Applied Materials, Inc.

Applied Materiels, Inc.

Eric Askarinam

Michael Robert Rice

Kenneth S Collins

Douglas Buchberger

John R Trow

Joshua Chiu-Wing Tsui

David Walter Groechel

Craig A Roderick

Raymond Hoiman Hung

Gerald Z Yin

Dennis Stanley Grimard

Robert W Wu

Gerhard M Schneider

Gerhard A Schneider

A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece includes a reactor enclosure defining a processing chamber, a base within the chamber for supporting the workpiece during processing thereof, a semiconductor window electrode overlying the base, a gas inlet system for admitting a plasma precursor gas into the chamber, an electrical terminal coupled to the semiconductor window electrode, an inductive antenna adjacent one side of the semiconductor window electrode opposite the base for coupling power into the interior of said chamber through the semiconductor window electrode.

Plasma reactor having an inductive antenna coupling power through a parallel plate electrode

There is disclosed a plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor workpiece such as a wafer, including a chamber having an overhead ceiling with a three-dimensional shape such as a hemisphere or dome. The reactor further includes an inductive antenna over the ceiling which may be conformal or nonconformal in shape with the ceiling. The ceiling may be a semiconductor material so that it can function as both a window for the inductive field of the antenna as well as an electrode which can be grounded, or to which RF power may be applied or which may be allowed to float electrically. The reactor includes various features which allow the radial distribution of the plasma ion density across the wafer surface to be adjusted to an optimum distribution for processing uniformity across the wafer surface.

Parallel-plate electrode plasma reactor having an inductive antenna and adjustable radial distribution of plasma ion density

The invention is embodied in a plasma reactor including a plasma reactor chamber and a workpiece support for holding a workpiece near a support plane inside the chamber during processing, the chamber having a reactor enclosure portion facing the support, a cold body overlying the reactor enclosure portion, a plasma source power applicator between the reactor enclosure portion and the cold body and a thermally conductor between and in contact with the cold body and the reactor enclosure. The thermal conductor and the cold sink define a cold sink interface therebetween, the reactor preferably further including a thermally conductive substance within the cold sink interface for reducing the thermal resistance across the cold sink interface. The thermally conductive substance can be a thermally conductive gas filling the cold body interface. Alternatively, the thermally conductive substance can be a thermally conductive solid material. The reactor can include a gas manifold in the cold body communicable with a source of the thermally conductive gas an inlet through the cold body from the gas manifold and opening out to the cold body interface. The reactor can further include an O-ring apparatus sandwiched between the cold body and the thermal conductor and defining a gas-containing volume in the cold body interface of nearly infinitesimal thickness in communication with the inlet from the cold body. More generally, the reactor can include the facilitation of thermal transfer across an interface between a hot and/or cold sink and any part exposed to the reactor chamber interior atmosphere, such as the ceiling, wall or polymer-hardening precursor ring, for example, by the insertion into that interface of a thermally conductive gas or substance.

Thermal control apparatus for inductively coupled RF plasma reactor having an overhead solenoidal antenna

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a plasma reactor having a chamber for containing a plasma and a passageway communicating with the chamber is enhanced with a first removable plasma confinement magnet module placed adjacent the passageway including a first module housing and a first plasma confinement magnet inside the housing. It may further include a second removable plasma confinement magnet module placed adjacent the passageway including a second module housing, and a second plasma confinement magnet. Preferably, the first and second modules are located on opposite sides of the passageway. Moreover, the first and second plasma confinement magnets have magnetic orientations which tend to oppose plasma transport or leakage through the passageway. Preferably, the module housing includes a relatively non-magnetic thermal conductor such as aluminum and is in thermal contact with said chamber body. Cooling apparatus can be thermally coupled to the chamber body, whereby to maintain the first plasma confinement magnet below its Curie temperature. If the reactor includes a pumping annulus adjacent of a periphery of the chamber, then the passageway can be one which communicates between the chamber and the pumping annulus. Also, the passageway can be a wafer slit valve or a gas feed inlet. Such a gas feed inlet can be a center gas feed through a ceiling of the chamber. The module housing can rest upon the chamber side wall and the chamber ceiling can rest upon the module housing.

Inductively coupled RF Plasma reactor having an overhead solenoidal antenna and modular confinement magnet liners

The case of maintainability and component replacement for a vacuum processing chamber is enhanced by providing a vacuum chamber roof assembly whose connection to the vacuum chamber body is through a clamped connection. Accessories needed for the roof assembly, e.g. cooling, heating, RF power, are separately supported and terminated to an accessories supporting cold plate, which is separately mounted such it is easily movable, for example by hinging from the chamber body. The roof of the chamber can then easily be separated from the chamber body and replaced. In an further mode the chamber roof can be easily raised to provide easy access to modular components inside the processing chamber. All components exposed to the plasma in the chamber can be easily accessed and replaced. Moreover, such access is provided without the need to disconnect utilities or instrumentation, since the release of a latch and pivoting the cold plate assembly away from the chamber body upwards is all that is needed to gain access to either the top of the roof of the processing chamber or the inside of the chamber. Chamber roof cooling is provided through a separable connection which is spring clamped to provide a high confidence that uniform thermal conductivity across a clamped joint is maintained.

Vacuum processing chamber having multi-mode access

The invention is embodied by a plasma reactor for processing a workpiece, including a reactor enclosure defining a processing chamber, a semiconductor window, a base within the chamber for supporting the workpiece during processing thereof, a gas inlet system for admitting a plasma precursor gas into the chamber, and an inductive antenna adjacent a side of the semiconductor window opposite the base for coupling power into the interior of the chamber through the semiconductor window electrode.

Plasma reactor having an inductive antenna coupling power through a

Inductively coupled RF plasma reactor having an overhead solenoidal

Thermal control apparatus for inductively coupled RF plasma reactor

Parallel plate electrode plasma reactor having an inductive antenna and

A vacuum seal assembly that can be used in a plasma etch reactor to seal the chamber interior from the outside environment consists of a protective collar that is injection molded or machined of a high strength, high temperature and corrosion resistant thermoplastic material, the collar has an elastomeric gasket installed therein and is used in combination with a second elastomeric gasket to achieve a fluid-tight seal between two rigid surfaces made of silicon and quartz, respectively.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Eric Askarinam