Plasma reactor with dry clean apparatus and method
US6518190B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 23, 1999 |
| Grant date | Feb 11, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 23, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J37/321
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A preferred embodiment of the plasma reactor of the present invention provides a chamber adapted to process a workpiece having at least one wall capable of allowing inductive power coupling into the reactor chamber. A source power antenna, capable of generating a processing plasma, confronts a portion of the at least one wall. A dry clean antenna is located adjacent the chamber beside a portion of the at least one wall not confronted by the source power antenna. During workpiece processing, the dry clean antenna preferably has essentially a floating potential. After workpiece processing has ceased, a dry clean plasma may be generated by inductive coupling using the dry clean antenna. Embodiments of the present invention allow dry clean plasma characteristics to be optimized to improve dry clean effectiveness. The source power antenna also may couple power to the dry clean plasma, preferably in parallel with the dry clean antenna. With such embodiments, the source power antenna may be operated so that it couples less power to the dry clean plasma, while the dry clean antenna couples more. This allows sputtering of the chamber wall under the source power antenna to be reduced and all…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.