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EP0339580A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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A vacuum processing reactor
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
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Filing: 1989-04-25
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-04-25
Abstract
Abstract A magnetic field enhanced vacuum single wafer plasma etch reactor (60) is disclosed. The features of the reactor include an electrically-controlled stepped magnetic field for providing high rate uniform etching at high pressures; temperature controlled reactor surfaces including heated anode surfaces (66 I, 67 I) (walls and gas manifold) and a cooled wafer supporting cathode (72) and a unitary wafer exchange mechanism comprising wafer lift pins (79) which extend through the pedestal (72) and a wafer clamp ring (78). The lift pins (79) and clamp ring (78) are moved vertically by a one-axis lift mechanism (140) to accept the wafer (75) from a cooperating external robot blade (76), clamp the wafer (75) to the pedestal (72) and return the wafer (75) to the blade (76). The electrode cooling combines water cooling (170, 172, 174) for the body (128) of the electrode and a thermal conductivity-enhancing gas parallel-bowed interface between the wafer (75) and electrode (72) for keeping the wafer surface cooled despite the high power densities applied to the electrode. A gas feed-through device (175, 176, 178, 180) applies the cooling gas to the RF powered electrode (72) without breakdown of the gas. Protective coatings/layers (811, 83) of materials such as quartz are provided for surfaces such as the clamp ring (78) and gas manifold (80). The combination of these features provides a wide pressure regime, high etch rate, high throughput single wafer etcher (60) which provides uniformity, directionality and selectivity at high gas pressures, operates cleanly and incorporates in-situ self-cleaning capability.
Inventors
- 👤 David Cheng
- 👤 Dan Maydan
- 👤 Sasson Somekh
- 👤 Kenneth R. Stalder
- 👤 Dana L. Andrews
- 👤 Mei Chang
- 👤 John M. White
- 👤 Jerry Yuen Kui Wong
- 👤 Vladimir J. Zeitlin
- 👤 David Nin-Kou Wang
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 21:39
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; H10P72/04; H10P72/0402; H10P72/0418; H10P72/0421; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/32431; H01J37/32458; H01J37/32477; H01J37/32623; H01J37/32733; H01J37/32743; H01J37/32788; H01J37/32798; H01J37/32853; H01J37/32862
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
96 words
A vacuum processing reactor (60), comprising a housing (62) defining a vacuum chamber (68) therein adapted for etching a wafer (75) positioned within the chamber (68) at a high rate and with etching uniformity substantially independent of pressure, comprising: a pedestal (72) having a convex-shaped surface (72B) for supporting the wafer in a bowed configuration parallel to the pedestal surface (72B) a gas manifold (80) for supplying reactant gases to the chamber (68) means (112) for applying RF energy between the wafer support pedestal (72) and the gas manifold (80) for generating a wafer etching plasma.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
96 words
A vacuum processing reactor (60), comprising a housing (62) defining a vacuum chamber (68) therein adapted for etching a wafer (75) positioned within the chamber (68) at a high rate and with etching uniformity substantially independent of pressure, comprising: a pedestal (72) having a convex-shaped surface (72B) for supporting the wafer in a bowed configuration parallel to the pedestal surface (72B) a gas manifold (80) for supplying reactant gases to the chamber (68) means (112) for applying RF energy between the wafer support pedestal (72) and the gas manifold (80) for generating a wafer etching plasma.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
80 words
The vacuum processing reactor (60) of claim 1, said D.C. magnetic field forming means comprising at least first (116, 118) and second (120, 122) pairs of electromagnets disposed around the periphery of the housing (62) for forming a magnetic field parallel to the wafer surface; and said current applying means comprising means (115, 117, 119, 121) for applying selected currents to the magnets for stepping the D.C. magnetic field angularly around the wafer (75) to provide a uniform etching plasma.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The vacuum processing reactor (60) of claim 1 or 2 further comprising a clamping ring means (78) for clamping the wafer (75) to the pedestal (72).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
161 words
A vacuum processing reactor (60) comprising a housing (62) defining a vacuum chamber (68) therein adapted for processing of a wafer (75) positioned within the chamber (68), the housing (62) having an opening (160) therein to allow insertion of a horizontally oriented wafer (75) into the chamber (68), to a first selected position, and removal of the wafer (75) from the chamber (68); said adaptation further comprising: a pedestal assembly (70) having an upper face (72) for supporting the wafer (75) in a generally horizontal orientation, said pedestal face being generally aligned with the first selected position; wafer exchange means (79) comprising a group of generally vertically-oriented pins (79) extending through holes in the pedestal (72); and means (140, 156, 158) for sequentially moving the wafer exchange means (79) upwardly and downwardly to selected positions for removing the wafer (75) from the first selected position, clamping (78) the wafer to the pedestal and returning the wafer (75) to the selected position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
161 words
A vacuum processing reactor (60) comprising a housing (62) defining a vacuum chamber (68) therein adapted for processing of a wafer (75) positioned within the chamber (68), the housing (62) having an opening (160) therein to allow insertion of a horizontally oriented wafer (75) into the chamber (68), to a first selected position, and removal of the wafer (75) from the chamber (68); said adaptation further comprising: a pedestal assembly (70) having an upper face (72) for supporting the wafer (75) in a generally horizontal orientation, said pedestal face being generally aligned with the first selected position; wafer exchange means (79) comprising a group of generally vertically-oriented pins (79) extending through holes in the pedestal (72); and means (140, 156, 158) for sequentially moving the wafer exchange means (79) upwardly and downwardly to selected positions for removing the wafer (75) from the first selected position, clamping (78) the wafer to the pedestal and returning the wafer (75) to the selected position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
69 words
The vacuum processing reactor (60) of claim 3, in which the wafer exchange means comprises a clamping ring means (78), having the axis thereof oriented generally parallel to the pedestal (72) and a group of generally vertically oriented pins (79) arranged in a circular array of diameter less than the clamp ring (78) diameter, said upper ends of the pins (79) being spaced vertically below said clamping ring (78).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The reactor of one of the preceding claims, in which the clamping ring means (78) have fingers (78F) extending inwardly generally parallel to the pedestal (72) or electrode for clamping the wafer (75) thereto.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The reactor of one of claims 4 to 6 further comprising means (112) for applying RF energy to the pedestal (72).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The reactor of any of the preceding claims, further comprising means (169, 170, 172, 174), for circulating cooling fluid within the pedestal (72).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
42 words
The reactor of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising means (181, 183) disposed on the exterior of the reactor (60) for heating the internal reactor surfaces (66 I, 67 I) to a predetermined temperature for preventing deposits on said surfaces.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
110 words
The vacuum processing reactor of one of the preceding claims, further comprising a feed-through device (114) for coupling the cooling gas at low pressure to the powered pedestal (72) without ionization, comprising a housing having a gas inlet (190) adapted for receiving the cooling gas and a spaced gas outlet (192) connected to the pedestal (72) said housing further comprising a pair of internal, closely spaced apertured plates (186, 188) transversely spanning the path of the gas, one of the said plates (188) on the outlet side of the gas flow being connected electrically in common with the pedestal (72), and the other plate (186) being connected to system ground.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The reactor of any of the preceding claims, further comprising an etch impervious coating (83, 811) of material preferably quartz, over the gas manifold (80) and clamp ring (78).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
58 words
The vacuum processing reactor (60) of any of the preceding claims further comprising a wafer support blade (76) being movable into the etch chamber (68) and out of same, further comprising means (79) for lifting the wafer (75) from the blade (76) positioning of the wafer on the pedestal (72) and returning the wafer to the blade (76).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
59 words
The vacuum processing reactor (60) of any of claims 4 to 12, comprising electric current-controlled magnetic field generating means (116, 118, 120, 122) for forming a D.C. magnetic field generally parallel to the wafer surface, and means (105 -129) for selectively applying current to the field generating means for independently controlling the intensity and orientation of the magnetic field.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
80 words
The vacuum processing reactor (60) of claim 13, said D.C. magnetic field forming means comprising at least first (116, 118) and second (120, 122) pairs of electromagnets disposed around the periphery of the housing (62) for forming a magnetic field parallel to the wafer surface; and said current applying means comprising means (115, 1117, 119, 121) for applying selected currents to the magnets for stepping the D.C. magnetic field angularly around the wafer (75) to provide a uniform etching plasma.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
47 words
The vacuum processing reactor (60) of any of claims 4 to 14 comprising means (175, 176, 178, 180) for applying gas under pressure between the surface (72B) of the pedestal and the wafer (75) to provide uniform thermal conduction between the wafer (75) and the pedestal (72).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
79 words
The vacuum processing reactor (60) of any one of claims 4 to 15, wherein the pedestal (72) has a convex surface (72B) for supporting the wafer (75) and further comprising means (78) for clamping the wafer (75) against the pedestal support surface (72B) and means (175, 176, 178, 180) for applying gas at low pressure between the pedestal face and a wafer (75) on the pedestal (72) to enhance thermal conductivity between the wafer (75) and the pedestal (72).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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