Abstract: An ion shower comprises a plasma source operable to generate source gas ions within a chamber, and an extraction assembly associated with a top portion of the chamber. The extraction assembly is operable to extract ions from the top portion of the chamber. The ion shower further comprises a workpiece support structure associated with the top portion of the chamber that is operable to secure the workpiece having an implantation surface orientated facing downward toward the extraction assembly for implantation thereof. The ion shower of the present invention advantageously facilitates SIMOX processing with a high oxygen fraction, and uniform beam current for next generation processing.

Abstract: This invention includes a first filter (27) connected between a susceptor (21) and ground and having a variable impedance, a sensor (28) for detecting an electrical signal based on the state of a plasma (P) generated in a process chamber (11), and a control means (36) for controlling the impedance of the first filter (27) on the basis of a detection result output from the sensor (28). Thus, a preferable plasma distribution to match the object of the plasma process can be realized.

Abstract: An electron cyclotron resonance equipment generates plasma by application of a processing gas and microwave energy into a vacuum chamber having a wafer therein in an environment of reduced pressure. The equipment includes a horn antenna assembly mounted onto an uppermost end of the vacuum chamber for radiating the microwave energy supplied from a high-frequency generator into the vacuum chamber. The horn antenna enables extension and retraction in a lengthwise direction to change a flare angle of the horn antenna. The equipment is provided with a fixed antenna and a plurality of mobile antennas to configure a horn antenna assembly, thereby enabling control of the flare angle in the horn antenna as a result of displacement of the mobile antennas. Thus, the uniformity in radiation of the microwave energy within plasma chamber can be controlled with efficiency.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for treating an edge region of a wafer. A toroidal shaped plasma cavity has an inner diameter which is slightly less than the diameter of the wafer being treated so that only the edge region of the wafer extends into the toroidal plasma cavity. An inert gas is flowed across a front and back side of the wafer into the plasma cavity. A reactive gas is flowed directly into the plasma cavity. The gases exit the plasma cavity without flowing over the surface of the wafer.

Abstract: A plasma processing system for treating a substrate includes a processing chamber including a first chamber portion configured to receive a first gas for providing a plasma space, and a second chamber portion configured to receive a second gas for providing a process space having process chemistry to treat the substrate. A substrate holder is coupled to the second chamber portion of the processing chamber, and configured to support the substrate proximate the process space, and a plasma source is coupled to the first chamber portion of the processing chamber, and configured to form a plasma in the plasma space. A grid is located between the plasma space and the process space, and configured to permit the diffusion of the plasma between the plasma space and the process space in order to form the process chemistry from the process gas.

Abstract: A microwave-excited plasma processing apparatus shows a wide pressure range and a wide applicable electric power range for normal electric discharges as a result of using slits cut through a rectangular waveguide and having a profile that allows the electric field and the magnetic field of microwave to be formed uniformly right below the microwave introducing window below an microwave antenna. The microwave-excited plasma processing apparatus is characterized by having four elliptic slits cut through the wall of the rectangular waveguide that is held in contact with the microwave introducing window of the top wall of the vacuum chamber, the four elliptic slits being arranged respectively along the four sides of a substantial square.

Abstract: A wiring member which becomes substantially symmetrical on the plane of an electrostatic chuck unit is connected to the tip end of an RF introduction rod between the RF introduction rod and the electrostatic chuck unit in order to make uniform generation of an electric field due to bias RF which becomes a cause of plasma damage. The connection point between the electrostatic chuck unit and the wiring member may be single or plural.

Abstract: A housing assembly for an induction heating device defines a processing chamber and includes a susceptor and a thermally conductive liner. The susceptor surrounds at least a portion of the processing chamber. The thermally conductive liner is interposed between the susceptor and the processing chamber. The liner is separately formed form the susceptor. The liner is removable from the susceptor without requiring disassembly of the susceptor.

Abstract: A microwave plasma generator including field-enhancing electrodes consisting of opposed laminae (108,109) with a gap (110) between them orthogonal to the direction of propagation through the plasma generator of microwave radiation. Gas inlet (106) and outlet (107) ports are arranged so that a gaseous medium to be excited into the plasma state passes through the gap (110).

Abstract: A substrate handling system and method in which an air chuck produces a film of air between the substrate and the air chuck, a magnetic chuck attracts the substrate to the air chuck, and an actuator subsystem moves the magnetic chuck closer to and away from the air chuck to alternately pick up a substrate and release the substrate.

Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition apparatus is provided. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus includes a susceptor support base and a susceptor, and configured to rotate the susceptor with a rotary shaft, a gap as wide as about 1 mm or more is provided along the boundary between the support base and the perimeter of the susceptor to prevent Ga from forming bridges between the support base and the susceptor during growth of III-V compound semiconductors such as GaN, thereby preventing disturbance of rotation.

Abstract: A wafer processing device or apparatus, i.e., a heater or an electrostatic chuck, comprises a planar support platen, a support shaft having centrally located bore, and a pair of electrical conductors located in the shaft. In one embodiment, the electrical conductors are concentrically located within the bore of the shaft, with the first electrical lead being in the form of a pyrolytic graphite rod and separated from the outer second graphite electrical lead by means of a pyrolytic boron nitride (pBN) coating. In a second embodiment, the support platen and the support shaft are formed from a single unitary body of graphite. In yet another embodiment of the device of the invention, the connection posts comprise a carbon fiber composite and the exposed ends of the electrical connectors are coated with a protective ceramic paste for extended life in operations.

Abstract: A confinement assembly for a semiconductor processing chamber is provided. The confinement assembly includes a plurality of confinement rings disposed over each other. Each of the plurality of confinement rings are separated by a space and each of the plurality of confinement rings have a plurality of holes defined therein. A plunger extending through aligned holes of corresponding confinement rings is provided. The plunger is moveable in a plane substantially orthogonal to the confinement rings. A proportional adjustment support is affixed to the plunger. The proportional adjustment support is configured to support the confinement rings, such that as the plunger moves in the plane, the space separating each of the plurality of confinement rings is proportionally adjusted. In one embodiment the proportional adjustment support is a bellows sleeve. A semiconductor processing chamber and a method for confining a plasma in an etch chamber having a plurality of confinement rings are provided.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for cooling a plasma tube generally includes flowing a hydrocarbon dielectric heat transfer fluid into a space defined by the plasma tube and a concentric tube surrounding the plasma tube. In one embodiment, the hydrocarbon fluid is selected to have a dissipation factor less than 0.002 and a thermal efficiency coefficient greater than or equal to 1.30 kJ/kg*K.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a stationary supporting base for mounting a semiconductor wafer thereon, and a rotatable heating unit having a plurality of heating lamps located above the wafer. The stationary supporting base is fixed and the rotatable heating unit rotates horizontally on a rotating axis. Therefore, the uniformity of wafer heating can be improved, and the breakage or the warpage of the wafer can be prevented.

Abstract: A microwave plasma processing apparatus includes a processing vessel, a microwave generator, a waveguide guiding a microwave formed by the microwave generator, and a microwave emitting member emitting the microwave with wavelength compression by a retardation plate, wherein the waveguide has a single microwave output opening in a location corresponding to a central par of the microwave emitting member.

Abstract: A high density plasma generated by microwave injection using a windowless electrodeless rectangular slotted antenna waveguide plasma source has been demonstrated. Plasma probe measurements indicate that the source could be applicable for low power ion thruster applications, ion implantation, and related applications. This slotted antenna plasma source invention operates on the principle of electron cyclotron resonance (ECR). It employs no window and it is completely electrodeless and therefore its operation lifetime is long, being limited only by either the microwave generator itself or charged particle extraction grids if used. The high density plasma source can also be used to extract an electron beam that can be used as a plasma cathode neutralizer for ion source beam neutralization applications.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a table (22) on which a processing target (W) is to be placed, a processing vessel (11) where the table is to be accommodated, and a power feed unit (40) for supplying a high-frequency electromagnetic field (F) into the processing vessel. The power supply unit includes at least a cylindrical waveguide (41) for introducing the high-frequency electromagnetic field, and a circular polarization antenna (51) arranged at one end of the cylindrical waveguide to supply the high-frequency electromagnetic field as a rotating electromagnetic field rotating in a plane perpendicular to its traveling direction. Accordingly, there is no need of providing a circular polarization converter for converting the high-frequency electromagnetic field in the cylindrical waveguide into the rotating electromagnetic field.

Abstract: A plasma apparatus includes a container (11) having an opening, a dielectric member (13) supported by an end surface of an outer periphery of the opening of the container (11), an electromagnetic field supplying means for supplying an electromagnetic field into the container (11) through the dielectric member (13), and a shield member (12) covering the outer periphery of the dielectric member (13) and shielding the electromagnetic field. A distance L1 from an inner surface of the container (11) to an inner surface of the shield member (12) at an end surface of the container (11) is approximately N/2 (N is an integer not smaller than 0) times the wavelength of the electromagnetic field in an area (18) surrounded by the end surface of the container (11), the electromagnetic field supplying means and the shield member (12).

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes an apparatus for applying bias powers to a substrate to be processed and a material adjacent to the substrate, an apparatus for adjusting a feeding impedance for the bias power applied to the material, and an apparatus for adjusting feeding impedances for the bias powers to a plurality of positions on the substrate so as to make electrons projected to the substrate from the plasma uniform within a surface of the substrate.