Abstract: A sidewall passivation layer is deposited on an etched feature in a semiconductor substrate with a hydrocarbon deposition gas by introducing H2, determining certain mixture percentages for the hydrocarbon gas/H2 mix at which the etch rate for the substrate peaks, the etch rate begins to rise from a generally steady state, and/or the etch rate falls to zero, and then maintaining the mixture percentage within a selected range. Where the hydrocarbon gas/H2 mix is maintained at a percentage between the steady-state etch rate percentage and the peak etch rate percentage, then relatively high ion energies are used. Where the hydrocarbon gas/H2 mix is maintained at a percentage between the peak etch rate percentage and the percentage where the etch rate falls to zero, then relatively low ion energies are used.

Abstract: A wafer processing chamber 11 includes a wafer support 12, a dielectyric window 13 and coaxial coils 15 and 16 located outside the dielectric window 13 for inducing a plasma within the chamber. A variety of coil/dielectric windows are described together with protocols for their control.

Abstract: Plasma processing apparatus frequently incorporates an antenna fed from a power supply and in this invention a power supply feeds a conventional matching circuit (10), which in turn is connected to the primary (11) of a transformer (12). The antenna (15) is coupled across the secondary winding (13) of the transformer (12) and that winding is tapped to ground at (16). This creates a virtual earth (17) near the mid point of the antenna (15) significantly reducing the variation, along the length of the antenna, in the power supplied to the plasma.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method and apparatus for etching a substrate. The method comprises the steps of etching a substrate or alternately etching and depositing a passivation layer. A bias frequency, which may be pulsed, may be applied to the substrate and may be at or below the ion plasma frequency.

Abstract: This invention relates to methods for treatment of semiconductor substrates and in particular a method of etching a trench in a semiconductor substrate in a reactor chamber using alternatively reactive ion etching and depositing a passivation layer by chemical vapour deposition, wherein one or more of the following parameters: gas flow rates, chamber pressure, plasma power, substrate bias, etch rate, deposition rate, cycle time and etching/deposition ratio vary with time.

Abstract: A processing apparatus 10 has chambers 11 and 12 and a loading mechanism 13 for transferring workpieces into and out of the chambers. The workpieces are carried on a pallet 16 which is slotted so that, when it is inserted into the chambers 11 or 12 the slots are aligned with lines A-H on lifting pins. This arrangement enables the mechanism 13 to withdraw the pallet, whilst the pins 22 are in their erect position.