Toroidal Plasma Processing Apparatus
First Claim
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1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
- a) a vacuum chamber comprising a conduit, a process chamber, and a first gas input port for introducing gas into the vacuum chamber, and a pump port for evacuating gas from the vacuum chamber;
b) a magnetic core surrounding the conduit;
c) an RF power supply having an output that is electrically connected to the magnetic core, the RF power supply energizing the magnetic core, thereby forming a toroidal plasma loop discharge in the vacuum chamber; and
d) a platen that supports a workpiece during plasma processing that is positioned in the process chamber.
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Abstract
A plasma processing apparatus including a vacuum chamber comprising a conduit, a process chamber, and a first gas input port for introducing gas into the vacuum chamber, and a pump port for evacuating gas from the vacuum chamber. A magnetic core surrounds the conduit. An output of an RF power supply is electrically connected to the magnetic core. The RF power supply energizes the magnetic core, thereby forming a toroidal plasma loop discharge in the vacuum chamber. A platen that supports a workpiece during plasma processing is positioned in the process chamber.
25 Citations
52 Claims
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1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
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a) a vacuum chamber comprising a conduit, a process chamber, and a first gas input port for introducing gas into the vacuum chamber, and a pump port for evacuating gas from the vacuum chamber; b) a magnetic core surrounding the conduit; c) an RF power supply having an output that is electrically connected to the magnetic core, the RF power supply energizing the magnetic core, thereby forming a toroidal plasma loop discharge in the vacuum chamber; and d) a platen that supports a workpiece during plasma processing that is positioned in the process chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
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a) a vacuum chamber comprising a first and second conduit, a process chamber, and a first gas input port for introducing process gas into the vacuum chamber; b) a magnetic core surrounding one of the first and second conduit; c) an RF power supply having an output that is electrically connected to the magnetic core, the RF power supply energizing the magnetic core, thereby forming a toroidal plasma loop discharge in the vacuum chamber; and d) a platen that supports at least one workpiece that is positioned in the process chamber, the platen having a first section exposed to reactive species from a first section of the plasma loop and a second section exposed to reactive species from a second section of the plasma loop. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of plasma processing comprising:
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a) forming a vacuum chamber comprising a first and a second conduit, and a process chamber; b) introducing a first gas into the vacuum chamber at a first gas input port; c) applying an RF electromagnetic field to a magnetic core positioned around at least one of the first and second conduits to form a toroidal plasma loop discharge in the vacuum chamber; d) positioning a workpiece in the process chamber for plasma processing; and e) introducing a process gas proximate to the workpiece at a second gas input port. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A downstream plasma processing apparatus comprising:
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a) a vacuum chamber comprising a conduit, a reaction chamber, and a first gas input port in a first location for introducing an inert gas into the vacuum chamber and a second gas input port for introducing a process gas in a second location, and an outlet for passing reactive species generated in the reaction chamber, wherein at least one of pressure and concentration of reactive gas in the process chamber being different from at least one of the pressure and concentration in the conduit;
a magnetic core surrounding the conduit; andb) an RF power supply having an output that is electrically connected to the magnetic core, the RF power supply energizing the magnetic core, thereby forming a toroidal plasma loop discharge in the vacuum chamber that generates reactive species for downstream processing.
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Specification