The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Kobel Steel Usa, Inc.

Steven P Bozeman

William McClure Hooke

Brian Rhys Stoner

Roy E Fauber

Sean Washburn

Tobin L Munsat

A plasma system is disclosed comprising a vessel suitable for containing a plasma at a pressure of at least about 100 mtorr, a plasma gas in the vessel at a pressure of at least 100 mtorr, an antenna with a substantially planar face positioned adjacent a portion of the vessel for applying an electromagnetic field to the plasma gas to thereby generate and maintain a plasma, and means for applying an external magnetic field to the plasma gas other than the field generated by the antenna, and having a component in a direction substantially perpendicular to the planar face of the antenna.

Electrode designs for high pressure magnetically assisted inductively

A method for plasma processing includes using a relatively high magnetic field and a relatively high pressure to create a first plasma region adjacent a window of a processing chamber having a lower radiation absorption and a second plasma region adjacent a substrate holder having a higher radiation absorption. Accordingly, a cooler plasma region is created adjacent the window to prevent contaminants from being etched from the window and adjacent chamber surface, and hotter plasma region is created adjacent the substrate to increase the processing rate. Additionally, the relatively high pressure of the processing gas, preferably greater than about 10 Torr and more preferably greater than about 100 Torr, increases the density of the plasma thereby increasing the processing rate. Alternatively, a high magnetic field and a high pressure create a radiation absorption region which is on the order of centimeters thick, for example 5-10 centimeters thick. Preferably, a uniform magnetic field creates uniform absorption in the absorption region.

Method for plasma processing at high pressure

Growing community of inventors

Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America

Steven P Bozeman