Workpiece processing chamber having a rotary microwave plasma antenna with slotted spiral waveguide

• US 10,685,812 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2018
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Stowell, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dhingra, Rakesh K
• Application Number:
  US15/907,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20180190472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 15634541, 118723 MW
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3222 Antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32229 Waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/22 Longitudinal slot in boundary wall of waveguide or transmission line H01Q13/203 takes precedence

Abstract

A microwave antenna includes a first spiral conduit having a first conduit end, first plural ports in a floor of the first spiral conduit spaced apart along the length of the first spiral conduit; an axial conduit coupled to a rotatable stage; and a distributor waveguide comprising an input coupled to the axial conduit and a first output coupled to the first conduit end.

Claims

1. A reactor for processing a workpiece comprising:

a chamber and a workpiece support surface in said chamber;

a rotary coupling comprising a stationary stage and a rotatable stage having an axis of rotation;

a microwave source coupled to said stationary stage;

a rotation actuator;

a microwave antenna coupled to said rotation actuator and overlying said chamber, said microwave antenna comprising;

a floor and a ceiling defining a planar region therebetween;

a first spiral wall extending between said floor and said ceiling and having a spiral axis corresponding to said axis of rotation, said first spiral wall defining a first spiral conduit that spirals radially inwardly making at least a revolution around said spiral axis in the planar region from a first conduit end to a second conduit end such that microwave energy fed into said first spiral conduit flows azimuthally in the planar region through the first spiral conduit;

first plural ports in said floor spaced apart along the length of said first spiral conduit;

a distributor waveguide positioned above the ceiling and comprising an input and a first output coupled to said first spiral conduit; and

an axial conduit coaxial with the axis of rotation, said axial conduit having a lower end coupled to the input of the distributor waveguide and an upper end coupled to said rotatable stage and configured to receive microwave energy from the microwave source through the rotary coupling while the rotation actuator causes the microwave antenna including the floor, ceiling, distributor waveguide and axial conduit to rotate.

2. The reactor of claim 1 wherein said microwave antenna further comprises:

a second spiral wall extending between said floor and said ceiling and aligned with said spiral axis, said second spiral wall defining a second spiral conduit having a second conduit end, said second spiral conduit spiraling radially inward from the second conduit end making at least a revolution around said spiral axis in the planar region such that microwave energy fed into the second spiral conduit flows azimuthally in the planar region through the second spiral conduit;

second plural ports in said floor spaced apart along the length of said second spiral conduit; and

wherein said distributor waveguide further comprises a second output coupled to said second conduit end.

3. The reactor of claim 2 wherein said distributor waveguide comprises:

a waveguide chamber overlying said microwave antenna and having respective openings aligned with respective ones of said first and second conduit ends; and

a first pair of reflective surfaces angled to deflect radiation in said waveguide chamber into said respective openings.

4. The reactor of claim 3 wherein said microwave antenna further comprises:

a second pair of reflective surfaces angled to deflect radiation from said respective openings to respective ones of said a first and second conduit ends.

5. The reactor of claim 4 wherein said second pair of reflective surfaces are oriented at 45 degrees relative to said spiral axis.

6. The reactor of claim 3 wherein said first pair of reflective surfaces are oriented at 45 degrees relative to said spiral axis.

7. The reactor of claim 3 wherein said first and second conduit ends are at a periphery of said microwave antenna, said distributor waveguide spanning a diameter of said microwave antenna.

8. The reactor of claim 7 wherein said respective openings are displaced from one another by 180 degrees along said periphery.

9. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the first output is coupled to the first spiral conduit at a position radially outward of the spiral axis.

10. A microwave antenna for a workpiece processing reactor, comprising:

a floor and a ceiling defining a planar region therebetween;

a plurality of spiral walls defining a plurality of spiral conduits and extending between said floor and said ceiling, wherein each spiral conduit of the plurality of spiral conduits spirals radially inward in the planar region about making at least a revolution around a spiral axis from a first conduit end to a second conduit end such that microwave energy fed into each spiral conduit flows azimuthally in the planar region;

plural ports in said floor spaced apart along the length of each spiral conduit;

an axial conduit that is coaxial with the spiral axis; and

a distributor waveguide positioned between the ceiling and the axial conduit and comprising an input located at the spiral axis and coupled to said axial conduit, a plurality of waveguide chamber portions extending linearly and radially outward from the input, and a plurality of outputs positioned at radially outward ends of the waveguide chamber portions, each respective output of the plurality of outputs coupled to a respective spiral conduit from the plurality of spiral conduits at a position radially outward of the spiral axis.

11. The antenna of claim 10 further comprising:

a rotary coupling comprising a stationary stage and a rotatable stage having an axis of rotation coinciding with said spiral axis;

a microwave source coupled to said stationary stage, said axial conduit coupled to said rotatable stage; and

a rotation actuator coupled to said rotatable stage.

12. The antenna of claim 10 wherein said distributor waveguide comprises:

a first pair of reflective surfaces angled to deflect radiation in said waveguide chamber into said respective outputs.

13. The antenna of claim 12 further comprising:

a second pair of reflective surfaces angled to deflect radiation from said respective outputs to respective ones of said first and second conduit ends.

14. The antenna of claim 13 wherein said second pair of reflective surfaces are oriented at 45 degrees relative to said spiral axis.

15. The antenna of claim 13 wherein said first and second conduit ends are one opposite sides of a periphery of said axial conduit.

16. The antenna of claim 15 wherein said respective outputs are displaced from one another by 180 degrees along said periphery.

17. The antenna of claim 12 wherein said first pair of reflective surfaces are oriented at 45 degrees relative to said spiral axis.

18. The antenna of claim 10, wherein each respective output of the plurality of outputs is coupled to the first conduit end of the respective spiral conduit.

19. A reactor comprising:

a workpiece processing chamber;

a first planar spiral waveguide conduit overlying said workpiece processing chamber and having a spiral axis and a first conduit end, said first planar spiral waveguide conduit spiraling radially inward from the first conduit end and making at least a revolution around said spiral axis such that microwave energy fed into the first spiral conduit flows azimuthally through the first spiral conduit;

first plural ports in said first spiral waveguide conduit facing said workpiece processing chamber and spaced apart along the length of said first spiral waveguide conduit;

an axial conduit configured to receive microwave energy; and

a distributor waveguide comprising an input coupled to output of said axial conduit and a first output coupled to said first conduit end of said first planar spiral waveguide.

20. The reactor of claim 19 further comprising:

a rotary coupling comprising a stationary stage and a rotatable stage having an axis of rotation coinciding with said spiral axis;

a microwave source coupled to said stationary stage, said axial conduit coupled to said rotatable stage; and

a rotation actuator coupled to said rotatable stage.

21. The reactor of claim 20 further comprising:

a second planar spiral waveguide conduit aligned with said spiral axis, said second spiral conduit having a second conduit end;

said second planar spiral waveguide conduit spiraling radially inwardly from the second conduit end and making at least one revolution about around said spiral axis such that microwave energy fed into the second spiral conduit flows azimuthally through the second spiral conduit;

second plural ports in said second spiral waveguide conduit spaced apart along the length of said second spiral conduit; and

wherein said distributor waveguide further comprises a second output coupled to said second conduit end.