Abstract: Systems and methods for producing energetic neutrals include a remote plasma generator configured to generate plasma in a plasma region. An ion extractor is configured to extract high energy ions from the plasma. A substrate support is arranged in a processing chamber and is configured to support a substrate. A neutral extractor and gas dispersion device is arranged between the plasma region and the substrate support. The neutral extractor and gas dispersion device is configured to extract energetic neutrals from the high energy ions, to supply the energetic neutrals to the substrate and to disperse precursor gas into the processing chamber.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided. In some embodiments, a method of processing a substrate having a first layer may include disposing a substrate atop a substrate support in a lower processing volume of a process chamber beneath an ion shield having a bias power applied thereto, the ion shield comprising a substantially flat member supported parallel to the substrate support, and a plurality of apertures formed through the flat member, wherein the ratio of the aperture diameter to the thickness flat member ranges from about 10:1-1:10; flowing a process gas into an upper processing volume above the ion shield; forming a plasma from the process gas within the upper processing volume; treating the first layer with neutral radicals that pass through the ion shield; and heating the substrate to a temperature of up to about 550 degrees Celsius while treating the first layer.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided. In some embodiments, a method of processing a substrate having a first layer may include disposing a substrate atop a substrate support in a lower processing volume of a process chamber beneath an ion shield having a bias power applied thereto, the ion shield comprising a substantially flat member supported parallel to the substrate support, and a plurality of apertures formed through the flat member, wherein the ratio of the aperture diameter to the thickness flat member ranges from about 10:1-1:10; flowing a process gas into an upper processing volume above the ion shield; forming a plasma from the process gas within the upper processing volume; treating the first layer with neutral radicals that pass through the ion shield; and heating the substrate to a temperature of up to about 550 degrees Celsius while treating the first layer.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided. In some embodiments, a method of processing a substrate having a first layer may include disposing a substrate atop a substrate support in a lower processing volume of a process chamber beneath an ion shield having a bias power applied thereto, the ion shield comprising a substantially flat member supported parallel to the substrate support, and a plurality of apertures formed through the flat member, wherein the ratio of the aperture diameter to the thickness flat member ranges from about 10:1-1:10; flowing a process gas into an upper processing volume above the ion shield; forming a plasma from the process gas within the upper processing volume; treating the first layer with neutral radicals that pass through the ion shield; and heating the substrate to a temperature of up to about 550 degrees Celsius while treating the first layer.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling power distribution in a substrate processing system are provided. In some embodiments, a substrate processing system including a process chamber having a substrate support and a processing region disposed above the substrate support; a first conduit disposed above the processing region to provide a portion of a first toroidal path that extends through the first conduit and across the processing region; a second conduit disposed above the processing region to provide a portion of a second toroidal path that extends through the second conduit and across the processing region; an RF generator coupled to the first and second conduits to provide RF energy having a first frequency to each of the first and second conduits; an impedance matching network disposed between the RF generator and the first and second conduits; and a power divider to control the amount of RF energy provided to the first and second conduits from the RF generator.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling power distribution in a substrate processing system are provided. In some embodiments, a substrate processing system including a process chamber having a substrate support and a processing region disposed above the substrate support; a first conduit disposed above the processing region to provide a portion of a first toroidal path that extends through the first conduit and across the processing region; a second conduit disposed above the processing region to provide a portion of a second toroidal path that extends through the second conduit and across the processing region; an RF generator coupled to the first and second conduits to provide RF energy having a first frequency to each of the first and second conduits; an impedance matching network disposed between the RF generator and the first and second conduits; and a power divider to control the amount of RF energy provided to the first and second conduits from the RF generator.

Abstract: A gas distribution plate is formed of a metallic body having a bottom surface with plural gas disperser orifices and an internal gas manifold feeding the orifices. Each one of an array of discrete RF power applicators held in the plate includes (a) an insulating cylindrical housing extending through the plate, a portion of the housing extending outside of the plate through the bottom surface, and (b) a conductive solenoidal coil contained within the housing, a portion of the coil lying within the portion of the housing that extends outside of the plate through the bottom surface.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing semiconductor substrates are described. A processing chamber includes a substrate support with an in-situ plasma source, which may be an inductive, capacitive, microwave, or millimeter wave source, facing the substrate support and a radiant heat source, which may be a bank of thermal lamps, spaced apart from the substrate support. The support may be between the in-situ plasma source and the radiant heat source, and may rotate. A method or processing a substrate includes forming an oxide layer by exposing the substrate to a plasma generated in a process chamber, performing a plasma nitridation process on the substrate in the chamber, thermally treating the substrate using a radiant heat source disposed in the chamber while exposing the substrate to oxygen radicals formed outside the chamber, and forming an electrode by exposing the substrate to a plasma generated in the chamber.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for plasma processing of substrates is provided. A processing chamber has a substrate support and a lid assembly facing the substrate support. The lid assembly has a plasma source that comprises an inductive coil disposed within a conductive plate, which may comprise nested conductive rings. The inductive coil is substantially coplanar with the conductive plate, and insulated therefrom by an insulator that fits within a channel formed in the conductive plate, or nests within the conductive rings. A field concentrator is provided around the inductive coil, and insulated therefrom by isolators. The plasma source is supported from a conductive support plate. A gas distributor supplies gas to the chamber through a central opening of the support plate and plasma source from a conduit disposed through the conductive plate.

Abstract: In a plasma immersion ion implantation process, the thickness of a pre-implant chamber seasoning layer is increased (to permit implantation of a succession of wafers without replacing the seasoning layer) without loss of wafer clamping electrostatic force due to increased seasoning layer thickness. This is accomplished by first plasma-discharging residual electrostatic charge from the thick seasoning layer. The number of wafers which can be processed using the same seasoning layer is further increased by fractionally supplementing the seasoning layer after each wafer is processed, which may be followed by a brief plasma discharging of the supplemented seasoning before processing the next wafer.

Abstract: A coil is provided for use in a semiconductor processing system to generate a plasma with a magnetic field in a chamber. The coil comprises a first coil segment, a second coil segment and an internal balance capacitor. The first coils segment has a first end and a second end. The first end of the coil segment is adapted to connect to a power source. The second coil segment has a first and second end. The second end of the first coil segment is adapted to connect to an external balance capacitor. The internal balance capacitor is connected in series between the second end of the first coil segment and the first end of the second coil segment. The internal balance capacitor and the coil segments are adapted to provide a voltage peak along the first coil segment substantially aligned with a virtual ground along the second coil segment.

Abstract: In a plasma immersion ion implantation process, the thickness of a pre-implant chamber seasoning layer is increased (to permit implantation of a succession of wafers without replacing the seasoning layer) without loss of wafer clamping electrostatic force due to increased seasoning layer thickness. This is accomplished by first plasma-discharging residual electrostatic charge from the thick seasoning layer. The number of wafers which can be processed using the same seasoning layer is further increased by fractionally supplementing the seasoning layer after each wafer is processed, which may be followed by a brief plasma discharging of the supplemented seasoning before processing the next wafer.

Abstract: A substrate processing system has a housing that defines a process chamber, a gas-delivery system, a high-density plasma generating system, a substrate holder, and a controller. The housing includes a sidewall and a dome positioned above the sidewall. The dome has physically separated and noncontiguous pieces. The gas-delivery system introduces e a gas into the process chamber through side nozzles positioned between two of the physically separated and noncontiguous pieces of the dome. The high-density plasma generating system is operatively coupled with the process chamber. The substrate holder is disposed within the process chamber and supports a substrate during substrate processing. The controller controls the gas-delivery system and the high-density plasma generating system.

Abstract: A gas distribution plate is formed of a metallic body having a bottom surface with plural gas disperser orifices and an internal gas manifold feeding the orifices. Each one of an array of discrete RF power applicators held in the plate includes (a) an insulating cylindrical housing extending through the plate, a portion of the housing extending outside of the plate through the bottom surface, and (b) a conductive solenoidal coil contained within the housing, a portion of the coil lying within the portion of the housing that extends outside of the plate through the bottom surface.

Abstract: In a plasma immersion ion implantation process, the thickness of a pre-implant chamber seasoning layer is increased (to permit implantation of a succession of wafers without replacing the seasoning layer) without loss of wafer clamping electrostatic force due to increased seasoning layer thickness. This is accomplished by first plasma-discharging residual electrostatic charge from the thick seasoning layer. The number of wafers which can be processed using the same seasoning layer is further increased by fractionally supplementing the seasoning layer after each wafer is processed, which may be followed by a brief plasma discharging of the supplemented seasoning before processing the next wafer.

Abstract: A substrate processing system has a housing that defines a process chamber. A substrate holder disposed within the process chamber supports a substrate during substrate processing. A gas-delivery system introduces a gas into the process chamber. A pressure-control system maintains a selected pressure within the process chamber. A high-density plasma generating system forms a plasma having a density greater than 1011 ions/cm3 within the process chamber. A radio-frequency bias system generates an electrical bias on the substrate at a frequency less than 5 MHz. A controller controls the gas-delivery system, the pressure-control system, the high-density plasma generating system, and the radio-frequency bias system.

Abstract: A process for removing unwanted deposition build-up from one or more interior surfaces of a substrate processing chamber. According to one embodiment the process comprises performing a substrate processing operation on the substrate within the substrate processing chamber and then transferring the substrate out of the substrate processing chamber; flowing a first etchant gas into a remote plasma source, forming reactive species from the etchant gas and transporting the reactive species into the substrate processing chamber to remove a first portion of the unwanted deposition build-up; and thereafter, flowing a second etchant gas into the substrate processing chamber and forming a plasma within the substrate processing chamber from the second gas in order to remove a second portion of the unwanted deposition build-up.

Abstract: In a plasma immersion ion implantation process, the thickness of a pre-implant chamber seasoning layer is increased (to permit implantation of a succession of wafers without replacing the seasoning layer) without loss of wafer clamping electrostatic force due to increased seasoning layer thickness. This is accomplished by first plasma-discharging residual electrostatic charge from the thick seasoning layer. The number of wafers which can be processed using the same seasoning layer is further increased by fractionally supplementing the seasoning layer after each wafer is processed, which may be followed by a brief plasma discharging of the supplemented seasoning before processing the next wafer.

Abstract: A substrate processing system has a housing that defines a process chamber. A substrate holder disposed within the process chamber supports a substrate during substrate processing. A gas-delivery system introduces a gas into the process chamber. A pressure-control system maintains a selected pressure within the process chamber. A high-density plasma generating system forms a plasma having a density greater than 1011 ions/cm3 within the process chamber. A radio-frequency bias system generates an electrical bias on the substrate at a frequency less than 5 MHz. A controller controls the gas-delivery system, the pressure-control system, the high-density plasma generating system, and the radio-frequency bias system.

Abstract: A coil is provided for use in a semiconductor processing system to generate a plasma with a magnetic field in a chamber. The coil comprises a first coil segment, a second coil segment and an internal balance capacitor. The first coils segment has a first end and a second end. The first end of the coil segment is adapted to connect to a power source. The second coil segment has a first and second end. The second end of the first coil segment is adapted to connect to an external balance capacitor. The internal balance capacitor is connected in series between the second end of the first coil segment and the first end of the second coil segment. The internal balance capacitor and the coil segments are adapted to provide a voltage peak along the first coil segment substantially aligned with a virtual ground along the second coil segment.