The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 07, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 20, 1996
Thomas E Wicker, Vallejo, CA (US);
Albert J Lamm, Morgan Hill, CA (US);
Vahid Vahedi, Albany, CA (US);
Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US);
Abstract
A plasma processing chamber includes a substrate holder, a gas distribution member, and a shield for preventing lightup of plasma in gas distribution holes in the gas distribution member. The chamber can include an RF energy source such as an RF antenna which inductively couples RF energy through the gas distribution member to energize process gas into a plasma state. The shield can be arranged to allow capacitive coupling of RF energy into the processing chamber for lightup of plasma in the processing chamber and/or ion bombardment of the exposed surface of the gas distribution member for cleaning thereof during processing of the substrate.