Cluster tool soft etch module and ECR plasma generator therefor
First Claim
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1. A silicone wafer plasma processing apparatus comprising:
- a sealed chamber containing a gas and having a wafer transferring port in a wall thereof communicating with a vacuum transfer chamber of a wafer transfer module of a wafer processing cluster tool, the port having a valve therein for sealing the sealed chamber from the transfer chamber;
a high vacuum pump having an inlet communicating with the sealed chamber so as to produce a vacuum pressure level in the gas in the sealed chamber;
a plasma generation cavity in the sealed chamber;
a wafer holder to support the wafer with a side thereof facing the cavity;
a source of microwave energy;
means for coupling the microwave energy from the source into the cavity;
a magnet assembly including a plurality of magnets positioned around the cavity, the magnets having a strength and configuration for producing a plurality of magnetic field portions each sufficient in strength to produce electron cyclotron resonance in the cavity to generate a plasma of the gas, the field portions defining regions at which the plasma the plasma is located within the cavity; and
,means for rotating the assembly, including the magnets, as a unit around the cavity to rotate the field portions, the regions and the plasma therewith within the cavity.
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Abstract
An electron cyclotron resonance plasma generator is provided in a semiconductor wafer plasma processing apparatus and cluster tool module, particularly for use in soft etching. The generator generates a uniform plasma by rotating a plasma producing resonance supporting magnetic field about the axis of a resonance cavity within the vacuum chamber of a plasma processor. The rotated field preferably is a single-cusp or multicusp field. Gas uniformly flows into and through the cavity from a gas distribution shower. Microwave energy is evenly divided and coupled into the cavity in a TM01 mode by a plurality of axially and radially aligned loops.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A silicone wafer plasma processing apparatus comprising:
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a sealed chamber containing a gas and having a wafer transferring port in a wall thereof communicating with a vacuum transfer chamber of a wafer transfer module of a wafer processing cluster tool, the port having a valve therein for sealing the sealed chamber from the transfer chamber; a high vacuum pump having an inlet communicating with the sealed chamber so as to produce a vacuum pressure level in the gas in the sealed chamber; a plasma generation cavity in the sealed chamber; a wafer holder to support the wafer with a side thereof facing the cavity; a source of microwave energy; means for coupling the microwave energy from the source into the cavity; a magnet assembly including a plurality of magnets positioned around the cavity, the magnets having a strength and configuration for producing a plurality of magnetic field portions each sufficient in strength to produce electron cyclotron resonance in the cavity to generate a plasma of the gas, the field portions defining regions at which the plasma the plasma is located within the cavity; and
,means for rotating the assembly, including the magnets, as a unit around the cavity to rotate the field portions, the regions and the plasma therewith within the cavity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A silicone wafer plasma processing apparatus comprising:
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a sealed chamber; means for supplying gas to the chamber; vacuum pump means for reducing the gas within the chamber to a vacuum pressure level; a plasma generation cavity in the chamber; a wafer holder mounted in the chamber for supporting thereon a wafer to be processed; a source of microwave energy coupled into the cavity; rotatable magnet means positioned around the cavity, the magnet means including a rotatable assembly of a plurality of magnets, the rotatable assembly having magnets of a strength and configuration for producing a magnetic field within the cavity having a sufficient strength to produce electron cyclotron resonance at regions within the cavity to thereby produce a plasma in the regions; and
,means for rotating the entire assembly and magnets thereof as a unit around the cavity to rotate the fields, the regions at which the electron cyclotron resonance is produced and the plasma in the regions within the cavity. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A plasma generator for a semiconductor wafer plasma processor comprising:
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a vacuum chamber having a tubular side wall, a gas introduction port, a gas evacuation port, and a plasma generating cavity surrounded in part by the tubular wall thereof; a microwave energy source having an output connected to thereto; means for coupling from the output into the cavity microwave energy from the source; a rotatable assembly including a plurality of magnets spaced outside of the tubular wall of the cavity and rotatably mounted with respect thereto, the magnets being oriented and configured to generate a magnetic field within the cavity, the magnetic field being of sufficient strength and configuration to produce electron cyclotron resonance within the cavity in a plurality of distinct plasma generation regions where the plasma is produced, the field having magnetic lines of force defining the shape and location of the regions; and
,means for rotating the assembly, including the magnets as a unit to rotate the magnetic field, the regions and the plasma about an approximate centerline of the cavity. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of plasma processing semiconductor wafers comprising the steps of:
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supplying a gas at a vacuum pressure level within a chamber; coupling microwave energy into a cavity within the chamber; producing a magnetic field within the cavity with magnets located outside of the chamber; producing, with the microwave energy and the magnetic field, electron cyclotron resonance in the gas at regions within the cavity; generating a plasma at the regions within the cavity; rotating the entire magnetic field with which the electron cyclotron resonance is produced, and thereby the regions and the plasma, about an axis of the cavity; and
,processing with the rotated plasma a wafer positioned in the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification