Fluid flow control for substrate processing chambers

Abstract

An embodiment of a gas confiner for a substrate processing chamber. The gas confiner includes a body having a pair of major sides and a pair of minor sides, wherein the pair of minor sides are shorter than the pair of major sides. In addition, the body includes an outer edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides and an inner edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides. Further, the body includes an opening through the body defined by the inner edge. A thickness of the body is different along the pair of major sides than along the pair of minor sides.

Description

PATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01FLUID FLOW CONTROL FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING CHAMBERS CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 721,344, filed November 15, 2024, and entitled “Corner Flow Enhanced Shadow Frame,” which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.BACKGROUND

[0002] Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to substrate processing chambers, and more particularly to systems for controlling fluid flow within substrate processing chambers.

[0003] Electronic display panels (such as liquid crystal displays, organic lightemitting diode (OLED) displays, etc.) may include one or more layers or devices that have or include thin films deposited thereon. The thin films may be formed on a layer (or substrate) of a display panel by use of a material deposition process, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), etc. In some cases, the deposition process may be enhanced by use of plasma, such as plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD), plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD), etc.SUMMARY

[0004] Some embodiments disclosed herein are directed to a gas confiner for a substrate processing chamber. The gas confiner comprises a body including a pair of major sides and a pair of minor sides, where the pair of minor sides are shorter than the pair of major sides. In addition, the body of the gas confiner includes an outer edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides, an inner edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides, and an opening through the body defined by the inner edge. A thickness of the body is different along the pair of major sides than along the pair of minor sides.

[0005] Some embodiments disclosed herein are directed to a substrate processing chamber. The substrate processing chamber includes a plurality of chamber walls, a substrate support, a diffuser positioned above the substrate support, and a gas confiner positioned on the substrate support. The gas confiner comprises a body including a pair of major sides and a pair of minor sides, whereinPATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01the pair of minor sides are shorter than the pair of major sides. In addition, the body of the gas confiner includes an outer edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides, wherein the outer edge is configured to oppose the plurality of chamber walls. Further, the body of the gas confiner includes an inner edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides, wherein the inner edge is configured to circumscribe a substrate positioned on the substrate support. Still further, the body of the gas confiner includes a plurality of corners that join the pair of major sides to the pair of minor sides, wherein the plurality of comers are shaped so that a distance between the plurality of chamber walls and the outer edge is greater along than plurality of corners than along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides.

[0006] Some embodiments disclosed herein are directed to a gas confiner for a substrate processing chamber. The gas confiner comprises a body including a pair of major sides and a pair of minor sides, wherein the pair of minor sides are shorter than the pair of major sides. In addition, the body of the gas confiner includes an outer edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides, an inner edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides, and a central opening defined by the inner edge. Further, the body of the gas confiner includes one or more recesses that extend into an upper side of the body and between the outer edge and the inner edge, wherein the one or more recesses are configured to increase a local fluid velocity radially across the gas confiner.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] For a detailed description of various exemplary embodiments, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of a substrate processing chamber including a confiner assembly according to some embodiments disclosed herein;

[0009] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along section A-A in FIG. 1 according to some embodiments disclosed herein;

[0010] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a confiner of the confiner assembly of FIG.1 according to some embodiments disclosed herein;PATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01

[0011] FIGS. 4 and 5 are detailed views of a recessed corner of the confiner of FIG. 3 according to some embodiments disclosed herein;

[0012] FIG. 6 is a top view of the confiner of FIG. 3 including one or more electrically insulating inserts attached thereto according to some embodiments disclosed herein;

[0013] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along section B-B in FIG. 6 according to some embodiments disclosed herein;

[0014] FIGS. 8A-8C are schematic top views of the confiner of FIG. 3, including electrically insulating inserts attached thereto according to some embodiments disclosed herein;

[0015] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along section A-A in FIG.1 that shows one or more recesses formed or defined on the confiner according to some embodiments disclosed herein;

[0016] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the confiner of the confiner assembly of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments disclosed herein;

[0017] FIGS. 11 and 12 are detailed cross-sectional views illustrating the spacing between the confiner and the diffuser of the substrate processing chamber of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments disclosed herein; and

[0018] FIG. 13 is a detailed cross-sectional view showing the confiner of the substrate processing chamber of FIG. 1 configured as a shadow frame according to some embodiments disclosed herein.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Thin films may be deposited on a layer or substrate of an electronic display panel (or “display panel”) by use of a deposition process (such as CVD, ALD, PECVD, PEALD, etc.). For example, PECVD may be employed to deposit thin films on a substrate such as a transparent substrate for a panel display or a semiconductor wafer. PECVD is generally accomplished by introducing a processing fluid that includes a precursor gas or gas mixture into a vacuum chamber that contains the substrate. The processing fluid is typically directed downwardly through a distribution plate (or “diffuser”) situated near the top of the chamber. The precursor gas or gas mixture of the processing fluid in the chamber is energized (e.g., excited) into a plasma by applying radio frequency (RF) power to the chamberPATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01from one or more RF sources coupled to the chamber. The excited gas or gas mixture reacts to form a layer of material, e.g., silicon nitride (SiNx), on a surface of the substrate that is positioned on a temperature controlled substrate support. The silicon nitride layer may form passivation layers, gate insulators, and / or buffer layers for a low temperature poly silicon (LTPS) film stack in the next generation thin film transistors (TFTs) and active matrix organic light emitting diodes (AMOLEDs). TFT and AMOLED are but two example types of devices for forming display panels.

[0020] During a deposition process, material may be deposited not only on the substrate but also on other surfaces within the processing chamber. A gas confiner or shadow frame may be placed on top of the substrate support to prevent the deposition of materials on the substrate support that underlies the substrate. The terms “gas confiner” or “confiner” are collectively used herein to refer to both gas confiners and shadow frames for efficiency and simplicity. Nevertheless, additional materials may still be deposited on surfaces within the processing chamber.Accordingly, from time to time, the processing chamber may be cleaned by flowing a cleaning fluid (such as a gas, plasma, or combination thereof) therethrough.

[0021] The efficiency and effectiveness of operations within a processing chamber, such as deposition, etching, or cleaning operations, may be dependent upon the fluid flow through the processing chamber. For instance, if fluid (such as processing fluid or cleaning fluid) is not properly dispersed and flowed within the processing chamber, the uniformity of deposition on the substrate and / or cleaning within the processing chamber may be negatively affected. In addition, the efficiency and effectiveness of purging operations, wherein fluids (such as processing fluids, cleaning fluids, etc.) are swept or purged from the processing chamber, may be greatly dependent upon the fluid flow through the processing chamber.

[0022] Accordingly, embodiments disclosed herein include systems for selectively routing and directing working fluids within a substrate processing chamber that provide a desired distribution and flow during operations. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the systems include confiner assemblies that are configured to direct working fluid off of a substrate support (or substrate positioned thereon) toward an outlet of the processing chamber. In some embodiments, which may be combined with otherPATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01embodiments, the confiner assemblies may be configurable to ensure a more uniform flow of fluid within the processing chamber. Thus, through use of the embodiments disclosed herein, the uniformity of a deposition or cleaning operation in a substrate processing chamber, such as a processing chamber for large substrates of a display panel, may be improved.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-section view of one embodiment of a processing chamber 100 (or “chamber” 100) for depositing one or more materials, films, etc. on a substrate 140. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the processing chamber 100 may be configured to deposit materials on large substrates that may be used in electronic display panels. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the processing chamber 100 may be configured as PECVD chamber that is configured to at least partially form electronic devices, such as TFTs and AMOLEDs, on the substrate 140. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the chamber 100 may be configured to remove or “etch” one or more materials off of a substrate either in lieu of or in addition to deposition materials thereon according to some embodiments disclosed herein.

[0024] The chamber 100 generally includes chamber walls 102 (or “walls” 102), a bottom 104, a gas distribution plate (or “diffuser”) 110, and a substrate support 130 which define a process volume 106. The process volume 106 may be accessed through a sealable slit valve 108 formed through the walls 102 such that a substrate 140 may be transferred in and out of the chamber 100. The walls 102 support a lid 190. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the walls 102 and bottom 104 may be fabricated from a unitary block of aluminum or other material compatible with processing.

[0025] In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the substrate 140 is a relatively large rectangular substrate such as may be used for display panels. For instance, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the substrate 140 may have lateral dimensions of 1850mm x 1500mm. The substrate support 130 includes a substrate receiving surface 132 for supporting the substrate 140 and a stem 134 coupled to a lift system 136 to raise and lower the substrate support 130. In some embodiments, the substrate support 130 may comprise or include a susceptor.PATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01

[0026] A confiner assembly 129 is disposed around the periphery of the substrate support 130. The confiner assembly 129 may be configured to selectively direct or channel fluid flow within the process volume 106, and particular along or adjacent to the substrate 140 (or some portion thereof), during operations. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the confiner assembly 129 includes a base 131, a cover 133, and a gas confiner 200 (or “confiner” 200). The base 131 is configured to support the confiner 200, and the cover 133 is configured to cover the substrate support 130 when the substrate 140 is disposed thereon during processing. For instance, the cover 133 may be configured to prevent the substrate support 130 from being exposed to plasma. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the cover 133 is overlapped by the substrate 140 by some amount, such as by 10 millimeters (mm) or 5 mm, during operations. Thus, even if the substrate 140 is misaligned with the substrate support 130, the cover 133 may protect the substrate support 130 from plasma during operations within the chamber 100. Further details of embodiments of the confiner assembly 129 will be described herein.

[0027] It should be appreciated that in some embodiments, one or more of the base 131 and cover 133 may be omitted, and the confiner 200 may rest directly on a top side or surface of the substrate support 130 along with the substrate 140. Thus, the inclusion of the base 131 and cover 133 shown in FIG. 1 is illustrative of some embodiments, and should not be limiting to other potential embodiments.

[0028] Lift pins 138 are moveably disposed through the substrate support 130 to move the substrate 140 to and from the substrate receiving surface 132, such as to facilitate substrate transfer. The substrate support 130 may also include heating and / or cooling elements 139 to maintain a desired temperature for the substrate support 130 and substrate 140. The substrate support 130 may also include grounding straps 142 to provide RF grounding at the periphery of the substrate support 130.

[0029] The diffuser 110 is coupled to the lid 190 at its periphery by a suspension 114. In some embodiments, the diffuser 110 may be coupled to the lid 190 via a backing plate (not shown) or other suitable structure. A gas source 120 is coupled to the lid 190 to provide one or more gases of a processing fluid, cleaning fluid, purge fluid, etc. through the lid 190 to a plurality of gas passages 111 formed in thePATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01diffuser 110 and to the substrate receiving surface 132. Suitable gases may include, but are not limited to, a silicon containing gas (e.g., silane (SiH4), a nitrogen containing gas, e.g., nitrogen (N2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and / or ammonia (NH3), an oxygen containing gas, e.g., oxygen (O2), and argon (Ar)). A vacuum pump 109 is coupled to the chamber 100 to control the pressure within the process volume 106. An RF power source 122 is coupled to the diffuser 110 to provide RF power to the diffuser 110 to generate an electric field between the diffuser 110 and the substrate support 130 so that a plasma may be formed from the gases present between the diffuser 110 and the substrate support 130. Various RF frequencies may be used, such as a frequency between about 0.3 MHz and about 200 MHz. In one embodiment, the RF power source 122 provides power to the diffuser 110 at a frequency of 13.56 MHz.

[0030] A remote plasma source 124, such as an inductively coupled remote plasma source, may also be coupled between the gas source 120 and the lid 190. Between substrate processing operations, a cleaning fluid may be provided to the remote plasma source 124 (such as from the gas source 120) and excited to form a remote plasma from which dissociated cleaning gas species are generated and provided to clean chamber components. The cleaning gas may be further excited by the RF power source 122 provided to flow through the diffuser 110 to reduce recombination of the dissociated cleaning gas species. Suitable cleaning gases include, but are not limited to, nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), fluorine (F2), and sulfur hexafluoride (SFe). The cleaning gas (and any by-products formed during the cleaning operation) may be swept from the processing chamber via the vacuum pump 109 as previously described for the processing fluid.

[0031] In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the heating and / or cooling elements 139 may be utilized to maintain the temperature of the substrate support 130 and substrate 140 thereon during deposition. For instance, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the heating and / or cooling elements 139 may be configured to maintain the support 130 and substrate 140 at about 400 °C or less, such as at about 100 °C, or in a range of from about 20 °C to about 90 °C.

[0032] The spacing during deposition between a top surface of the substrate 140 disposed on the substrate receiving surface 132 and a bottom surface 150 of thePATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01diffuser 110 may be varied. For instance, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the spacing between the top surface of the substrate 140 and the bottom surface 150 of the diffuser 110 may be in a range of from about 400 mm and about 1 ,200 mm, such as from about 400 mm to about 800 mm, from about 400 mm to about 600 mm, or about 500 mm. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the bottom surface 150 of the diffuser 110 may include a concave curvature wherein the center region is thinner than a peripheral region thereof.

[0033] The chamber 100 may be used to deposit amorphous silicon (aSi), a nitride (e.g., silicon nitride (SiNx)), and / or an oxide (e.g., silicon oxide (SiOx)) by a PECVD process which is widely used as a passivation layer, a gate insulator film, a buffer layer or an etch stop layer in TFTs and AMOLEDs. The uniformity (such as a thickness uniformity) of the deposited amorphous silicon, nitride, or oxide layer has a significant impact on the final device performance, such as threshold voltage and drain current uniformity. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, a film uniformity of about 5%, or less, across the surface of the substrate and at a 10 mm EE (instead of the conventional 15 mm EE) may be desired. While many strides have been made toward this goal, there are regions of the substrate 140 where this uniformity is not consistently achieved.

[0034] For example, the rectangular shape of the substrate 140, confiner 200, and substrate support 130 may cause flow non-uniform ities within the chamber 100 because the distance between a center of the substrate 140 and the edge varies around a perimeter thereof. This difference in distance may lead to non-uniform ity of fluid velocity and / or distribution across the substrate 140, confiner 200, substrate support 130 during operations. For a deposition operation, these flow nonuniformities may lead to non-uniform deposition rates along the edges of the substrate 140. In addition, during a cleaning operation within the chamber 100, these flow non-uniform ities may also affect a cleaning uniformity because a cleaning fluid (or plasma) may not uniformly contact all of the surfaces within the chamber 100. Further, these flow non-uniformities may also influence the effectiveness of a purging operation within the chamber 100. For instance, a non-uniform fluid distribution may not allow a purging fluid to access certain areas within the chamber 100 so that cleaning fluids, processing fluids, or other contaminants are notPATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01adequately swept out. Thus, as described in more detail herein, the confiner 200 may be configured to overcome these effects and minimize non-uniform ities in various operations, including deposition, cleaning, and purging operations, within the chamber 100.

[0035] Reference is now made to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view along section A-A in FIG. 1 in order to better illustrate the confiner 200 according to some embodiments. FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the confiner 200 of FIG. 2.

[0036] The confiner 200 may circumscribe the substrate 140 on the substrate support 130 (FIG. 1). Specifically, the confiner 200 may have a body 207 that has a central axis 205 (or “axis 205”), a first side 200a, and a second side 200b that aisre axially opposite the first side 200a along the axis 205. As shown in FIG. 2, when the confiner 200 is positioned on the substrate support 130, the axis 205 may extend normally (or perpendicularly) through the substrate 140 (specifically the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 140). In addition, when the confiner 200 is positioned on the substrate support 130, the second side 200b may generally axially face toward the substrate support 130, and the first side 200a may generally axially face away from the substrate support and toward the diffuser 110 (FIG. 1) relative to axis 205. Thus, the first side 200a may be referred to herein as an “upper side” of the confiner 200, and the second side 200b may be referred to herein as a ’’lower side” of the confiner 200.

[0037] In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the confiner 200 may comprise an electrically insulative material, or a material having a relatively low electrical conductivity. For instance, the confiner 200 may comprise a ceramic (such as any of the example ceramics described herein), or other suitable materials. As will be described in more detail herein, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the confiner 200 may at least partially comprise an electrically conductive material, such as a metallic material.

[0038] The body 207 of the confiner 200 may be an annularly shaped member that extends annularly or circumferentially about the axis 205. Thus, the body 207 has a first or outer edge (or perimeter) 200c and a second or inner edge (or perimeter) 200d. The outer edge 200c may be positioned radially outside of thePATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01inner edge 200d, and the inner edge 200d may be positioned radially inside of the outer edge 200c relative to the axis 205. The shape of the body 207 may generally correspond to the shapes of the substrate 140 and / or substrate support 130 (FIG. 1). As previously described, the substrate 140 may be rectangular in shape according to some embodiments. Accordingly, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the body 207 of the confiner 200 may also have a generally rectangular shape. Thus, the body 207 confiner 200 may have a pair of long or major sides 202 and a pair of short or minor sides 204, that are shorter than the major side 202. The major sides 202 may generally extend parallel to one another and may be positioned radially opposite one another across the axis 205. Likewise, the minor sides 204 may generally extend parallel to one another and may be positioned radially opposite one another across the axis 205. The major sides 202 may intersect the minor sides 204 at a plurality of comers 206, such that the plurality of comers 206 “join” the major sides 202 to the minor sides 204.Because of the generally rectangular shape of the body 207 of the confiner 200, there are a total of four (4) comers 206 connecting the major sides 202 to the minor sides 204.

[0039] The body 207 of the confiner 200 may have a total cross-sectional area in a radial plane relative to axis 205. The cross-sectional area may be defined by the distance between the outer edge 200c and inner edge 200d and the lengths of the sides 202, 204. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the total cross-sectional area of the confiner 200 may be in a range of from about 1800 square inches (in2) to about 1900 in2; however, other values are contemplated.

[0040] The inner edge 200d may extend along both the major sides 202 and the minor sides 204 and may define an opening 211 (or “central opening”) that extends axially through the body 207 along the axis 205 between the sides 200a, 200b. As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate 140 may be received within the opening 211 so that the inner edge 200d circumscribes the substrate 140 on the substrate support 130 (FIG. 1 ) . Thus, the inner edge 200d may have a shape that generally conforms or corresponds to a shape or profile of an outer edge of the substrate 140 which is generally rectangular as previously described. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the inner edge 200d may be spaced (such asPATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01radially spaced relative to axis 205) from a radially outer edge of the substrate 140 so that a gap (or space) 137 is defined between the substrate 140 and inner edge 200d during operations. The gap 137 may be substantially constant along the inner edge 200d in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments.

[0041] The outer edge 200c may also generally circumscribe the substrate 140 and may extend along both the major sides 202 and the minor sides 204. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the walls 102 may also have a generally rectangular cross-section, and thus the outer edge 200c may also have a generally rectangular shape. Accordingly, the outer edge 200c may oppose the walls 102.

[0042] Generally speaking, the outer edge 200c of the confiner 200 may be shaped or profiled so as to direct or channel fluid within the chamber 100 in a desired manner during operations (such as a deposition operation and / or cleaning operation). For instance, with brief reference back to FIG. 1, during operation, the flow of fluid (such as processing fluid, cleaning fluid, purge fluid, etc.) within the chamber 100 may be generally laterally across the substrate 140 and then vertically downward past the substrate support 130 toward the chamber bottom 104 via the vacuum pump 109. Thus, the shape of the outer edge 200c of the confiner 200 and particularly the spacing between the outer edge 200c and walls 102 of the chamber 100 may affect the fluid flow and distribution across the substrate 140 and confiner 200 during operations.

[0043] In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the shape or contour of the outer edge 200c may be configured to promote or facilitate a higher flow rate of fluid (such as processing fluid, cleaning fluid, purging fluid, etc.) over the comers 206 of the confiner 200 as opposed to over the sides 202, 204. For instance, outer edge 200c may comprise linear (or straight) portions 201, 203 along the major sides 202 and the minor sides 204, respectively. Thus, the outer edge 200c may include a pair of linear portions 201 and a pair of linear portions 203. The linear portions 201 along the major sides 202 may extend parallel to one another, and the linear portions 203 of the minor sides 204 may extend parallel to one another. In addition, the linear portions 201 may extend in a direction that is perpendicular to the linear portions 203. Further, the linear portions 201 , 203PATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01may extend generally parallel to the opposing surface(s) of the walls 102 within the chamber 100.

[0044] Both the linear portions 201 of the major sides 202 and the linear portions 203 of the minor sides 204 may be placed relatively close to the walls 102 of the chamber 100. Specifically, the linear portions 201 may be spaced radially (or laterally) from the walls 102 by a first distance D202, and the linear portion 203 may be spaced radially (or laterally) from the walls 102 by a second distance D204. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the spacings D202, D204 may be configured to limit or restrict fluid flow between the walls 102 and sides 202, 204 during operations. Thus, the spacings D202, D204 may be relatively small. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the spacings D202, D204 may be in a range of from about 5 mm to about 20 mm, such as about 5 mm to about 15 mm, or such as about 5 mm to about 10 mm. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the spacings D202, D204 may be substantially the same. However, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the spacings D202, D204 may be different.

[0045] In addition, the outer edge 200c may be configured so that the corners 206 (or one or more of the corners 206) are recessed from the walls 102 to define corner flow paths 208 therebetween. The corners 206 may be generally radially recessed away from the walls 102 of the chamber 100 relative to axis 205. The corners 206 may have a variety of shapes or profiles that are configured to provide for a desired spacing from the walls 102 and to provide a desired cross-sectional flow area for the corner flow paths 208. Some examples shapes or profiles for the corners 206 are described in more detail herein according to some embodiments.

[0046] Regardless of the particular shape or profile of the comers 206, the spacing (such as the radial spacing) between the walls 102 and comers 206 may be generally larger than the spacings D202, D204 of the linear portions 201 , 203 of the sides 202, 204, respectively. In addition, a distance (such as a radial distance relative to axis 205) between the outer edge 200c and the inner edge 200d may be generally less along the comers 206 relative to along the major sides 202 and minor sides 204 (particularly along the linear portions 201 , 203, respectively). Thus, during operations (such as a deposition or cleaning operation as previously described), fluid (such as process gas or cleaning gas) may be encouraged to flow axiallyPATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01downward, past the substrate support 130 between the walls 102 and the comers 206 of the confiner 200 via the corner flow paths 208. It should be appreciated that some embodiments of confiner 200 may have other shapes that are configured to encourage or facilitate fluid flow past the confiner 200 (and toward the bottom 104 of chamber 100 as shown in FIG. 1) along one or more of the sides 202, 204, and possibly to discourage fluid flow past one or more of the corners 206. Thus, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the comers 206 (or at least one or more thereof) may not be “recessed” from the walls 102 as previously described.

[0047] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, according to some embodiments, the confiner 200 may maintain spacing between the outer edge 200c and the walls 102 of the chamber 100 (such as via spacings D202, D204, comers 206, etc.). Thus, the confiner 200 may remain positioned on the substrate support 130 even as the substrate support 130 as it is moved vertically (or axially relative to axis 205) within the chamber 100 (such as to load or unload the substrate 140 via the slit valve 108). As a result, the confiner 200 may be not be separated from the substrate support 130 during movement of the substrate support 130 within the chamber 100. This may be advantageous given that additional films or materials may be deposited onto the confiner 200 during deposition operations for the substrate 140 and separation of the confiner 200 from the substrate support 130 may cause some of these additional films or materials to fall off of the confiner 200 onto the substrate 140, thereby causing contamination or damage thereto. However, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the outer edge 200c, such as for instance, one or more of the linear portions 201 , 203 defined on the sides 202, 204, respectively, may be engaged with stops, shoulders, ledges, etc. that are coupled to or defined on the walls 102 to separate the confiner 200 from the substrate support 130 when the substrate support 130 is lowered in the chamber 100.

[0048] FIGS. 4 and 5 show example profiles or shapes of the comers 206 of the confiner 200 according to some embodiments. FIGS. 4 and 5 show examples shapes or profiles for one of the comers 206; however, it should be appreciated that each (or at least some) of the comers 206 may have a similar shape in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments.PATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01

[0049] As shown in FIG. 4, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the corner 206 may be defined by a plurality of curved radiuses. Specifically, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the recessed corner 206 may have a pair of converging linear sides 210, 212. The first linear side 210 may extend generally from the linear portion 201 along one of the major sides 202, and the second linear side 212 may generally extend from the linear portion 203 along one of the minor sides 204. The first linear side 210 may be non-parallel to the corresponding linear portion 201 and the second linear side 212 may be non-parallel to the corresponding linear portion 203. More specifically, the first linear side 210 may extend at a non-zero angle to the corresponding linear portion 201 , and the second linear side 212 may extend at a non-zero angle to the corresponding linear portion 203. Thus, the first linear side 210 may connect to the corresponding linear portion 201 via a first radius Ri of curvature, and the second linear side 212 may connect to the corresponding linear portion 203 via a second radius R2 of curvature. In addition, the linear sides 210, 212 may connect to one another via a third radius R3 of curvature. The radii of curvature R1, R2, R3 may be more simply referred to as “radiuses.” The third radius R3 may be smaller than the first radius R1 and the second radius R2, so that the curvature of the third radius R3 is sharper (or more pronounced) than the curvatures of the radiuses R1 and R2. In addition, because the minor sides 204 are generally shorter in length than the major sides 204, the second radius R2 may be generally smaller than the first radius R1 so that the curvature of the second radius R2 is sharper (or more pronounced) than the first radius R1.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 5, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the recessed corner 206 may be defined by a single curved surface. Specifically, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the recessed corner 206 may have a curved surface 209 that may be defined by a fourth radius R4 of curvature (or “radius”) that connects the linear portion 201 of one of the major sides 202 to the linear portion 203 of one of the minor sides 204. As shown in FIG. 5, the fourth radius R4 may define a circular curvature for the curved surface 209 in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments. However, in other embodiments, the curved surface 209 may have a non-circular curvature, such as parabolic, hyperbolic, elliptical, etc.PATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01

[0051] Regardless of the specific shape or profile of the corners 206, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the profile of the corners 206 may be chosen so as to provide clearance or spacing from the walls 102 of the chamber 100, while still maintaining coverage over the substrate support 130. Thus, for the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the sizing, position, orientation, and / or magnitudes of the sides 210, 212, radiuses R1-R4, surface 209, etc. may be varied based on these considerations.

[0052] Referring again to FIG. 2, as previously described, at least some portions of the outer edge 200c of the confiner 200 may be relatively close to the walls 102 of the chamber 100. Specifically, the major sides 202 and minor sides 204 may have relatively small spacings D202 and D204 along the linear portions 201 , 203, respectively, with the walls 102 as previously described. In addition, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the confiner 200 may be manufactured from a metallic material. As a result, the confiner 200 may at least partially comprise an electrically conductive materials. The relatively large size of the confiner 200 (which is driven by the size of the substrate 140 as previously described) and / or the complex shape of the confiner 200 (such as is described above for the corners 206) may make manufacturing of the confiner 200 from an electrically insulating material impractical (such as due to expense and manufacturing limitations). As a result, the relatively small spacing (e.g., spacings D202, D204) between the outer edge 200c and the walls 102 of chamber 100 may increase the risk of electrical arcing between the confiner 200 and walls 102 during operations (such as deposition operations, cleaning operations, etc.).

[0053] Accordingly, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the confiner 200 may include one or more electrically insulating inserts 250, 252 that are configured to at least partially cover the outer edge 200c and therefore reduce the risk of electrical arcing. For instance, as shown in FIG. 6, first inserts 250 may be coupled to one or both of the linear portions 201 of the major sides 202, and second inserts 250 may be coupled to one or both the linear portions 203 of the minor sides 204. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the comers 206 may be left uncovered due to the relatively greater spacing between the corners 206 and the walls 102 of chamber 100. The inserts 250, 252 may be elongate members that are coupled to the linear portionsPATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01201, 203, respectively, so as to shield the sides 202, 204 (which may be electrically conductive as previously described) from the walls 102 of the chamber 100 (FIG. 2).

[0054] The inserts 250, 252 may comprise any suitable electrically insulating material (or at least a less electrically conductive material than the metallic material of the body 207). For instance, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, one or both of the inserts 250, 252 may comprise a ceramic material, such as alumina (AI2O3), silicon carbide (SiC), aluminum nitride (AIN), silicon nitride (SisN4), boron nitride (BN), other suitable ceramics, or combinations thereof.

[0055] The inserts 250, 252 may be coupled to the linear portions 201 , 203 of sides 202, 204, respectively, in any suitable fashion. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the inserts 250, 252 may be coupled to the sides 202, 204 so that they may be readily removed or replaced. For instance, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the inserts 250, 252 may be coupled to the linear portions 201 , 203 of the sides 202, 204, respectively, via screws, pins, slots, clamps, or other suitable releasable engagements.

[0056] FIG. 7 shows the engagement between one of the second inserts 252 and the linear portion 203 of the corresponding minor side 204; however, it should be appreciated that the engagement illustrated in FIG. 7 may also be illustrative of the engagement between one or more of the first inserts 250 and the linear portion 201 of the corresponding major side 202. As shown in FIG. 7, the second insert 252 may include a shoulder 254 that is engaged or abutted with a corresponding recessed shoulder 256 defined on the confiner 200 along the outer edge 200c, along the minor side 204 such as along the linear portion 203. The shouldered engagement between the shoulders 254, 256 may allow the confiner 200 to support the weight of the insert 252 during operations. The shouldered connection between the shoulders 254, 256 may be supplemented with one or more of releasable engagements previously described.

[0057] Without being limited to this or any other theory, the inserts 250, 252 may shield the conductive surfaces of the sides 202, 204, and thus may reduce the risk of electrical arcing between the walls 102 and the outer edge 200c of the confiner 200 during operations. In addition, the inserts 250, 252 may also allow the spacingsPATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01D202, D204 (FIG. 2) to be further reduced or otherwise adjusted without having to remanufacture the body 207 of the confiner 200. Specifically, to reduce the spacings D202, D204 (FIG. 2), larger (or thicker) inserts 250, 252 may be coupled to the sides 202, 204.

[0058] Referring now to FIGS. 8A-8C, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, additional inserts 258 may be coupled to one or more of the corners 206 of the confiner 200. The inserts 258 may comprise similar materials as the inserts 250, 252 as previously described. Also, the inserts 258 may be sized and shaped so as to selectively restrict or occlude the corner flow paths 208. Without being limited to this or any other theory, selectively restricting the corner flow paths 208 (or one or more of the corner flow paths 208) may be beneficial for adjusting a fluid flow distribution and velocity within the process chamber 100. FIG. 8A shows a smaller inserts 258 coupled to the comers 206 that may provide a relatively small amount of restriction to the corner flow paths 208, FIG. 8C shows larger inserts 258 coupled to the comers 206 that may provide a relatively large amount of restriction to the corner flow paths 208, and FIG. 8B shows inserts 258 that are sized between the smaller inserts 258 of FIG. 8A and the larger inserts 258 of FIG. 8C. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, restricting the corner flow paths 208 may encourage a higher rate of flow between the sides 202, 204 and the wall 102 of chamber 100.

[0059] The inserts 258 may be connected to the comers 206 in any suitable fashion. For instance, as with the inserts 250 ,252, the inserts 258 may be releasably connected to the comers 206 (such as via any of the releasable engagements previously described) so that the inserts 258 may be readily connected, disconnected, replaced, etc. as desired. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the inserts 258 may establish a shouldered engagement with the comers 206 that is similar to the shouldered engagement (254, 256) shown in FIG. 7 and previously described herein.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 9, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments one or more recesses 300, 302 (or “flow channels”) may be formed or defined on the upper side 200a of the confiner 200. The recesses 300, 302 may extend both axially into the upper side 200a and radially between the outer edge 200c and inner edge 200d. The recesses 300, 302 may be configured toPATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01increase a local fluid velocity along select locations, regions, or portions of the confiner 200 so as to effect the overall fluid flow distribution within the chamber 100 during operations.

[0061] For instance, the confiner 200 may include one or more first recesses 300 that are positioned at or proximate to one or more of the comers 206 and / or may include one or more second recesses 302 that are positioned on one or more of the sides 202, 204. The recesses 300, 302 may comprise axial depressions that are axially lower than the adjacent portions of the upper side 200a so as to provide a greater amount of clearance for fluid (such as processing gas, cleaning gas, etc.) therethrough during operations. Embodiments of the confiner 200 may include one or more of the recesses 300, one or more of the recesses 302, or combinations of the recesses 300, 302.

[0062] In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the recesses 300, 302 (or one or more thereof) may be defined or formed on the confiner 200 may selectively removing material from the upper side 200a. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the recesses 300, 302 (or one or more thereof) may be defined or formed on the confiner 200 may coupling or attaching additional members or bodies to the upper side 200a that further define the recesses 300, 302.

[0063] Referring now to FIG. 10, an embodiment of the confiner 200 is shown that includes the first recesses 300 positioned at or on the comers 206. Each of the first recesses 300 may be defined by a pair of opposing walls 310, 312 (specifically a first wall 310 and a second wall 312). The recess 300 may extend along a radius 315 of the axis 205. The walls 310, 312 may be positioned opposite one another across the radius 315. For each recess 300, the first wall 310 may be positioned on or along the corresponding major side 202, and the second wall 312 may be positioned on or along the corresponding minor side 204.

[0064] In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the walls 310, 312 may extend parallel to one another so that the recess 300 maintains a constant width between the inner edge 200d and outer edge 200c. Alternatively, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the walls 310, 312 may converge toward one another when moving radially inward along radius 315 toward axis 205 or when moving radially from thePATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01outer edge 200c to the inner edge 200d. Specifically, the first wall 310 may extend linearly along a first radius 311 of the axis 205, and the second wall 312 may extend linearly along a second radius 313 of the axis 205. The radiuses 311, 313 converge into one another at the axis 205. The first radius 311 (and thus the first wall 310) may be positioned at a first angle <p relative to the radius 315 about the axis 205, and the second radius 313 (and thus the second wall 312) may be positioned at a second angle 9 relative to the radius 315 about the axis 205. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the radius 315 may be centered between the walls 310, 312 such that the angles <p, 6 may be the same. However, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the radius 315 may not be centered between the walls 310, 312, so that the angles <p, 6 may be different. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the angles <p , 6 may be in a range of about 30° or less, such as about 20° or less, such as about 10° or less, or such as about 5°; however, other values are contemplated for the angles <p, 6.

[0065] Without being limited to this or any other theory, the converging walls 310, 312 of the recesses may increase the flow velocity of fluid flowing through the recesses 300 relative to fluid flowing over other portions of the upper side 200a of the confiner 200. This increase in flow velocity helps to adjust a distribution of fluid within the chamber 100 (particularly between the diffuser 110 and confiner 200 and substrate 140) during operations.

[0066] In addition, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the walls 310, 312 of one or more of the recesses 300 may extend axially relative to axis 205, so that the walls 310, 312 may extend perpendicular or normally relative to a radially oriented plane extending through the axis 205.However, in some embodiments, the walls 310, 312 of one or more of the recesses 300 may be chamfered or angled at a non-zero angle relative to axis 205. For instance, the walls 310, 312 of one or more of the recesses 300 may diverge away from one another when extending axially upward from the plane of the confiner 200 along axis 205. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the walls 310, 312 of one or more of the recesses 300 may be oriented (or chamfered) at an angle of about 10° or less, such as 5° or less.PATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01

[0067] Referring again to FIG. 9, the recesses 302 may also include a pair of opposing walls 314 that may be either parallel or that may converge toward one another in a similar manner to that described above for the recesses 300. As a result, the opposing walls 314 may extend at the angles <p, 9 about a radius (radius 315) of axis 205 in the same manner as previously described above for the recess 300. In addition, the opposing walls 314 may also extend axially relative to axis 205 or may be chamfered as previously described for the walls 310, 312 of the recesses 300.

[0068] Referring still to FIG. 10, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the axial thickness (that is the thickness in the axial direction along axis 205) of the confiner 200 may be varied to affect the fluid flow velocity or distribution (such as for a processing fluid, cleaning fluid, purging fluid, etc.) across the confiner 200 during operations. For example, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments the major sides 202 may have a different axial thickness than the minor sides 204. The major sides 202 may have a first axial thickness T202 and the minor sides 204 may have a second axial thickness T204. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the axial thicknesses T202, T204 may be the same or different. For instance, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the first axial thickness T202 may be greater than the second axial thickness T204.

[0069] As previously described, the first walls 310 of the recesses 300 may be defined on or by the major sides 202, and the second walls 312 of the recesses 300 may be defined on or by the minor sides 204. As a result, the first walls 310 may have the first axial thickness T202, and the second walls 312 may have the second axial thickness T204, and the first walls 310 may have a greater axial height than the second walls 312. Conversely, when one or more of the recesses 302 are included (FIG. 9), the opposite walls 314 may have either the first axial thickness T202 of the second axial thickness T204 depending on whether the recess 302 in question is positioned along one of the major sides 202 or one of the minor sides 204, respectively.

[0070] Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, the different axial thicknesses T202, T204 may provide varied axial spacing between the upper side 200a of the confiner 200 and the bottom surface 150 of the diffuser 110. The differences in axial spacingPATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01may allow for different fluid flow rates between the diffuser 110 and upper side 200a of the confiner 200 at different portions or locations along the confiner 200 during operations. Specifically, FIG. 11 depicts an enlarged cross-section showing a first axial spacing H202 between one of the major sides 202 of the confiner 200 and the bottom surface 150 of the diffuser 110. Conversely, FIG. 12 depicts an enlarged cross-section showing a second axial spacing H204 between one of the minor sides 204 of the confiner 200 and the bottom surface 150 of the diffuser 110. Because the first axial thickness T202 is greater than the second axial thickness T204, the first axial spacing H202 may be less than the second axial spacing H204. Thus, during operations (such as a deposition operation or cleaning operation), a higher flow rate of fluid (such as process gas, cleaning gas, etc.) may flow between the bottom surface 150 of the diffuser 110 and the minor sides 204 of the confiner 200 as compared to major sides 202. This difference in fluid flow rate may help to promote a desired fluid distribution within the chamber 100, and particularly between the diffuser 110 and the substrate 140 and confiner 200 during operations.

[0071] As previously described, in some embodiments, one or more of the base 131 and cover 133 may be omitted, and the confiner 200 may rest directly on a top side or surface of the substrate support 130 along with the substrate 140. Thus, the inclusion of the base 131 and cover 133 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 is illustrative of some embodiments, and should not be limiting to other potential embodiments.

[0072] In some circumstances, it may be desirable to prevent material deposition on an outer edge of the substrate 140. For instance, preventing material deposition on the outer edge of the substrate 140 may help to prevent adherence of the substrate 140 to the substrate support 130. Thus, with reference to FIG. 13, the confiner 200 may be configured so that it overlaps and covers at least a portion of the outer edge (such as a radially outer edge) of the substrate 140. When configured in this manner, the confiner 200 may be generally referred to as a “shadow frame.”

[0073] More particularly, when the confiner 200 is configured as a shadow frame as shown in FIG. 13, the lower side 200b may have an axially and radially extending recess 350 at the inner edge 200d that defines a radially extending shoulder 352 (relative to axis 205 - FIG. 10). In addition, the inner edge 200c may be extended radially inward so that the radially extending shoulder 352 is abutted or engagedPATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01with an upper surface 141 of the substrate 140 at or along an outer edge thereof. As a result, the upper surface 141 of the substrate 140 is occluded (or covered) at or along the outer edge by the inner edge 200d of the confiner 200 so that process gases are prevented (or at least restricted) from accessing this region.

[0074] Because the confiner 200 is extended to cover an outer edge of the substrate 140 in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 13, the cover 133 may be omitted (FIGS. 11 and 12). In addition, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the base 131 (FIGS. 11 and 12) may also be omitted so that the confiner 200 is positioned directly on top of the substrate support 130. This may also be true for other embodiments of the confiner 200 described herein.

[0075] Referring still to FIG. 13, in some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the inner edge 200d of the confiner 200 may include a chamfer 354 (or ramped surface) that tapers toward the radially innermost point of the inner edge 200d. Without being limited to this or any other theory, the chamfer 354 may prevent or reduce turbulence in fluid flowing radially across the substrate 140 and onto the confiner 200 during operations. Thus, the chamfer 354 may promote efficient fluid flow off of the substrate 140. The chamfer 354 may be oriented at an acute angle relative to a radius of the central axis 205, such as in a range that is greater than 0° and less than or equal to about 20°, such as greater than 0° and less than or equal to about 15°, or such as in a range of from about 10° and about 20°.

[0076] When the confiner 200 is configured as a shadow frame (FIG. 13), the confiner 200 may also include one or more of the other features previously described herein. For instance, the confiner 200 of FIG. 13 may include one or more of the corners 206 (FIGS. 4 and 5), inserts 250, 252, 258 (FIGS. 6-8C), recesses 300, 302 (FIGS. 9 and 10), different axial thicknesses T202, T204 (FIGS. 11 and 12), etc.

[0077] In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the confiner 200 (which may be configured as a gas confiner or shadow ring as described herein) may include one or more features on the lower side 200b that are configured to align the confiner 200 on the substrate support 130. For instance, the lower side 200b may include one or more projections, recesses, or both that arePATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01configured to engage with corresponding features on the substrate support 130 (or the base 131, cover 133, etc.). In some embodiments, the lower side 200b may include a chamfered recess (or projection) that is configured to engage with a corresponding chamfered projection (or recess) that is defined on the substrate support 130 (or base 131, cover 133, etc.). In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, features that are configured to align the confiner 200 on the substrate support 130 may be helpful for embodiments that separate the confiner 200 from the substrate support 130 when lowering the substrate support 130 within the processing chamber 100 (such as via ledges, shoulders, or other structures on the walls 102 as previously described).

[0078] As explained above and reiterated below, the present disclosure includes, without limitation, the following Examples.

[0079] Example 1 : A gas confiner for a substrate processing chamber, the gas confiner comprising: a body including: a pair of major sides; a pair of minor sides, wherein the pair of minor sides are shorter than the pair of major sides; an outer edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides; an inner edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides; and an opening through the body defined by the inner edge, wherein a thickness of the body is different along the pair of major sides than along the pair of minor sides.

[0080] Example 2: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, wherein the thickness of the body along the pair of major sides is greater than the thickness of the body along the pair of minor sides.

[0081] Example 3: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, wherein the body further comprises: a central axis extending through the opening; and a plurality of corners that join the pair of major sides to the pair of minor sides, wherein the plurality of comers are shaped so that a radial distance between the outer edge and the inner edge relative to the central axis is less along than plurality of comers than along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides.

[0082] Example 4: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, wherein the outer edge comprises: a pair of first linear portions along the pair of major sides; and a pair of second linear portions along the pair of minor sides, and wherein the pair of first linear portions extend parallel to one another, the pair of second linear portionsPATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01extend parallel to one another, and the pair of first linear portions extend in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction of the pair of second linear portions.

[0083] Example s: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, wherein one or more of the plurality of corners comprises a pair of converging linear sides, wherein a first linear side of the pair of converging linear sides extends from one of the pair of first linear portions, wherein a second linear side of the pair of converging linear sides extends from one of the pair of second linear portions, and wherein the first linear side is coupled to the second linear side by a radius.

[0084] Example 6: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, wherein the first linear side is non-parallel with the one of the pair of first linear portions, and wherein the second linear side is non-parallel with the one of the pair of second linear portions.

[0085] Example 7: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, further comprising one or more electrically insulating inserts coupled to the outer edge.

[0086] Example 8: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, wherein the body includes a recessed shoulder defined along the outer edge, and wherein the one or more electrically insulating inserts includes a shoulder that abuts the recessed shoulder.

[0087] Example 9: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, wherein the one or more electrically insulating inserts comprise a ceramic material.

[0088] Example 10: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, wherein the body includes an upper side and a lower side axially opposite the upper side along the central axis, wherein the upper side includes one or more axially extending recesses.

[0089] Example 11 : The gas confiner of any of the Examples, wherein each of the one or more axially extending recesses includes a pair of opposing walls that converge toward one another when extending radially inward toward the central axis.

[0090] Example 12: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, wherein the one or more recesses are positioned at one or more of the plurality of comers.

[0091] Example 13: A substrate processing chamber comprising: a plurality of chamber walls; a substrate support; a diffuser positioned above the substrate support; and a gas confiner positioned on the substrate support, wherein the gasPATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01confiner comprises a body including: a pair of major sides; a pair of minor sides, wherein the pair of minor sides are shorter than the pair of major sides; an outer edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides, wherein the outer edge is configured to oppose the plurality of chamber walls; an inner edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides, wherein the inner edge is configured to circumscribe a substrate positioned on the substrate support; and a plurality of comers that join the pair of major sides to the pair of minor sides, wherein the plurality of corners are shaped so that a distance between the plurality of chamber walls and the outer edge is greater along than plurality of corners than along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides.

[0092] Example 14: The substrate processing chamber of any of the Examples, wherein a thickness of the body is different along the pair of major sides than along the pair of minor sides so that a distance between the gas confiner and the diffuser is different along the pair of major sides than along the pair of minor sides.

[0093] Example 15: The substrate processing chamber of any of the Examples, wherein the thickness of the body along the pair of major sides is greater than the thickness of the body along the pair of minor sides, such that the distance between the diffuser and the gas confiner is greater along the pair of minor sides than along the pair of major sides.

[0094] Example 16: The substrate processing chamber of any of the Examples, wherein the outer edge comprises: a pair of first linear portions along the pair of major sides; and a pair of second linear portions along the pair of minor sides, and wherein the pair of first linear portions extend parallel to one another, the pair of second linear portions extend parallel to one another, and the pair of first linear portions extend in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction of the pair of second linear portions.

[0095] Example 17: The substrate processing chamber of any of the Examples, wherein one or more of the plurality of comers comprises a pair of converging linear sides, wherein a first linear side of the pair of converging linear sides extends from one of the pair of first linear portions, wherein a second linear side of the pair of converging linear sides extends from one of the pair of second linear portions, and wherein the first linear side is coupled to the second linear side by a radius.PATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01

[0096] Example 18: The substrate processing chamber of any of the Examples, wherein the first linear side is non-parallel with the one of the pair of first linear portions, and wherein the second linear side is non-parallel with the one of the pair of second linear portions.

[0097] Example 19: The substrate processing chamber of any of the Examples, further comprising one or more electrically insulating inserts coupled to the outer edge.

[0098] Example 20: The substrate processing chamber of any of the Examples, wherein the body includes a recessed shoulder defined along the outer edge, and wherein the one or more electrically insulating inserts includes a shoulder that abuts the recessed shoulder.

[0099] Example 21 : The substrate processing chamber of any of the Examples, wherein the one or more electrically insulating inserts comprise a ceramic material.

[0100] Example 22: The substrate processing chamber of any of the Examples, wherein the body includes an upper side and a lower side opposite the upper side, wherein the lower side faces toward the substrate support, and wherein the upper side includes one or more recesses.

[0101] Example 23: The substrate processing chamber of any of the Examples, wherein each of the one or more recesses includes a pair of opposing walls that converge toward one another when extending from the outer edge to the inner edge.

[0102] Example 24: The substrate processing chamber of any of the Examples, wherein the one or more recesses are positioned at one or more of the plurality of corners.

[0103] Example 25: A gas confiner for a substrate processing chamber, the gas confiner comprising: a body including: a pair of major sides; a pair of minor sides, wherein the pair of minor sides are shorter than the pair of major sides; an outer edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides; an inner edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides; a central opening defined by the inner edge; and one or more recesses that extend into an upper side of the body and between the outer edge and the inner edge, wherein the one or more recesses are configured to increase a local fluid velocity radially across the gas confiner.PATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01

[0104] Example 26: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, each of the one or more recesses includes a pair of opposing walls that converge toward one another when extending from the outer edge to the inner edge.

[0105] Example 27: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, wherein the pair of opposing walls are chamfered.

[0106] Example 28: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, wherein the body includes a plurality of corners that join the pair of major sides to the pair of minor sides, and wherein the one or more recesses are positioned at one or more of the plurality of comers.

[0107] Example 29: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, wherein a thickness of the body is different along the pair of major sides than along the pair of minor sides, so that a height of the pair of opposing walls are different.

[0108] Example 30: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, further comprising one or more electrically insulating inserts coupled to the outer edge.

[0109] Example 31 : The gas confiner of any of the Examples, wherein the body includes a recessed shoulder defined along the outer edge, and wherein the one or more electrically insulating inserts includes a shoulder that abuts the recessed shoulder.

[0110] Example 32: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, wherein the one or more electrically insulating inserts comprise a ceramic material.

[0111] Example 33: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, wherein the one or more electrically insulating inserts are coupled to the outer edge along one or more of the plurality of comers.

[0112] Example 34: The gas confiner of any of the Examples, wherein the one or more electrically insulating inserts are coupled to the outer edge along one or more of the major sides or along one or more of the minor sides.

[0113] Embodiments disclosed herein include systems for selectively routing and directing working fluids within a substrate processing chamber that provide a desired distribution and flow during operations. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the systems include confiner assemblies that are configured to direct working fluid off of a substrate support (or substrate positioned thereon) toward an outlet of the processing chamber. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments, the confiner assemblies may bePATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01configurable to ensure a more uniform flow of fluid within the processing chamber. Thus, through use of the embodiments disclosed herein, the uniformity of a deposition or cleaning operation in a substrate processing chamber, such as a processing chamber for large substrates of a display panel, may be improved.

[0114] The preceding discussion is directed to various embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the examples disclosed herein have broad application, and that the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to suggest that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment.

[0115] The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features and components herein may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form and some details of conventional elements may not be shown in interest of clarity and conciseness.

[0116] In the preceding discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . .” Also, the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct connection of the two devices, or through an indirect connection that is established via other devices, components, nodes, and connections. In addition, as used herein, the terms “axial” and “axially” generally mean along or parallel to a given axis (e.g., central axis of a body or a port), while the terms “radial” and “radially” generally mean perpendicular to the given axis. For instance, an axial distance refers to a distance measured along or parallel to the axis, and a radial distance means a distance measured perpendicular to the axis. Further, when used herein (including in the claims), the words “about,” “generally,” “substantially,” “approximately,” and the like, when used to refer to a stated value, mean within a range of plusor minus 10% of the stated value.

[0117] While exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or teachings herein. The embodiments described herein are exemplary only and are not limiting. Many variations and modifications of the systems, apparatus, and processes described herein are possible and are within the scope ofPATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01the disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but is only limited by the claims that follow, the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the operations in a method claim may be performed in any order. The recitation of identifiers such as (a), (b), (c) or (1), (2), (3) before operations in a method claim are not intended to and do not specify a particular order to the operations, but rather are used to simplify subsequent reference to such operations.

Claims

PATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01What is claimed is:

1. A gas confiner for a substrate processing chamber, the gas confiner comprising:a body including:a pair of major sides;a pair of minor sides, wherein the pair of minor sides are shorter than the pair of major sides;an outer edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides;an inner edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides; andan opening through the body defined by the inner edge, wherein a thickness of the body is different along the pair of major sides than along the pair of minor sides.

2. The gas confiner of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the body along the pair of major sides is greater than the thickness of the body along the pair of minor sides.

3. The gas confiner of claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises:a central axis extending through the opening; anda plurality of comers that join the pair of major sides to the pair of minor sides, wherein the plurality of comers are shaped so that a radial distance between the outer edge and the inner edge relative to the central axis is less along than plurality of comers than along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides,wherein the outer edge comprises:a pair of first linear portions along the pair of major sides; and a pair of second linear portions along the pair of minor sides, and wherein the pair of first linear portions extend parallel to one another, the pair of second linear portions extend parallel to one another, and the pair of first linear portions extend in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction of the pair of second linear portions.PATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO014. The gas confiner of claim 3,wherein one or more of the plurality of comers comprises a pair of converging linear sides,wherein a first linear side of the pair of converging linear sides extends from one of the pair of first linear portions,wherein a second linear side of the pair of converging linear sides extends from one of the pair of second linear portions,wherein the first linear side is coupled to the second linear side by a radius, andwherein the first linear side is non-parallel with the one of the pair of first linear portions, and wherein the second linear side is non-parallel with the one of the pair of second linear portions.

5. The gas confiner of claim 3, further comprising one or more electrically insulating inserts coupled to the outer edge.

6. The gas confiner of claim 5, wherein the body includes a recessed shoulder defined along the outer edge, and wherein the one or more electrically insulating inserts includes a shoulder that abuts the recessed shoulder, and wherein the one or more electrically insulating inserts comprise a ceramic material.

7. The gas confiner of claim 3, wherein the body includes an upper side and a lower side axially opposite the upper side along the central axis, wherein the upper side includes one or more axially extending recesses, and wherein each of the one or more axially extending recesses includes a pair of opposing walls that converge toward one another when extending radially inward toward the central axis.

8. The gas confiner of claim 7, wherein the one or more recesses are positioned at one or more of the plurality of corners.

9. A substrate processing chamber comprising:a plurality of chamber walls;PATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01a substrate support;a diffuser positioned above the substrate support; anda gas confiner positioned on the substrate support, wherein the gas confiner comprises a body including:a pair of major sides;a pair of minor sides, wherein the pair of minor sides are shorter than the pair of major sides;an outer edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides, wherein the outer edge is configured to oppose the plurality of chamber walls;an inner edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides, wherein the inner edge is configured to circumscribe a substrate positioned on the substrate support; anda plurality of comers that join the pair of major sides to the pair of minor sides, wherein the plurality of corners are shaped so that a distance between the plurality of chamber walls and the outer edge is greater along than plurality of corners than along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides.

10. The substrate processing chamber of claim 9, wherein a thickness of the body along the pair of major sides is greater than a thickness of the body along the pair of minor sides such that the distance between the diffuser and the gas confiner is greater along the pair of minor sides than along the pair of major sides.

11. The substrate processing chamber of claim 9,wherein the outer edge comprises:a pair of first linear portions along the pair of major sides; and a pair of second linear portions along the pair of minor sides, and wherein the pair of first linear portions extend parallel to one another, the pair of second linear portions extend parallel to one another, and the pair of first linear portions extend in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction of the pair of second linear portions.PATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO0112. The substrate processing chamber of claim 11 ,wherein one or more of the plurality of comers comprises a pair of converging linear sides,wherein a first linear side of the pair of converging linear sides extends from one of the pair of first linear portions,wherein a second linear side of the pair of converging linear sides extends from one of the pair of second linear portions,wherein the first linear side is coupled to the second linear side by a radius, andwherein the first linear side is non-parallel with the one of the pair of first linear portions, and wherein the second linear side is non-parallel with the one of the pair of second linear portions.

13. The substrate processing chamber of claim 10, further comprising one or more electrically insulating inserts coupled to the outer edge, wherein the body includes a recessed shoulder defined along the outer edge, and wherein the one or more electrically insulating inserts includes a shoulder that abuts the recessed shoulder, and wherein the one or more electrically insulating inserts comprise a ceramic material.

14. The substrate processing chamber of claim 10,wherein the body includes an upper side and a lower side opposite the upper side, wherein the lower side faces toward the substrate support, and wherein the upper side includes one or more recesses;wherein each of the one or more recesses includes a pair of opposing walls that converge toward one another when extending from the outer edge to the inner edge; andwherein each of the one or more recesses includes a pair of opposing walls that converge toward one another when extending from the outer edge to the inner edge.PATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO0115. A gas confiner for a substrate processing chamber, the gas confiner comprising:a body including:a pair of major sides;a pair of minor sides, wherein the pair of minor sides are shorter than the pair of major sides;an outer edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides;an inner edge extending along the pair of major sides and the pair of minor sides;a central opening defined by the inner edge; andone or more recesses that extend into an upper side of the body and between the outer edge and the inner edge, wherein the one or more recesses are configured to increase a local fluid velocity radially across the gas confiner.

16. The gas confiner of claim 15, each of the one or more recesses includes a pair of opposing walls that converge toward one another when extending from the outer edge to the inner edge.

17. The gas confiner of claim 16, wherein the pair of opposing walls are chamfered.

18. The gas confiner of claim 16, wherein the body includes a plurality of comers that join the pair of major sides to the pair of minor sides, and wherein the one or more recesses are positioned at one or more of the plurality of comers, wherein a thickness of the body is different along the pair of major sides than along the pair of minor sides, so that a height of the pair of opposing walls are different, and wherein the gas confiner further comprises one or more electrically insulating inserts coupled to the outer edge.

19. The gas confiner of claim 18, wherein the body includes a recessed shoulder defined along the outer edge, and wherein the one or more electrically insulatingPATENTAttorney Docket No.: 44024811WO01inserts includes a shoulder that abuts the recessed shoulder, and wherein the one or more electrically insulating inserts comprise a ceramic material.

20. The gas confiner of claim 18, wherein the one or more electrically insulating inserts are coupled to:the outer edge along one or more of the plurality of corners; orthe outer edge along one or more of the major sides or along one or more of the minor sides.

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