Patent · US Expired

Vacuum plasma processor having a chamber with electrodes and a coil for plasma excitation and method of operating same

US6716303B1 · kind B1 · utility

7Cited by
3References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 13, 2000
Grant dateApr 6, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 13, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03F7/427
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A vacuum plasma processor includes a roof structure including a dielectric window carrying (1) a semiconductor plate having a high electric conductivity so it functions as an electrode, (2) a hollow coil and (3) at least one electric shield. The shield, coil and semiconductor plate are positioned to prevent substantial coil generated electric field components from being incident on the semiconductor plate. During a first interval the coil produces an RF electromagnetic field that results in a plasma that strips photoresist from a semiconductor wafer. During a second interval the semiconductor plate and another electrode produce an RF electromagnetic field that results in a plasma that etches electric layers, underlayers and photoresist layers from the wafer.

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