Apparatus for shaping thin films in the near-edge regions of in-process semiconductor substrates
US6936546B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 27, 2003 |
| Grant date | Aug 30, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 27, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/31116
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus for shaping and encapsulating near edge regions of a semiconductor wafer is described. A housing of the apparatus has a slot for receiving an edge of a wafer affixed on a rotatable chuck. At least one plasma source connected to the housing generates a flow of reactive gas towards the edge of the wafer. A channel in the housing directs a flow of diluent/quenching gas onto the wafer in close proximity to an exhaust channel for exhausting of the diluent/quenching gas and the reactive gas away from the wafer. The apparatus may also provide a plurality of plasma sources, for example, plasma sources for selectively etching of a polymer on the wafer, etching of silcon dioxide on the wafer and depositing an encapsulating silicon dioxide layer on the wafer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.