PROCESS DEPENDING ON PLASMA DISCHARGES SUSTAINED BY INDUCTIVE COUPLING

• US 20030168427A1
• Filed: 11/18/1996
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kem Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Kem Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoneyama, Shimao, FLAMM, DANIEL L., Vinogradov, Georgy
• Granted Patent: US 6,858,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 216/2
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32174 Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/46 using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy H05H1/26 takes precedence

Abstract

A process for fabricating a product 28, 119. The process comprises the steps of subjecting a substrate to a composition of entities, at least one of the entities emanating from a species generated by a gaseous discharge excited by a high frequency field in which the vector sum of currents to phase and inverse-phase capacitive coupled voltages from the inductive coupling structure can be selectively maintained.

Claims

1. A device made using a process for fabricating a product, said process comprising the steps of subjecting a substrate to entities, at least one of said entities emanating from a species generated by a gaseous discharge excited by a high frequency field in which the vector sum of phase portions and inverse-phase portions of capacitive current coupled from the inductive coupling structure are selectively maintained.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said product comprises a semiconductor device.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said gaseous discharge is provided by a helical resonator.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said gaseous discharge is provided by a helical resonator having an electrical length which is substantially a whole number multiple of one wavelength.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said gaseous discharge is provided by a helical resonator structure, said helical resonator structure having an electrical length which is substantially free from any whole number multiple of one quarter wavelength.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said one said entities is provided in chemical vapor deposition.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said one of said entities is provided in plasma etching.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said inductive coupling structure is selectively balanced using a wave adjustment circuit.

9. Apparatus for fabricating a product, said apparatus comprising:

an enclosure comprising an outer surface and an inner surface, said enclosure housing a gaseous discharge;

a plasma applicator disposed adjacent to said outer surface;

a high frequency power source operably coupled to said plasma applicator, said high frequency power source exciting said gaseous discharge to provide at least one entity from a high frequency field in which the vector sum of phase and inverse-phase capacitive currents coupled from the inductive coupling structure are selectively maintained; and

a wave adjustment circuit, said wave adjustment circuit operably coupled to said plasma applicator to selectively maintain said inductive coupling structure.

10. Apparatus of claim 9 wherein said enclosure is a chamber.

11. Apparatus of claim 9 wherein said enclosure is a tube.

12. Apparatus of claim 11 wherein said tube is made of one or more materials selected from quartz, glass, diamond, polymer, sapphire, ceramic and alumina.

13. Apparatus of claim 9 wherein said apparatus is provided for chemical vapor deposition.

14. Apparatus of claim 9 wherein said apparatus is provided for plasma etching.

15. Apparatus for fabricating a product, said apparatus comprising:

a high frequency power source operably coupled to an inductive plasma applicator, said high frequency power source exciting a gaseous discharge to provide at least one entity from a high frequency field in which a vector sum of coupling to phase and inverse phase voltage elements from the inductive coupling structure are selectively maintained; and

a wave adjustment circuit, said wave adjustment circuit operably coupled to a plasma applicator to selectively adjust said inductive coupling structure.