Plasma process uniformity across a wafer by controlling RF phase between opposing electrodes

US8076247B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Kenneth S. Collins · San Jose, US
• Hiroji Hanawa · Sunnyvale, US
• Kartik Ramaswamy · San Jose, US
• Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr. · Livermore, US
• Shahid Rauf · Pleasanton, US
• Kallol Bera · San Jose, US
• Lawrence Wong · Fremont, US
• Walter R. Merry · Cupertino, US
• Matthew L. Miller · Houston, US
• Steven C. Shannon · San Mateo, US
• Andrew Nguyen · San Jose, US
• James P. Cruse · Santa Cruz, US
• James D. Carducci · Sunnyvale, US
• Troy S. Detrick · Los Altos, US
• Subhash Deshmukh · Livermore, US
• Jennifer Y. Sun · Mountain View, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 11, 2007
• Grant date: Dec 13, 2011
• Expiry date: Mar 10, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/6831
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method is provided for processing a workpiece in a plasma reactor chamber. The method includes coupling, to a plasma in the chamber, power of an RF frequency via a ceiling electrode and coupling, to the plasma, power of at least approximately the same RF frequency via a workpiece support electrode. The method also includes providing an edge ground return path. The method further includes adjusting the proportion between (a) current flow between said electrodes and (b) current flow to the edge ground return path from said electrodes, to control plasma ion density distribution uniformity over the workpiece.