Electrically floating shield in a plasma reactor
US5736021A · kind A · utility
50Cited by
13References
20Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 10, 1996 |
| Grant date | Apr 7, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 10, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J37/32633
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In a plasma reactor, especially one intended for physical vapor deposition (PVD) onto semiconductor substrates, a shield disposed in front of the chamber walls between the PVD target and the substrates to protect the chamber walls. According to the invention, the shield is left electrically floating so that electrically charged ions and electrons emanating from the plasma or target and impinging upon the shield charge it to the point that the electrical flux is repelled.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.