Patent · US Expired

Ring-shaped high-density plasma source and method

US6523493B1 · kind B1 · utility

53Cited by
17References
39Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 1, 2000
Grant dateFeb 25, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 1, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J37/3408
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A processing system for processing a substrate with a plasma is provided with an antenna for producing a ring-shaped inductively coupled plasma in a vacuum processing chamber particularly useful for coating or etching semiconductor wafer substrates. A three-dimensional antenna in the form of a coil provides spacial distribution of plasma parameters in a ring-shaped region inside of the chamber that can be adapted to specific physical and process requirements. An axially symmetric permanent magnet assembly enhances the ring-shaped concentration of a high-density inductively coupled plasma by trapping the plasma in the ring-shaped region near the inside of a dielectric window located in the chamber wall in close proximity to segments of the antenna that lie adjacent the outside of the window.

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