Abstract: In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a plasma reactor having a chamber for containing a plasma and a passageway communicating with the chamber is enhanced with a first removable plasma confinement magnet module placed adjacent the passageway including a first module housing and a first plasma confinement magnet inside the housing. It may further include a second removable plasma confinement magnet module placed adjacent the passageway including a second module housing, and a second plasma confinement magnet. Preferably, the first and second modules are located on opposite sides of the passageway. Moreover, the first and second plasma confinement magnets have magnetic orientations which tend to oppose plasma transport or leakage through the passageway. Preferably, the module housing includes a relatively non-magnetic thermal conductor such as aluminum and is in thermal contact with said chamber body.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus has plasma generating means including a means for generating capacitive coupled discharge and a means for radiating electromagnetic waves, so that the energy state of electrons is independently controlled by a combination of a plasma due to capacitive coupled discharge and a plasma due to radiation of electromagnetic waves of a high-frequency, to thereby control the occurrence of radical species, and thereby establishing a compatibility, for example, between high selective etching and high accuracy and high speed in etching or between film quality and film formation rate. Since the density distribution of the plasma can be controlled without any change in hardware configuration by adjusting distributions of the power for capacitive coupled discharge and the power for radiation of electromagnetic waves, the entire surface of a large-sized substrate can be etched at a high accuracy into a fine pattern.

Abstract: A discharge plasma processing device comprising a chamber with an evacuation system, a magnetic field generation system and an electric field application system with which the feature of operation is first to form a magnetic neutral line in the vacuum chamber and second to produce a plasma along the magnetic neutral line by controlling the shape of the line, its position related to an object to be processed and the plasma parameters is presented as useful device for many kinds of plasma processing like as sputtering, etching and plasma enhanced CVD as freely programmed, for instance extremely in uniform on the surface of the object.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for integrating multipolar confinement with permanent magnetic electron cyclotron resonance plasma sources to produce highly uniform plasma processing for use in semiconductor fabrication and related fields. In a preferred embodiment, the plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a workpiece stage within the chamber, a permanent magnet electron cyclotron resonance plasma source directed at said chamber, and a system of permanent magnets for plasma confinement about the periphery of said chamber. The permanent magnets for plasma confinement are arranged in a multiplicity of rings with the plane of the rings perpendicular to the vacuum chamber axis and to the direction of propagation of the microwave into the vacuum chamber. The number of rings is chosen with respect to the vacuum chamber dimensions to produce a large, low magnetic field region in the region of the vacuum chamber adjacent to the workpiece stage.

Abstract: There is provided a method capable of shortening a preheat time when a thin film is deposited after a preheat is carried out. The current values of a main electromagnetic coil and an auxiliary electromagnetic coil during a preheat and during a thin-film deposition are set to be different from each other to change the shape of an obtained magnetic field so that the magnetic field has a small magnetic flux density although it has higher uniformity during the thin-film deposition, whereas the magnetic field has a large magnetic flux density although it has lower uniformity during the preheat. As a result, a substantially uniform plasma is produced in the plane of a wafer during the thin-film deposition, so that it is possible to carry out a uniform thin-film deposition. On the other hand, during the preheat, a plasma having a larger density than that during the thin-film deposition is produced although the uniformity thereof is lower.

Abstract: A plasma generating apparatus and processing method, which generate high-density plasma, even in the central portion of the plasma generating zone. The apparatus comprises rectangular electrodes, a rectangular fistulous discharge electrode which surrounds the plasma generating zone, and a vacuum chamber of rectangular cross-section. Permanent magnets surround the discharge electrode, produce predetermined magnetic lines of force with portions which extend approximately parallel to the central axis of discharge electrode. A pair of parallel plate electrodes define the extension of the plasma generating zone in the direction of the central axis of the discharge electrode. The apparatus is configured such that the magnetic lines of force passing through the central portion of the plasma generating zone do not intersect with the electrodes.

Abstract: The occurrence of internally-formed contaminants or negatively-charged particulates within a plasma is minimized by preventing such from becoming trapped in the plasma. The plasma is formed in a plasma chamber having control electrodes and reference electrodes. The control electrodes are biased with a negative potential. The plasma assumes a potential more positive than the control electrodes. The reference electrodes are then biased to be more positive than the plasma. Hence, negative ions or negatively-charged particulates in the plasma are attracted to the more positive reference electrodes, and thus escape the plasma without being trapped therein, and are not available to serve as nucleation or agglomeration points for contaminants. A pair of Helmholtz coils produce a magnetic field having magnetic field lines that run longitudinally between the control electrodes.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus is provided with at least one waveguide portion for introducing microwaves, an electron heating space chamber formed on a downstream side with respect to a dielectric body in the waveguide portion, and a plasma generating space chamber coupled with the electron heating space chamber. A first static magnetic field generating device surrounds the electron heating space chamber using permanent magnets, producing a strong magnetic field exceeding an electron cyclotron resonance magnetic field strength along a propagation direction of the microwave in the electron heating space chamber and in a microwave leading-out portion of the dielectric body, and forming a cusped magnetic field.

Abstract: A plasma confinement arrangement for controlling the volume of a plasma while processing a substrate inside a process chamber using a plasma enhanced process is disclosed. The arrangement includes a first magnetic bucket having a plurality of first magnetic elements. The first magnetic elements being configured for producing a first magnetic field inside the process chamber. The arrangement further includes a second magnetic bucket having a plurality of second magnetic elements. The second magnetic elements being configured for producing a second magnetic field inside the process chamber. The second magnetic field being configured to combine with the first magnetic field to produce a resultant magnetic field between the first magnetic bucket and the second magnetic bucket. The resultant magnetic field being configured to permit by-product gas from the processing to pass through while substantially confining the plasma within a volume defined at least by the process chamber and the resultant magnetic field.

Abstract: A plasma cleaning apparatus for cleaning lead frames or other items comprised of a chamber adapted for containing a plasma, a magazine positioned in the chamber for holding the lead frames, a first active electrode positioned in the chamber on one side of the magazine and a second active electrode positioned in the chamber on the other side of the magazine. A first grounded electrode is positioned between the first active electrode and the magazine and a second grounded electrode is positioned between the second active electrode and the magazine. The magazine is held at the same voltage as the first and second active electrodes and a plasma is generated which extends from the first active electrode to the second active electrode.

Abstract: A magnetron plasma process apparatus comprises a process chamber, an upper electrode and a lower electrode, both located within the process chamber and extending parallel to each other, a gas-supplying system for supplying a process gas into the space between the electrodes, a high-frequency power supply for generating an electric field, to thereby to form plasma from the process gas, and magnetic field generating section for generating a magnetic field which extends through the space between the electrodes. The magnetic field generating section has a pair of permanent magnets located outside the process chamber, sandwiching the space between the electrodes. The magnetic field generated by this section extends through said space, from one of the magnets to the other thereof and substantially parallel to the electrodes, and serves to achieve magnetron plasma process on an object placed on the lower electrode.

Abstract: A problem which occurs in the sputtering of a substance by means of a high-frequency discharge between two electrodes, is that both electrode surfaces are sputtered away when the electrode surface that is actually not to be sputtered is not at least ten times as large as the surface of the electrode carrying the substance. To prevent an undesirable cosputtering, in on embodiment, a vacuum recipient at a selected gas pressure has first and a second electrodes which are selected so that their surface areas form a ratio RA 12 such that 0.3≦RA12≦3. A discharge space in the vacuum recipient is confined to the electrode surfaces. An RF plasma discharge is generated in the discharge space by applying an electric RF field between the electrode surface, so that a first dark space region with a first drop of time-averaged electric potential and a second dark space region with a second drop of time-averaged electric potential, are respectively provided adjacent each electrode.

Abstract: A magnetron for use in a DC magnetron sputtering reactor that can rotate at a smaller diameter during a deposition phase and at a larger diameter during a cleaning phase, whereby sputter material redeposited outside of the deposition sputtering track is removed during the cleaning phase. An embodiment for a two-diameter magnetron includes a swing arm fixed on one end to the magnetron rotation motor shaft and on the other end to a pivot shaft, pivotably coupled to the magnetron. When the magnetron is rotated in different directions, hydrodynamic forces between the magnetron and the chilling water bath cause magnetron to pivot about the pivot shaft. Two mechanical detents fix the limits of the pivoting and hence establish the two diameters of rotation.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus comprising a vacuum processing chamber, a plasma generating means including a pair of electrodes, a sample table for mounting a sample to be processed inside the vacuum processing chamber and also serving as one of the electrodes, and a evacuating means for evacuating the vacuum processing chamber, which further comprises a high frequency electric power source for applying an electric power of a VHF band from 50 MHz to 200 MHz between the pair of electrodes; and a magnetic field forming means for forming a static magnetic field or a low frequency magnetic field larger than 10 gausses and smaller than 110 gausses in a direction intersecting an electric field generated between the pair of electrodes and the vicinity by the high frequency electric power source; therein the magnetic field forming means being set so that a portion where a component of the magnetic field in a direction along the surface of the sample table becomes maximum is brought to a position in the opposite side o

Abstract: The present invention provides a microwave plasma processing method capable of processing an object layer having a minute configuration and a laminated object layer without producing any etch residue and of increasing the ratio of the etching selectivity of the object layer to those of a mask and the underlying layer when etching a laminated film. The intensity of a magnetic field created by solenoids surrounding a plasma processing chamber is varied to vary the distance between the object surface of a workpiece and a flat resonance region for etching an object layer and for overetching the object layer to vary the position of a plasma produced by the interaction of an electric field created by a microwave and the magnetic field created by the solenoids.