Patent · US Expired

Dual-frequency capacitively-coupled plasma reactor for materials processing

US5656123A · kind A · utility

94Cited by
9References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 7, 1995
Grant dateAug 12, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 7, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J37/32541
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a dual frequency capacitively-coupled plasma apparatus for materials processing. According to a first aspect of the present invention, a dual frequency triode reactor includes a VHF (30-300 MHz) RF power supply capacitively coupled to an upper reactor electrode and an HF (0.1-30 MHz) RF power supply capacitively coupled to a lower reactor electrode to which the wafer is attached. The VHF power supply is used to generate and control formation of a low sheath potential, high density plasma for minimum device damage and rapid etching/deposition while the HF power supply is used to provide a DC bias to the wafer substrate. According to a second aspect of the present invention, a tailored, powered upper electrode, at least a portion of which is generally conical in shape, is employed to provide a uniform etch across the diameter of the wafer.

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