apparatus of implementation 30, where none of the first gas distribution ports intersect the transverse feeder passages.

[0218] Implementation 32: The apparatus of implementation 30, further including first linking passages, each first linking passage connecting a corresponding one of the transverse feeder passages with a corresponding one of the transverse distribution passages.

[0219] Implementation 33: The apparatus of implementation 32, where each first linking passage intersects the transverse distribution passage to which that first linking passage connects at a location between a corresponding pair of the first gas distribution ports that are adjacent to one another and that intersect the transverse distribution passage to which that first linking passage connects.

[0220] Implementation 34: The apparatus of implementation 32, where a first transverse distribution passage of the transverse distribution passages is connected with two transverse feeder passages via corresponding first linking passages.

[0221] Implementation 35: The apparatus of implementation 34, where the corresponding first linking passages connected with the first transverse distribution passage connect with the first transverse distribution passage at locations that are equidistant from a midpoint of the first transverse distribution passage.

[0222] Implementation 36: The apparatus of implementation 35, where:the first transverse distribution passage has a first portion spanning between locations where the corresponding first linking passages connect with the first transverse distribution passage, the first transverse distribution passage has a second portion adjacent to, and extending away from one end of, the first portion, the first transverse distribution passage has a third portion adjacent to, and extending away from the other end of, the first portion, and equal numbers of the first gas distribution ports intersect with the second portion and the third portion.

[0223] Implementation 37: The apparatus of implementation 32, where each transverse distribution passage of the transverse distribution passages is connected with the transverse feeder passages adjacent thereto via corresponding first linking passages.

[0224] Implementation 38: The apparatus of implementation 36, where the corresponding first linking passages connected with each transverse distribution passage connect with that transverse distribution passage at locations that are equidistant from a midpoint of that transverse distribution passage.

[0225] Implementation 39: The apparatus of implementation 38, where: each transverse distribution passage has a corresponding first portion spanning between locations where the corresponding first linking passages that connect with that transverse distribution passage connect with that first transverse distribution passage, each transverse distribution passage has a corresponding second portion adjacent to, and extending away from one end of, the corresponding first portion of that transverse distribution passage, each transverse distribution passage has a corresponding third portion adjacent to, and extending away from the other end of, the corresponding first portion of that transverse distribution passage, and the corresponding second portion and the corresponding third portion for each transverse distribution passage intersect with corresponding equal numbers of the first gas distribution ports.

[0226] Implementation 40: The apparatus of any one of implementations 29 through 39, where the first gas distribution ports are arranged in a triangular lattice pattern.

[0227] Implementation 41: The apparatus of any one of implementations 29 through 40, further including second gas distribution ports distributed across the first side of the body.

[0228] Implementation 42: The apparatus of implementation 41, where each of the first gas distribution ports has a corresponding subset of the second gas distribution ports arranged thereabout and equidistantly spaced therefrom.

[0229] Implementation 43: The apparatus of implementation 42, and including the elements of implementation 40, where the subsets of the second gas distribution ports are arranged in the same triangular lattice pattern as the first gas distribution ports.

[0230] Implementation 44: The apparatus of any one of implementations 41 through 43, where the second gas distribution ports extend through the body to the second side of the body.

[0231] Implementation 45: The apparatus of implementation 44, where the second gas distribution ports are larger than the first gas distribution ports.

[0232] Implementation 46: The apparatus of any one of implementations 41 through 45, where the second gas distribution ports are fluidically isolated within the body from the transverse distribution passages, the one or more perimeter distribution passages, and the first gas distribution ports.

[0233] Implementation 47: The apparatus of any one of implementations 29 through 46, where at least one of the transverse distribution passages follows a wavy path along the corresponding first axis.

[0234] Implementation 48: The apparatus of any one of implementations 29 through 46, where each of the transverse distribution passages extends along a corresponding wavy path along the corresponding first axis.

[0235] Implementation 49: The apparatus of any one of implementations 29 through 48, where the first set of one or more perimeter distribution passages includes only a single perimeter distribution passage and the single perimeter distribution passage in the first set of one or more perimeter distribution passages defines at least 90% of the outermost boundaries of the interior region that includes the transverse distribution passages.

[0236] Implementation 50: The apparatus of any one of implementations 29 through 49, further including second linking passages and one or more perimeter feed passages, where: the one or more perimeter feed passages do not intersect with any of the first gas distribution ports, and each second linking passage connects between one of the one or more perimeter feed passages and one of the one or more perimeter distribution passages.

[0237] Implementation 51: The apparatus of implementation 50, where: the one or more perimeter distribution passages further includes a second set of one or more perimeter distribution passages, andat least one of the one or more perimeter feed passages is within a perimeter region bounded between the one or more perimeter distribution passages in the first set of one or more perimeter distribution passages and the one or more perimeter distribution passages in the second set of one or more perimeter distribution passages.

[0238] Implementation 52: The apparatus of any one of implementations 29 through 51, further including: one or more coolant inlets; one or more coolant outlets; and cooling passages located within the body, where: the cooling passages fluidically connect the one or more coolant inlets with the one or more coolant outlets, and the cooling passages are fluidically isolated within the body from the transverse distribution passages, the one or more perimeter distribution passages, and the first gas distribution ports.

[0239] Implementation 53: The apparatus of any one of implementations 29 through 52, further including: a processing chamber; a showerhead that includes the body; and a pedestal located within the processing chamber and positioned below the showerhead.

[0240] It is to be understood that the above disclosure, while focusing on a particular example implementation or implementations, is not limited to only the discussed example, but may also apply to similar variants and mechanisms as well, and such similar variants and mechanisms are also considered to be within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising: a body having a first side and a second side; transverse distribution passages located between the first side and the second side and extending along corresponding parallel first axes; and one or more inner distribution passages located in between the first side and the second side, wherein: the one or more inner distribution passages and the transverse distribution passages are fluidically isolated from each other within the body; and first gas distribution ports are distributed across the first side of the body, wherein: each first gas distribution port in a first set of the first gas distribution ports intersects with one of the transverse distribution passages within the body, each first gas distribution port in a second set of the first gas distribution ports intersects with one of the one or more inner distribution passages within the body, and the one or more inner distribution passages are located within an interior region of the body and the transverse distribution passages are located within an outer region of the body, wherein the interior region is contained within the outer region.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising transverse feeder passages, wherein at least some of the transverse distribution passages are each located between two adjacent transverse feeder passages and one or more of the transverse feeder passages are each located between two adjacent transverse distribution passages.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein none of the first gas distribution ports intersect the transverse feeder passages.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising first linking passages, each first linking passage connecting a corresponding one of the transverse feeder passages with a corresponding one of the transverse distribution passages.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each first linking passage intersects the transverse distribution passage to which that first linking passage connects at a location between a corresponding pair of the first gas distribution ports that are adjacent to one anotherand that intersect the transverse distribution passage to which that first linking passage connects.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a first transverse distribution passage of the transverse distribution passages is connected with two transverse feeder passages via corresponding first linking passages.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the corresponding first linking passages connected with the first transverse distribution passage connect with the first transverse distribution passage at locations that are equidistant from a midpoint of the first transverse distribution passage.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a first transverse distribution passage of the transverse distribution passages is connected with one of the transverse feeder passages via two corresponding first linking passages.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the corresponding first linking passages connected with the first transverse distribution passage connect with the first transverse distribution passage at locations that are equidistant from a midpoint of the first transverse distribution passage.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein: the first transverse distribution passage has a first portion spanning between locations where the corresponding first linking passages connect with the first transverse distribution passage, the first transverse distribution passage has a second portion adjacent to, and extending away from one end of, the first portion, the first transverse distribution passage has a third portion adjacent to, and extending away from the other end of, the first portion, and equal numbers of the first gas distribution ports intersect with the second portion and the third portion.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: each transverse distribution passage in a first set of the transverse distribution passages extends in a continuous manner between two corresponding first gas distribution ports of the first gas distribution ports that are equidistantly spaced from a center axis of the interior region; each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages is connected with two corresponding linking passages; each corresponding linking passage for each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages connects that transverse distribution passage with one of the transverse feeder passages; and the corresponding linking passages connected with each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages connect with that transverse distribution passage at locations that are equidistant from a midpoint of that transverse distribution passage.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein: a second set of the transverse distribution passages includes one or more pairs of the transverse distribution passages, the first axes of the transverse distribution passages in each pair of the transverse distribution passages in the second set of the transverse distribution passages are coaxial, the transverse distribution passages in each pair of the transverse distribution passages in the second set of the transverse distribution passages are separated from one another by the interior region.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein, for each pair of transverse distribution passages in the second set of the transverse distribution passages, an equal number of first gas distribution ports intersects with each transverse distribution passage in that pair of transverse distribution passages.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein: each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages has a corresponding first portion spanning between locations where the corresponding linking passages that connect with that transverse distribution passage connect with that first transverse distribution passage,each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages has a corresponding second portion adjacent to, and extending away from one end of, the corresponding first portion of that transverse distribution passage, each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages has a corresponding third portion adjacent to, and extending away from the other end of, the corresponding first portion of that transverse distribution passage, and the corresponding second portion and the corresponding third portion for each transverse distribution passage in the first set of the transverse distribution passages intersect with corresponding equal numbers of the first gas distribution ports.

15. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 through 14, further comprising second gas distribution ports distributed across the first side of the body.

16. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 through 14, wherein the one or more inner distribution passages comprises a first inner distribution passage that defines a closed loop.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more inner distribution passages further comprises a second inner distribution passage that extends into an interior of the closed loop from a first segment of the first inner distribution passage and that terminates at one of the first gas distribution ports located within the interior region.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a first gas inlet and an interior region feeder passage, wherein the interior region feeder passage fluidically connects the first gas inlet with a second segment of the first inner distribution passage opposite the first segment of the first inner distribution passage.

19. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 through 14, further comprising: one or more coolant inlets; one or more coolant outlets; and cooling passages located within the body, wherein: the cooling passages fluidically connect the one or more coolant inlets with the one or more coolant outlets, andthe cooling passages are fluidically isolated within the body from the transverse distribution passages, the one or more inner distribution passages, and the first gas distribution ports.

20. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 through 14, further comprising: a processing chamber; a showerhead that comprises the body; and a pedestal located within the processing chamber and positioned below the showerhead.

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