Applied Materials, Inc.

Other

Xueyu Qian

Songlin Xu

Robert E Ryan

Zhiwen Sun

John Patrick Holland

Arthur H Sato

Simon Yavelberg

Dragan Valentin Podlesnik

Rolf A Guenther

Valentin N Todorov

Brian K Hatcher

Patrick Leahey

Timothy D Driscoll

Jin-Yuan Chen

Richard E Remington

Jerry C Chen

Takakazu Kusuki

A method and apparatus for reducing the sensitivity of semiconductor processing to chamber conditions is provided. Process repeatability of common processes are affected by changing surface conditions which alter the recombination rates of processing chemicals to the chamber surfaces. In one aspect of the invention, a composition of one or more etchants is selected to optimize the etch performance and reduce deposition on chamber surfaces. The one or more etchants are selected to minimize buildup on the chamber surfaces, thereby controlling the chamber surface condition to minimize changes in etch rates due to differing recombination rates of free radicals with different surface conditions and achieve etch repeatability. In another embodiment, the etchant chemistry is adjusted to reduce the change to internal surface conditions after a cleaning cycle. In another embodiment, a process recipe is selected to reduce the sensitivity of the etch process to the chamber conditions. In another embodiment, chamber surface materials are selected to minimize the differences in recombination rates of free radicals on the surface materials and the byproduct depositions formed on the materials during processing.

Methodologies to reduce process sensitivity to the chamber condition

A method for operating a plasma reactor having a secondary chamber that is a neutral species source for the main chamber. The method in one embodiment of the invention consists of determining the desired increase in main chamber neutral particle density to be contributed by the secondary chamber for a given main chamber ion density range, and then to maintain the main chamber source power below a level beneath which the secondary chamber is capable of supplying the desired main chamber neutral density contribution.

Method of operating a dual chamber reactor with neutral density decoupled from ion density

Conventional methods of etching TiSi use Cl or HBr as the plasma etchant. However, these methods can lead to undesirable residues, due to the presence of silicon nodules in the TiSi The present invention overcomes the residue problem by adding a fluorine containing gas to the plasma etchant, which is then able to effectively etch the Si nodules at an etch rate which is approximately the same as the etch rate of the TiSi , so that the undesirable residue is not formed. A method of etching TiSi is provided, wherein the surface of the TiSi is exposed, typically through a patterned mask, to a plasma etchant. The plasma etchant comprises (i) at least one fluorine containing gas, such as SF , NF , C F , and compatible mixtures of such gases; and (ii) a gas selected from the group consisting of HBr, Cl , and combinations thereof.

Method for enhancing etching of TiSix

The present invention provides a process chamber and voltage distributive electrode (VDE) which distributes capacitive coupling between an inductive source and a plasma in a process chamber. The VDE is preferably slotted defining energy opaque and energy transparent portions which enable inductive coupling into the chamber while distributing capacitive coupling uniformly over the dielectric window.

Process chamber having a voltage distribution electrode

A closed-loop, dome thermal control apparatus containing a high-volume fan, a heat exchange chamber, and an enclosure that encloses the fan and the heat exchange chamber. The fan blows air over a dome of a semiconductor wafer processing system and through the heat exchange chamber to uniformly control the temperature of a dome of a plasma chamber to prevent particle contamination of the wafer. The enclosure recirculates the temperature controlled air to the fan to form a closed-loop apparatus.

Closed-loop dome thermal control apparatus for a semiconductor wafer processing system

The invention is embodied in an inductively coupled plasma reactor including a vacuum chamber for holding a wafer in the interior thereof and capable of containing a plasma gas, and having an RF antenna and an RF power source for supplying RF power to the RF antenna and apparatus for electrically isolating the RF antenna from the RF power source so as to reduce capacitive coupling therebetween. Preferably, the apparatus for isolating the antenna is a transformer having a primary winding connected across the RF power source and a secondary winding connected across the RF antenna. Preferably, the reactor further includes a conductive Faraday shield having plural layers, the Faraday shield being disposed between the RF antenna and the ceiling of the vacuum chamber, the Faraday shield having eddy current-suppressing apertures in each layer thereof facing conductive portions of the shield in an adjacent layer thereof. The ceiling of the vacuum chamber acts as a gas distribution manifold. The inner layer of the ceiling is the shower head of the manifold.

Inductively coupled high density plasma reactor for plasma assisted

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Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Xueyu Qian