Apparatus for producing an inductive plasma for plasma processes

• US 5,650,032 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 07/22/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Barnes, Michael Scott, Keller, John Howard, Heidenreich, John Edward III, Forster, John Curt
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, THI D
• Application Number:
  US08/467,352
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345, 118/723 I, 118/723 IR, 204/298.34, 204/298.31, 204/298.08, 315/111.21
• US Class Current: 156/345.48
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma

Abstract

An efficient RF coil for inductively coupled plasmas provides either capacitive or inductive coupling to the plasma. The coil has a layered structure including at least one RF coil, an insulator having a low dielectric constant and a second RF magnetic structure. The second RF magnetic structure may be either a second RF coil or a Faraday shield. In a two coil structure, the first RF coil has a first magnetic sense upon energization by an RF source, and the second RF coil has a second magnetic sense opposite the first magnetic sense. An RF source is connected to the high voltage ends of the two RF coil. Uniform capacitive coupling is achieved by the use of a Faraday shield located between the RF coil and the plasma.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing an inductive plasma used for plasma processing of a workpiece, comprising:

a vacuum chamber including means within said chamber to receive a workpiece to be processed by a plasma;

an RF induction coil structure formed of at least first and second layers separated by an insulator of sufficient thickness to prevent electrical breakdown within the coil structure;

an RF source connected to said first layer of said RF induction coil structure, said RF induction coil structure generating an inductive plasma within said vacuum chamber when energized by said RF source; and

a reactive impedance connected to said second layer of said RF induction coil structure and isolating the RF induction coil structure from ground, said reactive impedance controlling the amount of RF voltage on the layer closest to the plasma.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second layers of the RF coil structure are planar coils.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said first and said second planar coils are spiral coils directly connected together at respective ends on respective outer portions thereof to form a nearly circular outer turn.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said first and said second planar coils are spiral coils connected together with a capacitor.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said capacitor is a lumped capacitor.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said capacitor is a distributed capacitance.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said planar coils are first and second spiral coils, said first spiral coil having one half more turn at its center than said second spiral coil.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said planar coils are first and second spiral coils, at least one of said first and second spiral coils is a double spiral coil having first and second arms, ends of each of said first and second arms being connected to the other of said second or first spiral coils.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein low voltage ends of said planar coils are located nearest a plasma in said vacuum chamber to provide more inductive coupling to the plasma.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein high voltage ends of said planar coils are located nearest a plasma in said vacuum chamber to provide more capacitive coupling to the plasma.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and said second layers are connected together with a capacitor to provide capacitive coupling to a plasma in said vacuum chamber.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein said capacitor is a lumped capacitor.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein said capacitor is a distributed capacitance between said first and second layers, said distributed capacitance forming a slow wave structure producing an electric field in a radial direction of the plasma.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second layers of the RF coil structure are solenoid coils.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 14 wherein the first layer of the RF coil structure is a planar coil and the second layer is a Faraday shield.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein a high voltage connection of said Faraday shield is electrically connected to a high voltage end of said planar coil by a first variable reactance and a low voltage connection of said Faraday shield is electrically connected to ground by a second variable reactance.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said RF induction coil structure is positioned within said vacuum chamber, said first and second layers of the RF induction coil structure being driven in series.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 17 wherein said first and second layers of the RF induction coil structure are coaxial tubes.

19. An apparatus as recited in claim 18 wherein RF voltage on an outer one of said coaxial tubes is held to a minimum to reduce capacitance coupling of the RF induction coil structure to the plasma.

20. An apparatus as recited in claim 18 wherein said insulator is recessed from an end of one of said coaxial tubes to form a shadowing structure to prevent conduction between the layers.

21. A method of providing a controlled capacitive coupling in an inductively driven plasma in a plasma processing apparatus comprising the steps of:

building a layered RF inductive coil structure including at least first and second layers separated by an insulator having a low dielectric constant and a sufficient thickness to prevent electrical breakdown within the coil structure;

placing a low voltage end of said layered RF inductive coil structure nearest the plasma for a more inductive coupling to the plasma;

placing a high voltage end of said layered RF inductive coil structure nearest the plasma for a more capacitive coupling to the plasma;

connecting a reactive impedance to said second layer of said RF inductive coil structure to isolate the RF induction coil structure from ground, said reactive impedance controlling the amount of RF voltage on the layer closest to the plasma; and

energizing the layered RF inductive coil structure with an RF source to generate the plasma.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said first and second layers are spiral coils further comprising the step of connecting outer ends of said first and second spiral coils.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of connecting comprises directly connecting said outer ends with a nearly circular turn.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of connecting comprises connecting said outer ends with a capacitor.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the first and second spiral coils are connected by a distributed capacitance to form a slow wave structure to produce an electric field in a radial direction of the plasma.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein said first and second layers are solenoid coils, further comprising the step of connecting the two solenoid coils with a capacitor.