Inductively coupled RF plasma reactor having an overhead solenoidal antenna

US6165311A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Kenneth S. Collins · San Jose, US
• Michael R. Rice · Pleasanton, US
• John Trow · San Jose, US
• Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr. · Livermore, US
• Craig A. Roderick · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 13, 1996
• Grant date: Dec 26, 2000
• Expiry date: May 13, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01J2237/3346
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The invention is embodied in an inductively coupled RF plasma reactor including a reactor chamber enclosure defining a plasma reactor chamber and a support for holding a workpiece inside the chamber, a non-planar inductive antenna adjacent the reactor chamber enclosure, the non-planar inductive antenna including inductive elements spatially distributed in a non-planar manner relative to a plane of the workpiece to compensate for a null in an RF inductive pattern of the antenna, and a plasma source RF power supply coupled to the non-planar inductive antenna. The planar inductive antenna may be symmetrical or non-symmetrical, although it preferably includes a solenoid winding such as a vertical stack of conductive windings. In a preferred embodiment, the windings are at a minimum radial distance from the axis of symmetry while in an alternative embodiment the windings are at a radial distance from the axis of symmetry which is a substantial fraction of a radius of the chamber.