Plasma ignition and complete faraday shielding of capacitive coupling for an inductively-coupled plasma
US7605008B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 2, 2007 |
| Grant date | Oct 20, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 11, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J37/32623
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for igniting a gas mixture into plasma using capacitive coupling techniques, shielding the plasma and other contents of the plasma reactor from the capacitively-coupled electric field, and maintaining the plasma using inductive coupling are provided. For some embodiments, the amount of capacitive coupling may be controlled after ignition of the plasma. Such techniques are employed in an effort to prevent damage to the surface of a substrate from excessive ion bombardment caused by the highly energized ions and electrons accelerated towards and perpendicular to the substrate surface by the electric field of capacitively-coupled plasma.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.