Method and apparatus for protection of conductive surfaces in a plasma processing reactor
First Claim
1. In a process chamber in which a processing plasma is generated adjacent to a substrate held on a substrate holder, the improvement comprising a free-standing, electrically insulative liner disposed adjacent to metallic walls of said process chamber facing said processing plasma.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for protecting conductive, typically metallic, walls (212) of a plasma process chamber (200) from accumulation of contaminants thereon and from reaction with a gas plasma and either deposition-gas plasma by-products. A ceramic barrier material (220-223), preferably of at least 0.005 inches 127 micrometers) thickness, is used adjacent the conductive portions of the reactor chamber and between the gas plasma and such conductive portions to be protected. The ceramic barrier material reduces the deposit of compounds formed from the plasma on protected reactor chamber surfaces and thereby avoiding the formation of a source of particulates. Further, the ceramic barrier material enables cleaning of the reactor chamber using an etch plasma generated from halogen-comprising gas without the etch plasma attacking protected metallic portions of the reactor. The ceramic liner can serve an additional function of preventing arcing or local intense plasma discharge from a plasma-generation electrode (216), to a conductive portion of the reactor chamber.
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Citations
29 Claims
- 1. In a process chamber in which a processing plasma is generated adjacent to a substrate held on a substrate holder, the improvement comprising a free-standing, electrically insulative liner disposed adjacent to metallic walls of said process chamber facing said processing plasma.
- 8. In a process chamber in which a processing plasma is generated adjacent to a substrate held on a substrate holder, the improvement comprising a wholly deposited insulative liner disposed adjacent to metallic walls of said process chamber facing said processing plasma and having an effective plasma electrical barrier thickness greater than 200 Angstroms.
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12. A processing system, comprising:
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a vacuum chamber having electrically conductive walls; electrodes for generating a plasma within said chamber, in an area adjacent to a substrate being processed; gas ports to said chamber providing a gas for said plasma; and an electrically insulative liner covering portions of said walls facing said plasma and having an effective plasma electrical barrier thickness of substantially greater than 200 Angstroms. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 26, 27)
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17. A method of protecting conductive portions of a plasma processing chamber, comprising the steps of:
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providing an insulative barrier material having an effective plasma electrical barrier thickness greater than 200 Angstroms on electrically conductive portions of said processing chamber otherwise exposed to ions of a plasma; and generating said plasma in a region of said processing chamber containing a substrate to be processed. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29)
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Specification