Procedure and device for the production of a plasma

• US 20090145554A1
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evatec AG
• Original Assignee: OC Oerlikon Balzers AG (OC Oerlikon Corporation AG)
• Inventors: Weichart, Jurgen, Amman, Dominik Wimo, Krassnitzer, Siegfried
• Granted Patent: US 8,613,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.350
• 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: H01J 37/3266 Magnetic control means

Abstract

The present invention concerns a procedure for the production of a plasma that is at least co-produced in the vacuum chamber (1a) of a vacuum recipient (1) of a device suitable for plasma processing with at least one induction coil (2) carrying an alternating current, where the gas used to produce the plasma is fed into the vacuum chamber (1a) through at least one inlet (3) and the vacuum chamber (1a) is subject to the pumping action of at least one pump arrangement (4), and where a possibly pulsed direct current is also applied to the induction coil (2) in order to influence the plasma density.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. :

A device for the production of a plasma that comprises at least one induction coil (2) for at least co-producing the plasma in a vacuum chamber (1a) of a vacuum recipient (1), where the vacuum chamber (1a) is provided with at least one inlet (3) to admit a gas serving for the production of the plasma, with at least one pump arrangement (4), a substrate table (8) and a dark space screening, and characterized in that the induction coil (2) is connected to an alternating current and a direct current, and wherein

the direct current is continuously applied during the plasma processing simultaneously with said alternating current to the induction coil (2) in order to influence the plasma density,

said induction coil (2) is separated by means of a dielectric inner casing (7) or a dielectric window from at least the part of the vacuum recipient (1a) in which the plasma is produced,

the alternating current is produced by a high frequency generator (6) operating at a frequency between 100 and 14,000 kHz,

the substrate table (8) is provided for a substrate (9),

the substrate table (8) is formed by an electrode (5a),

the dark space screening is used as a counter-electrode (5b), and

the plasma is co-produced or co-exited by an electric voltage applied to at least one pair of electrodes (5a), (5b) separated by a certain distance and said pair of electrodes comprises said substrate table (8) and said dark space screening.

27. :

The device in accordance with claim 26, wherein the induction coil (2) is connected to an alternating voltage generator (6) through an adapter filter (12) and to a direct voltage generator (6′

) through a low-pass filter (13).

28. :

A cluster containing several processing stations that are connected by means of transfer sluicegates to a common transport device and wherein at least one processing station is a device in accordance with claim 26.

29. :

A cluster containing several processing stations that are connected by means of transfer sluicegates to a common transport device and wherein at least one processing station is a device in accordance with claim 27.

30. :

The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the electric voltage is an alternating voltage having a frequency of at least 1 MHz.

31. :

The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the electric voltage is a direct voltage pulsed in a unipolar or bipolar manner.

32. :

The apparatus for the production of a plasma according to claim 26, wherein the gas is selected from the group consisting of argon, inert gases, chlorine, silicone tetrachloride, boron dichloride, carbon-tetra fluoride, tri-fluoride methane, sulfur hexafluoride, oxygen, methane, silicon hydride, ammonia, nitrogen and hydrogen.

33. :

The apparatus for the production of a plasma according to claim 26, wherein the induction coil is of a form selected from the group consisting of flat, pancake and plainer coils.