Patent · US Expired

Microwave plasma etching method and apparatus

US5013401A · kind A · utility

9Cited by
5References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 21, 1990
Grant dateMay 7, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 21, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J37/32678
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A microwave plasma etching method and apparatus for manufacturing electronic devices such as transistors. The method includes the steps of forming a stream of plasma from a processing gas within a plasma formation chamber by using an electric field produced by a microwave and an electron cyclotron resonance phenomenon produced by a magnetic field perpendicular to the electric field, and processing a substrate surface by locating it at the electron cyclotron resonance point and exposing it to a radiation of the plasma stream. The apparatus has a plasma formation chamber, a microwave introducing device connected to the plasma formation chamber, a magnetic field applying device for producing a magnetic field perpendicular to an electric field produced within the plasma formation chamber, and a gas introducing system for introducing a processing gas into the plasma formation chamber. A substrate holder is provided within the plasma formation chamber for holding a substrate at a resonance point of the electron cyclotron resonance phenomenon exhibited by the introduced microwave and applied magnetic field where the magnetic field has a particular strength.

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