Patent · US Expired

Electrode reshaping in a semiconductor etching device

US5904487A · kind A · utility

19Cited by
3References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 8, 1996
Grant dateMay 18, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 8, 2016

Classification

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

Abstract

An electrode reshaping process and apparatus is provided for use in a semiconductor etching device. A wafer is place between upper and lower electrodes of the semiconductor etching device. The apparatus and method selectively adjusts the shape of an upper electrode in the semiconductor etching device to compensate for non-uniformities inherent in the etching device. One or more motors attached to the upper electrode provide the electrode shaping forces in accordance with information provided by etch rate variation models stored in a host computer. With the shape of the upper electrode adjusted, the wafer can be etched more uniformally.

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