Abstract: A top plate assembly is positioned above and spaced apart from the substrate support, such that a processing region exists between the top plate assembly and the substrate support. The top plate assembly includes a central plasma generation microchamber and a plurality of annular-shaped plasma generation microchambers positioned in a concentric manner about the central plasma generation microchamber. Adjacently positioned ones of the central and annular-shaped plasma generation microchambers are spaced apart from each other so as to form a number of axial exhaust vents therebetween. Each of the central and annular-shaped plasma generation microchambers is defined to generate a corresponding plasma therein and supply reactive constituents of its plasma to the processing region between the top plate assembly and the substrate support.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate processing system includes a chamber that includes a processing region and a substrate support. The system includes a top plate assembly disposed within the chamber above the substrate support. The top plate assembly includes first and second sets of plasma microchambers each formed into the lower surface of the top plate assembly. A first network of gas supply channels are formed through the top plate assembly to flow a first process gas to the first set of plasma microchambers to be transformed into a first plasma. A set of exhaust channels are formed through the top plate assembly. The second set of plasma microchambers are formed inside the set of exhaust channels. A second network of gas supply channels are formed through the top plate assembly to flow a second process gas to the second set of plasma microchambers to be transformed into a second plasma.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate processing system includes a substrate support defined to support a substrate in exposure to a processing region. The system also includes a first plasma chamber defined to generate a first plasma and supply reactive constituents of the first plasma to the processing region. The system also includes a second plasma chamber defined to generate a second plasma and supply reactive constituents of the second plasma to the processing region. The first and second plasma chambers are defined to be independently controlled.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate processing system includes a processing chamber and a substrate support defined to support a substrate in the processing chamber. The system also includes a plasma chamber defined separate from the processing chamber. The plasma chamber is defined to generate a plasma. The system also includes a plurality of fluid transmission pathways fluidly connecting the plasma chamber to the processing chamber. The plurality of fluid transmission pathways are defined to supply reactive constituents of the plasma from the plasma chamber to the processing chamber. The system further includes an electron injection device for injecting electrons into the processing chamber to control an electron energy distribution within the processing chamber so as to in turn control an ion-to-radical density ratio within the processing chamber. In one embodiment, an electron beam source is defined to transmit an electron beam through the processing chamber above and across the substrate support.

Abstract: A hollow cathode system is provided for plasma generation in substrate plasma processing. The system includes a plurality of electrically conductive plates stacked in a layered manner. Dielectric sheets are disposed between each adjacently positioned pair of the plurality of electrically conductive plates. A number of holes are each formed to extend through the plurality of electrically conductive plates and dielectric sheets. The system also includes at least two independently controllable radiofrequency (RF) power sources electrically connected to one or more of the plurality of electrically conductive plates. The RF power sources are independently controllable with regard to frequency and amplitude.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate processing system includes a processing chamber and a substrate support defined to support a substrate in the processing chamber. The system also includes a plasma chamber defined separate from the processing chamber. The plasma chamber is defined to generate a plasma. The system also includes a plurality of fluid transmission pathways fluidly connecting the plasma chamber to the processing chamber. The plurality of fluid transmission pathways are defined to supply reactive constituents of the plasma from the plasma chamber to the processing chamber. The system further includes an electrode disposed within the processing chamber separate from the substrate support. The system also includes a power supply electrically connected to the electrode. The power supply is defined to supply electrical power to the electrode so as to liberate electrons from the electrode into the processing chamber.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate processing system includes a processing chamber and a substrate support defined to support a substrate in the processing chamber. The system also includes a plasma chamber defined separate from the processing chamber. The plasma chamber is defined to generate a plasma. The system also includes a plurality of fluid transmission pathways fluidly connecting the plasma chamber to the processing chamber. The plurality of fluid transmission pathways are defined to supply reactive constituents of the plasma from the plasma chamber to the processing chamber. The system further includes a plurality of power delivery components defined to deliver power to the plurality of fluid transmission pathways, so as to generate supplemental plasma within the plurality of fluid transmission pathways. The plurality of fluid transmission pathways are defined to supply reactive constituents of the supplemental plasma to the processing chamber.

Abstract: A hollow cathode system is provided for plasma generation in substrate plasma processing. The system includes an electrically conductive member shaped to circumscribe an interior cavity, and formed to have a process gas inlet in fluid communication with the interior cavity, and formed to have an opening that exposes the interior cavity to a substrate processing region. The system also includes a first radiofrequency (RF) power source in electrical communication with the electrically conductive member so as to enable transmission of a first RF power to the electrically conductive member. The system further includes a second RF power source in electrical communication with the electrically conductive member so as to enable transmission of a second RF power to the electrically conductive member. The first and second RF power sources are independently controllable with regard to frequency and amplitude.

Abstract: A vacuum plasma processor includes a coil for reactively exciting a plasma so plasma incident on a workpiece has substantially uniformity. The coil and a window which reactively couples fields from the coil to the plasma have approximately the same diameter. An r.f. source supplies a pulse amplitude modulated envelope including an r.f. carrier to the coil.

Abstract: A vacuum plasma processor for treating a workpiece with an RF plasma has a plasma excitation coil including interior, intermediate and peripheral portions. The interior and peripheral portions have turns connected to each other and arranged so the magnetic flux density coupled to the plasma by each of the interior and peripheral coil portions exceeds the magnetic flux density coupled to the plasma by the intermediate coil portion. The coil includes two electrically parallel, spiral like windings, each with an interior terminal connected to one output terminal of a matching network and an output terminal connected via a capacitor to another output terminal of the matching network. The capacitor values and the lengths of the windings relative to the plasma RF excitation wavelength are such that current flowing in the coil has maximum and minimum standing wave values in the peripheral and interior coil portions, respectively. The coil and workpiece peripheries have similar rectangular dimensions and geometries.

Abstract: A vacuum plasma processor for treating a workpiece with an RF plasma has a plasma excitation coil including a peripheral portion supplying a substantial magnetic flux density to peripheral portions of the plasma. Additional conducting segments spatially adjacent to and electrically connected to a segment of the peripheral portion supply additional magnetic flux having a substantial magnetic flux density to the plasma peripheral portions. The additional conductor segments are in each of four corners of the coil, being connected electrically in parallel or series to coil conductor segments forming the corners. In another embodiment, the coil includes several nested conducting corner segments. In different embodiments, the corner segments are (1) coplanar with the remainder of the coil and (2) closer to the plasma than the remainder of the coil.

Abstract: A planar coil exciting a plasma of an r.f. vacuum plasma processor for a workpiece processed surface in a chamber includes plural turns. The coil, chamber and workpiece are arranged to produce in the chamber a magnetic flux having substantially greater density in peripheral portions of the coil and chamber than in a center portion of the chamber and coil so a substantially uniform plasma flux is incident on a processed surface of the workpiece.

Abstract: A gas in a vacuum plasma processing chamber is ignited to a plasma by subjecting the gas to an r.f. field derived from an r.f. source having a frequency and power level sufficient to ignite the gas into the plasma and to maintain the plasma. The r.f. field is supplied to the gas by a reactive impedance element connected via a matching network to the r.f. source. The matching network includes first and second variable reactances that control loading of the source and tuning a load, including the reactive impedance element and the plasma, to the source. The value of only one of the reactances is varied until a local maximum of a function of power coupled between the source and the load is reached. The value of only the other reactance is varied until a local maximum of the function is reached. The two varying steps are then repeated as necessary.

Abstract: A substantially planar coil of a vacuum plasma processor has plural turns for exciting gas in the processor to a plasma state in response to r.f. coil energization. The coil is located outside the processor and surrounded by a shield tending to cause magnetic flux coupled from peripheral portions of the coil to the gas to be less than magnetic flux coupled from interior portions of the coil to the gas. The coil is arranged so magnetic flux derived from a center portion of an area circumscribed by the coil is less than the magnetic flux derived from all other areas circumscribed by the coil. The magnetic flux is such that the density of the plasma in the processor on a processed substrate is relatively uniform even though the coil exhibits transmission line properties so there are substantial peak-to-peak current variations along the length of the coil.

Abstract: A load including a plasma discharge in a plasma processing chamber is matched to a variable frequency source so the power reflected from the load is substantially minimized. The source voltage or a variable reactance of a matching network between the source and load is controlled so the load has a preset power level, as detected by the difference between the source output power and the power reflected from the load.

Abstract: A substantially planar coil of a vacuum plasma processor has plural turns for exciting gas in the processor to a plasma state in response to r.f. coil energization. The coil is located outside the processor and surrounded by a shield tending to cause magnetic flux coupled from peripheral portions of the coil to the gas to be less than magnetic flux coupled from interior portions of the coil to the gas. The coil is arranged so magnetic flux derived from a center portion of an area circumscribed by the coil is less than the magnetic flux derived from all other areas circumscribed by the coil. The magnetic flux is such that the density of the plasma in the processor on a processed substrate is relatively uniform even though the coil exhibits transmission line properties so there are substantial peak-to-peak current variations along the length of the coil.

Abstract: A load including a plasma discharge in a vacuum plasma processing chamber is matched to an r.f. source that supplies sufficient power to the discharge to maintain the discharge. A matching network connected between the source and a plasma excitation component of the chamber includes first and second variable reactances. A microprocessor causes the value of the first reactance to be varied while the value of the other reactance stays constant until power reflected from the load to output terminals of the source is minimized. The microprocessor causes the value of the second reactance to then be varied while the value of the first reactance stays constant until reflected power is minimized. The reactance values are alternately changed until the reflected minimum power does not change, at which time there is a match. To initiate the discharge, the microprocessor causes the value of the one reactance to change while the value of the other reactance stays constant.

Abstract: A planar coil exciting a plasma of an r.f. vacuum plasma processor for a workpiece processed surface in a chamber includes plural turns. The coil, chamber and workpiece are arranged to produce in the chamber a magnetic flux having substantially greater density in peripheral portions of the coil and chamber than in a center portion of the chamber and coil so a substantially uniform plasma flux is incident on a processed surface of the workpiece.