Coating apparatus – Gas or vapor deposition
Reexamination Certificate
2004-07-12
2011-12-27
Lund, Jeffrie R (Department: 1716)
Coating apparatus
Gas or vapor deposition
C118S7230ER, C156S345330, C156S345340, C156S345430, C156S345470
Reexamination Certificate
active
08083853
ABSTRACT:
Embodiments of a gas diffuser plate for distributing gas in a processing chamber are provided. The gas distribution plate includes a diffuser plate having an upstream side and a downstream side, and a plurality of gas passages passing between the upstream and downstream sides of the diffuser plate. The gas passages include hollow cathode cavities at the downstream side to enhance plasma ionization. The depths, the diameters, the surface area and density of hollow cathode cavities of the gas passages that extend to the downstream end can be gradually increased from the center to the edge of the diffuser plate to improve the film thickness and property uniformity across the substrate. The increasing diameters, depths and surface areas from the center to the edge of the diffuser plate can be created by bending the diffuser plate toward downstream side, followed by machining out the convex downstream side. Bending the diffuser plate can be accomplished by a thermal process or a vacuum process. The increasing diameters, depths and surface areas from the center to the edge of the diffuser plate can also be created computer numerically controlled machining. Diffuser plates with gradually increasing diameters, depths and surface areas of the hollow cathode cavities from the center to the edge of the diffuser plate have been shown to produce improved uniformities of film thickness and film properties.
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Anwar Suhail
Choi Soo Young
Hou Li
Kim Ki Woon
Kurita Shinichi
Applied Materials Inc.
Lund Jeffrie R
Patterson & Sheridan L.L.P.
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