Patent US6894245B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6894245B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Merie plasma reactor with overhead RF electrode tuned to the plasma with arcing suppression
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
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Filing: 2001-10-22
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Granted: 2005-05-17
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Expires: 2021-10-22
Abstract
Abstract A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor workpiece, includes a reactor chamber having a chamber wall and containing a workpiece support for holding the semiconductor support, the electrode comprising a portion of the chamber wall, an RF power generator for supplying power at a frequency of the generator to the overhead electrode and capable of maintaining a plasma within the chamber at a desired plasma ion density level. The overhead electrode has a capacitance such that the overhead electrode and the plasma formed in the chamber at the desired plasma ion density resonate together at an electrode-plasma resonant frequency, the frequency of the generator being at least near the electrode-plasma resonant frequency. The reactor further includes a set of MERIE magnets surrounding the plasma process area overlying the wafer surface that produce a slowly circulating magnetic field which stirs the plasma to improve plasma ion density distribution uniformity.
Inventors
- 👤 Daniel J. Hoffman
- 👤 Yan Ye
- 👤 Dan Katz
- 👤 Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr.
- 👤 Xiaoye Zhao
- 👤 Kang-Lie Chiang
- 👤 Robert B. Hagen
- 👤 Matthew L. Miller
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 20:08
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/32431; H01J37/3244; H10; H10P; H10P50/00; H10P50/20; H10P50/24; H10P50/242; H01J37/32009; H01J37/32082; H01J37/32174; H01J37/32183; H01J37/3266
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
107 words
A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor workpiece, comprising: a reactor chamber having a chamber wall and containing a workpiece support for holding the semiconductor workpiece; an overhead electrode overlying said workpiece support; an RF power generator for supplying power at a frequency of said generator; said overhead electrode having a reactance that forms a resonance with the plasma at an electrode-plasma resonant frequency which is at or near said frequency of said generator; a magnetic field generator for producing a controllable magnetic field over the surface of said workpiece; and a fixed impedance matching element coupled to said RF power generator and to said overhead electrode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
107 words
A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor workpiece, comprising: a reactor chamber having a chamber wall and containing a workpiece support for holding the semiconductor workpiece; an overhead electrode overlying said workpiece support; an RF power generator for supplying power at a frequency of said generator; said overhead electrode having a reactance that forms a resonance with the plasma at an electrode-plasma resonant frequency which is at or near said frequency of said generator; a magnetic field generator for producing a controllable magnetic field over the surface of said workpiece; and a fixed impedance matching element coupled to said RF power generator and to said overhead electrode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The reactor of claim 1 wherein said magnetic field is sufficiently small in magnitude so that the electron cyclotron frequency associated with said magnetic field is less than the frequency of said RF power generator.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The reactor of claim 2 wherein said electron cyclotron frequency is at least 5% less than said RF power generator frequency.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The reactor of claim 2 wherein said frequency of said RF power generator is a VHF frequency.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The reactor of claim 1 further comprising: an insulating layer formed on a surface of said overhead electrode facing said workpiece support.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The reactor of claim 5 further comprising: a capacitive insulating layer between said RF power generator and said overhead electrode.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The reactor of claim 6 further comprising: a metal foam layer overlying and contacting a surface of said overhead electrode that faces away from said workpiece support.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
The reactor of claim 5 further comprising a silicon-containing coating covering said insulating layer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The reactor of claim 8 wherein said silicon-containing coating comprises one of silicon or silicon carbide.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
The reactor of claim 7 wherein said insulating layer provides a capacitance sufficient to suppress arcing within said gas injection ports.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The reactor of claim 10 wherein said capacitive insulating layer has a sufficient capacitance to block D.C. current from a plasma within said chamber from flowing through said overhead electrode.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
The reactor of claim 11 wherein: said electrode has plural gas injection orifices therein generally facing said workpiece support; and said metal foam layer is of a sufficient thickness to suppress an axial electric field within said gas injection orifices.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
The reactor of claim 5 wherein said overhead electrode comprises aluminum and said insulating layer is formed by anodization.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
The reactor of claim 6 wherein said capacitive insulating layer forms a capacitance that provides a low impedance path to ground through said overhead electrode for plasma sheath generated harmonics.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
The reactor of claim 6 further comprising: a gas inlet to said overhead electrode; a gas baffling layer within said overhead electrode between said gas inlet and at least a first set of said gas injection orifices.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
The reactor of claim 15 wherein said gas baffling layer comprises a layer of metal foam.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
The reactor of claim 13 further comprising thermal control fluid passages within said overhead electrode.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
The reactor of claim 17 further comprising an optical window in said overhead electrode generally facing said wafer support and a light carrying medium coupled to said window and extending through said overhead electrode.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
The reactor of claim 5 wherein said plasma has a reactance and the reactance of said electrode corresponds to the reactance of said plasma.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
The reactor of claim 19 wherein the reactance of said electrode is a conjugate of the reactance of said plasma.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
36 words
The reactor of claim 19 wherein the reactance of said plasma comprises a negative capacitance, and wherein the capacitance of said electrode is the same magnitude as the magnitude of said negative capacitance of said plasma.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
The reactor of claim 1 wherein the frequency of said RF generator and the electrode-plasma resonant frequency are VHF frequencies.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
30 words
The reactor of claim 22 wherein said plasma reactance is a function of said plasma ion density and said plasma ion density supports a selected plasma process of said reactor.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
36 words
The reactor of claim 23 wherein said plasma process is a plasma etch process and wherein said plasma ion density lies in a range from about 10 9 ions/cubic centimeter to about 10 12 ions/cubic centimeter.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
17 words
The reactor of claim 1 wherein said fixed impedance match element has a match element resonant frequency.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
39 words
The reactor of claim 25 wherein the match element resonant frequency and said electrode-plasma resonant frequency are offset from one another and the frequency of said generator lies between said electrode-plasma resonant frequency and said match element resonant frequency.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
24 words
The reactor of claim 26 wherein said frequency of said generator, said plasma frequency and said match element resonant frequency are all VHF frequencies.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
131 words
The reactor of claim 25 wherein said fixed impedance match element comprises: a strip line circuit having a near end thereof adjacent said overhead electrode for coupling power from said RF power generator to said overhead electrode and providing an impedance transformation therebetween, said strip line circuit comprising: a strip line conductor generally above said overhead electrode and connected at a near end thereof to said overhead electrode, a ground plane conductor above said overhead electrode and spaced from said inner conductor along the length thereof and connected to an RF return potential of said RF power generator, a tap at a selected location along the length of said strip line conductor, said tap comprising a connection between said strip line conductor and an output terminal of said RF power generator.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
35 words
The reactor of 28 wherein said ground plane conductor comprises a ceiling of a housing overlying said overhead electrode, said strip line conductor formed along a winding path within said housing and beneath said ceiling.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
35 words
The reactor of 28 wherein said ground plane conductor comprises a ceiling of a housing overlying said overhead electrode, said strip line conductor formed along a winding path within said housing and beneath said ceiling.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
40 words
The reactor of claim 29 wherein said strip line conductor is hollow, said reactor further comprising: a gas feed line extending through said hollow strip line conductor for supplying process gas to said gas injection orifices in said overhead electrode.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
17 words
The reactor of claim 1 wherein said VHF frequency is suitable for capacitively coupling plasma source power.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2008-05-16 | 2008-11-15 | 2009-05-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2012-05-16 | 2012-11-15 | 2013-05-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2016-05-16 | 2016-11-15 | 2017-05-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |