Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a substrate includes a process chamber having an internal processing volume disposed beneath a dielectric lid of the process chamber; a substrate support disposed in the process chamber and having a support surface to support a substrate; an inductive coil disposed above the dielectric lid to inductively couple RF energy into the internal processing volume to form a plasma above the substrate support; and a first inductive applicator ring coupled to a lift mechanism to position the first inductive applicator ring within the internal processing volume.

Abstract: A plasma reactor has an overhead inductively coupled plasma source with two coil antennas and symmetric and radial RF feeds and cylindrical RF shielding around the symmetric and radial RF feeds. The radial RF feeds are symmetrically fed to the plasma source.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for generating a variable clock used to control a component of a substrate processing system are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for controlling a substrate processing system includes: a phase locked loop circuit for generating a relative clock that is phase locked to a variable frequency signal being used by a substrate processing chamber; and a controller, coupled to the phase locked loop circuit, for producing a control signal for a component of the substrate processing system, wherein the control signal is based upon the relative clock and an operating indicia of the substrate processing system.

Abstract: A plasma reactor has an overhead multiple coil inductive plasma source with RF feeds arranged in equilateral symmetry.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system that includes a platen, a feed material delivery system configured to deliver feed material to a location on the platen specified by a computer aided design program and a heat source configured to raise a temperature of the feed material simultaneously across all of the layer or across a region that extends across a width of the platen and scans the region across a length of the platen. The heat source can be an array of heat lamps, or a plasma source.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and an apparatus for controlling and modifying line width roughness (LWR) of a photoresist layer with enhanced electron spinning control. In one embodiment, an apparatus for controlling a line width roughness of a photoresist layer disposed on a substrate includes a processing chamber having a chamber body having a top wall, side wall and a bottom wall defining an interior processing region, a support pedestal disposed in the interior processing region of the processing chamber, and a plasma generator source disposed in the processing chamber operable to provide predominantly an electron beam source to the interior processing region.

Abstract: The disclosure pertains to a capacitively coupled plasma source in which VHF power is applied through an impedance-matching coaxial resonator having a symmetrical power distribution.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns a method of operating a plasma reactor having an electron beam plasma source for independently adjusting electron beam energy, plasma ion energy and radical population. The disclosure further concerns an electron beam source for a plasma reactor having an RF-driven electrode for producing the electron beam.

Abstract: A plasma reactor enclosure has a metallic portion and a dielectric portion of plural dielectric windows supported on the metallic portion, each of the dielectric windows extending around an axis of symmetry. Plural concentric coil antennas are disposed on an external side of the enclosure, respective ones of the coil antennas facing respective ones of the dielectric windows.

Abstract: A plasma reactor has an overhead inductively coupled plasma source with two coil antennas and symmetric and radial RF feeds and cylindrical RF shielding around the symmetric and radial RF feeds. The radial RF feeds are symmetrically fed to the plasma source.

Abstract: Methods for forming a diamond like carbon layer with desired film density, mechanical strength and optical film properties are provided. In one embodiment, a method of forming a diamond like carbon layer includes generating an electron beam plasma above a surface of a substrate disposed in a processing chamber, and forming a diamond like carbon layer on the surface of the substrate. The diamond like carbon layer is formed by an electron beam plasma process, wherein the diamond like carbon layer serves as a hardmask layer in an etching process in semiconductor applications. The diamond like carbon layer may be formed by bombarding a carbon containing electrode disposed in a processing chamber to generate a secondary electron beam in a gas mixture containing carbon to a surface of a substrate disposed in the processing chamber, and forming a diamond like carbon layer on the surface of the substrate from elements of the gas mixture.

Abstract: Embodiments include devices and methods for detecting particles, monitoring etch or deposition rates, or controlling an operation of a wafer fabrication process. In an embodiment, a particle monitoring device for particle detection includes several capacitive micro sensors mounted on a wafer substrate to detect particles under all pressure regimes, e.g., under vacuum conditions. In an embodiment, one or more capacitive micro sensors is mounted on a wafer processing tool to measure material deposition and removal rates in real-time during the wafer fabrication process. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: A gas distribution plate assembly for a processing chamber is provided that in one embodiment includes a body made of a metallic material, a base plate comprising a silicon infiltrated metal matrix composite coupled to the body, and a perforated faceplate comprising a silicon disk coupled to the base plate by a bond layer.

Abstract: An electrostatic chuck is described that has radio frequency coupling suitable for use in high power plasma environments. In some examples, the chuck includes a base plate, a top plate, a first electrode in the top plate proximate the top surface of the top plate to electrostatically grip a workpiece, and a second electrode in the top plate spaced apart from the first electrode, the first and second electrodes being coupled to a power supply to electrostatically charge the first electrode.

Abstract: An electrostatic chuck is described to carry a workpiece for processing such as high power plasma processing. In embodiments, the chuck includes a top plate to carry the workpiece, the top plate having an electrode to grip the workpiece, a cooling plate under the top plate to cool the top plate, a gas hole through the cooling plate and the top plate to feed a gas to the workpiece through the top plate, and an aperture-reducing plug in the cooling plate gas hole to conduct gas flow through the hole.

Abstract: A workpiece carrier suitable for high power processes is described. It may include a puck to carry the workpiece, a plate bonded to the puck by an adhesive, a mounting ring surrounding the puck and the cooling plate, and a gasket between the mounting ring and the plate, the gasket configured to protect the adhesive.

Abstract: A plasma reactor has an overhead multiple coil inductive plasma source with symmetric RF feeds and a symmetrical chamber exhaust with plural struts through the exhaust region providing access to a confined workpiece support. A grid may be included for masking spatial effects of the struts from the processing region.

Abstract: A workpiece carrier suitable for high power processes is described. It may include a top plate to support a workpiece, a lift pin to lift a workpiece from a top plate, a lift pin hole through the top plate to contain the lift pin, and a connector to the lift pin hole to connect to a source of gas under pressure to deliver a cooling gas, for example helium, to the back side of the workpiece.

Abstract: A plasma reactor enclosure has a metallic portion and a dielectric portion of plural dielectric windows supported on the metallic portion, each of the dielectric windows extending around an axis of symmetry. Plural concentric coil antennas are disposed on an external side of the enclosure, respective ones of the coil antennas facing respective ones of the dielectric windows.

Abstract: The disclosure pertains to a capacitively coupled plasma source in which VHF power is applied through an impedance-matching coaxial resonator having a symmetrical power distribution.