Inductively enhanced reactive ion etching
US5607542A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 1, 1994 |
| Grant date | Mar 4, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 1, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J37/321
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for generating a medium density plasma in a reactive ion etching chamber. A conventional reactive ion etching technique, using multiple electrodes for capacitive coupling of power into the chamber to establish and sustain a plasma, is combined with inductive coupling for plasma enhancement only. A first source of high frequency power is coupled to at least one of the electrodes to generate the plasma under conditions similar to those used in a conventional reactive ion etching system, and a second source of high frequency power is coupled to an inductive coil surrounding the plasma, to enhance the plasma density without adversely affecting wafers being processed in the chamber.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.