International Business Machines Corporation

Kellie L Dutra

Ronald G Meunier

Justin Wai-chow Wong

Margaret L Gibson

June Cline

Jason William Silbergleit

Joseph P Walko

Robert A Calderoni

Disclosed is a method and system for detecting abnormal plasma discharge that is useful in, for example, detecting plasma leakage in a reactive ion etching (RIE) chamber. The system includes electrical contacts connected to the chamber that provide an input signal to the chamber. This input signal can be generated by a radio frequency (RF) generator that is connected to the electrical contacts. A variable power controller connected to the RF generator gradually increases (ramps) the power of the input signal being supplied to the chamber.

Measurement to determine plasma leakage

Undesirable reactions (such as formation of volatile compounds or complexes) are recognized to occur during production processes (such as etching with fluorine) at interior surfaces of a reactor chamber (such as a silicon-based reactor chamber). These undesirable reactions may be minimized and controlled by priming the chamber surface by incorporating seasoning atoms and/or molecules.

Method of stabilizing oxide etch and chamber performance using seasoning

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Essex Junction, VT, United States of America

Kellie L Dutra