Plasma processing chamber with a grounded electrode assembly

摘要

An optimized plasma processing chamber configured to provide a current path is provided. The optimized plasma processing chamber includes at least an upper electrode, a powered lower electrode, a heating plate, a cooling plate, a plasma chamber lid, and clamp ring. Both the heating plate and the cooling plate are disposed above the upper electrode whereas the heating plate is configured to heat the upper electrode while the cooling plate is configured to cool the upper electrode. The clamp ring is configured to secure the upper electrode to a plasma chamber lid and to provide a current path from the upper electrode to the plasma chamber lid. A pocket may be formed between the clamp ring and the upper electrode to hold at least the heater plate, wherein the pocket is configured to allow longitudinal and lateral tolerances for thermal expansion of the heater plate from repetitive thermal cycling.

主权项

1. A plasma processing chamber having an electrical management of radio frequency (RF) fields, wherein the plasma processing chamber comprises:
an upper electrode assembly configured to provide a ground path for the plasma processing chamber, wherein the upper electrode assembly includes an electrode configured to be exposed to a set of gases and provides conduits for distributing the set of gases into the plasma processing chamber; and a lower electrode assembly configured to provide power to the plasma processing chamber to generate plasma from the set of gases disposed therein, wherein the lower electrode assembly includes a powered electrode configured to receive power from a set of (RF) generators positioned outside the plasma processing chamber and to provide power to the plasma processing chamber, wherein the upper electrode assembly comprises: an electrode configured to be exposed to a plasma; a heater plate disposed above said electrode, wherein said heater plate is configured to heat said electrode; a backing plate disposed between the electrode and the heater plate, wherein the backing plate is configured to substantially electrically isolate the electrode from the heater plate; a cooling plate disposed above and in contact with said heater plate, wherein said cooling plate is configured to cool said electrode; and a plasma chamber lid configured to confine the plasma in the plasma chamber, wherein the plasma chamber lid comprises,
a ground; anda clamp ring configured to secure the electrode to the plasma chamber lid,a pocket formed by contacting together:
the clamp ring;an RF conductive gasket; andthe electrode, wherein the RF conductive gasket is disposed between the clamp ring and the electrode to form an arrangement for an optimized RF return path to ground, wherein the pocket comprises a space for receiving the backing plate over the electrode, the heater plate over the backing plate, and the cooling plate over the heater plate, such that no metal fasteners are used to couple together any one of the backing plate to the heater plate and the heater plate to the cooling plate when disposed in the space of the pocket; and an annular shield covering a bottom surface of the clamp ring, the annular shield including a lateral ledge that overlaps at a seam between the clamp ring and the electrode.