Plasma etch processes

US6251792A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Kenneth S. Collins · San Jose, US
• Craig A. Roderick · San Jose, US
• John Trow · San Jose, US
• Chan-Lon Yang · Los Gatos, US
• Jerry Wong · Fremont, US
• Jeffrey Marks · San Jose, US
• Peter Keswick · Bloomington, US
• David W. Groechel · Los Altos Hills, US
• Jay D. Pinson, II · San Jose, US
• Tetsuya Ishikawa · Fuji, JP
• Lawrence Chang-Lai Lei · Cupertino, US
• Masato Toshima · Sunnyvale, US
• Gerald Yin · Cupertino, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 10, 1997
• Grant date: Jun 26, 2001
• Expiry date: Oct 10, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01F2029/143
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A domed plasma reactor chamber uses an antenna driven by RF energy (LF, MF, or VHF) which is inductively coupled inside the reactor dome. The antenna generates a high density, low energy plasma inside the chamber for etching metals, dielectrics and semiconductor materials. Auxiliary RF bias energy applied to the wafer support cathode controls the cathode sheath voltage and controls the ion energy independent of density. Various magnetic and voltage processing enhancement techniques are disclosed, along with etch processes, deposition processes and combined etch/deposition processed. The disclosed invention provides processing of sensitive devices without damage and without microloading, thus providing increased yields.