Method of controlling ion energy distribution using a pulse generator with a current-return output stage
First Claim
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1. A processing chamber, comprising:
- a substrate support assembly comprising a biasing electrode and a substrate supporting surface, whereinthe biasing electrode is separated from the substrate supporting surface by a layer of a dielectric material, wherein the layer has a thickness of between about 0.1 mm and about 1 mm; and
a bias generator that is electrically coupled to a generator end of an electrical conductor using a generator coupling assembly, and an electrode end of the electrical conductor is electrically coupled to the biasing electrode using an electrode coupling assembly,wherein the bias generator is configured to establish a pulsed voltage waveform at the biasing electrode, and comprises;
a pulse generator that is electrically coupled to the generator end of the electrical conductor; and
a current-return output stage, whereina first end of the current-return output stage is electrically coupled to the electrical conductor, anda second end of the current-return output stage is electrically coupled to ground.
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Abstract
Embodiments of this disclosure describe an electrode biasing scheme that enables maintaining a nearly constant sheath voltage and thus creating a mono-energetic IEDF at the surface of the substrate that consequently enables a precise control over the shape of IEDF and the profile of the features formed in the surface of the substrate.
202 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A processing chamber, comprising:
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a substrate support assembly comprising a biasing electrode and a substrate supporting surface, wherein the biasing electrode is separated from the substrate supporting surface by a layer of a dielectric material, wherein the layer has a thickness of between about 0.1 mm and about 1 mm; and a bias generator that is electrically coupled to a generator end of an electrical conductor using a generator coupling assembly, and an electrode end of the electrical conductor is electrically coupled to the biasing electrode using an electrode coupling assembly, wherein the bias generator is configured to establish a pulsed voltage waveform at the biasing electrode, and comprises; a pulse generator that is electrically coupled to the generator end of the electrical conductor; and a current-return output stage, wherein a first end of the current-return output stage is electrically coupled to the electrical conductor, and a second end of the current-return output stage is electrically coupled to ground. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of processing of a substrate, comprising:
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generating a plasma over a surface of a substrate disposed on a substrate supporting surface of a substrate support assembly; and biasing a biasing electrode disposed within the substrate support assembly using a bias generator that is electrically coupled to a generator end of an electrical conductor using a generator coupling assembly, and a second end of the electrical conductor is electrically coupled to the biasing electrode using an electrode coupling assembly, wherein; the biasing electrode is separated from the substrate supporting surface by a layer of the dielectric material, wherein the layer has a thickness of between about 0.1 mm and about 1 mm; the bias generator is configured to establish a pulsed voltage waveform at the biasing electrode, and the pulsed voltage waveform comprises a series of repeating cycles, a waveform within each cycle of the series of repeating cycles has a first portion that occurs during a first time interval and a second portion that occurs during a second time interval, a positive voltage pulse is only present during the first time interval, and the bias generator comprises; a pulse generator that is electrically coupled to the generator end of the electrical conductor; and a current-return output stage, wherein a first end of the current-return output stage is electrically coupled to the electrical conductor, and a second end of the current-return output stage is electrically coupled to ground, and wherein a current flows from the biasing electrode to ground through the current-return output stage during at least a portion of the second time interval. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification