Resistive heating of powered coil to reduce transient heating/start up effects multiple loadlock system
US6023038A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 16, 1997 |
| Grant date | Feb 8, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 16, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2237/022
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for pre-heating a coil used to generate a plasma field in a processing chamber in a semiconductor fabrication system. The coil is pre-heated in the chamber prior to sputter depositing material onto a substrate and workpiece. The coil is pre-heated to a predetermined temperature, which is preferably equal to or greater than the equilibrium temperature attained by the coil during sputter deposition processes. Pre-heating may be effected with a preheating current having a frequency lower than the minimum frequency required to ignite a plasma, or when the processing chamber contains an atmosphere which prevents formation of a plasma. The coil may pre-heated for a predetermined time period.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.