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.

Date of Patent:
Jul. 05, 2016

Filed:

Feb. 04, 2010
Applicants:

Soo Young Choi, Fremont, CA (US);

Robin L. Tiner, Santa Cruz, CA (US);

Shinichi Kurita, San Jose, CA (US);

John M. White, Hayward, CA (US);

Carl A. Sorensen, Morgan Hill, CA (US);

Jeffrey A. Kho, Union City, CA (US);

Suhail Anwar, San Jose, CA (US);

Makoto Inagawa, Palo Alto, CA (US);

Gaku Furuta, Sunnyvale, CA (US);

Inventors:

Soo Young Choi, Fremont, CA (US);

Robin L. Tiner, Santa Cruz, CA (US);

Shinichi Kurita, San Jose, CA (US);

John M. White, Hayward, CA (US);

Carl A. Sorensen, Morgan Hill, CA (US);

Jeffrey A. Kho, Union City, CA (US);

Suhail Anwar, San Jose, CA (US);

Makoto Inagawa, Palo Alto, CA (US);

Gaku Furuta, Sunnyvale, CA (US);

Assignee:

APPLIED MATERIALS, INC., Santa Clara, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
C23C 16/509 (2006.01); C23C 16/458 (2006.01); H01J 37/32 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
C23C 16/4585 (2013.01); C23C 16/5096 (2013.01); H01J 37/32091 (2013.01); H01J 37/32174 (2013.01); H01J 37/32568 (2013.01); H01L 21/67069 (2013.01);
Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing an electrically symmetrical ground or return path for electrical current between two electrodes is described. The apparatus includes at least on radio frequency (RF) device coupled to one of the electrodes and between a sidewall and/or a bottom of a processing chamber. The method includes moving one electrode relative to another and realizing a ground return path based on the position of the displaced electrode using one or both of a RF device coupled to a sidewall and the electrode, a RF device coupled to a bottom of the chamber and the electrode, or a combination thereof.


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