Low electron temperature microwave surface-wave plasma (SWP) processing method and apparatus

US8968588B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED · JP

Inventors

• Jianping Zhao · Xi'an, CN
• Lee Chen · Mabank, US
• Vincent M. Donnelly · Berkeley Heights, US
• Demetre J. Economou · Houston, US
• Merritt Funk · Austin, US
• Radha Sundararajan · Dripping Springs, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 30, 2012
• Grant date: Mar 3, 2015
• Expiry date: May 12, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H05H1/463
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A surface wave plasma (SWP) source couples pulsed microwave (MW) energy into a processing chamber through, for example, a radial line slot antenna, to result in a low mean electron energy (Te). To prevent impingement of the microwave energy onto the surface of a substrate when plasma density is low between pulses, an ICP source, such as a helical inductive source, a planar RF coil, or other inductively coupled source, is provided between the SWP source and the substrate to produce plasma that is opaque to microwave energy. The ICP source can also be pulsed in synchronism with the pulsing of the MW plasma in phase with the ramping up of the MW pulses. The ICP also adds an edge dense distribution of plasma to a generally chamber centric MW plasma to improve plasma uniformity.