US 12,463,016 B2
Devices and methods for controlling wafer uniformity in plasma-based process
Jr-Sheng Chen, Hsinchu (TW); An-Chi Li, Hsin-Chu (TW); Shih-Che Huang, Zhubei (TW); Chih-Hsien Hsu, Hsinchu (TW); Zhi-Hao Huang, Hsin-Chu (TW); Ming Chih Wang, Hsin-Chu (TW); Yu-Pei Chiang, Hsinchu (TW); and Chun Yan Chen, Zhubei (TW)
Assigned to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on Jul. 26, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/874,124.
Application 17/874,124 is a division of application No. 16/525,330, filed on Jul. 29, 2019, granted, now 11,769,652.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/712,662, filed on Jul. 31, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0359165 A1, Nov. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. H01J 37/32 (2006.01); G06F 30/00 (2020.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/32449 (2013.01) [G06F 30/00 (2020.01); H01J 37/3211 (2013.01); H01J 2237/3341 (2013.01); H01J 2237/3343 (2013.01); H01L 21/67069 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for making a gas distribution plate (GDP) of a semiconductor process chamber, the method comprising:
providing a process chamber, the process chamber comprising a gas inlet configured to receive a process gas and further comprising a gas outlet at a lateral side of the process chamber configured to expel a processed gas;
from a top view, determining a first position of the gas outlet and a second position of the gas inlet in the process chamber, wherein the gas outlet does not overlap with the gas inlet from the top view;
determining positions of a first zone and a second zone of the GDP that has a plurality of holes evenly distributed thereon; and
refining the GDP based on the first position, the second position, and the positions of the first zone and the second zone, wherein the GDP is to be arranged in the process chamber and configured to distribute the process gas within the process chamber, the first zone is closer to the gas outlet than the second zone, and at least one hole in the first zone is closed based on the refining, and wherein the refining comprises:
dividing the second zone into a first sub-zone and a second sub-zone that are located on different sides of the gas inlet based on the second position, wherein the first sub-zone comprises a first plurality of holes each of which has a first diameter and the second sub-zone comprises a second plurality of holes each of which has a second diameter; and
increasing the first diameter to be larger than the second diameter when the first sub-zone is closer to the gas outlet than the second sub-zone.