Abstract: The temperature of a plasma chamber of a semiconductor fabrication tool is maintained substantially constant utilizing a variety of techniques, separately or in combination. One technique is to provide the exterior surface of the plasma chamber dome with a plurality of fins projecting into high velocity regions of an overlying airflow in order to dissipate heat from the chamber. Ducting defined by cover overlying the exposed exterior surface of the dome may also feature projecting lips or an airfoil to place high velocity components of the airflow into contact within the exterior dome surface and the fins. Other techniques include employing a high speed fan to control airflow circulation, and the use of temperature sensors in communication the fan through a processor to control fan speed and thereby regulate chamber temperature.

Abstract: A toroidal plasma source (28) within a substrate processing chamber (10). The toroidal plasma source forms a poloidal plasma with theta symmetry. The poloidal plasma current is essentially parallel to a surface of the plasma generating structure, thus reducing sputtering erosion of the inner walls. The plasma current is similarly essentially parallel to a process surface (32) of a substrate (34) within the chamber. In a further embodiment, a shaped member (66) between the substrate and the plasma source controls the plasma density in a selected fashion to enhance plasma processing uniformity.

Abstract: A plasma in a vacuum chamber where a workpiece is processed is bounded by a plasma confinement volume including a region between a first electrode simultaneously responsive to power at first and second RF frequencies and a DC grounded second electrode. A DC grounded extension is substantially aligned with the first electrode. A substantial percentage of power at the first frequency is coupled to a path including the first and second electrodes but not the extension while a substantial percentage of power at the second frequency is coupled to a path including the first electrodes and extension, but not the second electrode. Changing the relative powers at the first and second frequencies, as applied to the first electrode, controls DC bias voltage of the first electrode.

Abstract: The present invention includes a system and method for confining plasma within a plasma processing chamber. The plasma processing apparatus comprises a first electrode, a power generator, a second electrode, at least one confinement ring, and a ground extension surrounding the first electrode. The first electrode is configured to receive a workpiece and has an associated first electrode area. The power generator is operatively coupled to the first electrode, and the power generator is configured to generate RF power that is communicated to the first electrode. The second electrode is disposed at a distance from the first electrode. The second electrode is configured to provide a complete electrical circuit for RF power communicated from the first electrode. Additionally, the second electrode has a second electrode area that is greater than the first electrode area. At least one confinement ring is configured to assist confine the plasma.

Abstract: A method of cleaning a semiconductor processing chamber uses as a cleaning gas precursor an iodine fluoride such as IF5 and IF7. Reactive species are generated from the precursor with help of plasma. These reactive species are further used to clean the processing chamber.

Abstract: An RF plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer in a reactor chamber with a multi-radius dome-shaped ceiling and a gas inlet for supplying a process gas into the chamber includes an overhead RF signal applicator near the ceiling for applying an RF signal into the chamber through the ceiling to maintain a plasma of the process gas in the chamber, the plasma having a radial ion density distribution near the plane of the pedestal which is center-high for a greater height of the ceiling above the pedestal and is center-low for a lesser height, the height of the ceiling being intermediate the greater and lesser heights such that the radial ion density distribution is neither center-high nor center-low.

Abstract: A toroidal plasma source (28) within a substrate processing chamber (10). The toroidal plasma source forms a poloidal plasma with theta symmetry. The poloidal plasma current is essentially parallel to a surface of the plasma generating structure, thus reducing sputtering erosion of the inner walls. The plasma current is similarly essentially parallel to a process surface (32) of a substrate (34) within the chamber. In a further embodiment, a shaped member (66) between the substrate and the plasma source controls the plasma density in a selected fashion to enhance plasma processing uniformity.

Abstract: The present invention provides a plasma reactor having a plasma source chamber capable of generating a high density plasma typically utilizing a helicon wave. The plasma is delivered to a process chamber having a workpiece. The present invention may provide a plurality of magnets, each being located longitudinally around an axis perpendicular to the plane of the workpiece to form a magnetic bucket that extends the length of the side wall of the processing chamber and across a workpiece insertion opening and a vacuum pump opening. The magnetic bucket of the present invention may be formed so that the pedestal need not be raised to be within the bucket, or may be formed by permanent magnets oriented with one pole of each magnet facing the interior of the processing chamber, or with opposite poles of adjacent magnets facing each other, thereby forming cusps around the axis perpendicular to the plane of the workpiece. Current carrying conductors may generate all or part of the magnetic bucket.

Abstract: A toroidal plasma source (28) within a substrate processing chamber (10). The toroidal plasma source forms a poloidal plasma with theta symmetry. The poloidal plasma current is essentially parallel to a surface of the plasma generating structure, thus reducing sputtering erosion of the inner walls. The plasma current is similarly essentially parallel to a process surface (32) of a substrate (34) within the chamber. In a further embodiment, a shaped member (66) between the substrate and the plasma source controls the plasma density in a selected fashion to enhance plasma processing uniformity.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method, for plasma assisted processing of a workpiece, which provides for separate control of species density within a processing plasma. The present invention has a processing chamber and at least one collateral chamber. The collateral chamber is capable of generating a collateral plasma and delivering it to the processing chamber. To control the densities of the particle species within the processing chamber the present invention may have: a filter interposed between the collateral chamber and the processing chamber, primary chamber source power, several collateral chambers providing separate inputs to the processing chamber, or combinations thereof. Collateral plasma may be: filtered, combined with primary chamber generated plasma, combined with another collateral plasma, or combinations thereof to separately control the densities of the species comprising the processing plasma.

Abstract: An RF plasma etch reactor having an etch chamber with electrically conductive walls and a protective layer forming the portion of the walls facing the interior of the chamber. The protective layer prevents sputtering of material from the chamber walls by a plasma formed within the chamber. The etch reactor also has an inductive coil antenna disposed within the etch chamber which is used to generate the plasma by inductive coupling. Like the chamber walls, the inductive coil antenna is constructed to prevent sputtering of the material making up the antenna by the plasma. The coil antenna can take on any configuration (e.g. location, shape, orientation) that is necessary to achieve a desired power deposition pattern within the chamber. Examples of potential coil antenna configurations for achieving the desired power deposition pattern include constructing the coil antenna with a unitary or a segmented structure.

Abstract: An RF plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer in a reactor chamber with a multi-radius dome-shaped ceiling and a gas inlet for supplying a process gas into the chamber includes an overhead RF signal applicator near the ceiling for applying an RF signal into the chamber through the ceiling to maintain a plasma of the process gas in the chamber, the plasma having a radial ion density distribution near the plane of the pedestal which is center-high for a greater height of the ceiling above the pedestal and is center-low for a lesser height, the height of the ceiling being intermediate the greater and lesser heights such that the radial ion density distribution is neither center-high nor center-low.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for processing a workpiece in an inductively coupled plasma reactor. Inductive power is applied to the reactor to generate a plasma. A magnetic field is generated within the plasma reactor having lines of force oriented perpendicular to the workpiece surface. It is a feature of the invention to control the electron temperature near the surface of the workpiece by controlling the applied magnetic field. It is a further feature to increase average ion density near the workpiece without otherwise causing damage to the workpiece due to uneven charge build-up. The applied magnetic field can be time invariant or time variant. In both cases processing can be optimized by adjusting the magnitude of the magnetic field to a level just below where damage due to uneven charge build-up occurs. With the time variant field, the average ion density can be adjusted with respect to average electron temperature.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for processing a workpiece in an inductively coupled plasma reactor. Inductive power is applied to the reactor to generate a plasma. A magnetic field is generated within the plasma reactor having lines of force oriented perpendicular to the workpiece surface. It is a feature of the invention to control the electron temperature near the surface of the workpiece by controlling the applied magnetic field. It is a further feature to increase average ion density near the workpiece without otherwise causing damage to the workpiece due to uneven charge build-up. The applied magnetic field can be time invariant or time variant. In both cases, processing can be optimized by adjusting the magnitude of the magnetic field to a level just below where damage due to uneven charge build-up occurs. With the time variant field, the average ion density can be adjusted with respect to average electron temperature.

Abstract: An RF plasma etch reactor having an etch chamber with electrically conductive walls and a protective layer forming the portion of the walls facing the interior of the chamber. The protective layer prevents sputtering of material from the chamber walls by a plasma formed within the chamber. The etch reactor also has an inductive coil antenna disposed within the etch chamber which is used to generate the plasma by inductive coupling. Like the chamber walls, the inductive coil antenna is constructed to prevent sputtering of the material making up the antenna by the plasma. The coil antenna can take on any configuration (e.g. location, shape, orientation) that is necessary to achieve a desired power deposition pattern within the chamber. Examples of potential coil antenna configurations for achieving the desired power deposition pattern include constructing the coil antenna with a unitary or a segmented structure.

Abstract: The invention is carried out in a plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer, the plasma reactor having a chamber for containing a processing gas and having a conductor connected to an RF power source for coupling RF power into the reactor chamber to generate from the processing gas a plasma inside the chamber, the chamber containing at least one surface exposed toward the plasma and susceptible to contamination by particles produced during processing of the wafer, the invention being carried out by promoting, during processing of the wafer, bombarding of particles from the plasma onto the one surface to remove therefrom contaminants deposited during processing of the wafer. Such promoting of bombarding is carried out by providing an RF power supply and coupling, during processing of the wafer, RF power from the supply to the one surface. The coupling may be performed by a capacitive cleaning electrode adjacent the one surface, the capacitive cleaning electrode connected to the RF power supply.

Abstract: Apparatus for measuring plasma characteristics within a semiconductor wafer processing system and a method of fabricating and using the apparatus. The apparatus contains a first insulator layer upon which one or more conductive collector pads are formed by patterning and etching a copper laminate. Each collector pad is connected to a conductive lead (e.g., a printed circuit trace) that extends from each collector pad to the edge of the first insulator layer. A second insulator layer is positioned above the first insulator layer such that the collector pad(s) and their respective lead(s) are sandwiched between the two insulator layers. An adhesive is used to affix the second insulator to the first insulator and the collector pads. The collector pads are exposed to the plasma through apertures defined by the second insulator layer.

Abstract: An inductively coupled RF plasma reactor for processing semiconductor wafer includes a reactor chamber having a side wall and a ceiling, a wafer pedestal for supporting the wafer in the chamber, an RF power source, apparatus for introducing a processing gas into the reactor chamber, and a coil inductor adjacent the reactor chamber connected to the RF power source, the coil inductor including (a) a side section facing a portion of the side wall and including a bottom winding and a top winding, the top winding being at a height corresponding at least approximately to a top height of the ceiling, and (b) a top section extending radially inwardly from the top winding of the side section so as to overlie at least a substantial portion of the ceiling.

Abstract: An ion energy analyzer having a micro-channel plate where the geometric filtering characteristics of the micro-channel plate are electrically controlled. The ion energy analyzer contains a metallic collector, a control grid and a micro-channel plate, all formed into a cylindrical stack where the collector, control grid and micro-channel plate are separated by ceramic insulating washers. A control element is formed within each aperture of the micro-channel plate for controlling a critical angle of each aperture. A voltage is applied to the control element such that an electric field is generated within each micro-channel. By varying the magnitude of the electric field, the critical angle of the micro-channel plate can be electrically controlled, and as such, certain ion trajectories can be selected for entry into the ion energy analyzer.