Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the flow of a gas in a process chamber is provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for controlling the flow of a gas in a process chamber having a processing volume within the process chamber disposed above a substrate support and a pumping volume within the process chamber disposed below the substrate support may include an annular plate surrounding the substrate support proximate a level of a substrate support surface of the substrate support, wherein the annular plate extends radially outward toward an inner peripheral surface of the process chamber to define a uniform gap between an outer edge of the annular plate and the inner peripheral surface, wherein the uniform gap provides a uniform flow path from the processing volume to the pumping volume.

Abstract: A magnetic field generator which provides greater control over the magnetic field is provided. The magnetic field generator has a plurality of overlapping main magnetic coil sections for forming a magnetic field generally parallel to the top surface of the supporting member. In other embodiments, sub-magnetic coil sections are placed symmetrically around the main magnetic coil sections.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a recursive liner system that facilitates providing more uniform flow of gases proximate the surface of a substrate disposed within an apparatus for processing a substrate (e.g., a process chamber). In some embodiments, a recursive liner system may include an outer liner having an outer portion configured to line the walls of a process chamber, a bottom portion extending inward from the outer portion, and a lip extending up from the bottom portion to define a well; and an inner liner having a lower portion configured to be at least partially disposed in the well to define, together with the outer liner, a recursive flow path therebetween.

Abstract: Methods and systems for temperature enhanced chucking and dechucking of resistive substrates in a plasma processing apparatus are described herein. In certain embodiments, methods and systems incorporate modulating a glass carrier substrate temperature during a plasma etch process to chuck and dechuck the carrier at first temperatures elevated relative to second temperatures utilized during plasma etching. In embodiments, one or more of plasma heat, lamp heat, resistive heat, and fluid heat transfer are controlled to modulate the carrier substrate temperature between chucking temperatures and process temperatures with each run of the plasma etch process.

Abstract: Methods and systems for temperature enhanced chucking and dechucking of resistive substrates in a plasma processing apparatus are described herein. In certain embodiments, methods and systems incorporate modulating a glass carrier substrate temperature during a plasma etch process to chuck and dechuck the carrier at first temperatures elevated relative to second temperatures utilized during plasma etching. In embodiments, one or more of plasma heat, lamp heat, resistive heat, and fluid heat transfer are controlled to modulate the carrier substrate temperature between chucking temperatures and process temperatures with each run of the plasma etch process.

Abstract: A plasma etch reactor for plasma enhanced etching of a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer includes a housing defining a process chamber, a workpiece support configured to support a workpiece within the chamber during processing and comprising a plasma bias power electrode. The reactor further includes a first process gas inlet coupled to receive predominantly or pure oxygen gas and a second process gas inlet coupled to receive a polymerizing etch process gas. The reactor has a ceiling plasma source power electrode including a center circular gas disperser configured to receive a process gas from the first process gas inlet and to distribute the process gas into the chamber over the workpiece, and an inner annular gas disperser centered around the center gas disperser configured to receive the process gas from the second process gas inlet and to distribute the process gas into the chamber over the workpiece through an inner plurality of injection ports.

Abstract: Methods and systems for temperature enhanced chucking and dechucking of resistive substrates in a plasma processing apparatus are described herein. In certain embodiments, methods and systems incorporate modulating a glass carrier substrate temperature during a plasma etch process to chuck and dechuck the carrier at first temperatures elevated relative to second temperatures utilized during plasma etching. In embodiments, one or more of plasma heat, lamp heat, resistive heat, and fluid heat transfer are controlled to modulate the carrier substrate temperature between chucking temperatures and process temperatures with each run of the plasma etch process.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the flow of a gas in a process chamber is provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for controlling the flow of a gas in a process chamber having a processing volume within the process chamber disposed above a substrate support and a pumping volume within the process chamber disposed below the substrate support may include an annular plate surrounding the substrate support proximate a level of a substrate support surface of the substrate support, wherein the annular plate extends radially outward toward an inner peripheral surface of the process chamber to define a uniform gap between an outer edge of the annular plate and the inner peripheral surface, wherein the uniform gap provides a uniform flow path from the processing volume to the pumping volume.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a recursive liner system that facilitates providing more uniform flow of gases proximate the surface of a substrate disposed within an apparatus for processing a substrate (e.g., a process chamber). In some embodiments, a recursive liner system may include an outer liner having an outer portion configured to line the walls of a process chamber, a bottom portion extending inward from the outer portion, and a lip extending up from the bottom portion to define a well; and an inner liner having a lower portion configured to be at least partially disposed in the well to define, together with the outer liner, a recursive flow path therebetween.

Abstract: A magnetic field generator which provides greater control over the magnetic field is provided. The magnetic field generator has a plurality of overlapping main magnetic coil sections for forming a magnetic field generally parallel to the top surface of the supporting member. In other embodiments, sub-magnetic coil sections are placed symmetrically around the main magnetic coil sections.

Abstract: A magnetic field generator which provides greater control over the magnetic field is provided. The magnetic field generator has a plurality of overlapping main magnetic coil sections for forming a magnetic field generally parallel to the top surface of the supporting member. In other embodiments, sub-magnetic coil sections are placed symmetrically around the main magnetic coil sections.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling characteristics of a plasma in a semiconductor substrate processing chamber using a dual frequency RF source is provided. The method comprises supplying a first RF signal to a first electrode disposed in a processing chamber, and supplying a second RF signal to the first electrode, wherein an interaction between the first and second RF signals is used to control at least one characteristic of a plasma formed in the processing chamber.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a halogen-free plasma etch processes is used to define a feature in a multi-layered masking stack including an amorphous carbon layer. In a particular embodiment, oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), and carbon monoxide (CO) are utilized to etch the amorphous carbon layer to form a mask capable of producing sub-100 nm features in a substrate film having a reduced line edge roughness value. In another embodiment, the present invention employs an O2 plasma pretreatment preceding the halogen-free amorphous carbon etch to first form an oxidized silicon region in a patterned photoresist layer to increase the selectivity of the amorphous carbon etch relative to a patterned photoresist layer containing unoxidized silicon.

Abstract: Methods for processing a substrate in a processing chamber using dual RF frequencies are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of processing a substrate includes forming a plasma of a polymer forming chemistry to etch a feature into a substrate disposed on a substrate support in a process chamber while depositing a polymer on at least portions of the feature being etched. A low frequency and a high frequency RF signal are applied to an electrode disposed in the substrate support. The method further includes controlling the level of polymer formation on the substrate, wherein controlling the level of polymer formation comprises adjusting a power ratio of the high frequency to the low frequency RF signal.

Abstract: Methods for processing a substrate in a processing chamber using dual RF frequencies are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of processing a substrate includes forming a plasma of a polymer forming chemistry to etch a feature into a substrate disposed on a substrate support in a process chamber while depositing a polymer on at least portions of the feature being etched. A low frequency and a high frequency RF signal are applied to an electrode disposed in the substrate support. The method further includes controlling the level of polymer formation on the substrate, wherein controlling the level of polymer formation comprises adjusting a power ratio of the high frequency to the low frequency RF signal.

Abstract: A magnetic field generator which provides greater control over the magnetic field is provided. The magnetic field generator has a plurality of overlapping main magnetic coil sections for forming a magnetic field generally parallel to the top surface of the supporting member. In other embodiments, sub-magnetic coil sections are placed symmetrically around the main magnetic coil sections.

Abstract: A method of removing a silicon-containing hard polymeric material from an opening leading to a recessed feature during the plasma etching of said recessed feature into a carbon-containing layer in a semiconductor substrate. The method comprises the intermittent use of a cleaning step within a continuous etching process, where at least one fluorine-containing cleaning agent species is added to already present etchant species of said continuous etching process for a limited time period, wherein the length of time of each cleaning step ranges from about 5% to about 100% of the time length of an etch step which either precedes or follows said cleaning step.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a halogen-free plasma etch processes is used to define a feature in a multi-layered masking stack including an amorphous carbon layer. In a particular embodiment, oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), and carbon monoxide (CO) are utilized to etch the amorphous carbon layer to form a mask capable of producing sub-100 nm features in a substrate film having a reduced line edge roughness value. In another embodiment, the present invention employs an O2 plasma pretreatment preceding the halogen-free amorphous carbon etch to first form an oxidized silicon region in a patterned photoresist layer to increase the selectivity of the amorphous carbon etch relative to a patterned photoresist layer containing unoxidized silicon.

Abstract: A magnetic field generator which provides greater control over the magnetic field is provided. The magnetic field generator has a plurality of overlapping main magnetic coil sections for forming a magnetic field generally parallel to the top surface of the supporting member. In other embodiments, sub-magnetic coil sections are placed symmetrically around the main magnetic coil sections.

Abstract: Methods for forming features for high aspect ratio application in etch process are provided in the present invention. In one embodiment, the method for etching a dielectric layer disposed on a substrate includes placing a substrate having a portion of a dielectric layer exposed through a patterned photoresist layer in an etch chamber, supplying a gas mixture containing argon (Ar) gas into the etch chamber, forming a plasma from the gas mixture using dual frequency RF power and etching the exposed dielectric layer using the plasma formed from the gas mixture.