Method of and apparatus for tunable gas injection in a plasma processing system
First Claim
1. A gas injection manifold apparatus for adjustably controlling the flow of gas into a vacuum chamber, comprising a plurality of adjustable nozzle units arranged in the chamber, wherein each nozzle unit has a through bore and comprises a translatable nozzle plug movably arranged within the through bore so as to alter the flow of gas through the bore and into the chamber when said nozzle plug is translated within said through bore.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of and apparatus for providing tunable gas injection in a plasma processing system (10, 10′). The apparatus includes a gas injection manifold (50) having a pressurizable plenum (150) and an array of adjustable nozzle units (250), or an array of non-adjustable nozzles (502, 602), through which gas from the plenum can flow into the interior region (40) of a plasma reactor chamber (14) capable of containing a plasma (41). The adjustable nozzle units include a nozzle plug (160) arranged within a nozzle bore (166). A variety of different nozzle units are disclosed. The nozzle plugs are axially translatable to adjust the flow of gas therethrough. In one embodiment, the nozzle plugs are attached to a plug plate (154), which is displacable relative to an injection plate (124) via displacement actuators (170) connecting the two plates. The displacement actuators are controlled by a displacement actuator control unit (180), which is in electronic communication with a plasma processing system control unit (80). The gas flow into the chamber interior region is preferably controlled by monitoring the pressure in the plenum and in the chamber and adjusting the nozzle units accordingly. Where the nozzle units are not adjustable, a portion of the nozzles are sized to a first flow condition, and another portion of the nozzles are sized to a second flow condition.
710 Citations
70 Claims
- 1. A gas injection manifold apparatus for adjustably controlling the flow of gas into a vacuum chamber, comprising a plurality of adjustable nozzle units arranged in the chamber, wherein each nozzle unit has a through bore and comprises a translatable nozzle plug movably arranged within the through bore so as to alter the flow of gas through the bore and into the chamber when said nozzle plug is translated within said through bore.
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50. A gas injection manifold apparatus for controlling the sonic flow of a gas in a vacuum chamber of a plasma processing apparatus, comprising:
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a) a backplate with one or more through apertures formed therein, having an upper surface, a lower surface and first and second ends;
b) a nozzle array plate having first and second ends and arranged adjacent said backplate and connected thereto at respective first and second ends via connecting members, said connecting members, said nozzle array plate and said backplate defining a pressurizable plenum; and
c) a plurality of nozzles formed in said nozzle array plate, each of said nozzles having a bore with an inner wall, a gas entrance region, a gas exit region, and a throat located substantially between said gas entrance and gas exit regions. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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61. A method of processing a wafer in a plasma reactor system, comprising the steps of:
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a) placing a wafer within a plasma reactor chamber;
b) pumping down the chamber;
c) creating a plasma within the plasma chamber; and
d) flowing a gas at sonic speed or greater through a plurality of nozzle units arranged directly over the wafer, said gas impinging on said wafer in collimated beams at substantially right angles to the wafer over substantially the entire wafer.
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62. A method of processing a wafer in a vacuum system, comprising the steps of:
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a) placing a wafer within a vacuum chamber;
b) pumping down the chamber; and
c) flowing gas at sonic speed or greater through a plurality of nozzle units arranged directly over the wafer, said gas impinging on said wafer in collimated beams at substantially right angles to the wafer over substantially the entire wafer.
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63. A method of processing a wafer in a plasma reactor system having a chamber with an interior region capable of supporting a plasma, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a gas injection manifold having a plurality of adjustable nozzle units capable of controlling the flow of gas therethrough, arranged adjacent the wafer;
b) flowing gas into said gas injection manifold; and
c) adjusting the flow of gas from said injection manifold into said chamber interior region and toward the wafer by adjusting one or more of said nozzle units so that the gas flow condition from said one or more adjusted nozzle units is one of pressure-matched, under-expanded and over-expanded. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A method of processing a wafer in plasma reactor system having a chamber with an interior region capable of supporting a plasma, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a gas injection manifold adjacent the wafer, the manifold comprising a plurality of nozzles through which gas can flow to the wafer, said nozzles sized to optimally flow gas for a given set of process conditions; and
b) flowing gas through said gas injection manifold so as to be incident at the wafer substantially perpendicularly. - View Dependent Claims (70)
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Specification