Multi-Station Chamber Having Symmetric Grounding Plate

摘要

A multi-station chamber having a symmetric ground plate is disclosed. The multi-station chamber includes four stations, and the four stations are arranged in a square configuration with a rotating mechanism in a center location. A pedestal for supporting a substrate is provided for each of the four stations, each pedestal is disposed in a lower chamber body, and each pedestal includes a carrier ring. The lower chamber body includes outer walls and inner walls to define a space for each of the pedestals of the four chambers. A ground plate is disposed over the inner walls and attached to the outer walls. The ground plate has a center opening and a process opening for each station. The center opening is configured to receive the rotating mechanism at the center location. The process opening has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the carrier ring at each station, and a symmetric gap is defined between an edge of each process opening defined by the ground plate and an outer edge of a carrier ring. For applied radio frequency power, an RF ground return is provided via the ground plate that symmetrically surrounds each process opening of each station.

主权项

1. A multi-station chamber, comprising,
a lower chamber body that includes a plurality of stations arranged around a rotating mechanism, each station includes a pedestal for supporting a substrate and a carrier ring that surrounds the pedestal, the carrier ring of each station is configured to be lifted and moved by the rotating mechanism; the lower chamber body having an inner floor disposed below each pedestal of each of the plurality of stations; the lower chamber body having outer walls that surround a perimeter of each of the plurality of stations, the outer walls having a support step; the lower chamber body having inner walls that laterally separate respective ones of the plurality of stations, wherein the outer walls and the inner walls extend up from the inner floor; and a ground plate disposed over the support step of the outer walls and over the inner walls, the ground plate having a center opening and a process opening for each station, the process opening defined for each pedestal having the carrier ring, the process opening surrounding the carrier ring of each process station so that gap is symmetrically maintained around and between the ground plate and the carrier ring of each station.