Plasma reactor apparatus

• US 4,579,618 A
• Filed: 10/29/1984
• Issued: 04/01/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tegal Corp. (Rennova Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Powell, Gary B., Gorin, Georges J., Hilliker, Stephen E., Celestino, Salvatore A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, William A.
• Application Number:
  US06/665,098
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345, 156/643, 156/646, 204/164, 204/192 EC, 204/192 E, 204/298, 118/728, 118/50.1, 118/620, 427/38, 427/39, 134/1
• US Class Current: 156/345.44
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32 Gas-filled discharge tubes heating by discharge H05B
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32165 Plural frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32174 Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge

Abstract

Plasma processing is accomplished with an improved single electrode reactor apparatus. High and low frequency power supplies are coupled to the single electrode to provide increased process flexibility, control and residue removal. A multi-stage passive filter network is disclosed which performs the functions of coupling both power supplies to the electrode, isolating the low frequency power supply from the high frequency power supply and attenuating the undesired frequencies produced by mixing of the two frequencies in the non-linear load represented by the reactor.

Claims

1. In a plasma reactor apparatus having a reaction volume for containing a reactive gas and electrode means for producing as electric field within said volume, the improvement comprising:

means for supplying electrical power to said electrode means at a low frequency;

means for supplying electrical power to said electrode means at a high frequency; and

a filter/combiner interconnecting said low frequency power supply, said high frequency power supply, and said electrode means;

said filter/combiner being adapted to couple said low and high frequency power supplies to said electrode means, isolate said low frequency power supply from said high frequency power supply and attenuate undesired mixing products of said high and low frequencies.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein an enclosure means partially defines said reaction volume and wherein said enclosure means is grounded.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said filter/combiner comprises a multi-stage passive filter network having at least one stage for attenuating high frequency electrical power between said high frequency power supply and said low frequency power supply and at least one stage for attenuating undesired mixing products.