Applied Materials, Inc.

Wade Zawalski

Peter K Loewenhardt

John M Yamartino

Yan Ye

Alex Paterson

Gerald Z Yin

Chun Yan

Diana Xiaobing Ma

Arthur H Sato

Michael N Grimbergen

Chii Guang Lee

Songlin Xu

Arthur Y Chen

Hong Ching Shan

Xueyan Qian

Arnold Kolandenko

A method for processing a semiconductor wafer with a plasma using continuous RF power for a first phase of wafer processing and with pulsed RF power for a second phase of wafer processing.

Method for providing pulsed plasma during a portion of a semiconductor wafer process

In the present invention, electron temperature is controlled by modifying the power delivered to the plasma by inducing or enhancing natural instabilities between the plasma and the power source. As a result, no pulse modulation of the RF power or RF generator is required. The instability is enhanced until the desired reduction in electron temperature has been achieved. In accordance with the invention, there are several modes for inducing such a natural instability.

Plasma energy control by inducing plasma instability

The present invention provides an apparatus and method, for plasma assisted processing of a workpiece, which provides for separate control of species density within a processing plasma. The present invention has a processing chamber and at least one collateral chamber. The collateral chamber is capable of generating a collateral plasma and delivering it to the processing chamber. To control the densities of the particle species within the processing chamber the present invention may have: a filter interposed between the collateral chamber and the processing chamber, primary chamber source power, several collateral chambers providing separate inputs to the processing chamber, or combinations thereof. Collateral plasma may be: filtered, combined with primary chamber generated plasma, combined with another collateral plasma, or combinations thereof to separately control the densities of the species comprising the processing plasma.

Plasma assisted processing chamber with separate control of species density

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Wade Zawalski