Plasma confinement for an inductively coupled plasma reactor
US5824607A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 6, 1997 |
| Grant date | Oct 20, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 6, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J37/3266
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A plasma reactor chamber uses an antenna driven by RF energy (LF, MF, or VHF) which is inductively coupled inside the reactor dome to provide a plasma source. The antenna generates a high density, low energy plasma inside the chamber. The chamber includes a plurality of magnets for generating magnetic fields. Ion flux is concentrated in certain areas of the chamber and is diverted from other areas of the chamber by using these magnetic fields. Various magnetic and voltage processing enhancement techniques are disclosed, along with etch processes, deposition processes and combined etch/deposition processes. The disclosed invention provides a means of cleaning the deposition residues from the reactor walls while minimizing damage to the wafer pedestal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.