Fast gas switching plasma processing apparatus
First Claim
1. A plasma wafer processing tool, comprising:
- a plasma chamber with a plasma confinement zone with a volume and at least one electrode;
a gas distribution system for providing a first gas and a second gas, wherein the gas distribution system can substantially replace one of the first gas and the second gas in the plasma zone with the other of the first gas and the second gas within a period of less than 1 s, wherein a first plasma formed in the plasma zone from the first gas provides a first impedance load and wherein a second plasma formed in the plasma zone from the second gas provides a second impedance load different than the first impedance load;
a first frequency tuned RF power source for providing power to the at least one electrode in a first frequency range wherein the first frequency tuned RF power source is able to receive reflected RF power and tune an output RF frequency to minimize the reflected RF power; and
a second frequency tuned RF power source for providing power to the plasma chamber in a second frequency range outside of the first frequency range wherein the second frequency tuned RF power source is able to receive reflected RF power and tune an output RF frequency to minimize the reflected RF power.
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Abstract
A plasma chamber with a plasma confinement zone with an electrode is provided. A gas distribution system for providing a first gas and a second gas is connected to the plasma chamber, wherein the gas distribution system can substantially replace one gas in the plasma zone with the other gas within a period of less than 1 s. A first frequency tuned RF power source for providing power to the electrode in a first frequency range is electrically connected to the at least one electrode wherein the first frequency tuned RF power source is able to minimize a reflected RF power. A second frequency tuned RF power source for providing power to the plasma chamber in a second frequency range outside of the first frequency range wherein the second frequency tuned RF power source is able to minimize a reflected RF power.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A plasma wafer processing tool, comprising:
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a plasma chamber with a plasma confinement zone with a volume and at least one electrode;
a gas distribution system for providing a first gas and a second gas, wherein the gas distribution system can substantially replace one of the first gas and the second gas in the plasma zone with the other of the first gas and the second gas within a period of less than 1 s, wherein a first plasma formed in the plasma zone from the first gas provides a first impedance load and wherein a second plasma formed in the plasma zone from the second gas provides a second impedance load different than the first impedance load;
a first frequency tuned RF power source for providing power to the at least one electrode in a first frequency range wherein the first frequency tuned RF power source is able to receive reflected RF power and tune an output RF frequency to minimize the reflected RF power; and
a second frequency tuned RF power source for providing power to the plasma chamber in a second frequency range outside of the first frequency range wherein the second frequency tuned RF power source is able to receive reflected RF power and tune an output RF frequency to minimize the reflected RF power. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:
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a plasma processing chamber including a showerhead electrode assembly having the inner and outer zones and an interior volume of about ½
liter to 4 liters;
the gas distribution system in fluid communication with the inner and outer zones of the showerhead electrode assembly, wherein the gas distribution system being operable to substantially replace a first process gas or a second process gas in the plasma confinement zone with the other of the first process gas or the second process gas within a period of less than about 1 s, comprising;
a gas supply system, which provides the first process gas and the second process gas;
a flow control system in fluid communication with the gas supply system, which splits a flow of the first process gas into an inner zone flow of the first process gas and an outer zone flow of the first process gas and which splits a flow of the second process gas into an inner zone flow of the second process gas and an outer zone flow of the second process gas; and
a switching section, which is in fluid connection between the flow control system and the inner zone and outer zone of the gas distribution member, and wherein the switching section switches flow to the inner zone of the gas distribution member between the inner zone flow of the first process gas and the inner zone of the second process gas and wherein the switching section switches flow to the outer zone of the gas distribution member between the outer zone flow of the first process gas and the outer zone flow of the second process gas;
a first frequency tuned RF power source for providing power to the plasma processing apparatus in a first frequency range wherein the first frequency tuned RF power source is able to receive reflected RF power and tune an output RF frequency to minimize the reflected RF power; and
a second frequency tuned RF power source for providing power to the plasma processing apparatus in a second frequency range outside of the first frequency range wherein the second frequency tuned RF power source is able to receive reflected RF power and tune an output RF frequency to minimize the reflected RF power. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of processing a semiconductor structure in a plasma processing chamber, comprising:
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a) supplying a first process gas into the plasma processing chamber while diverting a second process gas to a bypass-line, the plasma processing chamber containing a semiconductor substrate including at least one layer and a patterned resist mask overlying the layer;
b) energizing the first process gas to produce a first plasma with a first impedance load and (i) etching at least one feature in the layer or (ii) forming a polymer deposit on the mask;
c) frequency tuning a first RF power source to a first frequency to match the first impedance load;
d) frequency tuning a second RF power source to a second frequency different than the first frequency to match the first impedance load;
e) switching the flows of the first and second process gases so that the second process gas is supplied into the plasma processing chamber while diverting the first process gas to the by-pass line, the first process gas being substantially replaced in a plasma confinement zone of the plasma processing chamber by the second process gas within a period of less than about 1 s;
f) energizing the second process gas to produce a second plasma with a second impedance load different from the first impedance load and (iii) etching the at least one feature in the layer or (iv) forming a polymer deposit on the layer and the mask;
g) frequency tuning the first RF power source to a third frequency different than the first and second frequencies to match the second impedance load;
h) frequency tuning the second RF power source to a fourth frequency different than the first, second, and third frequencies to match the second impedance load;
i) switching the flows of the first and second process gases so that the first process gas is supplied into the plasma processing chamber while diverting the second process gas to the by-pass line, the second process gas being substantially replaced in the plasma confinement zone of the plasma processing chamber by the first process gas within a period of less than about 1 s; and
j) repeating b)-i) a plurality of times with the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification