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:
Oct. 29, 2013
Filed:
Mar. 10, 2011
Ajay Kumar, Cupertino, CA (US);
Madhavi R. Chandrachood, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Richard Lewington, Hayward, CA (US);
Darin Bivens, San Mateo, CA (US);
Amitabh Sabharwal, San Jose, CA (US);
Sheeba J. Panayil, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Alan Hiroshi Ouye, San Mateo, CA (US);
Ajay Kumar, Cupertino, CA (US);
Madhavi R. Chandrachood, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Richard Lewington, Hayward, CA (US);
Darin Bivens, San Mateo, CA (US);
Amitabh Sabharwal, San Jose, CA (US);
Sheeba J. Panayil, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Alan Hiroshi Ouye, San Mateo, CA (US);
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for etching photomasks is provided herein. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a process chamber having a support pedestal adapted for receiving a photomask. An ion-neutral shield is disposed above the pedestal and a deflector plate assembly is provided above the ion-neutral shield. The deflector plate assembly defines a gas flow direction for process gases towards the ion-neutral shield, while the ion-neutral shield is used to establish a desired distribution of ion and neutral species in a plasma for etching the photomask.