Ground return for plasma processes

US9382621B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Soo Young Choi · Fremont, US
• Robin L. Tiner · Santa Cruz, US
• Shinichi Kurita · San Jose, US
• John M. White · Hayward, US
• Carl A. Sorensen · معلمی نژاد, US
• Jeffrey A. Kho · Union City, US
• Suhail Anwar · San Jose, US
• Makoto Inagawa · Palo Alto, US
• Gaku Furuta · Sunnyvale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 4, 2010
• Grant date: Jul 5, 2016
• Expiry date: Jul 14, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/67069
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing an electrically symmetrical ground or return path for electrical current between two electrodes is described. The apparatus includes at least on radio frequency (RF) device coupled to one of the electrodes and between a sidewall and/or a bottom of a processing chamber. The method includes moving one electrode relative to another and realizing a ground return path based on the position of the displaced electrode using one or both of a RF device coupled to a sidewall and the electrode, a RF device coupled to a bottom of the chamber and the electrode, or a combination thereof.