Lsi Logic Corporation

Mark A Franklin

Nicholas F Pasch

Philippe Schoenborn

Roger Patrick

Thomas G Mallon

Frank Bose

An apparatus for producing a plasma suitable for semiconductor processing at pressures in the low millitorr range. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber with a dielectric window, a generally planar coil disposed adjacent the window outside the chamber and coupled to an appropriate power source, and a plasma initiator disposed within the chamber. Once the plasma is initiated, the planar coil sustains the plasma by inductive power coupling. In one embodiment the plasma initiator is a secondary electrode disposed within the chamber and coupled to a second RF power source. In an alternative embodiment both the secondary electrode and a target pedestal are coupled to the secondary RF power source through a power splitter. In an alternative embodiment, the plasma initiator is used to ionize a portion of the process gas and provide a plasma that may then inductively couple with the planar coil. Initial ionization of the process gas may be achieved by use of an ultraviolet light source, an ultraviolet laser, a high voltage power source such as a tesla coil, or an electrical arc forming device such as a spark plug.

Plasma initiating assembly

Method for igniting low pressure inductively coupled plasma

A technique for mounting polishing pads to a platen in chemi-mechanical semiconductor wafer polishing apparatus is disclosed. A lower pad is mounted to the platen, and is trimmed to the size of the platen. An upper pad is mounted to the lower pad, and is sized so that an extreme outer edge portion of the upper pad extends beyond the trimmed outer edge of the lower pad. The outer edge portion of the upper pad is deformed downwardly, towards the lower pad. In this manner, polishing slurry is diverted from the pad-to-pad interface. Additionally, an integral annular lip can be formed on the front face of the upper pad, creating a reservoir for slurry to be retained on the face of the upper pad for enhancing residence time of the polishing slurry prior to the slurry washing over the face of the upper pad.

Techniques for assembling polishing pads for chemi-mechanical polishing

Techniques for assembling polishing pads for chemical-mechanical

An apparatus for producing a plasma suitable for semiconductor processing at pressures in the low millitorr range. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber with a dielectric window, a generally planar coil disposed adjacent the window outside the chamber and coupled to an appropriate power source, and a plasma initiator disposed within the chamber. Once the plasma is initiated, the planar coil sustains the plasma by inductive power coupling. In one embodiment the plasma initiator is a secondary electrode disposed within the chamber and coupled to a second RF power source. In an alternative embodiment both the secondary electrode and a target pedestal are coupled to the secondary RE power source through a power splitter. In an alternative embodiment, the plasma initiator is used to ionize a portion of the process gas and provide a plasma that may then inductively couple with the planar coil. Initial ionization of the process gas may be achieved by use of an ultraviolet light source, an ultraviolet laser, a high voltage power source such as a tesla coil, or an electrical arc forming device such as a spark plug.

Apparatus for igniting low pressure inductively coupled plasma

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Scott's Valley, CA, United States of America

Mark A Franklin