Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090065148 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR IGNITING A LOW PRESSURE PLASMA - A plasma ignition apparatus configured to strike a plasma in a plasma processing chamber is provided. The apparatus includes an ignition electrode configured to strike a plasma from a gas mixture at a strike frequency. The apparatus also includes at least one powered electrode configured to sustain the plasma at a target frequency, wherein the strike frequency is greater than the target frequency. A first surface area of the ignition electrode is substantially less than a second surface area of the at least one powered electrode, and the ignition electrode is de-energized while processing a substrate in the plasma processing chamber. | 03-12-2009 |
20090133836 | ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT PIF PROBE - A plasma probe assembly for use in a plasma processing chamber is provided. A semiconductor probe element with a probe surface at a first end of the semiconductor probe element is provided. An electrical connector is electrically connected to the semiconductor probe element. An electrically insulating sleeve surrounds at least part of the probe element. An adjustment device is connected to the semiconductor probe so that the probe surface is coplanar with an interior chamber surface of the plasma processing chamber. | 05-28-2009 |
20090149028 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR A HYBRID CAPACITIVELY-COUPLED AND AN INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA PROCESSING SYSTEM - A capacitively-coupled plasma (CCP) processing system having a plasma processing chamber for processing a substrate is provided. The capacitively-coupled Plasma (CCP) processing system includes an upper electrode and a lower electrode for processing the substrate, which is disposed on the lower electrode during plasma processing. The capacitively-coupled Plasma (CCP) processing system also includes an array of inductor coils arrangement configured to inductively sustain plasma in a gap between the upper electrode and the lower electrode. | 06-11-2009 |
20090277584 | APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE ENDPOINT OF A CLEANING OR CONDITIONING PROCESS IN A PLASMA PROCESSING SYSTEM - An apparatus for determining an endpoint of a process by measuring a thickness of a layer is provided. The layer is disposed on the surface by a prior process. The apparatus includes means for providing a sensor that is coplanar with the surface, wherein the sensor is configured to measure the thickness. The apparatus also includes means for exposing the plasma chamber to a plasma, wherein the thickness is changed by the exposing, and means for determining the thickness as a function of time. The apparatus further includes means for ascertaining a steady state condition in the thickness, the steady state condition being characterized by a substantially stable measurement of the thickness, a start of the steady state condition representing the endpoint. | 11-12-2009 |
20090280581 | Detection of arcing events in wafer plasma processing through monitoring of trace gas concentrations - A method of detecting substrate arcing in a semiconductor plasma processing apparatus is provided. A substrate is placed on a substrate support in a reaction chamber of a plasma processing apparatus. Process gas is introduced into the reaction chamber. A plasma is generated from the process gas and the substrate is processed with the plasma. Intensities of real-time spectrometry signals of selected gas species produced in the reaction chamber during plasma processing are monitored. The selected gas species are generated by a substrate arcing event. The arcing event is detected when the intensities are above a threshold value. | 11-12-2009 |
20100154994 | CONTROLLING ION ENERGY DISTRIBUTION IN PLASMA PROCESSING SYSTEMS - A plasma processing system for processing at least a substrate with plasma. The plasma processing chamber is capable of controlling ion energy distribution. The plasma processing system may include a first electrode. The plasma processing system also includes a second electrode that is different from the first electrode and is configured for bearing the substrate. The plasma processing system may also include a signal source coupled with the first electrode. The signal source may provide a non-sinusoidal signal through the first electrode to control ion energy distribution at the substrate when the substrate is processed in the plasma processing system, wherein the non-sinusoidal signal is periodic. | 06-24-2010 |
20100154996 | PLASMA CONFINEMENT STRUCTURES IN PLASMA PROCESSING SYSTEMS - A movable plasma confinement structure configured for confining plasma in a plasma processing chamber during plasma processing of a substrate is provided. The movable plasma confinement structure includes a movable plasma-facing structure configured to surround the plasma. The movable plasma confinement structure also includes a movable electrically conductive structure disposed outside of the movable plasma-facing structure and configured to be deployed and retracted with the movable plasma-facing structure as a single unit to facilitate handling of the substrate. The movable electrically conductive structure is radio frequency (RF) grounded during the plasma processing. The movable plasma-facing structure is disposed between the plasma and the movable electrically conductive structure during the plasma processing such that RF current from the plasma flows to the movable electrically conductive structure through the movable plasma-facing structure during the plasma processing. | 06-24-2010 |
20100159703 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DUAL CONFINEMENT AND ULTRA-HIGH PRESSURE IN AN ADJUSTABLE GAP PLASMA CHAMBER - A plasma processing system having a plasma processing chamber configured for processing a substrate is provided. The plasma processing system includes at least an upper electrode and a lower electrode for processing the substrate. The substrate is disposed on the lower electrode during plasma processing, where the upper electrode and the substrate forms a first gap. The plasma processing system also includes an upper electrode peripheral extension (UE-PE). The UE-PE is mechanically coupled to a periphery of the upper electrode, where the UE-PE is configured to be non-coplanar with the upper electrode. The plasma processing system further includes a cover ring. The cover ring is configured to concentrically surround the lower electrode, where the UE-PE and the cover ring forms a second gap. | 06-24-2010 |
20100229372 | METHODS FOR MEASURING A SET OF ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN A PLASMA - Methods using a probe apparatus configured to measure a set of electrical characteristics in a plasma include providing a chamber wall including at least a set of plasma chamber surfaces configured to be exposed to a plasma, the plasma having a set of electrical characteristics. The method includes installing a collection disk structure configured to be exposed to the plasma, wherein the collection disk structure having at least a body disposed within the chamber wall and a collection disk structure surface that is either coplanar or recessed with at least one of the set of plasma chamber surfaces and providing a conductive path configured to transmit the set of electrical characteristics from the collection disk structure to a set of transducers. The method may includes coupling a thermal grounding element with the conductive path for providing thermal grounding to at least the conductive path and may alternatively or additionally include disposing an insulation barrier configured to substantially electrically separate at least one of the collection disk and the conductive path. | 09-16-2010 |
20100253224 | MODULATED MULTI-FREQUENCY PROCESSING METHOD - A method is provided for operating a processing system having a space therein arranged to receive a gas and an electromagnetic field generating portion operable to generate an electromagnetic field within the space. The method includes providing a gas into the space, and operating the electromagnetic field generating portion with a driving potential to generate an electromagnetic field within the space to transform at least a portion of the gas into plasma. The driving potential as a function of time is based on a first potential function portion and a second potential function portion. The first potential function portion comprises a first continuous periodic portion having a first amplitude and a first frequency. The second potential function portion comprises a second periodic portion having an maximum amplitude portion, and minimum amplitude portion and a duty cycle. The maximum amplitude portion is a higher amplitude than the minimum amplitude portion. The duty cycle is the ratio of a duration of the maximum amplitude portion to the sum of the duration of the maximum amplitude portion and the duration of the minimum amplitude portion. The second periodic portion additionally has a second frequency during the maximum amplitude portion. An amplitude modulation of the second periodic portion is phase locked to the first continuous periodic portion. | 10-07-2010 |
20100327413 | HARDMASK OPEN AND ETCH PROFILE CONTROL WITH HARDMASK OPEN - A method for opening a carbon-based hardmask layer formed on an etch layer over a substrate is provided. The hardmask layer is disposed below a patterned mask. The substrate is placed in a plasma processing chamber. The hardmask layer is opened by flowing a hardmask opening gas including a COS component into the plasma chamber, forming a plasma from the hardmask opening gas, and stopping the flow of the hardmask opening gas. The hardmask layer may be made of amorphous carbon, or made of spun-on carbon, and the hardmask opening gas may further include O | 12-30-2010 |
20110022215 | APPARATUS TO DETECT FAULT CONDITIONS OF A PLASMA PROCESSING REACTOR - A method of fault detection for use in a plasma processing chamber is provided. The method comprises monitoring plasma parameters within a plasma chamber and analyzing the resulting information. Such analysis enables detection of failures and the diagnosis of failure modes in a plasma processing reactor during the course of wafer processing. The method comprises measuring the plasma parameters as a function of time and analyzing the resulting data. The data can be observed, characterized, compared with reference data, digitized, processed, or analyzed in any way to reveal a specific fault. Monitoring can be done with a detector such as a probe, which is preferably maintained within the plasma chamber substantively coplanar with a surface within the chamber, and directly measures net ion flux and other plasma parameters. The detector is preferably positioned at a grounded surface within the reactor such as a grounded showerhead electrode, and can be of a planar ion flux probe (PIF) type or a non-capacitive type. Chamber faults that can be detected include a build-up of process by-products in the process chamber, a helium leak, a match re-tuning event, a poor stabilization rate, and a loss of plasma confinement. If the detector is a probe, the probe can be embedded in a part of a plasma processing chamber and can comprises one or more gas feed-through holes. | 01-27-2011 |
20110024045 | Apparatus and Method for Controlling Plasma Potential - A chamber includes a lower electrode and an upper electrode. The lower electrode is defined to transmit a radiofrequency current through the chamber and to support a semiconductor wafer in exposure to a plasma within the chamber. The upper electrode is disposed above and in a spaced apart relationship with the lower electrode. The upper electrode is electrically isolated from the chamber and is defined by a central section and one or more annular sections disposed concentrically outside the central section. Adjacent sections of the upper electrode are electrically separated from each other by a dielectric material. Multiple voltage sources are respectively connected to the upper electrode sections. Each voltage source is defined to control an electric potential of the upper electrode section to which it is connected, relative to the chamber. The electric potential of each upper electrode section influences an electric potential of the plasma within the chamber. | 02-03-2011 |
20110024046 | Apparatus and Method for Controlling Plasma Potential - An apparatus is provided for semiconductor wafer plasma processing. The apparatus includes a chamber having a lower electrode and an upper electrode disposed therein. The lower electrode is defined to transmit a radiofrequency current through the chamber to generate a plasma within the chamber. The lower electrode is also defined to support a semiconductor wafer in exposure to the plasma. The upper electrode is disposed above and in a spaced apart relationship with the lower electrode. The upper electrode is defined by a doped semiconductor material. A doping concentration within the upper electrode varies radially from a center to a periphery of the upper electrode. The electric potential of the upper electrode influences an electric potential of the plasma within the chamber. | 02-03-2011 |
20110059615 | HYBRID RF CAPACITIVELY AND INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA SOURCE USING MULTIFREQUENCY RF POWERS AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF - A device for inductively confining capacitively coupled RF plasma formed in a plasma processing apparatus. The apparatus includes an upper electrode and a lower electrode that is adapted to support a substrate and to generate the plasma between the substrate and the upper electrode. The device includes a dielectric support ring that concentrically surrounds the upper electrode and a plurality of coil units mounted on the dielectric support ring. Each coil unit includes a ferromagnetic core positioned along a radial direction of the dielectric support ring and at least one coil wound around each ferromagnetic core. The coil units generate, upon receiving RF power from an RF power source, electric and magnetic fields that reduce the number of charged particles of the plasma diffusing away from the plasma. | 03-10-2011 |
20110083697 | Apparatuses, Systems and Methods for Rapid Cleaning of Plasma Confinement Rings with Minimal Erosion of Other Chamber Parts - An apparatus used for rapid removal of polymer films from plasma confinement rings while minimizing erosion of other plasma etch chamber components is disclosed. The apparatus includes a center assembly, an electrode plate, a confinement ring stack, a first plasma source, and a second plasma source. The electrode plate is affixed to a surface of the center assembly with a channel defined along the external circumference therein. A first plasma source is disposed within the channel and along the external circumference of the center assembly, wherein the first plasma source is configured to direct a plasma to the inner circumferential surface of the confinement ring stack. A second plasma source located away from the first plasma source is configured to perform processing operations on a substrate within the etch chamber. | 04-14-2011 |
20120175060 | DETECTION OF ARCING EVENTS IN WAFER PLASMA PROCESSING THROUGH MONITORING OF TRACE GAS CONCENTRATIONS - A method of detecting substrate arcing in a semiconductor plasma processing apparatus is provided. A substrate is placed on a substrate support in a reaction chamber of a plasma processing apparatus. Process gas is introduced into the reaction chamber. A plasma is generated from the process gas and the substrate is processed with the plasma. Intensities of real-time spectrometry signals of selected gas species produced in the reaction chamber during plasma processing are monitored. The selected gas species are generated by a substrate arcing event. The arcing event is detected when the intensities are above a threshold value. | 07-12-2012 |
20130023064 | Negative Ion Control for Dielectric Etch - Apparatus, methods, and computer programs for semiconductor processing in a capacitively-coupled plasma chamber are provided. A chamber includes a bottom radio frequency (RF) signal generator, a top RF signal generator, and an RF phase controller. The bottom RF signal generator is coupled to the bottom electrode in the chamber, and the top RF signal generator is coupled to the top electrode. Further, the bottom RF signal is set at a first phase, and the top RF signal is set at a second phase. The RF phase controller is operable to receive the bottom RF signal and operable to set the value of the second phase. Additionally, the RF phase controller is operable to track the first phase and the second phase to maintain a time difference between the maximum of the top RF signal and the minimum of the bottom RF signal at approximately a predetermined constant value, resulting in an increase of the negative ion flux to the surface of the wafer. | 01-24-2013 |
20130059448 | Pulsed Plasma Chamber in Dual Chamber Configuration - Embodiments for processing a substrate in a pulsed plasma chamber are provided. A processing apparatus with two chambers, separated by a plate fluidly connecting the chambers, includes a continuous wave (CW) controller, a pulse controller, and a system controller. The CW controller sets the voltage and the frequency for a first radio frequency (RF) power source coupled to a top electrode. The pulse controller is operable to set voltage, frequency, ON-period duration, and OFF-period duration for a pulsed RF signal generated by a second RF power source coupled to the bottom electrode. The system controller is operable to set parameters to regulate the flow of species between the chambers to assist in the negative-ion etching, to neutralize excessive positive charge on the wafer surface during afterglow in the OFF period, and to assist in the re-striking of the bottom plasma during the ON period. | 03-07-2013 |
20130074769 | APPARATUS FOR THE DEPOSITION OF A CONFORMAL FILM ON A SUBSTRATE AND METHODS THEREFOR - A method for depositing a conformal film on a substrate in a plasma processing chamber of a plasma processing system, the substrate being disposed on a chuck, the chuck being coupled to a cooling apparatus, is disclosed. The method includes flowing a first gas mixture into the plasma processing chamber at a first pressure, wherein the first gas mixture includes at least carbon, and wherein the first gas mixture has a condensation temperature. The method also includes cooling the chuck below the condensation temperature using the cooling apparatus thereby allowing at least some of the first gas mixture to condense on a surface of the substrate. The method further includes venting the first gas mixture from the processing chamber; flowing a second gas mixture into the plasma processing chamber, the second gas mixture being different in composition from the first gas mixture; and striking a plasma to form the conformal film. | 03-28-2013 |
20130126475 | TRIODE REACTOR DESIGN WITH MULTIPLE RADIOFREQUENCY POWERS - Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for semiconductor manufacturing are provided. One wafer processing apparatus includes: a top electrode; a bottom electrode; a first radio frequency (RF) power source; a second RF power source; a third RF power source; a fourth RF power source; and a switch. The first, second, and third power sources are coupled to the bottom electrode. Further, the switch is operable to be in one of a first position or a second position, where the first position causes the top electrode to be connected to ground, and the second position causes the top electrode to be connected to the fourth RF power source. | 05-23-2013 |
20140054268 | Electronic Knob for Tuning Radial Etch Non-Uniformity at VHF Frequencies - System and methods for plasma processing of a wafer include a chamber with an electrode having a support surface and an outer edge region defined thereon. A radio frequency power is communicated to the electrode via a conductive delivery connection and returned through a conductive return connection. A capacitance is applied to a first end that causes appropriate capacitive adjustment and opposite impedance adjustment at a second end of the conductive delivery connection that is coupled to a dielectric surround structure that surrounds the electrode. The dielectric surround structure presents the opposite impedance adjustment near an outer edge of the electrode, such that increasing the capacitance at the first end causes a corresponding increase of impedance at the second end and a corresponding increase in voltage distribution near the outer edge region of the electrode that decreases toward a center of the support surface of the electrode. | 02-27-2014 |
20150083690 | Electronic Knob for Tuning Radial Etch Non-Uniformity at VHF Frequencies - System and methods for plasma processing of a wafer include a chamber with an electrode having a support surface and an outer edge region defined thereon. A radio frequency power is communicated to the electrode via a conductive delivery connection and returned through a conductive return connection. A capacitance is applied to a first end that causes appropriate capacitive adjustment and opposite impedance adjustment at a second end of the conductive delivery connection that is coupled to a dielectric surround structure that surrounds the electrode. The dielectric surround structure presents the opposite impedance adjustment near an outer edge of the electrode, such that increasing the capacitance at the first end causes a corresponding increase of impedance at the second end and a corresponding increase in voltage distribution near the outer edge region of the electrode that decreases toward a center of the support surface of the electrode. | 03-26-2015 |