Patent ID: 6586886
Filing Date: 2003-07-01
Classification: H01J

Abstract:
A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer, said reactor comprising:a vacuum chamber side wall; a wafer support pedestal for supporting said semiconductor wafer in said chamber; an RF power source coupled to said wafer support pedestal; a process gas source; a gas distribution plate at a ceiling location of said chamber, said gas distribution plate comprising: a front plate in said chamber and a back plate on an external side of said front plate, said gas distribution plate comprising a gas manifold adjacent said back plate, said back and front plates bonded together and forming an assembly comprising: (a) an array of holes through said front plate and communicating with said chamber, (b) at least one gas flow-controlling orifice through said back plate and communicating between said manifold and at least one of said holes, said orifice having a diameter that determines gas flow rate to the at least one hole; (c) an array of pucks at least generally congruent with said array of holes and disposed within respective ones of said holes to define annular gas passages for gas flow through said front plate into said chamber, each of said annular gas passages being non-aligned with said orifice.