Applied Materials, Inc.

Renee Koch

Ajay Kumar

Michael N Grimbergen

Madhavi R Chandrachood

Richard Lewington

Sheeba J Panayil

Darin Bivens

Ibrahim M Ibrahim

Scott Alan Anderson

Methods for etching quartz are provided herein. In one embodiment, a method of etching quartz includes providing a film stack on a substrate support disposed in a processing chamber, the film stack having a quartz layer partially exposed through a patterned layer; and etching the quartz layer of the film stack in a multi-step process including a first step of etching the quartz layer utilizing a first process gas comprising at least one fluorocarbon process gas and a chlorine-containing process gas; and a second step of etching the quartz layer utilizing a second process gas comprising at least one fluorocarbon process gas.

Multi-step photomask etching with chlorine for uniformity control

A method for processing a workpiece in a plasma reactor chamber by applying RF source power to inner and outer source power applicators, and introducing a process gas into the reactor while rotating at least one of (a) the workpiece, (b) the outer source power applicator, about a radial tilt axis to a position at which the plasma distribution is nearly symmetrical, and translating the inner source power applicator relative to the outer source power applicator along the axis of symmetry to a location at which the spatial distribution is nearly uniform.

Method of processing a workpiece in a plasma reactor with dynamic adjustment of the plasma source power applicator and the workpiece relative to one another

A method for processing a workpiece in a plasma reactor chamber having radially inner and outer source power applicators at a ceiling of the chamber facing the workpiece, the inner and outer source power applicators and the workpiece sharing a common axis of symmetry. The method includes applying RF source power to the source power applicator, and introducing a process gas into the reactor chamber so as to carry out a plasma process on the workpiece characterized by a plasma process parameter, the plasma process parameter having a spatial distribution across the surface of the workpiece. The method further includes rotating at least the outer RF source power applicator about a radial tilt axis to a position at which the spatial distribution of the plasma process parameter has at least a nearly minimal non-symmetry relative to the common axis of symmetry, and translating the inner source power applicator relative to the outer source power applicator along the axis of symmetry to a location at which the spatial distribution has at least a nearly minimal non-uniformity across the surface of the workpiece.

Method of processing a workpiece in a plasma reactor employing a dynamically adjustable plasma source power applicator

A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece includes a process chamber having an enclosure including a ceiling and having a vertical axis of symmetry generally perpendicular to the ceiling, a workpiece support pedestal inside the chamber and generally facing the ceiling, process gas injection apparatus coupled to the chamber and a vacuum pump coupled to the chamber. The reactor further includes a plasma source power applicator overlying the ceiling and having a radially inner applicator portion and a radially outer applicator portion, and RF power apparatus coupled to the inner and outer applicator portions, and tilt apparatus supporting at least the outer applicator portion and capable of tilting at least the outer applicator portion about a radial axis perpendicular to the axis of symmetry and capable of rotating at least the outer applicator portion about the axis of symmetry. The reactor can further include elevation apparatus for changing the location of the inner and outer portions relative to one another along the vertical axis of symmetry. In a preferred embodiment, the elevation apparatus includes a lift actuator for raising and lowering the inner applicator portion along the vertical axis of symmetry.

Plasma reactor with a dynamically adjustable plasma source power applicator

A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece includes a process chamber comprising an enclosure including a ceiling and having a vertical axis of symmetry generally perpendicular to said ceiling, a workpiece support pedestal inside the chamber and generally facing the ceiling, process gas injection apparatus coupled to the chamber and a vacuum pump coupled to the chamber. The reactor further includes a plasma source power applicator overlying the ceiling and comprising a radially inner applicator portion and a radially outer applicator portion, and RF power apparatus coupled to said inner and outer applicator portions, and tilt apparatus capable of tilting either the workpiece support pedestal or the outer applicator portion about a radial axis perpendicular to said axis of symmetry and capable of rotating said workpiece support pedestal about said axis of symmetry. In a preferred embodiment, the reactor further includes apparatus for effecting axially symmetrical adjustments of plasma distribution, which may be either (or both) elevation apparatus for changing the location of said inner and outer portions relative to one another along said vertical axis of symmetry, or apparatus for apportioning the RF power levels applied to the inner and outer applicator portions.

Growing community of inventors

Brentwood, CA, United States of America

Renee Koch