Abstract: A processing tool for a plasma process includes a chamber body that has an interior space that provides a plasma chamber and that has a ceiling and an opening on a side opposite the ceiling, a workpiece support to hold a workpiece such that at least a portion of a front surface of the workpiece faces the opening, an actuator to generate relative motion between the chamber body and the workpiece support such that the opening moves laterally across the workpiece, a gas distributor to deliver a processing gas to the plasma chamber, an electrode assembly comprising a plurality of coplanar filaments extending laterally through the plasma chamber between the workpiece support and the ceiling, each of the plurality of filaments including a conductor, and a first RF power source to supply a first RF power to the conductors of the electrode assembly to form a plasma.

Abstract: A plasma reactor includes a chamber body having an interior space that provides a plasma chamber, a gas distributor, a pump coupled to the plasma chamber, a workpiece support to hold a workpiece, an intra-chamber electrode assembly comprising a plurality of filaments extending laterally through the plasma chamber, each filament including a conductor surrounded by a cylindrical insulating shell, the plurality of filaments including a first multiplicity of filaments and a second multiplicity of filaments arranged in an alternating pattern with the first multiplicity of filaments, a first bus coupled to the first multiplicity of filaments and a second bus coupled to the second multiplicity of filaments, an RF power source to apply RF signal the intra-chamber electrode assembly, and at least one RF switch configured to controllably electrically couple and decouple the first bus from one of i) ground, ii) the RF power source, or iii) the second bus.

Abstract: A plasma reactor includes a chamber body having an interior space that provides a plasma chamber, a gas distributor to deliver a processing gas to the plasma chamber, a workpiece support to hold a workpiece, an electrode assembly comprising a plurality of conductors spaced apart from and extending laterally across the workpiece support in a parallel coplanar array, a first RF power source to supply a first RF power to the electrode assembly, and a dielectric bottom plate between the electrode assembly and the workpiece support, the dielectric bottom plate providing an RF window between the electrode assembly and the plasma chamber.

Abstract: Implementations described herein provide a substrate support assembly which enables tuning of a plasma within a plasma chamber. In one embodiment, a method for tuning a plasma in a chamber is provided. The method includes providing a first radio frequency power and a direct current power to a first electrode in a substrate support assembly, providing a second radio frequency power to a second electrode in the substrate support assembly at a different location than the first electrode, monitoring parameters of the first and second radio frequency power, and adjusting one or both of the first and second radio frequency power based on the monitored parameters.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to compositions including a yttrium-based fluoride crystal phase, or a yttrium-based oxyfluoride crystal base, or an oxyfluoride amorphous phase, or a combination of those materials. The compositions may be used to form a solid substrate for use as a semiconductor processing apparatus, or the compositions may be used to form a coating which is present upon a surface of substrates having a melting point which is higher than about 1600°, substrates such as aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, quartz, silicon carbide and silicon nitride, by way of example.

Abstract: Implementations described herein provide a substrate support assembly which enables tuning of a plasma within a plasma chamber. In one embodiment, a method for tuning a plasma in a chamber is provided. The method includes providing a first radio frequency power and a direct current power to a first electrode in a substrate support assembly, providing a second radio frequency power to a second electrode in the substrate support assembly at a different location than the first electrode, monitoring parameters of the first and second radio frequency power, and adjusting one or both of the first and second radio frequency power based on the monitored parameters.

Abstract: A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece includes a reactor chamber having a ceiling and a sidewall and a workpiece support facing the ceiling and defining a processing region, and a pair of concentric independently excited RF coil antennas overlying the ceiling and a side RF coil concentric with the side wall and facing the side wall below the ceiling, and being excited independently.

Abstract: A plasma reactor includes a chamber body having an interior space that provides a plasma chamber and having a ceiling, a gas distributor to deliver a processing gas to the plasma chamber, a pump coupled to the plasma chamber to evacuate the chamber, a workpiece support to hold a workpiece, and an intra-chamber electrode assembly. The intra-chamber electrode assembly includes an insulating frame, a first plurality of coplanar filaments that extend laterally through the plasma chamber between the ceiling and the workpiece support along a first direction, and a second plurality of coplanar filaments that extend in parallel through the plasma chamber along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Each filament of the first and second plurality of filaments includes a conductor at least partially surrounded by an insulating shell. A first RF power source supplies a first RF power to the conductor of the intra-chamber electrode assembly.

Abstract: A plasma reactor includes a chamber body having an interior space that provides a plasma chamber, a gas distributor to deliver a processing gas to the plasma chamber, a pump coupled to the plasma chamber to evacuate the chamber, a workpiece support to hold a workpiece, and an intra-chamber electrode assembly including a plurality of filaments extending laterally through the plasma chamber between a ceiling of the plasma chamber and the workpiece support. At least one bus is electrically connected to a conductor of each filament. An RF power source is configured to apply a first RF signal of a first frequency to the plurality of filaments at a first location on at least one bus, and to apply a second RF signal of different second frequency to the plurality of filaments at a different second location on the at least one bus.

Abstract: A plasma reactor includes a chamber body having an interior space that provides a plasma chamber and having a ceiling, a gas distributor to deliver a processing gas to the plasma chamber, a pump coupled to the plasma chamber to evacuate the chamber, a workpiece support to hold a workpiece facing the ceiling, an intra-chamber electrode assembly that includes an insulating frame and a filament extending laterally through the plasma chamber between the ceiling and the workpiece support, the filament including a conductor at least partially surrounded by an insulating shell that extends from the insulating frame, and a first RF power source to supply a first RF power to the conductor of the intra-chamber electrode assembly.

Abstract: A plasma reactor includes a chamber body having an interior space that provides a plasma chamber, a gas distributor to deliver a processing gas to the plasma chamber, a pump coupled to the plasma chamber to evacuate the chamber, a workpiece support to hold a workpiece, and an intra-chamber electrode assembly that includes a plurality of filaments extending laterally through the plasma chamber between a ceiling of the plasma chamber and the workpiece support. Each filament including a conductor surrounded by a cylindrical insulating shell. The plurality of filaments includes a first multiplicity of filaments and a second multiplicity of filaments arranged in an alternating pattern with the first multiplicity of filaments. An RF power source is configured to apply a first RF input signal to the first multiplicity of filaments.

Abstract: A plasma reactor includes a chamber body having an interior space that provides a plasma chamber, a gas distributor to deliver a processing gas to the plasma chamber, a pump coupled to the plasma chamber to evacuate the chamber, a workpiece support to hold a workpiece, an intra-chamber electrode assembly including a plurality of filaments extending laterally through the plasma chamber between a ceiling of the plasma chamber and the workpiece support, each filament including a conductor surrounded by a cylindrical insulating shell, and an RF power source configured to apply a first RF signal to at least some of the plurality of filaments, to apply a second RF signal of equal frequency to at least some of the plurality of filaments, and to modulate a phase offset between the first RF signal and the second RF signal.

Abstract: An electron beam plasma reactor includes a plasma chamber having a side wall, an upper electrode, a workpiece support to hold a workpiece facing the upper electrode with the workpiece on the support having a clear view of the upper electrode, a first RF power source coupled to said upper electrode, a gas supply, a vacuum pump coupled to the chamber to evacuate the chamber, and a controller. The controller is configured to operate the first RF power source to apply an RF power to upper electrode, and to operate the gas distributor and vacuum pump, so as to create a plasma in an upper portion of the chamber that generates an electron beam from the upper electrode toward the workpiece and a lower electron-temperature plasma in a lower portion of the chamber including the workpiece.

Abstract: A method of forming a layer of diamond-like carbon on a workpiece includes supporting the workpiece in a chamber with the workpiece facing an upper electrode, and forming a plurality of successive sublayers to form the layer of layer of diamond-like carbon by alternating between depositing a sublayer of diamond-like carbon on the workpiece in the chamber and treating the sublayer with a plasma of the inert gas or an electron beam from the upper electrode.

Abstract: A method of performing deposition of diamond-like carbon on a workpiece in a chamber includes supporting the workpiece in the chamber facing an upper electrode suspended from a ceiling of the chamber, introducing a hydrocarbon gas into the chamber, and applying first RF power at a first frequency to the upper electrode that generates a plasma in the chamber and produces a deposition of diamond-like carbon on the workpiece. Applying the RF power generates an electron beam from the upper electrode toward the workpiece to enhance ionization of the hydrocarbon gas.

Abstract: A reactor with an overhead electron beam source is capable of generating an ion-ion plasma for performing an atomic layer etch process.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to compositions including a yttrium-based fluoride crystal phase, or a yttrium-based oxyfluoride crystal phase, or an oxyfluoride amorphous phase, or a combination of these materials. The compositions may be used to form a solid substrate for use as a semiconductor processing apparatus, or the compositions may be used to form a coating which is present upon a surface of substrates having a melting point which is higher than about 1600°, substrates such as aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, quartz, silicon carbide and silicon nitride, by way of example.

Abstract: A plasma reactor includes a window assembly, inner, middle and outer coil antennas adjacent the window assembly, inner, middle and outer current distributors respectively coupled to the inner, middle and outer coil antennas, a ceiling plate overlying the window assembly, first, second and third RF power terminals, and first, second and third axial RF power feeds connected between respective ones of the first, second and third RF power terminals and respective ones of the inner, middle and outer current distributors. The third axial RF power feed includes an outer RF power distribution cylinder surrounding the first and second RF axial power feeds. Plural spaced-apart reactance elements are electrically connected to the outer RF power distribution cylinder.

Abstract: A plasma reactor includes inner, middle and outer current distributors to carry RF power to be supplied to a plasma in the processing region, and a plurality of RF power feeds connected between a plurality of RF power terminals and the inner, middle and outer current distributors. The current distributors are successive concentric axially symmetric hollow bodies. The plurality of current feeds include a middle RF power feed that includes an axial upper portion connected to one of the plurality of RF power terminals, a plurality of arms extending radially outwardly from the axial upper portion, and a plurality of axially extending RF connection rods extending from outer ends of the plurality of arms to the middle current distributor.

Abstract: A solid solution-comprising ceramic article useful in semiconductor processing, which article may be in the form of a solid, bulk ceramic, or may be in the form of a substrate having a ceramic coating of the same composition as the bulk ceramic material on at least one outer surface. The ceramic article is resistant to erosion by halogen-containing plasmas and provides advantageous mechanical properties. The solid solution-comprising ceramic article is formed from a combination of yttrium oxide and zirconium oxide. The ceramic-comprising article includes ceramic which is formed from zirconium oxide at a molar concentration ranging from about 96 mole % to about 91 mole %, and yttrium oxide at a molar concentration ranging from about 4 mole % to about 9 mole %.