Patent ID: 9064909
Filing Date: 2015-06-23
Classification: C23C,H01J,H01L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of processing a semiconductor substrate in a plasma processing apparatus, the method comprising: placing a substrate on a substrate support in a reaction chamber of a plasma processing apparatus; introducing a process gas into the reaction chamber with a composite showerhead electrode assembly comprising: a backing plate comprising top and bottom surfaces with first gas passages therebetween, the bottom surface having bridged and unbridged regions, the first gas passages having outlets in unbridged regions to supply a process gas to an interior of the plasma processing apparatus; an electrode plate having a top surface, a plasma exposed bottom surface, and second gas passages extending therebetween and in fluid communication with the first gas passages, wherein the second gas passages have inlets in unbridged regions of the top surface of the electrode plate; and an interface gel disposed between facing surfaces at each of the bridged regions which establishes thermal contact between the electrode plate and the backing plate and maintains the thermal contact during movement in a lateral direction of the electrode plate relative to the backing plate during temperature cycling due to mismatch of coefficients of thermal expansion in the electrode plate and the backing plate; wherein the electrode plate is joined to the backing plate to allow the movement; generating a plasma from the process gas in the reaction chamber between the composite showerhead electrode assembly and the substrate; processing the substrate with the plasma.