DC PULSE ETCHER
First Claim
1. A method of selectively activating a chemical process for plasma-assisted chemical etch processing of a substrate in a processing chamber, the method comprising:
- coupling energy into a process gas within the processing chamber to produce a plasma therein, the plasma containing positive ions;
applying a pulsed DC bias to the substrate positioned on a substrate support in the processing chamber; and
periodically biasing the substrate positioned on the substrate support between first and second bias levels, the first bias level being more negative than the second bias level,wherein the substrate and substrate support, when biased at the first bias level, attracts mono-energetic positive ions from the plasma toward the substrate and is operable to enhance a selected chemical etch process at a surface of the substrate.
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Abstract
A method of selectively activating a chemical process using a DC pulse etcher. A processing chamber includes a substrate therein for chemical processing. The method includes coupling energy into a process gas within the processing chamber so as to produce a plasma containing positive ions. A pulsed DC bias is applied to the substrate, which is positioned on a substrate support within the processing chamber. Periodically, the substrate is biased between first and second bias levels, wherein the first bias level is more negative than the second bias level. When the substrate is biased to the first bias level, mono-energetic positive ions are attracted from plasma toward the substrate, the mono-energetic positive ions being selective so as to enhance a selected chemical etch process.
37 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of selectively activating a chemical process for plasma-assisted chemical etch processing of a substrate in a processing chamber, the method comprising:
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coupling energy into a process gas within the processing chamber to produce a plasma therein, the plasma containing positive ions; applying a pulsed DC bias to the substrate positioned on a substrate support in the processing chamber; and periodically biasing the substrate positioned on the substrate support between first and second bias levels, the first bias level being more negative than the second bias level, wherein the substrate and substrate support, when biased at the first bias level, attracts mono-energetic positive ions from the plasma toward the substrate and is operable to enhance a selected chemical etch process at a surface of the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A plasma processing method, comprising:
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supporting a substrate on a substrate support within a plasma processing chamber and at a first end thereof; electrically energizing a plasma generating electrode at a second end of the processing chamber to capacitively couple energy into producing a plasma between the plasma generating electrode and the substrate, the second end opposing the first end; and biasing the substrate on the substrate support with a pulsed DC waveform, the pulsed DC waveform applying a first voltage to the substrate for attracting positive ions from the plasma and onto the substrate and, periodically, applying a second voltage to the substrate that attracts electrons from the plasma and onto the substrate, the first voltage being more negative than the second voltage. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A plasma etching apparatus, comprising:
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a plasma processing chamber; a substrate support positioned within the plasma processing chamber and proximate a first end thereof; a plasma generating electrode positioned proximate a second end of the plasma processing chamber, the second end opposing the first end; a power supply operably coupled to the plasma generating electrode and configured to energize the plasma generating electrode so as to capacitively couple power into the plasma processing chamber to form a plasma between the substrate and the plasma generating electrode; and a DC pulse generator operably coupled to the substrate support and configured to apply a pulsed DC bias voltage to a substrate on the substrate support, wherein the DC pulse generator is configured to apply a first voltage to the substrate support that is operable to attract positive ions from the plasma and onto the substrate and, periodically, to apply a second voltage to the substrate support that is operable to attract electrons from the plasma and onto the substrate, the first voltage being more negative than the second voltage. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification