Patent · US Expired

Magnetic field-enhanced plasma etch reactor

US4842683A · kind A · utility

303Cited by
6References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 25, 1988
Grant dateJun 27, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 25, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J37/32862
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A magnetic field enhanced single wafer plasma etch reactor is disclosed. The features of the reactor include an electrically-controlled stepped magnetic field for providing high rate uniform etching at high pressures; temperature controlled reactor surfaces including heated anode surfaces (walls and gas manifold) and a cooled wafer supporting cathode; and a unitary wafer exchange mechanism comprising wafer lift pins which extend through the pedestal and a wafer clamp ring. The lift pins and clamp ring are moved vertically by a one-axis lift mechanism to accept the wafer from a cooperating external robot blade, clamp the wafer to the pedestal and return the wafer to the blade. The electrode cooling combines water cooling for the body of the electrode and a thermal conductivity-enhancing gas parallel-bowed interface between the wafer and electrode for keeping the wafer surface cooled despite the high power densities applied to the electrode. A gas feed-through device applies the cooling gas to the RF powered electrode without breakdown of the gas. Protective coatings/layers of materials such as quartz are provided for surfaces such as the clamp ring and gas manifold. The combination …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.