Abstract: The invention relates to a plasma processing reactor apparatus for semiconductor processing a substrate. The apparatus includes a chamber. The apparatus further includes a top electrode configured to be coupled to a first RF power source having a first RF frequency and a bottom electrode configured to be coupled to second RF power source having a second RF frequency that is lower than the first RF frequency. The apparatus additionally includes an insulating shroud that lines an interior of the chamber, the insulating shroud being configured to be electrically floating during the processing. The apparatus further includes a perforated plasma confinement ring disposed outside of an outer periphery of the bottom electrode, a top surface of the perforated plasma confinement ring being disposed below a top surface of the substrate and electrically grounded during the processing.

Abstract: A chamber 35 for energizing a gas comprises a gas distributor 85 having an aperture 250 for introducing gas into the chamber 35 and a wall 175 comprising boron nitride. The chamber 35 further comprises a gas energizer 90 capable of passing electromagnetic energy through the wall 175 to energize the gas in the chamber 35.

Abstract: A plasma is generated by feeding an antenna with radio-frequency electric power generated by a radio-frequency power source, and one end of the antenna is grounded to the earth through a capacitor of variable capacitance. A Faraday shield is electrically isolated from the earth, and the capacitance of the variable capacitor is determined to be such a value that the voltage at the two ends of the antenna may be equal in absolute values and inverted to reduce the partial removal of the wall after the plasma ignition. At the time of igniting the plasma, the capacitance of the capacitor is adjusted to a larger or smaller value than that minimizing the damage of the wall.

Abstract: A process chamber 110 capable of processing a substrate 30 in a plasma of process gas. The chamber 110 comprises a support 200 having a dielectric 210 covering an electrode 220 and a conductor 230 below the electrode 220. A voltage supply 180 supplies a gas energizing voltage to the conductor 220, and the conductor is adapted to capacitively couple the voltage to the electrode 220 to energize the process gas. Alternatively, the voltage may be supplied to the electrode 220 through a connector 195 which can capacitively couple with the conductor 230. A DC power supply 190 may also provide an electrostatic chucking voltage to the electrode 220. In one version, the conductor 230 comprises an interposer 280.

Abstract: A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece, including an enclosure defining a vacuum chamber, a workpiece support within the enclosure facing an overlying portion of the enclosure, the enclosure having at least first and second pairs of openings therethrough near generally opposite sides of the workpiece support. At least first and second hollow conduits are connected to respective pairs of the openings to provide at least first and second closed torroidal paths through the respective conduits and extending between respective pairs of the openings across the wafer surface. A process gas supply is coupled to the interior of the chamber for supplying process gas to the torroidal paths. Coil antennas are coupled to RF power sources and inductively coupled to the interior of the hollow conduits and capable of maintaining a plasma in the torroidal paths.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an upper electrode which is prevented from being contaminated with an impurity, has a sufficient adhesive strength between the pedestal and electrode plate of silicon, secures high-precision parallelism with the lower electrode, and hence improves the etching characteristics and silicon wafer yield. It is another object of the present invention to provide a dry etching device equipped with the upper electrode. The present invention provides an upper electrode for dry etching devices, comprising an electrode plate of silicon which is supported by a pedestal, wherein (a) the pedestal is made of graphite, and (b) the electrode plate of silicon is joined to the pedestal by an organic adhesive containing a filler having a Young's modulus of 6×109 to 68×109N/m2.

Abstract: In an apparatus for depositing polycrystalline diamond by plasma technology onto substrates (5) of large area, having a process chamber (1) with airlock (6a), a plurality of microwave plasma sources (9, 9′, . . . ) arranged in a common plane above the substrates (5) and extending transversely across the direction of substrate advancement, and gas inlet and gas outlet tubes (10, 10′, . . . , 11, 11′, . . . , 12, 12′, . . . , 13, 13′, . . . , 13a, . . . ) leading into the process chamber (1) are provided, a plurality of gas inlet and gas outlet tubes distributed over the length of the source are associated with each of the linear sources (9, 9′, . . . ), and the outlet openings of the gas inlet tubes being situated each directly above the linear source (9, 9′, . . . ), and the openings of the gas outlet tubes (13, 13′, . . . ) each in the area between two linear sources (9, 9′, . . .

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved finishing process and apparatus. In one embodiment, a method and apparatus are provided for finishing a metal article. The method includes cavitationally eroding the metal article to form pits in its external surface. The metal article is also corroded with a corrosion chemical to corrode the pitted metallic surface. In this manner, substantially homogeneously distributed micro-pits can be formed about the article to create a desired matte finish, as well as a surface that is amenable for sealing. In a preferred embodiment, the corrosion chemical is part of a finishing bath that is ultrasonically cavitated for eroding the metal article.

Abstract: In a metal organic chemical vapor deposition method, a parameter convertible into the number of moles of gas of an organometallic source supplied from at least one source vessel is detected. A source contained in the source vessel is heated when the parameter becomes smaller than a minimum value necessary for forming a thin film of a metal constituting the organometallic source on a substrate in a reactor. The gas of the organometallic source is quantitatively supplied to the reactor, thereby forming the thin film on the substrate. A metal organic chemical vapor deposition apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A plasma is generated by feeding an antenna with radio-frequency electric power generated by a radio-frequency power source, and one end of the antenna is grounded to the earth through a capacitor of variable capacitance. A Faraday shield is electrically isolated from the earth, and the capacitance of the variable capacitor is determined to be such a value that the voltage at the two ends of the antenna may be equal in absolute values and inverted to reduce the partial removal of the wall after the plasma ignition. At the time of igniting the plasma, the capacitance of the capacitor is adjusted to a larger or smaller value than that minimizing the damage of the wall.

Abstract: To provide a thin film forming method and apparatus that can automatically form thin films having constant optical properties with high reproducibility. Antireflection films are deposited on lenses 2a that are held by a coating dome 2 by vaporizing an evaporation material 4 by using an electron gun 3. The power to be applied to the electron gun 3 is controlled so that a transmission or reflection light quantity value that is measured at each time point by an optical film thickness meter 10 becomes equal or approximately equal to a standard light quantity value stored in a standard light quantity value data storing device.

Abstract: There is provided a making method of a coated body by using ion plating. A melt and evaporating source housed in an evaporation container disposed above a subject to be coated in a vacuum container, is heated. The melt and evaporating source is evaporated through a number of fine evaporation holes formed in an evaporation face formed by the bottom of the evaporation container, yet preventing the melt and evaporating source from dropping. The evaporated particles from the melt and evaporating source are ionized with the use of plasma generated between the evaporation container and the subject to be coated. From above, the surface of the subject to be coated is coated with the ionized evaporated-particles, causing the ionized evaporated-particles to adhere to the surface of the subject to be coated, thus forming a coating film thereon.

Abstract: The present invention provides a high density plasma (HDP) chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber. The upper wall of the HDP CVD chamber in the present invention is composed by two ceramic layers with a defaulted distance, so the number and the distribution of the nozzles on the inner layer of the upper wall of the chamber can be adjusted according to desire. In another hand, the material of the upper wall of the chamber in the present invention is ceramic so that can be penetrated by the electromagnetic field created by the inductive coil entwined outside the chamber to generate a region of plasma within the chamber. By the application of the present invention, the time and the costs of installing the nozzles can be saved and the problem of adjusting the nozzles is not need to consider.

Abstract: A processing system for processing a substrate with a plasma comprises a processing chamber defining a processing space and including a substrate support therein for supporting a substrate in the processing space and a gas inlet for introducing a process gas into said processing space. A plasma source is operable for creating a plasma in the processing space from process gas introduced therein. The plasma source comprises a dielectric window which interfaces with the processing chamber proximate the processing space and an inductive element positioned outside of the chamber and proximate the dielectric window. The inductive element is operable for coupling electrical energy through the dielectric window and into the processing space to create a plasma therein and comprises a variety of alternative designs for providing a dense, uniform plasma.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for preventing particle contamination in a plasma etch chamber equipped with a middle chamber by residual etchant gas is provided. In the apparatus, a bypass exhaust conduit is provided for connecting between a middle chamber cavity and a main chamber cavity such that when a pump means is turned on to evacuate the main chamber cavity, any residual etchant gas in the middle chamber cavity can be rapidly evacuated without the danger of causing metal corrosion in the middle chamber cavity. Any chamber contamination caused by the metal corrosion can thus be avoided.

Abstract: A high density plasma forming apparatus is configured to sputter material from a target unto a substrate. The apparatus comprises a process chamber, a target mounted within the process chamber, and a substrate mounted within the process chamber and configured to receive material sputtered from the target. The apparatus further includes a magnetic field generator by which the plasma may be directed unto the target, a side arm open to the process chamber, and a radio frequency antenna for forming a plasma in the side arm. The radio frequency antenna is a helical coil wound around the external surface of the side arm. In use, the plasma generated within the side arm enters the process chamber in a first direction and is deflected from an angle from the first direction within the process chamber.

Abstract: A process chamber used in the manufacture of a semiconductor device for etching a material layer on a semiconductor wafer includes an electrostatic chuck for holding the semiconductor wafer, and an annular edge ring which surrounds the side of the semiconductor wafer on the electrostatic chuck to prevent the semiconductor wafer from departing from its original position. The annular edge ring has a first side which faces the side of the semiconductor wafer and contacts firmly with the side of the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for the vacuum deposition of at least two different layers of thin film material onto a substrate by two different vacuum deposition processes. Also disclosed is a novel linear applicator for using microwave enhanced CVD to uniformly deposit a thin film of material over an elongated substrate.

Abstract: A gas shower unit has a function of preliminary heating reactant gas to be passed therethrough, and is thus capable of causing uniform reaction within a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and preventing through hole clogging and particle generation. The gas shower unit has a base material of 5 mm or less in thickness and includes a sintered aluminum nitride base material having a plurality of through holes and a heater circuit pattern or a plasma upper electrode as a conductive layer formed in the sintered aluminum nitride base material.

Abstract: A plurality of antennae generate a plasma in the chamber containing a workpiece, and the relative outputs of the antennae are varied as a detector detects a property or parameter of the resultant plasma or process. The relative outputs of the antennae are controlled in accordance with the property or parameter detected. The detector, which detects the property or parameter at or near the workpiece location, is a Langmuir probe which is shielded from the plasma by a semiconductor or insulating layer and is driven.