Systems and methods for semiconductor processing cleaning

Abstract

Semiconductor processing systems are provided which have a processing chamber having a top and a chamber interior at least partially defined by the top, a showerhead having a showerhead body in the chamber interior, and a stem connected to the showerhead body, extending along a center axis through the top of the chamber, and having a showerhead inlet outside the chamber interior and configured to receive process gases, a cleaning gas supply flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, a cleaning gas inlet and a junction, and configured to flow a cleaning gas to the junction, a first cleaning gas flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, the junction and the showerhead inlet, and a second cleaning gas flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, the junction and a secondary chamber outlet.

Description

Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WOSYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING CLEANINGINCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

[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 entirety7and for all purposes.BACKGROUND

[0002] Semiconductor manufacturing typically involves one or more processing operations to deposit and / or etch a structure on or in a semiconductor wafer (or substrate). Such processes may employ one or more gas delivery systems in which vapor-phase and sometimes gas precursors are reacted with and / or on a surface of a substrate to deposit material thereon or to remove material therefrom. Various gases are used during the one or more processing operations, including flowing purge gases during purge operations and flowing gases during precursor delivery'. Cleaning gases are used during one or more cleaning operations. Although many forms of gas delivery' systems exist, they are generally configured to provide controlled gas flow and delivery7of cleaning gases and precursors.

[0003] The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.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. The following, non-limiting implementations are considered part of the disclosure; other implementations will be evident from the entirety of this disclosure and the accompanying drawings as well.

[0005] In one embodiment, a semiconductor processing system is provided. The sy stem may include a processing chamber including a chamber top and a chamber interior at least partially defined by the chamber top, a showerhead including a showerhead body positioned in the chamber interior, and a stem connected to the showerhead body, extending along a center axis through the at least a portion of chamber top, and including a showerhead inlet outside the chamber interior, a cleaning gas supply flowpath spanning between, and fl radically connecting, aAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO cleaning gas inlet and a junction, and configured to flow a cleaning gas to the junction, a first cleaning gas flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, the junction and the showerhead inlet, and a second cleaning gas flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, the junction and a secondary chamber outlet. The second cleaning gas flowpath may include a portion extending through the chamber top, positioned radially outwards of the stem, and fluidically interposed betw een the secondary chamber outlet and the junction, and the secondary chamber outlet may be vertically positioned between the show erhead body and an outer surface of the chamber top, may extend around, and may be radially outwards of, the stem, and may be configured to flow cleaning gas from the second cleaning gas flowpath into the chamber interior between the showerhead body and the chamber top.

[0006] In some embodiments, the system may further include a junction manifold including a manifold body, a gas inlet, a first cleaning gas outlet, a second cleaning gas outlet, a junction point, a first conduit in the manifold body and spanning between and fluidically connecting the gas inlet and the junction point, a second conduit in the manifold body and spanning between and fluidically connecting the first cleaning gas outlet and the junction point, a third conduit in the manifold body and spanning between and fluidically connecting the second cleaning gas outlet and the junction point, and a cooling plenum in the manifold body and around the junction point, first conduit, the second conduit, and the third conduit. The junction point may be the junction, the first conduit may be an end portion of the cleaning gas supply flowpath, the second conduit may be a first portion of the first cleaning gas flowpath, and the third conduit may be a first portion of the second cleaning gas flowpath.

[0007] In some such embodiments, the junction manifold may further include a divider inside the manifold body with at least one port, the cooling plenum may include a first plenum portion on a first side of the divider and a second plenum portion on a second side of the divider, and the at least one port may fluidically connect the first plenum portion to the second plenum portion.

[0008] In some further such embodiments, the divider may fluidically isolate the first plenum portion from the second plenum portion, except for the fluidic connected by the at least one port.

[0009] In some further such embodiments, a coolant may be configured to flow' into and through the cooling plenum, the junction manifold may further include a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, the coolant inlet may extend into the first plenum portion and is configured to flow coolant into the first plenum portion, the coolant outlet may extend into the second plenum portion and is configured to flow' the coolant out the second plenum portion, and the coolant may be configured to flow' from the first plenum portion to the second plenum portion through the at least one port.

[0010] In some further such embodiments, the divider may include four ports that fluidicallyAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO connect the first plenum portion to the second plenum portion, and each port may be in a different respective comer of the divider.

[0011] In some such embodiments, the cooling plenum may be fluidically isolated inside the manifold body from the first conduit, the second conduit, the third conduit, and the junction point.

[0012] In some embodiments, the system may further include a cooling sleeve. The second cleaning gas flowpath may include a second portion above the chamber top, the second portion may include a fluid conduit, and the cooling sleeve may be positioned around the fluid conduit and configured to cool the fluid conduit.

[0013] In some such embodiments, the cooling sleeve may include one or more internal cooling passages in a serpentine pattern and configured to flow a coolant therein.

[0014] In some embodiments, the system may further include a first surface extending around the stem, radially offset outside the stem, and extending for a first length in a direction parallel to the center axis, and a second surface extending around the stem, radially offset outside the stem and the first surface, and extending for a second length in the direction parallel to the center axis. The first surface and the second surface may face each other and form a gas distribution plenum at least partially around the stem, the gas distribution plenum may be a part of the portion of the second cleaning gas flowpath, and the secondary’ chamber outlet may be adjacent to the gas distribution plenum.

[0015] In some such embodiments, the gas distribution plenum may be an annular channel.

[0016] In some such embodiments, the first surface and the second surface may be coaxial and parallel to each other.

[0017] In some such embodiments, the system may further include a gas injection manifold including a central bore portion extending around the center axis and including a cylindrical body, an inner bore surface defining a central bore, an outer bore surface, and a bore bottom, an outer body portion extending around the center axis and the central bore portion, and including a top and a bottom, a gas inlet, and a manifold gas flowpath spanning from, and fluidically connecting, the gas inlet and the secondary' chamber outlet. The stem may extend through the central bore, the gas inlet, the manifold gas flowpath, and the gas distribution plenum may be a part of the portion of the second cleaning gas flowpath, the gas distribution plenum may be fluidically connected to the gas distribution plenum, and the gas distribution plenum may be fluidically interposed between the gas inlet and the secondary chamber outlet.

[0018] In some further such embodiments, the gas injection manifold may further includes a plurality' of gas passages arranged around the center axis, and an annular gas plenum, and the plurality of gas passages may fluidically connect the annular gas plenum to the gas distributionAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO plenum.

[0019] In some embodiments, the system may further include a cleaning gas source, a first valve fluidically interposed along the first cleaning gas flowpath and configured to control the flow7of cleaning gas through the first cleaning gas flowpath, a second valve fluidically interposed along the second cleaning gas flowpath and configured to control the flow of the cleaning gas through the second cleaning gas flowpath, and a controller with one or more processors and one or more memories that store instructions for controlling the system. The instructions may be configured to cause the one or more processors to cause the cleaning gas to flow through the cleaning gas supply flowpath while the first valve is in an open position and the second valve is in a closed position, thereby causing the cleaning gas to flow through the first cleaning gas flowpath and through the showerhead and preventing the cleaning gas from flowing through the second cleaning gas flow path and the secondary7chamber outlet, and the cleaning gas to flow through the cleaning gas supply flowpath while the first valve is in a closed position and the second valve is in an open position, thereby causing the cleaning gas to flow through the second cleaning gas flowpath and through the secondary' chamber outlet and preventing the cleaning gas from flowing through the first cleaning gas flowpath and through the show erhead.

[0020] In some such embodiments, the system may further include a purge gas source fluidically connected to the first cleaning gas flowpath downstream of the first valve and upstream of the stem, and fluidically connected to the second cleaning gas flow path downstream of the second valve and upstream of the portion. The instructions may be further configured to cause the one or more processors to cause the purge gas to flow through the portion of the second cleaning gas flowpath and the secondary chamber outlet while the first valve is in the open position, the second valve is in the closed position, and the cleaning gas is flowing through the first cleaning gas flowpath and through the showerhead, and the purge gas to flow through the showerhead while the first valve is in the closed position, the second valve is in the open position, and the cleaning gas is flow ing through the second cleaning gas flowpath and through the secondary chamber outlet.

[0021] In some further such embodiments, the instructions may be further configured to cause the one or more processors to cause the first valve and the second valve to be in the closed positions during a processing operation in the processing chamber, and the purge gas to flow through the portion of the second cleaning gas flowpath and the secondary chamber outlet while the first valve and the second valve are in the closed positions.

[0022] In some such embodiments, the system may further include the junction manifold above. A coolant may be configured to flow into and through the cooling plenum, and the instructions may be further configured to cause the one or more processors to cause coolant toAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO flow through the cooling plenum while flowing the cleaning gas through the cleaning gas supply flowpath.

[0023] In some embodiments, the showerhead may be configured to receive RF power.

[0024] In some embodiments, the chamber top may include an inner surface inside the chamber interior, and the secondary chamber outlet may be coplanar with the inner surface.

[0025] Additional aspects will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and, in part, will be apparent from the disclosure, or may be learned by practice of the disclosed implementations and / or the claimed subject matter.

[0026] The foregoing general description and the follo ing detailed description are illustrative and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the claimed subject matter.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Various implementations disclosed herein are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements.

[0028] Figure 1 schematically shows an implementation of a processing station for semiconductor processing.

[0029] Figure 2 depicts the processing station of Figure 1 according to disclosed implementations.

[0030] Figure 3 depicts an off-angle view of an example junction manifold.

[0031] Figure 4 depicts a cross-sectional top view of the junction manifold of Figure 3.

[0032] Figure 5 depicts a cross-sectional side view' of the junction manifold of Figure 3.

[0033] Figure 6 depicts an off-angle, cross-sectional view of the junction manifold.

[0034] Figure 7 depicts a magnified portion of another implementation of the system of Figure 2.

[0035] Figure 8 depicts a multi-station semiconductor processing system.

[0036] Figure 9 depicts an example technique for cleaning in semiconductor processing.

[0037] Figure 10 depicts a magnified cross-sectional view of a portion of the process station ofFigure 1.

[0038] Figure 11 depicts a magnified cross-sectional slice of a portion of the processing station of Figure 10.

[0039] Figure 12 depicts a magnified portion of Figure 11.

[0040] Figure 13 depicts a cross-sectional top view of the gas injector manifold.

[0041] Figure 14 depicts a magnified detail view of the gas injection manifold without the central bore portion of Figure 13.

[0042] Figure 15 depicts a bottom view of the gas injector manifold and a portion of theAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO chamber top.

[0043] Figure 16 depicts an off-angle cross-sectional view of a portion of the chamber top and gas injection manifold.

[0044] Figure 17 depicts another gas injection manifold 1730.

[0045] Figure 18 depicts an off-angle view of the portion of the chamber top of Figure 16 without the gas injection manifold.

[0046] Figure 19 depicts a magnified portion area of Figure 10.

[0047] Figure 20 depicts example gas flowpaths through the gas injection manifold and into the chamber interior.

[0048] Figure 21 depicts a schematic view of an implementation of a multi-station processing tool.

[0049] Figure 22 depicts another implementation of a magnified portion of a processing station or system.

[0050] Figure 23 depicts another implementation of a magnified portion of a processing station or system.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various implementations. The disclosed implementations may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known process operations have not been described in detail to not unnecessarily obscure the disclosed implementations. While the disclosed implementations will be described in conjunction with specific implementations, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the disclosed implementations.

[0052] In this application, the terms ’‘semiconductor wafer,” “wafer,” “substrate,” “wafer substrate” and “partially fabricated integrated circuit” are used interchangeably. One of ordinary' skill in the art would understand that the term “partially fabricated integrated circuit” can refer to a silicon wafer during any of many stages of integrated circuit fabrication thereon. A wafer or substrate used in the semiconductor device industry typically has a diameter of 200 mm, or 300 mm, or 450 mm. In addition to semiconductor wafers, other work pieces that may take advantage of the disclosed implementations include various articles, such as printed circuit boards, magnetic recording media, magnetic recording sensors, mirrors, optical elements, micromechanical devices, and the like.

[0053] Various semiconductor manufacturing processes, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD), atomic layer etching (ALE), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), chemical vapor etching (CVE), and the like, as well as plasma-enhanced versions of the same, may employ at least oneAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO gas delivery system in which vapor-phase and sometimes gas precursors are reacted with and / or on a surface of a substrate to deposit material thereon or remove material therefrom. Many semiconductor processing tools and apparatuses have a gas delivery' system with a showerhead in a processing chamber that is configured to flow process gases onto a substrate in the chamber. Some semiconductor processing performs purge operations during or after performing a processing cycle. These purge operations may flow purge gas through the showerhead and into the chamber. Gas flow, such as purge gas or process gas, into and through the showerhead may be considered a “primary gas flowpath,” a “primary flowpath,” a “primary' purge flowpath”, or a “primary purge.”

[0054] Some semiconductor processing may also flow process gases, such as a purge gas, through a “secondary7purge gas flowpath” that is separate from the primary7flowpath through the showerhead. The secondary' purge gas flowpath flows gas into the chamber in a region between the top of the showerhead and the top of the chamber. This “secondary purge gas flowpath” may also be referred to herein as a “secondary gas flowpath,” a “secondary7flowpath,” a “secondary purge flowpath”, or a “secondary7purge.” Gas may be flowed through this secondary flowpath during processing operations, such as deposition, etching, and a purge step. The use of a secondary7purge during processing operations may have several benefits, such as directing gas to remote areas of the processing chamber, rather than directly at the substrate (as with the primary purge), and thereby helping to remove gas constituents in these areas and preventing the unwanted deposition of material. This secondary7purge gas flow may also prevent unwanted formation of parasitic plasma above the showerhead which can cause unwanted reactions of materials as well as damage to the chamber and showerhead.

[0055] As new and emerging processes and hardware are being developed, numerous challenges arise, including providing adequate cleaning of the processing chamber. For example, some new processes perform a chamber cleaning operation by flowing a remote plasma cleaning gas (“RPC gas”), such as a radicalized fluorine, into the chamber through the primary flowpath through the showerhead. For some processes and chambers, it is challenging to clean some areas of the chamber by flowing the cleaning gas through the showerhead alone. In some instances, these areas are hard to reach by the cleaning gas flow through the showerhead which results in little to no cleaning of these areas. In some other instances, RPC gas may reach some of these areas, but the amount of RPC gas is limited, low, and / or at a low velocity7which results in poor cleaning of these hard-to-reach areas. Additional cleaning run time may eventually clean some of these areas, but that amount of time is undesirable since it increases tool downtime and reduces throughput.

[0056] Further, flowing the radicalized cleaning gas through the showerhead leads to unwantedAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO recombination of the fluorine radicals which can decrease the cleaning ability of the gas flow out of the showerhead and to the other areas of the chamber. For example, some cleaning gas flows through the showerhead resulted in recombination of greater than 75%, 80%, or 90% of the radical species. This high recombination rate of the RPC gas exiting the showerhead is undesirable because it significantly decreases the RPC gas’s cleaning ability in the chamber itself. This again can lead to increased cleaning time and poor cleaning results. Similarly, the configuration of some conventional secondary purge flowpaths also causes unwanted recombination of the cleaning gas. For example, some secondary purge flowpaths have various slots or channels which can cause the RPC gas to recombine and prevent the RPC gas from adequately cleaning. In some cases where chamber design utilizes a “direct delivery” of cleaning gases, co-location of features necessary to enable deposition often prevents gas delivery to the area where stray accumulation is highest, such as the back of the showerheads or the chamber walls, again leading to poor cleaning performance. It was also found that some secondary purge flowpaths with RPC gas resulted in unwanted parasitic plasma formation in and round the secondary purge flowpath and showerhead.

[0057] It is therefore desirable to provide RPC gas flow into the processing chamber that can clean hard-to-reach areas efficiently and with limited or no recombination of the RPC gas. Provided herein are new systems, apparatuses, and techniques for flowing remote plasma cleaning gas (RPC gas) through a secondary purge flowpath that extends through the top of a processing chamber top, around a showerhead stem, and into the processing chamber. Some implementations may use a new secondary purge flowpath with a gas injection manifold configured to flow the gas into the chamber via an annular channel. As detailed below, some implementations receive the RPC gas from a remote plasma source and flow that RPC gas through a cleaning gas supply flowpath to a junction that splits into a first cleaning gas flowpath and a second cleaning gas flowpath. The first cleaning gas flowpath flows RPC gas to the showerhead inlet for flowing the RPC gas through the showerhead; in other words, this flows through the primary purge flowpath. The second cleaning gas flowpath flows RPC gas through the top of the chamber around the showerhead stem and into the chamber interior through a secondary chamber outlet. The secondary chamber outlet extends around, and is radially outwards of, the showerhead stem and configured to flow gas into the chamber between the showerhead body and an inner surface of the chamber top.

[0058] Some implementations may also have valves that control the RPC gas flow through the first and second cleaning gas flowpaths. In some instances, it is desirable to flow RPC gas through only one of the first and second cleaning gas flowpaths while, at the same time, flowing an inert gas through the other cleaning gas flowpath. It has been found that in some instances,Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO inert gas flow through the first gas flowpath can affect the flow of the RPC gas from the second cleaning gas flowpath in the chamber interior and can assist with controlling the RPC gas How in the chamber. For example, increasing or decreasing the inert gas can cause the RPC gas from the second cleaning gas flowpath to reach different areas in the processing chamber, which may be advantageous for cleaning the chamber. In some instances, the RPC gas may therefore be flowed through the second cleaning gas flowpath while, at the same time, inert gas is flowed through the first cleaning gas flowpath and modulated or adjusted.

[0059] RPC gas can heat the conduit through which it flows to high temperatures, and it is desirable to cool such conduits to prevent damage to conduits and other components. Some implementations may therefore have a junction manifold that provides the junction as well as a cooling plenum to cool portions of the cleaning gas supply flow-path, the first cleaning gas flow path, and a second cleaning gas flow path. Some implementations also have a cooling sleeve around one conduit of the cleaning gas flowpath to further cool that conduit. By adding multiple flowpaths, more flow length and surface area is also added thereby requiring additional cooling to compensate for increased losses over these added flowpaths. Several compact designs and techniques that achieve this cooling capacity are discussed in further detail below .

[0060] By way of introduction, a processing station of a semiconductor processing system is provided in Figure 1. Figure 1 depicts an implementation of a semiconductor processing station, which may also be considered a semiconductor processing system, that may be used to deposit material using atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer etching (ALE), or other etching process, all of which may be plasma enhanced. For simplicity, the processing station 100 is depicted as a standalone process station having a processing chamber body 102 for maintaining a low-pressure environment. The processing chamber body 102 has a top 128 and forms a chamber interior 111. However, it will be appreciated that a plurality of process stations 100 may be included in a common process tool environment.Further, it will be appreciated that, in some implementations, one or more hardware parameters of process station 100, including those discussed in detail below, may be adjusted programmatically by one or more computer controllers.

[0061] Process station 100 fluidly communicates with gas delivery system 101 for delivering process gases to a showerhead 106. The showerhead 106 has a showerhead body 113 positioned in the chamber interior 111 and a showerhead stem 115 extending through the top 128 of the processing chamber body 102. The gas delivery system 101 includes a first process gas source 120 and a second process gas source 122 that are both fluidically connected to a mixing junction 104. The mixing junction 104 is configured to blend, condition, or mix process gases for delivery to showerhead 106. One or more mixing vessel inlet valves 121 may control introduction ofAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO process gases to the mixing junction 104. Similarly, a showerhead inlet valve 105 may control introduction of process gasses to an inlet 107 of the showerhead 106. The first process gas 120 may be a reactant, precursor, or a mixture, and the second process gas 122 may be a purge gas source which may be an inert gas, like argon or nitrogen. Flow through the showerhead inlet valve 105 and the showerhead inlet 107 into the showerhead 106, such as flow of the inert gas from the second gas source 122 may be considered a primary purge flowpath.

[0062] The gas delivery system 101 also includes a cleaning gas source 153, which may be a remote plasma configured to flow the RPC gas. In some implementations, the RPC gas has a fluorine, such as radicalized fluorine or a fluorine plasma. The cleaning gas source 153 is fluidically connected to a cleaning gas supply flowpath 155 which terminates at a junction 157. Downstream of, and fluidically connected to, the junction 157 is a first cleaning gas flow-path 159 fluidically connected to the show erhead inlet 107 and a second cleaning gas flow-path 161 fluidically connected to a secondary chamber outlet 144 fluidically connected to the chamber interior 111. As described herein, the secondary chamber outlet 144 is configured to flow gas into the chamber interior 1 11 , such as circumferentially around the showerhead stem 1 15 and downwards around the showerhead stem 115. These features are described in more detail below .

[0063] In some implementations, like in Figure 1 top 128 of the processing chamber body 102 has a gas injection manifold 130 positioned at least partially therein. The gas injection manifold 130 has a gas inlet 132 fluidically connected to the second process gas sources 122 and configured to receive the second process gas from the second gas source 122 through a fluid conduit 109. The top 128 and gas injection manifold 130 form the secondary- purge gas flowpath and are configured to flow the second process gas into the chamber interior. Another control valve 121 A is illustrated upstream of the gas inlet 132 and configured to control the flow of gas into the gas inlet 132.

[0064] Showerhead 106 distributes process gases toward substrate 112. In the implementation shown in Figure 1, substrate 112 is located beneath showerhead 106, and is shown resting on a pedestal 108. It will be appreciated that showerhead 106 may have any suitable shape, and may have any suitable number and arrangement of ports for distributing processes gases to substrate 112. As depicted, the showerhead 106 is a chandelier-type with the showerhead body 113 positioned in the chamber interior 111 and the showerhead stem 115 connected to the showerhead body 113 and extending from the chamber interior 111, through the top 128 and gas injection manifold 130, and to an area outside the chamber body 102. The showerhead body 113 is supported by the show erhead stem 115 and its direct or indirect connection to the chamber top 128.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO

[0065] In some implementations, a microvolume 103 is located beneath showerhead 106. Performing an ALD and / or CVD process in a microvolume rather than in the entire volume of a process station may reduce reactant exposure and sweep times, may reduce times for altering process conditions (e.g., pressure, temperature, etc.), may limit an exposure of process station robotics to process gases, etc. Example microvolume sizes include, but are not limited to, volumes between 0.1 liter and 2 liters. This microvolume also impacts productivity throughput. While deposition rate per cycle drops, the cycle time also simultaneously reduces. In certain cases, the effect of the latter is dramatic enough to improve overall throughput of the module for a given target thickness of film.

[0066] In some implementations, pedestal 108 may be raised or lowered to expose substrate 112 to microvolume 103 and / or to vary a volume of microvolume 103. For example, in a substrate transfer phase, pedestal 108 may be lowered to allow substrate 112 to be loaded onto pedestal 108. During a deposition process phase, pedestal 108 may be raised to position substrate 112 within microvolume 103. In some implementations, microvolume 103 may completely enclose substrate 1 12 as well as a portion of pedestal 108 to create a region of high flow impedance during a deposition process.

[0067] Optionally, pedestal 108 may be lowered and / or raised during portions the deposition process to modulate process pressure, reactant concentration, etc., within microvolume 103. In one scenario where process chamber body 102 remains at a base pressure during the deposition process, lowering pedestal 108 may allow microvolume 103 to be evacuated. Example ratios of microvolume to process chamber volume include, but are not limited to, volume ratios between 1 : 100 and 1 : 10. It will be appreciated that, in some implementations, pedestal height may be adjusted programmatically by a suitable computer controller.

[0068] In another scenario, adjusting a height of pedestal 108 may allow a plasma density to be varied during plasma activation and / or treatment cycles included in the deposition process. At the conclusion of the deposition process phase, pedestal 108 may be lowered during another substrate transfer phase to allow removal of substrate 112 from pedestal 108.

[0069] While the example microvolume variations described herein refer to a height-adjustable pedestal, it will be appreciated that, in some implementations, a position of showerhead 106 may be adjusted relative to pedestal 108 to vary a volume of microvolume 103. Further, it will be appreciated that a vertical position of pedestal 108 and / or showerhead 106 may be varied by any suitable mechanism within the scope of the present disclosure. In some implementations, pedestal 108 may include a rotational axis for rotating an orientation of substrate 112. It will be appreciated that, in some implementations, one or more of these example adjustments may be performed programmatically by one or more suitable computer controllers.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO

[0070] Returning to the implementation shown in Figure 1. showerhead 106 and pedestal 108 electrically communicate with RF power supply 114 and matching network 116 for powering a plasma. In some implementations, the plasma energy may be controlled by controlling one or more of a process station pressure, a gas concentration, an RF source power, an RF source frequency, and a plasma power pulse timing. For example, RF power supply 114 and matching network 116 may be operated at any suitable power to form a plasma having a desired composition of radical species. Examples of suitable powers are included above. Likewise, RF power supply 114 may provide RF power of any suitable frequency. In some implementations, RF power supply 114 may be configured to control high- and low-frequency RF power sources independently of one another. Example low-frequency RF frequencies may include, but are not limited to, frequencies between 50 kHz and 100 kHz. Example high-frequency RF frequencies may include, but are not limited to, frequencies between 1.8 MHz and 2.45 GHz. It will be appreciated that any suitable parameters may be modulated discretely or continuously to provide plasma energy for the surface reactions. In one non-limiting example, the plasma power may be intermittently pulsed to reduce ion bombardment with the substrate surface relative to continuously powered plasmas.

[0071] In some implementations, the showerhead 106 is electrically connected to the RF power supply 114 and may be considered an RF hot showerhead 106. The pedestal 108, the chamber body 102 including the top 128 and the gas injection manifold 130 may be electrically grounded. As detailed below, the showerhead stem is electrically isolated from the gas injection manifold 130 and the chamber top 128.

[0072] In some implementations, the plasma may be monitored in-situ by one or more plasma monitors. In one scenario, plasma power may be monitored by one or more voltage, current sensors (e.g., VI probes). In another scenario, plasma density and / or process gas concentration may be measured by one or more optical emission spectroscopy sensors (OES). In some implementations, one or more plasma parameters may be programmatically adjusted based on measurements from such in-situ plasma monitors. For example, an OES sensor may be used in a feedback loop for providing programmatic control of plasma power. It will be appreciated that, in some implementations, other monitors may be used to monitor the plasma and other process characteristics. Such monitors may include, but are not limited to, infrared (IR) monitors, acoustic monitors, and pressure transducers.

[0073] In some implementations, the plasma may be controlled via input / output control (IOC) sequencing instructions. In one example, the instructions for setting plasma conditions for a plasma process phase may be included in a corresponding plasma activation recipe phase of a deposition process recipe. In some cases, process recipe phases may be sequentially arranged, soAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO that all instructions for a deposition process phase are executed concurrently with that process phase. In some implementations, instructions for setting one or more plasma parameters may be included in a recipe phase preceding a plasma process phase. For example, a first recipe phase may include instructions for setting a flow rate of an inert and / or a reactant gas. instructions for setting a plasma generator to a power set point, and time delay instructions for the first recipe phase. A second, subsequent recipe phase may include instructions for enabling the plasma generator and time delay instructions for the second recipe phase. A third recipe phase may include instructions for disabling the plasma generator and time delay instructions for the third recipe phase. It will be appreciated that these recipe phases may be further subdivided and / or iterated in any suitable way within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0074] In some deposition processes, plasma strikes last on the order of a few seconds or more in duration. In certain implementations, much shorter plasma strikes may be used. These may be on the order of 10 ms to 1 second, typically, about 20 to 80 ms, with 50 ms being a specific example. Such very short RF plasma strikes require extremely quick stabilization of the plasma. To accomplish this, the plasma generator may be configured such that the impedance match is set preset to a particular voltage, while the frequency is allowed to float. Conventionally, high- frequency plasmas are generated at an RF frequency at about 13.56 MHz. In various implementations disclosed herein, the frequency is allowed to float to a value that is different from this standard value. By permitting the frequency to float while fixing the impedance match to a predetermined voltage, the plasma can stabilize much more quickly, a result which may be important when using the very short plasma strikes associated with some types of deposition cycles.

[0075] In some implementations, pedestal 108 may be temperature controlled via heater 110. Further, in some implementations, pressure control for deposition process station 100 may be provided by butterfly valve 118. As shown in the implementation of Figure 1, butterfly valve 118 throttles a vacuum provided by a downstream vacuum pump (not shown). However, in some implementations, pressure control of process station 100 may also be adjusted by varying a flow rate of one or more gases introduced to process station 100.

[0076] Various features of the cleaning gas flowpaths will now be discussed. Figure 2 depicts the processing station of Figure 1 according to disclosed implementations. Here, various features have been removed for clarity and illustration purposes. As can be seen, the process station 100, which may also be a processing system 100, is shown with the chamber body 102 having the chamber top 128 at least partially defining the chamber interior 111. The showerhead body 113 is positioned in the chamber interior 111 while the showerhead stem 115 extends through at least a portion of the chamber top 128, which may include extending through all of the chamber top toAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO an area above the chamber top 128 and outside the chamber interior 1 11. The showerhead stem 115 extends along a center axis 131 and has the showerhead inlet 107 that is outside the chamber interior 111 and configured to receive process gases, as provided herein. For example, the showerhead inlet 107 is configured to receive process gases and flow them through the showerhead stem 115, into the showerhead body 113, and onto the substrate (not pictured) in the chamber interior 111. As provided herein, this may be considered the primary purge flowpath, in some instances.

[0077] In some implementations, the showerhead stem may not extend through all of the chamber top 128 and may instead extend through only a portion of the chamber top and thereby terminate at or inside the chamber top 128. This is illustrated in Figure 23 which depicts another implementation of a magnified portion of a processing station 2200, or system. Here, the system 2302 has a showerhead stem 2315 that extends through a portion of the chamber top 128, such as the injection manifold 130, and that does not extend fully through the chamber top 128. As can be seen, this showerhead stem 2315 terminates inside the chamber top 128. including the gas injection manifold 130. The showerhead inlet 2307 is inside the chamber top 128 and may also be considered at the top of the gas injection manifold 130. In this illustration, gas flows to the showerhead stem 2315 through a port 2307A in the gas injection manifold 130.

[0078] The gas delivery system 101 also has the cleaning gas source 153 that is configured to provide the RPC gas, such as a fluorine plasma or radicalized fluorine. In some implementations, one or more other gases may be flowed with the fluorine plasma, such as a carrier gas.Fluidically connected to the cleaning gas source 153 is the cleaning gas supply flowpath 155 which is configured to receive the RPC gas and flow it to the junction 157. The cleaning gas supply flowpath 155 spans between, and fluidically connects, a cleaning gas inlet 163 and the junction 157. The cleaning gas inlet 163 may be located on or near the system 100 while the cleaning gas source 153 may be located farther away. Fluidically connected downstream of the junction 157 is the first cleaning gas flowpath 159 that spans between the junction 157 and the showerhead inlet 107 on the showerhead stem 115 outside of the chamber interior 111. RPC gas is configured to flow from the junction 157 through the first cleaning gas flowpath 159, into the showerhead through the inlet 107, through the showerhead 106, and out the plurality of through- holes in the showerhead 106 into the chamber interior 111. This RPC gas flow may be through some or all of the primary purge flowpath. Control valve 105 A is fluidically interposed along the first cleaning gas flowpath 159 and configured to control the flow of RPC gas to the showerhead inlet 107. This control valve 105A is fluidically downstream of the junction manifold 165 and upstream of the showerhead inlet 107. With the control valve 105 A closed, RPC gas is configured not to flow through the showerhead inlet 107 and into the chamber interior 111.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO

[0079] Also fluidically connected to the junction 157 is the second cleaning gas flowpath 161 which is encompassed by a dash-dot-dash shape. The second cleaning gas flowpath 161 is fluidically connected to the junction 157 and spans between the junction 157 and the secondary chamber outlet 144 which may be considered the exit point of the RPC gas and into the chamber interior 111. For instance, the secondary chamber outlet 144 serves as the fluidic connection between in the second cleaning gas flowpath 161 and the chamber interior 111. Control valve 121A is fluidically interposed along the second cleaning gas flowpath 161 and configured to control the flow of RPC gas to the gas inlet 132. The control valve 121 A is fluidically downstream of the junction 157 and upstream of the gas inlet 132 and a portion Pl extending through the chamber top 128. With the control valve 121A closed, RPC gas is configured not to flow through the portion Pl, the secondary chamber outlet 144, and into the chamber interior 111.

[0080] The second cleaning gas flowpath 161 also has the portion Pl extending at least partially through the chamber top 128. For example, as illustrated in Figure 2, the second cleaning gas flowpath 161 spans between the junction 157 and the gas inlet 132 of the gas injection manifold 130. The second cleaning gas flowpath 161 spans through the gas injection manifold 130 to a gas distribution plenum 150 extending around, and radially outwards from, the showerhead stem 115, and to the secondary chamber outlet 144. The gas distribution plenum 150 may be partially formed by a surface of the gas injection manifold 130 and the chamber top 128. The portion Pl spanning through the chamber top may include some of the gas injection manifold 130, including the gas supply passage 142 and the gas distribution plenum 150. The portion Pl is also encircled with a dash-dot-dash shape in Figure 7.

[0081] The secondary chamber outlet 144 is fluidically connected to the chamber interior 111 and the RPC flows through the secondary chamber outlet 144 to the chamber interior 1 11. In some implementations, the secondary chamber outlet 144 is vertically positioned along the center axis 131 between the showerhead body 113 and an outer surface 166 of the chamber top 128. In some implementations, the secondary chamber outlet 144 is located at or proximate to an inner surface 146 of the chamber top 128. As described in more detail herein, the secondary chamber outlet 144 extends around and is radially outwards of the showerhead stem 115. The secondary' chamber outlet 144 is also configured to flow the RPC gas into the chamber interior 111 between the showerhead body 113 and the chamber top 128, including the inner surface 146. In some implementations, like illustrated, the second cleaning gas flowpath 161 does not have any' other outlets besides the secondary' chamber outlet 144. For example, second cleaning gas flowpath 161 may have only one outlet fluidically connected to the chamber interior 111, whichAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO is the secondary chamber outlet 144. Further, this secondary chamber outlet 144 may only have one port, or one opening through which the RPC gas flows.

[0082] In some instances, it is desirable to control the temperature of conduits containing the RPC gas for various reasons. For example, excess heat in the RPC gas conduits can present a safety risk to personnel, can damage other components in the system, and can potentially affect the RPC gas properties. The system 100 may therefore have a junction manifold 165 having fluid conduits that serve as portions of the cleaning gas supply flowpath and the first and second cleaning gas flowpaths, as well as a cooling plenum for cooling these conduits. Figure 3 depicts an off-angle view of an example junction manifold. The junction manifold 165 has a manifold body 167, a cleaning gas inlet 169, a first cleaning gas outlet 171, a second cleaning gas outlet 173, a cooling fluid inlet 175, and a cooling fluid outlet 189.

[0083] Additional features of the junction manifold 165 are visible in Figure 4 which depicts a cross-sectional top view of the junction manifold of Figure 3. The cross-sectional plane here is taken between the top of the manifold body 167 and the tops of the conduits extending through the manifold body 167. Because of this, the cross-hatching is provided in the sidewalls of the manifold body 167. As can be seen, the junction manifold 165 has various internal features, including a junction point 177 which may be the same thing as the junction 157 provided above, and a first conduit 179 outside and partially inside the manifold body 167 and spanning between and fluidically connecting the cleaning gas inlet 169 and the junction point 177. Branching from the junction point 177 is a second conduit 181 outside and partially inside the manifold body 167 and spanning between and fluidically connecting the first cleaning gas outlet 171 and the junction point 177, and a third conduit 183 outside and partially inside the manifold body 167 and spanning between and fluidically connecting the second cleaning gas outlet 173 and the junction point 177. The conduits 179, 181, and 183 are all fluidically connected to each other and the junction point 177.

[0084] The first conduit 179 may be the end point, end portion, or termination point, for the cleaning gas supply flowpath 155. The second conduit 181 may be a first portion, or a beginning portion, of the first cleaning gas flowpath 159 to the showerhead inlet 107. Similarly, the third conduit 183 may be a first portion, or a beginning portion, of the second cleaning gas flowpath 161 to the secondary chamber outlet 144.

[0085] The junction manifold 165 also has a cooling plenum 185 in the manifold body 167 and around the junction point 177, and the first, second, and third conduits 179, 181, and 183, respectively. Figure 5 depicts a cross-sectional side view of the junction manifold of Figure 3. The manifold body 167 is seen along with the first conduit 179, which is a hollow^ tube. In some instances, the outer surface of the first conduit 179 may have other cross-sectional shapes, suchAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO as hexagonal. The first conduit 179 is also seen offset from the top 167A, bottom 167B, and sides 167C and 167C of the manifold body 167 which may assist with cooling the first conduit 179. Similarly, although not visible in this Figure, the second conduit 181 and third conduit 183 are also offset from the top 167 A, bottom 167B, and sides 167C and 167D except where they extend through the sides to exit the manifold body 167. The cooling plenum 185 is also labeled here, is outlined with a dot-dash-dot line boundary, and is seen extending around the first conduit 179.

[0086] Coolant, such as a cooling fluid, is configured to flow into the cooling plenum 185 through a coolant inlet 187, visible in Figures 3-5, and out the cooling plenum through a coolant outlet 189, labeled in Figure 3. In some implementations, the junction manifold 165 may provide a heat sink and / or a circuitous, long pathway for the coolant to flow through the manifold body to provide further cooling of the conduits. For example, as seen in Figures 4 and 5, the junction manifold 165 has a divider inside the manifold body which splits the cooling plenum 185 into at least two parts and has one or more ports fluidically connecting the two parts. This configuration provides a long, circuitous pathway for the cooling fluid to have a long residence time inside the manifold body and sufficiently cool the first, second, and third conduits 179, 181, and 183, respectively, as well as the junction point 177. In Figure 5, the divider 191 is seen and it extends between and inside the manifold body 167 and is also directly connected to the first conduit 179. The divider 191 is also directly connected to the second conduit 181 and third conduit 183, but not this is not shown in Figure 5. The divider 191 may also act as a heat sink for the conduits by being directly connected to them. Additional cooling is thereby provided by flowing coolant around the divider and conduits.

[0087] As further illustrated in Figure 5, the divider 191 may split the cooling plenum 185 into a first plenum portion 185 A on a first side of the divider 191 and a second plenum portion 185B on a second side of the divider 191. The coolant inlet 187 is fluidically connected to the first plenum portion 185A and the coolant outlet 189 is fluidically connected to the second plenum portion 185B. The divider 191 may have one or more ports extending through the divider 191 to fluidically connected the first and second plenum portions 185 A and 185B. Referring back to Figure 4, the divider 191 is shown along with four ports 193A-193D which extend through the divider 191 and fluidically connect the first plenum portion 185 A and the second plenum portion 185B. In some instances, the first plenum portion 185 A and the second plenum portion 185B are fluidically isolated, or fluidically separate, from each other except for the ports 193A-193B which provide the fluidic connection betw een these first and second plenum portions 185 A and 185B. The conduits and the divider 191 provide the fluidic separation between the first and second plenum portions 185A and 185B. Like in Figure 4, some implementations have the fourAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO ports 193A-193D in a respective comer of the divider 191 or manifold body 167. Other implementations may have more or less than four.

[0088] Figure 6 depicts an off-angle, cross-sectional view of the junction manifold 165. Here, the manifold body top 167A has been removed for clarity and the cross-sectional line is through the coolant inlet 187 like in Figure 5. Coolant is configured to flow into the junction manifold 165 through the coolant inlet 187 and into and through the first plenum portion 185 A. The coolant contacts the bottom sides of one or more of the divider 191, the first, second, and third conduits 179, 181, and 183, respectively, and the junction point 177. The coolant then passes through one of the ports 193A-193D to the second plenum portion 185B. In Figure 5, the first port 193 A is visible. The black arrows illustrate example flow of the coolant along this pathway. Once in the second plenum portion 185B, the coolant may contact the top sides of one or more of the divider 191, the first, second, and third conduits 179, 181, and 183, respectively, and the junction point 177. The coolant exits the junction manifold 165 out the coolant outlet 189. The coolant and RPC gas are fluidically isolated from each other while in the junction manifold 165.

[0089] In some implementations, the system 100 may have a cooling sleeve around a second portion of the second cleaning gas flowpath 161 above the chamber top 128. Referring back to Figure 2, a second portion 161A1 of the second cleaning gas flowpath 161 is above the chamber top 128 and has a conduit 195 and a cooling sleeve 197 around that conduit 195. The cooling sleeve 197 may have one or more coolant passages, such as internal cooling passages, that spiral and / or coil around the conduit 195; in some instances, these coolant passages may follow a serpentine pattern. Coolant is configured to flow through the one or more coolant passages and cool the conduit 195. This provides further advantageous cooling of the second cleaning gas flowpath 161. In some implementations, the cooling sleeve is made by additive manufacturing or 3 -dimensional printing.

[0090] As provided herein, the secondary chamber outlet 144 may be formed in various manners. In some instances, two concentric circumferential surfaces may define the secondary chamber outlet 144. The resulting shape of the secondary chamber outlet 144 may be annular or ring-shaped and this may result in flowing the RPC gas in an annular channel around the showerhead stem 115. Figure 7 depicts a magnified portion of another implementation of the system of Figure 2. Here, the showerhead stem 115 extends through the chamber top 128 and the gas injection manifold 130 is positioned partially inside and through the chamber top. The second cleaning gas flowpath 161 is partially defined by the gas inlet 132, the gas supply passage 142, and the gas distribution plenum 150 directly adjacent to the secondary chamber outlet 144. In some instances, a first surface 154 of the gas injection manifold 130 extends around the showerhead stem 115, is radially offset outside the showerhead stem 115. and extends for a firstAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO length LI 1 in a direction parallel to the center axis 131. Similarly, a second surface 160 extends around the showerhead stem 115, is radially offset outside the showerhead stem 115 and the first surface 154, and extends for the first length Li l in a direction parallel to the center axis 131. The first and second surfaces may be coaxial and parallel with each other, and together they form the gas distribution plenum 150. The gas distribution channel may be an annular channel, as illustrated below, such as in Figures 15 and 16, for example.

[0091] In some implementations, the second surface 160 may be a surface of the chamber top 128, like in Figure 11 below or the gas injection manifold like in Figure 17. As provided herein, in some implementations, this first surface 154 may be the outer bore surface of the central bore portion 136. The gas injection manifold may have any of the features provided herein.

[0092] The system may also have a processing chamber body with multiple processing stations positioned therein. Figure 8 depicts a multi-station semiconductor processing system. Here, the system 800 has a chamber body 802 with a first processing station 199A and a second processing station 199B. Each station 199A and 199B, respectively, has a pedestal 108A and 108B, a substrate 1 12A and 1 12B positioned thereon (although substrates would not be positioned in the chamber interior 111 during cleaning operations), and a showerhead 106A and 106B extending through the chamber top 128 A. Each station 199A and 199B also has a respective first flowpath 159A and 159B fluidically connected to the respective showerhead 106A and 106B and showerhead inlet 107A and 107B. Each station 199A and 199B also has a respective second flowpath 161 A and 161B fluidically connected to the respective portion P1A and P1B extending through the chamber top 128A, which may include a respective gas injector manifold 103A and 103B, and the respective secondary’ chamber outlet 144A and 144B. The system 800 also has the cleaning gas inlet 863, the first cleaning gas supply flowpath 155 A spanning between the cleaning gas inlet 163A and ajunction 157A, and the second cleaning gas supply flowpath 155B spanning between the cleaning gas inlet 863 and a second junction 157B. The cleaning gas source 853 is configured to flow the RPC gas to the cleaning gas inlet 863 and then to both the cleaning gas supply flowpaths 155A and 155B.

[0093] While Figure 8 only depicts two process stations, some systems may have more processing stations, such as three, four, five, six, eight, or ten. These systems may by similarly configured as with system 800 such that each station has the first and second gas flowpaths, junction manifold, and secondary’ chamber outlets provided herein. Additional multi-station systems and chambers are provided below, such as in Figure 21. Each station provided therein may have the same features of each station in Figure 8 and 2, for example.

[0094] As provided below, in some implementations, the showerhead of each system is configured to receive RF power. Providing RF power to the showerhead may present additionalAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO challenges for conventional systems. However, the systems provided herein advantageously flow RPC gas with limited recombination of the RPC gas and low to no formation of parasitic plasma.

[0095] Various techniques for flowing the RPC gas into the chamber interior are provided herein. These techniques may be considered cleaning operations which are separate and distinct from processing operations, like the deposition or etching of materials. Further, substrates are not positioned in the processing chamber interior during cleaning operations. In some techniques, the RPC gas is only flowed to one of the first or second cleaning gas flowpaths while, at the same time, inert gas flow through the other flowpath. Figure 9 depicts an example technique for cleaning in semiconductor processing. Reference will be made to Figure 2 for this example technique. In block 901 a first control valve configured to control flow of the RPC gas through the first cleaning gas flowpath 159 and to the showerhead inlet 107 is opened. This may be control valve 105A which is fluidically downstream of the junction manifold 165 and upstream of the showerhead inlet 107. With this first control valve open, RPC gas can flow into the showerhead inlet 107 and into the chamber interior 111.

[0096] In block 903, a second control valve configured to control flow of the RPC gas through the second cleaning gas flowpath 161 and to secondary chamber outlet 144 is closed. This may be control valve 121 A which is fluidically downstream of the junction manifold 165 and upstream of the gas inlet 132 and the portion Pl extending through the chamber top 128. With this second control valve open, RPC gas cannot flow through the portion Pl, such as the gas inj ection manifold 130, the secondary chamber outlet 144, and into the chamber interior 111.

[0097] In block 905, RPC gas is flow ed through the first cleaning gas flowpath 159 while the first control valve 105A is open and while the second control valve 121A is closed at the same time. This closure of the second control valve 121 A prevents RPC gas from flowing through the second cleaning gas flow-path 161. This may be one cleaning operation, or one portion of the cleaning operation. This may also be considered flowing the RPC gas through the primary purge flowpath.

[0098] After the flow ing the RPC gas through the showerhead of block 905, the RPC gas may be flowed through the second cleaning gas flow path. In block 907, the first control valve is closed and in block 909 the second control valve is opened. In block 911, RPC gas is flowed through the second cleaning gas flow-path 161 while the second control valve 121A is open and while the first control valve 105 A is closed at the same time. This closure of the first control valve 105A prevents RPC gas from flowing through the first cleaning gas flowpath 159. This may be a second cleaning operation, or a second portion of the cleaning operation. This may also be considered flowing the RPC gas through the secondary- purge flowpath.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO

[0099] In some instances, the blocks of Figure 9 may be performed in various orders. For example, the RPC gas may be flowed through the first cleaning gas flow path first and the second cleaning gas flowpath second. Blocks 901 and 903 may therefore be performed at the same time, or sequentially, after which block 905 may be performed. Once block 905 is performed, then blocks 907 and 909 may be performed at the same time, or sequentially, after which block 911 may be performed. In another example, the RPC gas may be flowed through the second cleaning gas flow path first and the first cleaning gas flowpath second. Here, blocks 907 and 909 may therefore be performed at the same time, or sequentially, after which block 911 may be performed. Once block 911 is performed, then blocks 901 and 903 may be performed at the same time, or sequentially, after which block 905 may be performed.

[0100] Optionally, inert gas may be flowed through one of the cleaning gas flowpaths while RPC gas flows through the other cleaning gas flow ath. For example, in optional block 913, inert gas may be flowed through the second cleaning gas flowpath while the RPC gas is flowed through the first cleaning gas flowpath. The inert gas may enter the second cleaning gas flowpath downstream of the second control valve 121 A, such as in-between the gas inlet 132 and the second control valve 121 A at point P2. Figure 2 includes the inert gas source 122 fluidically connected to the second cleaning gas flowpath at this point P2. This allow s the control valve 121A to remain closed to prevent RPC gas from flowing through the second cleaning gas flowpath while being able to flow the inert gas through the second cleaning gas flowpath 161.

[0101] In another example, in optional block 915, inert gas may be flowed through the first cleaning gas flowpath while the RPC gas is flowed through the second cleaning gas flowpath. As seen in Figure 2, the inert gas from the inert gas source 122 may enter the first cleaning gas flowpath downstream of the first control valve 105 A, such as in between the showerhead inlet 107 and the first control valve 105 A at point P3. This allows the control valve 105 A to remain closed to prevent RPC gas from flowing through the first cleaning gas flowpath while still being able to flow- the inert gas through the showerhead. In some implementations, this inert gas flow- through the first cleaning gas flowpath and showerhead may be adjusted or modulated to two or more flow rates. Adjusting this inert gas flow through the showerhead while flowing the RPC gas through the chamber outlet into the chamber interior has numerous benefits, such as causing the RPC to reach different areas of the chamber interior, like chamber w alls, or the showerhead itself. This adjustment is reflected in optional block 917.

[0102] In some other implementations, both the first and second control valves may be open at the same time so RPC gas can flow through both first and second cleaning gas flowpaths at the same time.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO

[0103] Some implementations are also configured to flow coolant through the junction manifold during the RPC flow to the first and second cleaning gas flowpaths.

[0104] The performance of blocks 901 through 917 are provided during cleaning operations, not during processing operations, like depositing or etching of materials on a substrate. Both the first and second control valves may therefore be closed during such processing operations.

[0105] As provided below, a controller of the system is configured to execute any of the techniques provided herein.

[0106] Various features of the gas injection manifold are further described below. Figure 10 depicts a magnified cross-sectional slice of a portion of the processing station of Figure 1. For clarity, the showerhead and some other features have been removed. Here, two slices of the cylindrical inner body portion 136 are shown. As provided below, the cylindrical inner body portion 136 may have a cylindrical body that extends around the center axis 131 and that has a first radial thickness tl. The cylindrical inner body portion 136 has a first end 136B and a second end 136A, and a central bore 138 extending from the first end 136B to the second end 136A. The cylindrical inner body portion 136 has an inner bore surface 152 that define the central bore 138. As illustrated, the central bore 138 is a hole or cavity that extends through the gas injection manifold 130. The cy lindrical inner body portion 136 also has an outer surface 154 and a first end 136B. This first end 136B may be considered a bottom of the central bore 138. The outer surface 154 may partially define the annular gas plenum 140, each gas passages 148, and the gas distribution plenum 150.

[0107] In Figures 10 and 11, the outer body portion 137 is seen extending around and surrounding the center axis 131, the cylindrical inner body portion 136, and radially outwards of the cylindrical inner body portion 136. In some implementations, the outer body portion 137 is in direct, and electrical, contact with the cylindrical inner body portion 136 and they may be separate structures coupled, or connected together, such as by a shrink fit, a variety of welding methods, or fabricated as a single piece via additive manufacturing. In some other implementations described below, the outer body portion 137 may be the same contiguous structure as the cylindrical inner body portion 136. The outer body portion 137 has the gas inlet 132 and the gas supply passage 142 spanning between and fluidicalty connecting the annular gas plenum 140 to the gas inlet 132. The outer body portion 137 may also have an upper portion 156 with the gas inlet 132 and a lower portion 158 having the annular gas plenum 140 which is radially outwards of the central bore 138. The gas supply passage 142 extends through the upper portion 156 and lower portion 158.

[0108] The annular gas plenum 140 extends circumferentially around, or surrounds, and is radially outwards from the central bore 138 and the cylindrical inner body portion 136. In someAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO instances, the annular gas plenum 140 is partially defined by the outer surface 154 and an annular groove (AG1 in Figure 12, for example) in the lower portion 1 8. Although the annular gas plenum 140 may be partially defined by the outer surface 154 of the cylindrical inner body portion 136, the annular gas plenum 140 may still be considered radially outwards from the cylindrical inner body portion 136 with respect to the center axis 131. The cross-sectional area of the annular groove in a plane parallel to the center axis 131 may be rectangular, U-shaped, or C- shaped, and in a plane perpendicular to the center axis 131, it may be annular or ring-shaped.

[0109] In some instances, the lower portion 158 may be considered to have an inner surface the encircles the inner body portion 136. As discussed in more detail below, this inner surface IS1 defines the annular groove AG1, the outer plenum surface 168, and the channel surface 170.

[0110] In Figure 11, the gas passages 148 are also more visible than in Figure 10. Each passage 148 fluidically connects the annular gas plenum 140 to the gas distribution plenum 150 and the secondary- chamber outlet 144. Features of the gas passages are described in more detail below. The gas distribution plenum 150 is also seen and partially defined by the outer surface 154 of the cylindrical inner body portion 136. In the illustrated example of Figure 11 , the gas distribution plenum 150 is also defined by a circumferential surface 160 that extends around, or surrounds, the center axis 131 and is radially offset from the cylindrical inner body portion 136. In some implementations, like in Figure 11, the circumferential surface 160 may be a surface of the chamber top 128 itself. The gas distribution plenum 150 may be an annular channel. For example, the cross-sectional area of the gas distribution plenum 150 in a plane perpendicular to the center axis 131 may be annular or ring-shaped.

[0111] Figure 12 depicts a magnified portion ofFigure 11. Here, only the left-side of Figure 11 is shown and for clarity, the cross-hatching has been removed. Many of the same features illustrated in Figure 12 are also shown in Figure 1 1 and described herein. In Figure 12, the outer body portion 137 has a first height Hl in a direction parallel to the center axis 131 and the cylindrical inner body portion 136 has a second height H2 in the direction parallel to the center axis 131. In some implementations, the second height H2 is greater than the first height Hl . In some instances, the first end 136B is offset from a bottom 162 of the outer body portion 137 by a first offset distance OD1 in the direction parallel to the center axis 131. The bottom 162 of the outer body portion 137 may be positioned directly on a support surface 164 of the chamber top 128; in the Figures, these features overlap with each other. In some instances, support surface 164 extends radially inwards from the outer side wall 178 towards the center axis 131. This configuration may advantageously provide structural support for the gas injection manifold 130 by the chamber top 128 and electrical connection between the gas injection manifold 130 and the chamber top 128. The gas injection manifold 130 may be electrically connected to the chamberAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO top 128 in multiple locations, including at the surface 164 and / or at an outer top surface 166 of the chamber top 128. As provided herein, in some implementations, the gas injection manifold 130 and the chamber top 128 are electrically grounded, or electrically connected to a ground.

[0112] Similarly, referring back to Figure 11, the upper portion 156 may have a first outer diameter DI and the lower portion 158 may have a second outer diameter D2 smaller than the first outer diameter DI. This may again allow for the outer flange of the upper portion 156 to rest on and be physically and electrically connected to the chamber top 128. This and the surface 164 seen in Figure 12 may also prevent the gas injection manifold 130 from falling through the chamber top 128 or moving after installation.

[0113] As seen in Figure 12, the circumferential surface 160 may extend for a second length L2 in a direction parallel to the center axis 131. In some instances, the second length L2 may be the same length as the first offset distance OD1. This may result in the first end 136B being coplanar with the inner top surface 146 of the chamber top 128. As also seen in Figure 12, a first portion 142A of the gas supply passage 142 forms at an angle 01 relative to an axis 133 parallel to the center axis 131. This first portion 142A may span from the annular gas plenum 140 to a first point FP1 in the outer body portion 137. In some implementations, this angle 01 may be an acute angle and range between about 15 degrees to about 85 degrees, for example. This angle may advantageously provide for a smooth transition of gas flow into the annular gas plenum 140 and prevent eddies or recirculation therein, and also provide for ease of manufacturability with a drill bit extended through the annular gas plenum 140 to form the first portion 142A of the gas supply passage 142. In Figure 12, the gas passages 148 each extend for a first length LI in the direction parallel to the center axis 131.

[0114] In some implementations, the gas injection manifold 130 may have a manifold gas flowpath spanning from, and fluidically connecting, the gas inlet 132 and the secondary chamber outlet 144. For example, the manifold gas flowpath may provide fluidic connection between the gas inlet, gas supply passage 142, the annular gas plenum 140, the gas passage 148, the gas distribution plenum 150, and the secondary chamber outlet 144. This manifold gas flowpath and the fluidic connection between these elements is illustrated by arrows Al; this manifold flowpath may be considered at least a portion of the secondary purge gas flowpath. Here, gas flows through the gas inlet 132 into the gas supply passage 142, then into and through the annular gas plenum 140, into and through the gas passage 148, into and through the gas distribution plenum 150, and out the secondary chamber outlet 144 into the chamber interior 11 1. The secondary chamber outlet 144 is encircled with a dashed ellipse for clarity.

[0115] Aspects of the gas injection manifold are further seen in Figure 13 which depicts a cross-sectional top view of the gas injection manifold 130. The cross-section is taken along aAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO plane through the annular gas plenum 140 perpendicular to the center axis 131 and viewed parallel to the center axis 131. The central bore 138 is seen, along with the inner bore surface 152 and outer surface 154 radially offset outwards from the inner bore surface 152. The inner bore surface 152 and the outer surface 154 are circles extending around all of the center axis 131. The inner bore surface 152 is at a first radial distance R1 from the center axis 131 and the outer surface 154 is at a second radial distance R2 greater than the first radial distance R1 from the center axis 131, and these distances define the radial thickness tl of the cylindrical inner body portion 136.

[0116] Similarly, the annular gas plenum 140 has an annular, ring-shape extending circumferentially around, or surrounding, all of the center axis 131, the central bore 138, and the cylindrical inner body portion. As depicted, the annular gas plenum 140 is partially defined by the outer surface 154 at the second radial distance R2 and an outer plenum surface 168 at a third radial distance R3 from the center axis 131. These surfaces define the radial thickness t2 of the annular gas plenum 140.

[0117] Also seen in the Figure 13 are the plurality of gas passages 148, which are shows an rectangles. In some implementations, the plurality may have at least eight passages, like in Figure 13. In some other implementations, the plurality may have at least nine, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, or 16 passages. As illustrated, the passages 148 are arranged around the center axis 131 in an equally spaced manner which may advantageously assist with providing uniform flow out of the secondary chamber outlet (not depicted here). The plurality of gas passages 148 extend around the center axis 131 and are radially outwards of the cylindrical inner body portion 136. As depicted, each gas passage 148 is partially defined by the outer surface 154 at the radial distance R2 and by a respective channel having a channel surface 170 at a fourth radial distance R4 from the center axis. The respective channels are along the lower portion 158 of the outer body portion 137 and extend from the annular gas plenum 140 to a respective passage outlet OT1. In Figure 12, the channel surface 170 is identified. The fourth radial distance R4 is greater than the second radial distance R2 and less than the third radial distance R3. Each passage has a radial thickness t3 less than the radial thickness of the annular gas plenum 140. Each gas passage 148 may also have a cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the center axis 131 that is rectangular, as illustrated. In some implementations, the comers of this cross-sectional area may be rounded. In some other instances, the cross-sectional area of these passages may be a different shape, such as semi-circular or curved. In various implementations, some chamber design requirements may lead to these passages having a different cross-sectional area, and these passages may be located along the circumference of R2 with uniform distribution or non-uniform distribution and beAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO geometrically biased towards other features. Additional details of the passages are described below.

[0118] In some implementations, each gas passage 148 is a channel in the outer body portion 137, such as the lower portion 158. Figure 14 depicts a magnified detail view of the gas injection manifold without the cylindrical inner body portion of Figure 13. Here, for illustration purposes, the cylindrical inner body portion 136 has been removed and a portion of the annular gas plenum 140 and one channel 149 of a passage is shown. The annular gas plenum 140 here has an inner circumferential boundary 151 that is closest to the center axis 131 (not visible here) and the outer plenum surface 168 that is the outer boundary of the annular gas plenum 140. In some instances, the outer plenum surface 168 is a part of the annular groove defining the annular gas plenum 140. Three surfaces of the annular groove are labeled AG1 in Figure 12 and the annular groove AG1 is labeled in Figure 16. A portion of the lower portion 158 is also shown. The channel 139 in this example has a cross-sectional area 141 that may be considered rectangular and defined by outer boundary surfaces, including the channel surface 170 which is the most radial outwards surface of the channel 139, in this example. In some instances, the outer boundary surfaces may be c-shaped, or u-shaped, as shown here. The cross-sectional area 141 is highlighted by a dashed rectangle. In some implementations, the cross-sectional area 141 of the channel may have different shapes, such as curved edges. As illustrated in Figure 12, the channel 139 extends through the lower portion 158 for the first length LI in a direction parallel to the center axis 131.

[0119] Each gas passage 148 also has a top end and a bottom end. Referring back to Figure 12, the passage 148 has a top end 172 at the annular gas plenum 140 and a bottom end 174 at the gas distribution plenum 150. Each passage extends for the first length LI between the top end 172 and the bottom end 174. Each passage may also be considered to extend from the annular gas plenum 140 to a respective passage outlet OT1, which is at the same location as the bottom end 174. The passage outlet OT1 is partially defined by a lowermost end LEI of the lower portion 158 and the outer surface 154.

[0120] Aspects of the gas injection manifold are further seen in Figure 15 which depicts a bottom view of the gas injection manifold and a portion of the chamber top. The Figure is viewed parallel to the center axis 131. With respect to Figure 15, Figure 13 is viewed from the top down and Figure 15 is view ed from the opposite direction, bottom up. The central bore 138 is again seen, along with the inner bore surface 152 and outer surface 154 radially offset outwards from the inner bore surface 152. Also shown here is the gas distribution plenum 150 that is partially defined by the outer surface 154 and the circumferential surface 160. The circumferential surface 160 is radially outw ards of the cylindrical inner body portion 136 and at a fifth radial distance R5, and the gas distribution plenum 150 has a fourth radial thickness t4.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO From this bottom view, the plurality of gas passages 148 are also visible and as provided above, gas flows form the annular gas plenum 140 to the gas distribution plenum 150 through the gas passages 148. The gas flows through each gas passage 148, through the respective passage outlet OT1 of each gas passage 148, and into the gas distribution plenum 150.

[0121] Gas in the gas distribution plenum 150 flows through the secondary chamber outlet 144 into the chamber interior (not illustrated here). From this bottom view the gas distribution plenum 150 and the secondary chamber outlet 144 overlap each other. For illustration purposes, the gas distribution plenum 150 and the secondary chamber outlet 144 are shown with shading. As can be seen, the gas distribution plenum 150 and the secondary chamber outlet 144 are annular, or nng shaped. The gas distribution plenum 150 may also be considered an annular channel because as show n in the view, the cross-sectional area of the gas distribution plenum 150 in a plane perpendicular to the center axis 131 is annular or ring-shaped. The gas distribution plenum 150 and the secondary chamber outlet 144 are circumferential and extend around all of the center axis 131. As provided, the gas distribution plenum 150 and the secondary chamber outlet 144 are also fluidically connected to the chamber interior, and the secondary chamber outlet 144 may be partially defined by the inner top surface 146 of the chamber to 128.

[0122] Figure 16 depicts an off-angle cross-sectional view- of a portion of the chamber top and gas injection manifold. This view is similar to Figure 11 with some features removed, although Figure 11 is a cross-sectional slice and Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view . Here, only some features are labeled and for conciseness, some redundant features will not be discussed. Further, the cylindrical inner body portion 136 is illustrated as transparent so various gas injection manifold 130 features are visible. For example, the annular gas plenum 140 extends around the center axis 131 and is fluidically connected to the gas passages 148 that are fluidically interposed between the annular gas plenum 140 and the gas distribution plenum 150. The secondary chamber outlet 144 is at the downstream end of the gas distribution plenum and defined by the first end 136B and the inner top surface 146 of the chamber top 128.

[0123] As illustrated in Figures 10-16, various features of the gas injection manifold 130 and the chamber top 128 are coaxial. For example, the circumferential surface 160 and the outer surface 154 are coaxial and parallel to each other. The cylindrical inner body portion 136 is also coaxial to the outer body portion 137.

[0124] In some implementations, the cylindrical inner body portion may be a separate structure from the gas injection manifold and these components are connected together. For example, the cylindrical inner body portion 136 may be a cylindrical sleeve that is placed inside a central cavity of the outer body portion 137. The cylindrical inner body portion 136 and the outer body portion 137 may be connected to each other in various manners, such as by a shrink fit operation,Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO a variety of welding methods, or fabricated in a single piece via additive manufacturing. The cylindrical inner body portion 136 and the outer body portion 137 may be in both physical and electrical contact with each other. In some other implementations, the cylindrical inner body portion is the same structure as the outer body portion, such as a monolithic and contiguous single structure and not separate pieces connected together. This may be constructed using additive manufacturing.

[0125] Similarly, in some implementations, the circumferential surface 1 0 is a part of the chamber top 128, as described herein. In some other implementations, the circumferential surface 160 is a part of the gas injection manifold 130. For example, Figure 17 depicts another gas injection manifold 930. Here, the gas injection manifold 930 has an outer body portion 958 that has a greater height than manifold 130. This manifold 930 extends to the inner top surface 146 of the chamber top 128 and forms the circumferential surface 960 for the gas distribution plenum 950 and the secondary chamber outlet 944.

[0126] Various features of the chamber top will now be discussed. Figure 18 depicts an off- angle view of the portion of the chamber top of Figure 16 without the gas injection manifold. The chamber top 128 is seen with the outer top surface 166 and the inner top surface 146 opposite each other, and the inner top surface 146 partially defining the chamber interior 111. The chamber top 128 has a showerhead stem port 176 extending through the top 128 and being partially defined by the outer top surface 166 and the inner top surface 146. The showerhead stem port 176 is illustrated with light shading and it is a through-hole, or bore, through the chamber top 128 through which the show erhead stem (not illustrated) is configured to pass through. The outer boundary of the showerhead stem port 176 is also highlighted with a heavy weight line and labeled 176A. The showerhead stem port 176 is partially defined by, or includes, the circumferential surface 160 of the top 128. The outer boundary 176A may also be considered partially defined by the circumferential surface 160. In some implementations, like in Figure 18, the showerhead stem port 176 has a recess formed by the support surface 164 and an outer side wall 178. The outer boundary 176A of the showerhead stem port 176 extends around, or is swept around, and is radially outwards of the center axis 131.

[0127] For example, referring back to Figures 11 and 12, the outer boundary 176A is radially outwards of the cylindrical inner body portion 136 of the gas injection manifold. In some implementations, the outer side wall 178 extends around and is radially outwards of the outer body portion 137. As further illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, the gas injection manifold 130 is positioned at least partially7inside the showerhead stem port 176. The central bore 138 and the showerhead stem port 176 are coaxial, and the showerhead stem 115 extends through the showerhead stem port 176 and the central bore 138. Further, in some implementations like inAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO Figure 12, the bottom 162 of the outer body portion 137 may be in contact with the support surface 164 of the recess of the showerhead stem port 176. In some implementations, there may be a seal 180 between the bottom 162 and the support surface 164 to create a seal between the chamber interior 111 and the environment outside the interior 111. In some implementations, like in Figures 11 and 12, the outer body portion 137 extends only partially through the showerhead stem port 176 and the cylindrical inner body portion 136 extends through all of the showerhead stem port 176. In some other implementations, like in Figure 17, the outer body portion 137 and the cylindrical inner body portion 136 extend through all of the showerhead stem port 176.

[0128] In some implementations, the showerhead stem port 176 has a port length L3, shown in Figures 11, 12, and 18, in a direction parallel to the center axis 131. As can be seen, the lower portion 158 has a third height H3 in the direction parallel to the center axis 131 smaller than the port length L3. Further, the cylindrical inner body portion 136 has the second height H2 greater than the third height H3 and the port length L3.

[0129] Referring back to Figure 10, the showerhead 106 is configured to receive RF power, or RF signals, such that it is RF hot. The chamber top 128 may be electrically grounded and the gas injection manifold 130 is electrically connected to, and thus electrically grounded by, the chamber top 128. In Figure 1-, the showerhead stem 115 is electrically connected to RF power and the chamber top 128 is electrically connected to a ground. When the showerhead 106 receives the RF power, the chamber top 128 and the gas injection manifold 130 are configured to be electrically grounded. This configuration may include the processing station 100 having an insulator collar 182 interposed between the showerhead stem 115 and the gas inj ection manifold 130. The insulator collar 182 is configured to electrically insulate the showerhead 106 from the gas inj ection manifold 130 and chamber top 128. The insulator collar 182 has a circumferential body 184 and a central cavity 186 that is a through-hole through the entire circumferential body 184. In some implementations, the gas injection manifold 130 may be an electrically conductive material, such as an aluminum or aluminum alloy. In some instances, the cylindrical inner body portion 136 and the outer body portion 137 are comprised of the same material, such as an aluminum or aluminum alloy.

[0130] As can be seen in Figure 10, the insulator collar 182 extends through the central bore 138 and the cylindrical inner body portion 136 extends around and is radially outwards of the insulator collar 182. In some instances, cylindncal inner body portion 136 is considered to the surround the insulator collar 182. Further, the showerhead stem 115 extends through the central cavity 186 of the insulator collar 182 and the insulator collar 182 is radially interposed between the showerhead stem 115 and the cylindrical inner body portion 136. The showerhead stem 115 is surrounded byAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO the insulator collar 182 and the cylindrical inner body portion 136. The insulator collar 182 may have an outer collar surface 188 that faces the inner bore surface 152 of the cylindrical inner body portion 136. These surfaces may be offset from each other by a non-zero offset distance. The radial placement and spacing of the insulator collar assist with electrically isolating, or separating, the RF hot showerhead stem 115 and the grounded gas injection manifold 130. In some implementations, the insulator collar 182 may made of a dielectric material, such as a ceramic.

[0131] The insulator collar 182 may also have a collar bottom end 192 that is positioned inside the chamber interior 111. This may provide additional electrical insulation between the RF hot showerhead stem 115 and the grounded gas injection manifold 130 and chamber top 128. As shown, the insulator collar 182 may have a collar height CHI in the direction parallel to the center axis 131 that is greater than the first height Hl of the outer body portion 137 and the second height H2 of the cylindrical inner body portion 136. At the opposite end, the insulator collar 182 may have an outer flange, such as a top collar end 190 positioned outside the chamber interior 111 and above the gas injection manifold 130 and top 128. The top collar end 190 may have an outer collar diameter CD1 greater than the diameter of the cylindrical inner body portion 136. The top collar end 190 may also be in direct contact with the gas injection manifold 130. In some instances, the insulator collar 182 may also be physically connected to the gas injection manifold 130 and to a connector plate CPI, which may be a cooling plate, that is connected to the showerhead stem 115.

[0132] Features of the chamber are further described in Figure 19 which depicts a magnified portion area of Figure 10. Here, the right side of Figure 10 with respect to the center axis 131 is shown. As can be seen, the outer collar surface 188 faces the inner bore surface 152 of the cylindrical inner body portion 136. and these surfaces are offset by a second offset distance OD2. Similarly, an inner collar surface 194 faces the showerhead stem 115, and these are offset from each other by a third offset distance OD3. The second and third offset distances OD2 and OD3, as well as the radial thickness t4 of the secondary chamber outlet 144 and gas distribution plenum 150, advantageously reduce or eliminate formation of parasitic plasma at the top of the chamber, around the showerhead stem 115, and in the gas distribution manifold 130. In some implementations, the second offset distance may range from 0.015 inches to 0.5 inches, 0.015 inches to 0.125 inches, 0.2 inches to 0.5 inches, 0.015 inches to 0.07 inches, and the third offset distance may range from 0.015 inches to 0.5 inches, 0.015 inches to 0. 125 inches, 0.2 inches to 0.5 inches, 0.015 inches to 0.07 inches. These ranges may advantageously reduce or eliminate the formation of parasitic plasma. For example, the formation of a plasma in a space, such as parasitic plasma in the areas between the insulator collar 182 and the cylindrical inner body portion 136, are a function of space between surfaces, with increased offset distances resulting in more plasma formation. Conversely, reducing the offset distances can prevent the formation of plasmaAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO formation. Here, the second distance OD2 is small enough to reduce or eliminate the formation of parasitic plasma in the area between the insulator collar and the cylindrical inner body portion 136. Similarly, the radial thickness t4 of the secondary chamber outlet 144 and gas distribution plenum 150 are also configured to reduce or eliminate the formation of parasitic plasma therein.

[0133] Further, the insulator collar 182 may be fixed in position with respect to the showerhead stem 115, and these features are configured to be movable or tiltable to adjust for manufacturing or installation inconsistencies or misalignments and thereby result in uniform gas flow and plasma creation in the chamber interior 111. The second distance OD2 also advantageously allows for the insulator collar 182 and the showerhead stem 115 to be moved while the gas injection manifold remains stationary. As provided above, the secondary purge gas flowpath through the gas injection manifold and into the chamber interior are independent from the showerhead and the configuration of the gas injection manifold is configured to flow gas into the chamber interior through the secondary chamber outlet in a uniform and balanced manner independent of the showerhead and insulator collar movement or tilt.

[0134] Figure 20 depicts example gas flowpaths through the gas injection manifold and into the chamber interior. In this Figure, the negative space of the annular gas plenum 140, the plurality' of gas passages 148, of which there are twelve, and the gas distribution plenum 150 are show n. As can be seen, the gas flows through the gas passage 148 into the annular gas plenum 140 and around the annular gas plenum 140. The gas then flows downstream and out of the annular gas plenum 140 through the plurality of gas passages 148 and into the gas distribution plenum 150. Here in the gas distribution plenum 150, the gas spreads out evenly and flows out of the secondary' chamber outlet 144 and into the chamber interior 111. As also illustrated in Figures 19 and 12, the gas from the secondary chamber outlet 144 flows downwards into the chamber interior and has a directional component parallel to the center axis 131. In some instances, this flow may be considered parallel to or substantially parallel to the center axis and the showerhead stem 115. As also shown, the gas flow enters the chamber interior at the top 128; in the depicted implementations, gas does not enter the chamber interior 111 through the secondary chamber outlet 144 in a perpendicular or sideways manner. Further, in some instances, gas does not enter the chamber interior 111 at a location inbetween the inner top surface 146 and the showerhead body 113.

[0135] In some implementations, the gas injection manifold may have a plurality of gas inlets, a plurality of gas supply passages, or both. For example, the gas injection manifold may have a plurality of gas inlets and a plurality of gas supply passages with each inlet fluidically connected to one respective gas supply passage that is fluidically connected to the annular plenum. This may provide multiple gas supply flowpaths to the annular plenum 140 to provide additional flow' control, for instance. In another example, the gas injection manifold may have one gas inlet and aAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO plurality of gas supply passages that are Radically connected to the gas inlet and the annular plenum.

[0136] In some implementations, the showerhead may be a different type of showerhead, such as a flush-mounted showerhead, and the gas injection manifold may be configured to flow gas into the chamber interior around the periphery of these different showerheads. These gas injection manifolds may be similar to described above and may be larger so that they can extend around, and surround, the showerhead body. In some such instances, the gas injection manifolds may have a larger central bore diameter so that the showerhead body, not just a showerhead stem, can be positioned radially inwards of the cylindrical inner body portion.

[0137] Figure 22 depicts another implementation of a magnified portion of a processing station 1400, or system. Here, the system is similar to that of Figure 10, except for noted differences, including that the showerhead 1406 has a different configuration than showerhead 106 provided above. In this example, the showerhead is a flush mount showerhead which has a body 1413 positioned within the chamber top 1428. In some instances, the showerhead 1406 may be positioned outside, or partially bounding, the chamber interior 141 1. The showerhead 1406 also has a showerhead inlet 1407 outside the chamber interior. This is different from a chandelier style showerhead. The gas injection manifold 1430 may be the same or similar to provided above, except that in this example, gas injection manifold 1430 has a larger overall diameter as well as chamber bore 1438 to accommodate the showerhead 1406. For instance, the chamber bore 1438 is configured to receive the showerhead 1406 and the showerhead body 1413.

[0138] The gas injection manifold 1430 may also have the same internal features described above and sized differently to be positioned around the showerhead 1406. For example, the gas injection manifold 1430 may have cylindrical inner body portion 1436 that extends around, or surrounds, and is radially offset from the showerhead 1406 and the showerhead body 1413. The gas injection manifold 1430 also has the annular gas plenum 1440 extending around, surrounding, and radially offset from the cylindrical inner body portion 1436, the gas inlet 1432, and the gas supply passage 1442 that spans between the gas inlet 1432. The chamber top 1428 also has the secondary chamber outlet 1444 that extends around, or surrounds, and is radially offset from the showerhead 1406 and showerhead body 1413. As can be seen, the secondary chamber outlet 1444 is configured to flow gas into the chamber interior in the form or an annular channel, similar to above. Here, the secondary chamber outlet 1444 flows gas around the outer periphery of the showerhead body 1413 and showerhead 1406.

[0139] In some implementations, showerhead 1406 may be RF hot, as indicated by its connection to the RF power. The system 1402 may also have an electrical insulator collar 1482 interposed between the showerhead 1406 and the gas injection manifold 1430. The electricalAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO insulator collar 1482 may be configured the same as above, such that it has a circumferential body 1484 extending around, or surrounding, the showerhead 1406 and showerhead body 1413. The electrical insulator collar 1482 may also have the central cavity 1486 that is a through-hole through the entire circumferential body 1484. The electrical insulator collar 1482 is configured to electrically isolate the showerhead 1406 from the gas injection manifold 1430.

[0140] Figure 21 shows a schematic view of an implementation of a multi-station processing tool 2100 with an inbound load lock 2102 and an outbound load lock 2104, either or both of which may comprise a remote plasma source. A robot 2106, at atmospheric pressure, is configured to move wafers from a cassette loaded through a pod 2108 into inbound load lock 2102 via an atmospheric port 2110. A wafer is placed by the robot 2106 on apedestal 2112 in the inbound load lock 2102, the atmospheric port 2110 is closed, and the load lock is pumped down. Where the inbound load lock 2102 comprises a remote plasma source, the wafer may be exposed to a remote plasma treatment in the load lock prior to being introduced into a processing chamber 2114. Further, the wafer also may be heated in the inbound load lock 2102 as well, for example, to remove moisture and adsorbed gases. Next, a chamber transport port 2116 to processing chamber 2114 is opened, and another robot (not shown) places the wafer into the reactor on a pedestal of a first station shown in the reactor for processing. While the implementation depicted in Figure 21 includes load locks, it will be appreciated that, in some implementations, direct entry of a wafer into a process station may be provided.

[0141] The depicted processing chamber 2114 comprises four process stations, numbered from 1 to 4 in the implementation shown in Figure 21. Each station has a heated pedestal (shown at 2118 for station 1). and gas line inlets. It will be appreciated that in some implementations, each process station may have different or multiple purposes. While the depicted processing chamber 2114 comprises four stations, it will be understood that a processing chamber according to the present disclosure may have any suitable number of stations. For example, in some implementations, a processing chamber may have five or more stations, while in other implementations a processing chamber may have three or fewer stations.

[0142] Figure 21 also depicts an implementation of a wafer handling system 2190 for transferring wafers within processing chamber 2114. In some implementations, wafer handling system 2190 may transfer w afers between various process stations and / or between a process station and a load lock. It will be appreciated that any suitable wafer handling system may be employed. Non-limiting examples include wafer carousels and wafer handling robots. Figure 21 also depicts an implementation of a system controller 2150 employed to control process conditions and hardw are states of process tool 2100. System controller 2150 may include one or more memory' devices 2156. one or more mass storage devices 2154, and one or more processors 2152. ProcessorAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO 2152 may include a CPU or computer, analog and / or digital input / output connections, stepper motor controller boards, etc.

[0143] In some implementations, system controller 2150 controls all of the activities of process tool 2100. System controller 2150 executes system control software 2158 stored in mass storage device 2154, loaded into memory device 2156, and executed on processor 2152. System control software 2158 may include instructions for controlling the timing, mixture of gases, chamber and / or station pressure, chamber and / or station temperature, purge conditions and timing, wafer temperature, RF power levels, RF frequencies, substrate, pedestal, chuck and / or susceptor position, and other parameters of a particular process performed by process tool 2100. System control software 2158 may be configured in any suitable way. For example, various process tool component subroutines or control objects may be written to control operation of the process tool components necessary to cany7out various process tool processes in accordance with the disclosed methods. System control software 2158 may be coded in any suitable computer readable programming language.

[0144] In some implementations, system control software 2158 may include input / output control (IOC) sequencing instructions for controlling the various parameters described above. For example, each phase of a PEALD process may include one or more instructions for execution by system controller 2150. The instructions for setting process conditions for a PEALD process phase may be included in a corresponding PEALD recipe phase. In some implementations, the PEALD recipe phases may be sequentially arranged, so that all instructions for a PEALD process phase are executed concurrently with that process phase.

[0145] Other computer software and / or programs stored on mass storage device 2154 and / or memory device 2156 associated with system controller 2150 may be employed in some implementations. Examples of programs or sections of programs for this purpose include a substrate positioning program, a process gas control program, a pressure control program, a heater control program, and a plasma control program.

[0146] The system 2100 may have any of the features provided above, such as the first and second cleaning gas flow paths. as well as the gas injection manifold. The system 2100 may also be configured to execute any of the techniques provided herein.

[0147] A substrate positioning program may include program code for process tool components that are used to load the substrate onto pedestal 2118 and to control the spacing between the substrate and other parts of process tool 2100.

[0148] A process gas control program may include code for controlling gas composition and flow7rates and optionally for flowing gas into one or more process stations prior to deposition in order to stabilize the pressure in the process station. The process gas control program may includeAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO code for controlling gas composition and flow rates within any of the disclosed ranges. A pressure control program may include code for controlling the pressure in the process station by regulating, for example, a throttle valve in the exhaust system of the process station, a gas flow into the process station, etc. The pressure control program may include code for maintaining the pressure in the process station within any of the disclosed pressure ranges.

[0149] A heater control program may include code for controlling the current to a heating unit that is used to heat the substrate. Alternatively, the heater control program may control delivery’ of a heat transfer gas (such as helium) to the substrate. The heater control program may include instructions to maintain the temperature of the substrate within any of the disclosed ranges.

[0150] A plasma control program may include code for setting RF power levels and frequencies applied to the process electrodes in one or more process stations, for example using any of the RF power levels disclosed herein. The plasma control program may also include code for controlling the duration of each plasma exposure.

[0151] In some implementations, there may be a user interface associated with system controller 2150. The user interface may include a display screen, graphical software displays of the apparatus and / or process conditions, and user input devices such as pointing devices, keyboards, touch screens, microphones, etc.

[0152] In some implementations, parameters adjusted by system controller 2150 may relate to process conditions. Non-limiting examples include process gas composition and flow rates, temperature, pressure, plasma conditions (such as RF power levels, frequency, and exposure time), etc. These parameters may be provided to the user in the form of a recipe, which may be entered utilizing the user interface.

[0153] Signals for monitoring the process may be provided by analog and / or digital input connections of system controller 2150 from various process tool sensors. The signals for controlling the process may be output on the analog and digital output connections of process tool 2100. Non-limiting examples of process tool sensors that may be monitored include mass flow controllers, pressure sensors (such as manometers), thermocouples, etc. Appropriately programmed feedback and control algorithms may be used with data from these sensors to maintain process conditions.

[0154] Similarly, in some implementations, the controller 2150 is part of a system, which may be part of the above-described examples. Such systems can include semiconductor processing equipment, including a processing tool or tools, chamber or chambers, a platform or platforms for processing, and / or specific processing components (a wafer pedestal, a gas flow system, etc.). These systems may be integrated with electronics for controlling their operation before, during, and after processing of a semiconductor wafer or substrate. The electronics may be referred to asAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO the "controller,” which may control various components or subparts of the system or systems. The controller 2150, depending on the processing requirements and / or the type of system, may be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, including the delivery of processing gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings in some systems, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, positional and operation settings, wafer transfers into and out of a tool and other transfer tools and / or load locks connected to or interfaced with a specific system.

[0155] 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 carry i ng out a particular process on or for a semiconductor wafer or to a system. The operational parameters may, in some implementations, be part of a recipe defined by process engineers to accomplish one or more processing steps during the fabrication of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or dies of a wafer.

[0156] 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 processing, 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 to interface with or control. Thus as describedAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO 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 on the chamber.

[0157] Without limitation, example systems may include 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, and any other semiconductor processing systems that may be associated or used in the fabrication and / or manufacturing of semiconductor wafers.

[0158] 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 to and from tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing factory.

[0159] 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 process on or for a semiconductor wafer or to a system. The operational parameters may, in some implementations, be part of a recipe defined by process engineers to accomplish one or more processing steps during the fabrication of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or dies of a wafer.

[0160] 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 computerAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO 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 processing, 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 to interface 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 on the chamber.

[0161] Without limitation, example systems may include 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 ALD chamber or module, an ALE chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a track chamber or module, and any other semiconductor processing systems that may be associated or used in the fabrication and / or manufacturing of semiconductor wafers.

[0162] 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 to and from tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing factory.

[0163] Unless otherwise specified, the illustrated implementations are to be understood as providing example features of varying detail of some implementations. Thus, unless otherwise specified, the features, components, modules, layers, films, regions, aspects, structures, etc. (hereinafter individually or collectively referred to as an “element” or “elements”), of the variousAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO illustrations may be otherwise combined, separated, interchanged, and / or rearranged without departing from the teachings of the disclosure.

[0164] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing some implementations and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms, “a,” “an,"’ and ‘‘the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. 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>,” and / 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 dictionary definitions of “each” frequently defining the term to refer to “every one of tw o or more things”) and w ould 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 is to be understood that a set or a subset can encompass only one member or multiple members (unless the context indicates otherwise). The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and / or “including,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. It is also noted that, as used herein, the terms “substantially,” “about,” and other similar terms, are used as terms of approximation and not as terms of degree, and, as such, are utilized to account for inherent deviations in measured, calculated, and / or provided values that would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, the term “substantially” as used herein, unless otherwise specified, means within 5% of a referenced value. For example, substantially perpendicular means within ±5% of parallel.

[0165] The use of cross-hatching and / or shading in the accompanying drawings is generally provided to clarify boundaries between adjacent elements. As such, neither the presence nor the absence of cross-hatching or shading conveys or indicates any preference or requirement for particular materials, material properties, dimensions, proportions, commonalities between illustrated elements, and / or any other characteristic, attribute, property', etc., of the elements, unless specified. Further, in the accompanying drawings, the size and relative sizes of elements may be exaggerated for clarity and / or descriptive purposes. As such, the sizes and relative sizes of the respective elements are not necessarily limited to the sizes and relative sizes shown in the drawings. When an implementation may be implemented differently, a specific process order may be performed differently from the described order. For example, two consecutivelyAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO described processes may be performed substantially at the same time or performed in an order opposite to the described order.

[0166] When an element, such as a layer, is referred to as being “on,’' “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element, it may be directly on, directly connected to, or directly coupled to the other element or at least one intervening element may be present. When, however, an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element, there are no interv ening elements present. Other terms and / or phrases if used herein to describe a relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion, such as “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” “on” versus “directly on,” etc. Further, the term “connected” may refer to physical, electrical, and / or fluid connection. To this end, for the purposes of this disclosure, the phrase “fluidically connected” is used with respect to volumes, plenums, holes, etc., that may be connected to one another, either directly or via one or more intervening components or volumes, to form a fluidic connection, similar to how the phrase “electrically connected” is used with respect to components that are connected to form an electric connection. The phrase “fluidically interposed,” if used, may be used to refer to a component, volume, plenum, hole, etc., that is fluidically connected with at least two other components, volumes, plenums, holes, etc., such that fluid flowing from one of those other components, volumes, plenums, holes etc., to the other or another of those components, volumes, plenums, holes, etc., would first flow through the “fluidically interposed” component before reaching that other or another of those components, volumes, plenums, holes, etc.. For example, if a pump is fluidically interposed between a reservoir and an outlet, fluid flowing from the reservoir to the outlet would first flow through the pump before reaching the outlet. The phrase "fluidically adjacent," if used, refers to placement of a fluidic element relative to another fluidic element such that no potential structures fluidically are interposed between the two elements that might potentially interrupt fluid flow between the two fluidic elements. For example, in a flowpath having a first valve, a second valve, and a third valve arranged 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.

[0167] For the purposes of this disclosure, “at least one of X, Y, . . ., and Z” and “at least one selected from the group consisting of X, Y, . . ., and Z” may be construed as X only, Y only, . . .. Z only, or any combination of two or more of X, Y, . . ., and Z, such as, for instance, XYZ, XYY, YZ, and ZZ. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0168] Although the terms “first,” “second,"’ “third,’’ etc., may be used herein to describeAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element from another element. Thus, a first element discussed below could be termed a second element without departing from the teachings of the disclosure. To this end, use of such identifiers, e.g., "a first element,” should not be read as suggesting, implicitly or inherently, that there is necessarily another instance, e.g., “a second element.” Further, the use, if any, of ordinal indicators, such as (a), (b), (c), . . ., or (1), (2), (3), . . ., or the like, in this disclosure and accompanying 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). In a similar manner, if step (i) involves the handling of an element that is created in step (ii), the reverse is to be understood.

[0169] Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “under,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” “over,” “higher,” “side” (e.g., as in “sidewall”), and the like, may be used herein for descriptive purposes, and, thereby, to describe one element’s spatial relationship to at least one other element as illustrated in the drawings. Spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of an apparatus in use, operation, and / or manufacture in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings. For example, if the apparatus in the drawings is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” or “over” the other elements or features. Thus, the term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. Furthermore, the apparatus may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and, as such, the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

[0170] 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 as inclusive of the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, not just the numbers 2, 3, and 4.

[0171] As used herein, the phrase “operatively connected” is to be understood as referring 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 instance, a controller may be described as being operatively connected with (or to) 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 orAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO 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 will not supply such power directly to the resistive heating unit due to the current(s) involved, but it is to be understood that the controller is nonetheless operatively connected with the resistive heating unit.

[0172] As used herein, the singular forms, “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It is also to be understood that the phrases “for each <item> of the one or more <items>,” “each <item> of the one or more <items>,” and / or the like, if used herein, are inclusive of both a single-item group and multipleitem 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 dictionary definitions of “each” frequently defining 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 is to be understood that a set or a subset can encompass only one member or multiple members (unless the context indicates otherwise). In addition, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and / or “including,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0173] Various implementations are described herein with reference to sectional views, isometric views, perspective views, plan views, and / or exploded illustrations that are schematic depictions of idealized implementations and / or intermediate structures. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result of, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, implementations disclosed herein should not be construed as limited to the particular illustrated shapes of regions, but are to include deviations in shapes that result from, for instance, manufacturing. To this end, regions illustrated in the drawings may be schematic in nature and shapes of these regions may not reflect the actual shapes of regions of a device, and, as such, are not intended to be limiting.

[0174] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure is a part. Terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and are not to be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unlessAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO expressly so defined herein.

[0175] As customary in the field, some implementations are described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in terms of functional blocks, units, and / or modules. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these blocks, units, and / or modules are physically implemented by electronic (or optical) circuits, such as logic circuits, discrete components, microprocessors, hard-wired circuits, memory elements, wiring connections, and the like, which may be formed using semiconductor-based fabrication techniques or other manufacturing technologies. In the case of the blocks, units, and / or modules being implemented by microprocessors or other similar hardware, they may be programmed and controlled using software (e.g., microcode) to perform various functions discussed herein and may optionally be driven by firmware and / or software. It is also contemplated that each block, unit, and / or module may be implemented by dedicated hardware, or as a combination of dedicated hardware to perform some functions and a processor (e.g., one or more programmed microprocessors and associated circuitry) to perform other functions. Also, each block, unit, and / or module of some implementations may be physically separated into two or more interacting and discrete blocks, units, and / or modules without departing from the inventive concepts. Further, the blocks, units, and / or modules of some implementations may be physically combined into more complex blocks, units, and / or modules without departing from the teachings of the disclosure.

[0176] Although the foregoing implementations have been described in some detail for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims. It should be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the processes, systems, and apparatuses of the disclosed implementations. Accordingly, implementations are to be considered as illustrative and not as restrictive, and implementations are not to be limited to the details given herein.

[0177] 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. For example, the above disclosure is directed to at least, but not exclusively, the following numbered implementations.

[0178] Implementation 1: A semiconductor processing system comprising: a processing chamber including a chamber top and a chamber interior at least partially defined by the chamber top; a showerhead including: a showerhead body positioned in the chamber interior, andAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO a stem connected to the showerhead body, extending along a center axis through the at least a portion of chamber top, and including a showerhead inlet outside the chamber interior; a cleaning gas supply flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, a cleaning gas inlet and a junction, and configured to flow a cleaning gas to the junction; a first cleaning gas flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, the junction and the showerhead inlet; and a second cleaning gas flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, the junction and a secondary chamber outlet, wherein: the second cleaning gas flowpath includes a portion extending through the chamber top, positioned radially outwards of the stem, and fluidically interposed between the secondary' chamber outlet and the junction, and the secondary chamber outlet: is vertically positioned between the showerhead body and an outer surface of the chamber top, extends around, and is radially outwards of, the stem, and is configured to flow cleaning gas from the second cleaning gas flowpath into the chamber interior between the showerhead body and the chamber top.

[0179] Implementation 2. The system of implementation 1, further comprising a junction manifold including: a manifold body, a gas inlet, a first cleaning gas outlet, a second cleaning gas outlet, a junction point, a first conduit in the manifold body and spanning between and fluidically connecting the gas inlet and the junction point, a second conduit in the manifold body and spanning between and fluidically connecting the first cleaning gas outlet and the junction point, a third conduit in the manifold body and spanning between and fluidically connecting the second cleaning gas outlet and the junction point, and a cooling plenum in the manifold body and around the junction point, first conduit, the second conduit, and the third conduit, wherein: the junction point is the junction,Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO the first conduit is an end portion of the cleaning gas supply flowpath, the second conduit is a first portion of the first cleaning gas flowpath, and the third conduit is a first portion of the second cleaning gas flowpath.

[0180] Implementation 3: The system of implementation 2, wherein: the junction manifold further includes a divider inside the manifold body with at least one port, the cooling plenum includes a first plenum portion on a first side of the divider and a second plenum portion on a second side of the divider, and the at least one port fluidically connects the first plenum portion to the second plenum portion.

[0181] Implementation 4: The system of implementation 3, wherein the divider fluidically isolates the first plenum portion from the second plenum portion, except for the fluidic connected by the at least one port.

[0182] Implementation 5: The system of implementation 3, wherein: a coolant is configured to flow into and through the cooling plenum, the junction manifold further includes a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, the coolant inlet extends into the first plenum portion and is configured to flow coolant into the first plenum portion. the coolant outlet extends into the second plenum portion and is configured to flow the coolant out the second plenum portion, and the coolant is configured to flow from the first plenum portion to the second plenum portion through the at least one port.

[0183] Implementation 6: The system of implementation 3, wherein: the divider includes four ports that fluidically connect the first plenum portion to the second plenum portion, and each port is in a different respective corner of the divider.

[0184] Implementation 7: The system of implementation 2, wherein the cooling plenum is fluidically isolated inside the manifold body from the first conduit, the second conduit, the third conduit, and the junction point.

[0185] Implementation 8: The system of implementation 1, further comprising a cooling sleeve, wherein: the second cleaning gas flowpath includes a second portion above the chamber top, the second portion includes a fluid conduit, and the cooling sleeve is positioned around the fluid conduit and configured to cool the fluid conduit.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO

[0186] Implementation 9: The system of implementation 8, wherein the cooling sleeve includes one or more internal cooling passages in a serpentine pattern and configured to flow a coolant therein.

[0187] Implementation 10: The system of implementation 8, wherein the cooling sleeve is made by additive manufacturing.

[0188] Implementation 1 1 : The system of implementation 1, further comprising: a first surface extending around the stem, radially offset outside the stem, and extending for a first length in a direction parallel to the center axis; and a second surface extending around the stem, radially offset outside the stem and the first surface, and extending for a second length in the direction parallel to the center axis, wherein: the first surface and the second surface face each other and form a gas distribution plenum at least partially around the stem, the gas distribution plenum is a part of the portion of the second cleaning gas flowpath, and the secondary chamber outlet is adjacent to the gas distribution plenum.

[0189] Implementation 12: The system of implementation 11, wherein the gas distribution plenum is an annular channel.

[0190] Implementation 13: The system of implementation 11. wherein the first surface and the second surface are coaxial and parallel to each other.

[0191] Implementation 14: The system of implementation 11, further comprising a gas injection manifold including: a central bore portion extending around the center axis and including a cylindrical body, an inner bore surface defining a central bore, an outer bore surface, and a bore bottom, an outer body portion extending around the center axis and the central bore portion, and including a top and a bottom, a gas inlet, and a manifold gas flowpath spanning from, and fluidically connecting, the gas inlet and the secondary chamber outlet, wherein: the stem extends through the central bore, the gas inlet, the manifold gas flowpath, and the gas distribution plenum are a part of the portion of the second cleaning gas flowpath, the gas distribution plenum is fluidically connected to the gas distribution plenum, and the gas distribution plenum is fluidically interposed between the gas inlet and the secondary chamber outlet.Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO

[0192] Implementation 15: The system of implementation 14, wherein: the gas injection manifold further includes: a plurality of gas passages arranged around the center axis, and an annular gas plenum, and the plurality of gas passages fluidically connect the annular gas plenum to the gas distribution plenum.

[0193] Implementation 16: The system of implementation 1, wherein the junction is above the chamber top.

[0194] Implementation 17: The system of implementation 1, further comprising: a cleaning gas source; a first valve fluidically interposed along the first cleaning gas flowpath and configured to control the flow of cleaning gas through the first cleaning gas flowpath; a second valve fluidically interposed along the second cleaning gas flowpath and configured to control the flow of the cleaning gas through the second cleaning gas flowpath; and a controller with one or more processors and one or more memories that store instructions for controlling the system, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to cause: the cleaning gas to flow through the cleaning gas supply flowpath while the first valve is in an open position and the second valve is in a closed position, thereby causing the cleaning gas to flow through the first cleaning gas flowpath and through the showerhead and preventing the cleaning gas from flowing through the second cleaning gas flowpath and the secondary’ chamber outlet, the cleaning gas to flow through the cleaning gas supply flowpath while the first valve is in a closed position and the second valve is in an open position, thereby causing the cleaning gas to flow through the second cleaning gas flowpath and through the secondary chamber outlet and preventing the cleaning gas from flowing through the first cleaning gas flowpath and through the showerhead.

[0195] Implementation 18: The system of implementation 17, further comprising: a purge gas source fluidically connected to the first cleaning gas flowpath downstream of the first valve and upstream of the stem, and fluidically connected to the second cleaning gas flowpath downstream of the second valve and upstream of the portion, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to cause: the purge gas to flow through the portion of the second cleaning gas flowpath and the secondary chamber outlet while the first valve is in the open position, the secondAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO valve is in the closed position, and the cleaning gas is flowing through the first cleaning gas flowpath and through the showerhead, and the purge gas to flow through the showerhead while the first valve is in the closed position, the second valve is in the open position, and the cleaning gas is flowing through the second cleaning gas flowpath and through the secondary chamber outlet.

[0196] Implementation 19: The system of implementation 18, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to cause: the first valve and the second valve to be in the closed positions during a processing operation in the processing chamber, and the purge gas to flow through the portion of the second cleaning gas flowpath and the secondary chamber outlet while the first valve and the second valve are in the closed positions.

[0197] Implementation 20: The system of implementation 17, further comprising the junction manifold of implementation 2, wherein: a coolant is configured to flow into and through the cooling plenum, and the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to cause coolant to flow through the cooling plenum while flowing the cleaning gas through the cleaning gas supply flowpath.

[0198] Implementation 21 : The system of implementation 1, further comprising: a second showerhead including: a second showerhead body positioned in the chamber interior, and a second stem connected to the second showerhead body, extending along a second center axis through the chamber top, and including a second showerhead inlet outside the chamber interior; a second cleaning gas supply flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, the cleaning gas inlet and a second junction, and configured to flow the cleaning gas to the second junction; a third cleaning gas flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, the second junction and the second showerhead inlet; and a fourth cleaning gas llow path spanning between, and fluidically connecting, the second junction and a second secondary chamber outlet, wherein: the second secondary chamber outlet: is vertically positioned between the second showerhead body and the chamber top, extends around, and is radially outwards of, the second stem, andAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO is configured to flow cleaning gas from the fourth cleaning gas flowpath into the chamber interior between the second showerhead body and the chamber top, and the fourth cleaning gas flowpath includes a second portion extending through the chamber top and positioned radially outwards of the second stem.

[0199] Implementation 22: The system of implementation 1, wherein the showerhead is configured to receive RF power.

[0200] Implementation 23: The system of implementation 1, wherein: the chamber top includes an inner surface inside the chamber interior, and the secondary chamber outlet is coplanar with the inner surface.

[0201] Implementation 24: A semiconductor processing system comprising: a processing chamber including a chamber top and a chamber interior at least partially defined by the chamber top; a showerhead including a showerhead body positioned at least partially in the chamber top, a center axis, and a showerhead inlet outside the chamber interior; a cleaning gas supply flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, a cleaning gas inlet and a junction, and configured to flow a cleaning gas to the junction; a first cleaning gas flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, the junction and the showerhead inlet; and a second cleaning gas flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, the junction and a secondary chamber outlet, wherein: the second cleaning gas flowpath includes a portion extending through the chamber top, positioned radially outwards of the showerhead body, and fluidically interposed between the secondary chamber outlet and the junction, and the secondary7chamber outlet: is vertically positioned between the showerhead body and an outer surface of the chamber top. extends around, and is radially outwards of, the showerhead body, and is configured to flow cleaning gas from the second cleaning gas flowpath into the chamber interior.

[0202] Implementation 25: A semiconductor processing system comprising: a processing chamber including a chamber top and a chamber interior at least partially defined by the chamber top; a showerhead including: a showerhead body positioned in the chamber interior, andAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO a stem connected to the showerhead body, extending along a center axis through the at least a portion of chamber top, and including a showerhead inlet outside the chamber interior; a cleaning gas supply flowpath fluidically connected to a cleaning gas inlet and configured to flow a cleaning gas therein; and a second cleaning gas flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, the cleaning gas supply flowpath and a secondary chamber outlet, wherein: the second cleaning gas flowpath includes a portion extending through the chamber top, positioned radially outwards of the stem, and fluidically interposed between the secondary chamber outlet and the cleaning gas supply flowpath, and the secondary chamber outlet: is vertically positioned betw een the showerhead body and an outer surface of the chamber top, extends around, and is radially outwards of, the stem, and is configured to flow cleaning gas from the second cleaning gas flowpath into the chamber interior between the show erhead body and the chamber top.

[0203] Implementation 26: The system of implementation 25, further comprising a first cleaning gas flowpath, wherein: the cleaning gas supply flowpath spans between, and fluidically connects, the cleaning gas inlet and a junction, and is configured to flow a cleaning gas to the junction, the first cleaning gas flow path spans between, and fluidically connects, the junction and the showerhead inlet, and the cleaning gas is configured to flow from the junction to the showerhead inlet.

[0204] Implementation 27: A semiconductor processing system comprising: a processing chamber including a chamber top and a chamber interior at least partially defined by the chamber top; a showerhead including a showerhead body positioned at least partially in the chamber top, a center axis, and a showerhead inlet outside the chamber interior; a cleaning gas supply flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, a cleaning gas inlet and configured to flow7a cleaning gas therein; and a second cleaning gas flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, the cleaning gas supply flowpath and a secondary chamber outlet, wherein: the second cleaning gas flowpath includes a portion extending through the chamber top, positioned radially outwards of the showerhead body, and fluidicallyAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO interposed between the secondary chamber outlet and the cleaning gas supply flowpath, and the secondary7chamber outlet: is vertically positioned between the showerhead body and an outer surface of the chamber top, extends around, and is radially outwards of, the showerhead body, and is configured to flow cleaning gas from the second cleaning gas flowpath into the chamber interior.

[0205] Implementation 28: A junction manifold for semiconductor processing, the junction manifold compnsing: a manifold body, a gas inlet, a first cleaning gas outlet, a second cleaning gas outlet, a junction point, a first conduit in the manifold body and spanning between and fluidically connecting the gas inlet and the junction point, a second conduit in the manifold body and spanning between and fluidically connecting the first cleaning gas outlet and the junction point, a third conduit in the manifold body and spanning between and fluidically connecting the second cleaning gas outlet and the junction point, and a cooling plenum in the manifold body and around the junction point, first conduit, the second conduit, and the third conduit, wherein: gas is configured to flow into the gas inlet, through the first conduit, the junction point, the second conduit, and the third conduit, and out the first cleaning gas outlet and the second cleaning gas outlet.

[0206] Implementation 29: The junction manifold of implementation 28, further comprising a divider inside the manifold body with at least one port, wherein: the cooling plenum includes a first plenum portion on a first side of the divider and a second plenum portion on a second side of the divider, and the at least one port fluidically connects the first plenum portion to the second plenum portion.

[0207] Implementation 30: The junction manifold of implementation 29, wherein the divider fluidically isolates the first plenum portion from the second plenum portion, except for theAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO fluidic connected by the at least one port.

[0208] Implementation 31: The junction manifold of implementation 29, wherein: a coolant is configured to flow into and through the cooling plenum, the junction manifold further includes a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, the coolant inlet extends into the first plenum portion and is configured to flow coolant into the first plenum portion, the coolant outlet extends into the second plenum portion and is configured to flow the coolant out the second plenum portion, and the coolant is configured to flow from the first plenum portion to the second plenum portion through the at least one port.

[0209] Implementation 32: The junction manifold of implementation 29, wherein: the divider includes four ports that fluidically connect the first plenum portion to the second plenum portion, and each port is in a different respective comer of the divider.

[0210] Implementation 33: The junction manifold of implementation 28, wherein the cooling plenum is fluidically isolated inside the manifold body from the first conduit, the second conduit, the third conduit, and the junction point.

Claims

Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WOCLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor processing system comprising: a processing chamber including a chamber top and a chamber interior at least partially defined by the chamber top; a showerhead including: a showerhead body positioned in the chamber interior, and a stem connected to the showerhead body, extending along a center axis through the at least a portion of chamber top, and including a showerhead inlet outside the chamber interior; a cleaning gas supply flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, a cleaning gas inlet and a junction, and configured to flow a cleaning gas to the junction; a first cleaning gas flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, the junction and the showerhead inlet; and a second cleaning gas flowpath spanning between, and fluidically connecting, the junction and a secondary7chamber outlet, wherein: the second cleaning gas flowpath includes a portion extending through the chamber top, positioned radially outwards of the stem, and fluidically interposed between the secondary chamber outlet and the junction, and the secondary chamber outlet: is vertically positioned between the showerhead body and an outer surface of the chamber top, extends around, and is radially outwards of, the stem, and is configured to flow cleaning gas from the second cleaning gas flowpath into the chamber interior between the showerhead body and the chamber top.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a junction manifold including: a manifold body, a gas inlet, a first cleaning gas outlet, a second cleaning gas outlet, a junction point, a first conduit in the manifold body and spanning between and fluidically connecting the gas inlet and the junction point, a second conduit in the manifold body and spanning between and fluidically connecting the first cleaning gas outlet and the junction point,Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO a third conduit in the manifold body and spanning between and fluidically connecting the second cleaning gas outlet and the junction point, and a cooling plenum in the manifold body and around the junction point, first conduit, the second conduit, and the third conduit, wherein: the junction point is the junction, the first conduit is an end portion of the cleaning gas supply flowpath, the second conduit is a first portion of the first cleaning gas flowpath, and the third conduit is a first portion of the second cleaning gas flowpath.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein: the junction manifold further includes a divider inside the manifold body with at least one port, the cooling plenum includes a first plenum portion on a first side of the divider and a second plenum portion on a second side of the divider, and the at least one port fluidically connects the first plenum portion to the second plenum portion.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the divider fluidically isolates the first plenum portion from the second plenum portion, except for the fluidic connected by the at least one port.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein: a coolant is configured to flow into and through the cooling plenum, the junction manifold further includes a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, the coolant inlet extends into the first plenum portion and is configured to flow coolant into the first plenum portion, the coolant outlet extends into the second plenum portion and is configured to flow the coolant out the second plenum portion, and the coolant is configured to flow from the first plenum portion to the second plenum portion through the at least one port.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein: the divider includes four ports that fluidically connect the first plenum portion to the second plenum portion, and each port is in a different respective comer of the divider.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the cooling plenum is fluidically isolated inside the manifold body from the first conduit, the second conduit, the third conduit, and the junction point.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cooling sleeve, wherein:Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO the second cleaning gas flowpath includes a second portion above the chamber top, the second portion includes a fluid conduit, and the cooling sleeve is positioned around the fluid conduit and configured to cool the fluid conduit.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the cooling sleeve includes one or more internal cooling passages in a serpentine pattern and configured to flow a coolant therein.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a first surface extending around the stem, radially offset outside the stem, and extending for a first length in a direction parallel to the center axis; and a second surface extending around the stem, radially offset outside the stem and the first surface, and extending for a second length in the direction parallel to the center axis, wherein: the first surface and the second surface face each other and form a gas distribution plenum at least partially around the stem, the gas distribution plenum is a part of the portion of the second cleaning gas flowpath, and the secondary chamber outlet is adjacent to the gas distribution plenum.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the gas distribution plenum is an annular channel.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first surface and the second surface are coaxial and parallel to each other.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a gas injection manifold including: a central bore portion extending around the center axis and including a cy lindrical body, an inner bore surface defining a central bore, an outer bore surface, and a bore bottom, an outer body portion extending around the center axis and the central bore portion, and including a top and a bottom, a gas inlet, and a manifold gas flowpath spanning from, and fluidically connecting, the gas inlet and the secondary chamber outlet, wherein: the stem extends through the central bore, the gas inlet, the manifold gas flowpath, and the gas distribution plenum are a part of the portion of the second cleaning gas flowpath, the gas distribution plenum is fluidically connected to the gas distribution plenum, and the gas distribution plenum is fluidically interposed between the gas inlet and the secondary’ chamber outlet.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:Attorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO the gas injection manifold further includes: a plurality of gas passages arranged around the center axis, and an annular gas plenum, and the plurality of gas passages fluidicalty connect the annular gas plenum to the gas distribution plenum.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a cleaning gas source; a first valve fluidicalty interposed along the first cleaning gas flowpath and configured to control the flow of cleaning gas through the first cleaning gas flowpath; a second valve fluidicalty interposed along the second cleaning gas flowpath and configured to control the flow of the cleaning gas through the second cleaning gas flowpath; and a controller with one or more processors and one or more memories that store instructions for controlling the system, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to cause: the cleaning gas to flow through the cleaning gas supply flowpath while the first valve is in an open position and the second valve is in a closed position, thereby causing the cleaning gas to flow through the first cleaning gas flowpath and through the showerhead and preventing the cleaning gas from flowing through the second cleaning gas flowpath and the secondary chamber outlet, and the cleaning gas to flow through the cleaning gas supply flowpath while the first valve is in a closed position and the second valve is in an open position, thereby causing the cleaning gas to flow through the second cleaning gas flowpath and through the secondary chamber outlet and preventing the cleaning gas from flowing through the first cleaning gas flowpath and through the showerhead.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising: a purge gas source fluidicalty connected to the first cleaning gas flowpath downstream of the first valve and upstream of the stem, and fluidicalty connected to the second cleaning gas flowpath downstream of the second valve and upstream of the portion, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to cause: the purge gas to flow through the portion of the second cleaning gas flowpath and the secondary chamber outlet while the first valve is in the open position, the second valve is in the closed position, and the cleaning gas is flowing through the first cleaning gas flowpath and through the showerhead, andAttorney Docket No.: LAM1P081WO-12126-1WO the purge gas to flow through the showerhead while the first valve is in the closed position, the second valve is in the open position, and the cleaning gas is flowing through the second cleaning gas flowpath and through the secondary chamber outlet.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to cause: the first valve and the second valve to be in the closed positions during a processing operation in the processing chamber, and the purge gas to flow through the portion of the second cleaning gas flowpath and the secondary chamber outlet while the first valve and the second valve are in the closed positions.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising a junction manifold including: a manifold body, a gas inlet, a first cleaning gas outlet, a second cleaning gas outlet, a junction point, a first conduit in the manifold body and spanning between and fluidically connecting the gas inlet and the junction point, a second conduit in the manifold body and spanning between and fluidically connecting the first cleaning gas outlet and the junction point, a third conduit in the manifold body and spanning between and fluidically connecting the second cleaning gas outlet and the junction point, and a cooling plenum in the manifold body and around the junction point, first conduit, the second conduit, and the third conduit, wherein: a coolant is configured to flow into and through the cooling plenum, and the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to cause coolant to flow through the cooling plenum while flowing the cleaning gas through the cleaning gas supply flowpath.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the showerhead is configured to receive RF power.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein: the chamber top includes an inner surface inside the chamber interior, and the secondary chamber outlet is coplanar with the inner surface.

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