US4863549A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apparatus for coating or etching by means of a plasma
Assignee: Balzers und Leybold Deutschland Holding AG
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Filing: 1988-07-01
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Granted: 1989-09-05
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Expires: 2008-07-01
Abstract
Abstract The invention concerns apparatus for coating or etching by means of a plasma. Herein a first electrode (5) is connected to a high frequency voltage which produces plasma from a gas. A second electrode (6), on which the substrate (7) to be coated or etched is disposed, is connected to a medium frequency voltage which accelerates the ions of the plasma to the substrate (7). According to the invention, this medium frequency voltage consists of unipolar pulses that have the same amplitude for a predeterminable time interval. The number of ions impinging on the substrate (7) is thereby decoupled from the amplitude of the applied medium frequency voltage. It is determined solely by the frequency or width of these pulses.
Inventors
- 👤 Heinrich Grunwald
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 23:55
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/50; H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/32009; H01J37/32082; C23C16/515; H01J37/32137; H01J37/32155; H01J37/32165; H01J37/32174; H01J37/32431; H01J37/32697; H01J37/32706; H01J2237/00; H01J2237/32; H01J2237/33; H01J2237/334; H01J2237/3343; H01J2237/3348
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
115 words
Apparatus for plasma coating or etching, with a first electrode in electrical connection with the substrate to be coated or etched, as well as a second electrode arranged above the first electrode, the two electrodes being disposed within a process chamber serving as a third electrode, and wherein the first electrode is connected with a medium frequency generator that controls the current and the ion bombardment of the substrate, while the second electrode is connected with a high frequency generator that controls the extent of dissociation and the formation of radical species, characterised in that the current of the ionic bombardment is also controllable with a fixedly predetermined voltage of the medium frequency generator (15).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
115 words
Apparatus for plasma coating or etching, with a first electrode in electrical connection with the substrate to be coated or etched, as well as a second electrode arranged above the first electrode, the two electrodes being disposed within a process chamber serving as a third electrode, and wherein the first electrode is connected with a medium frequency generator that controls the current and the ion bombardment of the substrate, while the second electrode is connected with a high frequency generator that controls the extent of dissociation and the formation of radical species, characterised in that the current of the ionic bombardment is also controllable with a fixedly predetermined voltage of the medium frequency generator (15).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the voltage of the medium frequency generator (15) is applied intermittently to the first electrode.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 chracterised in that the voltage is applied to the first electrode in a pulsed manner, wherein the pulses have the same amplitude and the same width but different spacings from each other (pulse phase modulation).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised in that the voltage is applied to the first electrode in a pulsed manner, wherein the pulses have the same amplitude but different widths (pulse width modulation).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised in that the voltage is applied to the first electrode in a pulsed manner, wherein the pulses have the same amplitude and the same width while forming groups separated from each other, the pulses being equidistant from each other within a group (pulse code modulation).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the frequency of the high frequency generator (10) is adjustable between 1 MHz and 30 MHz.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, characteristed in that the frequency of the medium frequency generator (15) is adjustable between 90 KHz and 450 KHz.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, characteristed in that a regulator (14) is provided to set the amplitude of the medium frequency voltage to a predetermined value.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8, characterised in that the voltage pulses of the medium frequency generator (15) are unipolar.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8, characterised in that the pulses of equal amplitude represent the amplitude of the medium frequency voltage through their width or their spacing or their number within a group.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that a pulse width modulator (13) is provided which delivers unipolar voltage pulses the width of which is proportional to the amplitude of the medium frequency voltage coming from the regulator (14).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that a matching member (11) is provided between the pulse width modulator (13) and the electrode (6) on which the substrate (7) is disposed.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus according to claim 6, characterised in that the frequency of the high frequency generator (10) is fixed at 13.56 MHz.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the pulses have negative polarity.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus according to claim 9, characterised in that the pulses of equal amplitude represent the amplitude of the medium frequency voltage through their width or their spacing or their number within a group.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-09-04 | 1993-03-06 | 1993-09-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-09-04 | 1997-03-06 | 1997-09-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-09-04 | 2001-03-06 | 2001-09-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |