Method and apparatus for substrate processing
First Claim
1. An apparatus for substrate processing, comprising:
- a chamber comprising a bottom, a top, and a body disposed between the bottom and the top;
a first plasma source disposed about the chamber and defining a first plasma current path therein; and
at least one plasma shaping apparatus disposed adjacent the first plasma current path.
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Abstract
Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatus to process substrates such as flat panel displays, solar panels, etc. In one aspect, the apparatus provides external toroidal plasma generation to perform substrate processes such as deposition and etching of rectangular-shaped substrates. In another aspect, the apparatus provides external toroidal plasma generation to perform chamber cleaning by flowing plasma of a process gas such as argon through a toroidal plasma current path that includes a processing region to be cleaned, introducing a cleaning gas such as fluorine into the processing region from a showerhead apparatus, and cleaning the processing region. In still another aspect, a toroidal plasma loop is shaped by a plasma shaping apparatus to direct the plasma across a processing region within the apparatus to improve process uniformity.
440 Citations
70 Claims
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1. An apparatus for substrate processing, comprising:
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a chamber comprising a bottom, a top, and a body disposed between the bottom and the top;
a first plasma source disposed about the chamber and defining a first plasma current path therein; and
at least one plasma shaping apparatus disposed adjacent the first plasma current path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
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26. A plasma generating system, comprising:
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a first hollow member defining a first plasma current path;
a second hollow member defining a second plasma current path and disposed about orthogonal with respect to the first hollow member;
a first RF source disposed along a least a portion of the first hollow member and adapted to produce a first magnetic field within the first hollow member;
a second RF source disposed along a least a portion of the second hollow member and adapted to produce a second magnetic field within the second hollow member;
a first plasma shaping apparatus disposed at one end of the first hollow member; and
a second plasma shaping apparatus disposed at one end of the second hollow member.
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36. A plasma shaping apparatus, comprising:
a body including an inner surface defining an opening to allow plasma therethrough, wherein the opening has a cross section of varying dimensions to affect plasma current flowing through the opening.
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45. A method of substrate processing, comprising:
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flowing a first gas into a first plasma current path defined by a first hollow member located external to a processing region;
applying power to a first antenna adjacent the first hollow member to inductively couple energy into the first gas to form a first plasma current generating a first plasma from the first gas;
flowing the first plasma generating current across the processing region and through another end of the first hollow member to define a first closed plasma current path; and
flowing a process gas through a showerhead into the processing region and forming a plasma of the process gas adjacent a substrate using the first plasma of the first gas.
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Specification