Method and apparatus for time-division plasma chopping in a multi-channel plasma processing equipment
US5273609A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 12, 1990 |
| Grant date | Dec 28, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 12, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S438/935
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A multi-switch processing methodology and a multi-channel time-division plasma chopping device (10) for in-situ plasma-assisted semiconductor wafer processing associated with a plasma and/or photochemical processing equipment. The device (10) comprises a main transfer channel (72) associated with the processing reactor for transferring process gas and activated plasma mixtures into the reactor. A plurality of gas discharge channels (18, 22, 26, and 30) associate with the main transfer channel (72) for independently directing various gases and activated plasma combinations to main transfer channel (72). Process excitation sources (16, 20, 24 and 28) associate with at least one of said gas discharge or activation channels to independently and selectively activate process gases and to control gas activation and flow from the discharge channels to the main transfer channel (72). The method of the present invention performs multi-channel time-division plasma chopping by independently and selectively generating plasma or activated species using a plurality of remote plasma generation process energy sources (16, 20, 24, and 28) associated with the semiconductor wafer fabrication reactor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.