Lam Research Corporation

Adam Liron

Jack Chen

Gregory Sexton

A tunable upper plasma exclusion zone (PEZ) ring adjusts a distance of plasma during processing in a processing chamber and includes: a lower surface that includes: a horizontal portion; and an upwardly tapered outer portion that is conical and that extends outwardly and upwardly from the horizontal portion at an upward taper angle of about 5&#xb0; to 50&#xb0; with respect to the horizontal portion, where an outer diameter of the upwardly tapered outer portion is greater than 300 millimeters (mm), and where an inner diameter where the upwardly tapered outer portion begins to extend upwardly is less than 300 mm. A controller is to, during processing of a 300 mm circular substrate, adjust the distance of plasma for treatment of the 300 mm circular substrate at least one of radially inward and radially outward using the tunable upper PEZ ring.

Tunable upper plasma-exclusion-zone ring for a bevel etcher

A bevel etcher for cleaning a bevel edge of a semiconductor substrate with plasma includes a lower electrode assembly having a lower support having a cylindrical top portion. An upper dielectric component is disposed above the lower electrode assembly having a cylindrical bottom portion opposing the top portion of the lower support. A tunable upper plasma exclusion zone (PEZ) ring surrounds the bottom portion of the dielectric component, wherein a lower surface of the tunable upper PEZ ring includes an upwardly tapered outer portion extending outwardly from the bottom portion of the upper dielectric component, wherein a vertical height of an adjustable gap between the lower surface of the upper PEZ ring and an upper surface of a substrate supported on the lower support can be increased or decreased such that the extent of the bevel edge of the substrate to be cleaned by the plasma can respectively be adjusted radially inward or radially outward. At least one radio frequency (RF) power source is adapted to energize process gas into the plasma during a bevel edge cleaning process.

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Pleasanton, CA, United States of America

Adam Liron