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:
Aug. 01, 2000
Filed:
Apr. 09, 1998
Applicant:
Inventors:
Lawrence J Overzet, Plano, TX (US);
Brian A Smith, Plano, TX (US);
Assignee:
Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Austin, TX (US);
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H05H / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
31511121 ; 31511151 ; 1187 / ;
Abstract
An apparatus and method for controlling the plasma potential of a plasma within a plasma chamber (50) is disclosed. The apparatus and method utilize a Faraday shielded inductive source antenna (60) to generate the plasma within the plasma chamber (50) and an electrically conductive probe (100) that is inserted into the plasma chamber (50) to regulate the plasma potential. By independent biasing of the conductive probe (100), which regulates the plasma potential, the ion energy distribution at a conductive substrate (150) within the plasma chamber (50) may be controlled.