Patent · US Expired

Embedded plasma source for plasma density improvement

US6446572B1 · kind B1 · utility

266Cited by
21References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 18, 2000
Grant dateSep 10, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 2, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J37/3405
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus and method for regulating the plasma characteristics in a plasma processing system that includes a plasma generating assembly that generates a primarily inductively-coupled plasma from a process gas in a processing space to process a substrate. A walled enclosure is provided adjacent the processing space and is configured to generate a capacitively-coupled plasma from process gas therein. The enclosure further includes one or more outlets that permit the capacitively-coupled plasma to enter into the processing space. Charged particles from the capacitively-coupled plasma may be applied to alter the plasma density of the inductively-coupled plasma or to reduce the power required to generate the inductively-coupled plasma.

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