Patent · US Expired

Plasma process apparatus

US5717294A · kind A · utility

34Cited by
2References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 27, 1995
Grant dateFeb 10, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 27, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J37/3266
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A vacuum chamber contains a first electrode for supporting a wafer, and a second electrode opposing the first electrode. A supply system and an exhaustion system are connected to the vacuum chamber. The system supplies a reactive gas into the chamber, and the system exhaust the used gas from the chamber. A radio-frequency power supply is connected to the first electrode, for supplying power between the electrodes to generate an electric field E. An annular magnet assembly is provided around the chamber, for generating a magnetic field B which has a central plane intersecting with the electric field E. The magnet assembly has a plurality of magnet elements which have different magnetization axes in the central plane of the magnetic field. Electrons drift due to a force resulting from an outer product (E.times.B) of the electric field E and the magnetic field B. The central plane of the magnetic field B is shifted upwards from the target surface of the wafer, such that the magnetic force lines of the magnetic field intersect with the target surface of the substrate.

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