High frequency plasma process wherein the plasma is executed by an inductive structure in which the phase and anti-phase portion of the capacitive currents between the inductive structure and the plasma are balanced

• US 5,965,034 A
• Filed: 10/28/1996
• Issued: 10/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daniel L. Flamm
• Original Assignee: M C Electronics Company Limited
• Inventors: Vinogradov, Georgy, Yoneyama, Shimao
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Thi
• Application Number:
  US08/739,037
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345, 118/723 I, 118/723 IR, 315/111.21, 216/68, 438/729
• US Class Current: 216/68
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32174 Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/46 using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy H05H1/26 takes precedence

Abstract

A process for fabricating a product including the steps of subjecting a substrate to a composition of entities, at least one of the entities emanating from a species generated by a plasma excited by a high frequency field provided by an inductive coupling structure in which the phase and anti-phase capacitive currents into the plasma are substantially balanced.

Claims

1. A process for fabricating a product comprising the steps of:

(1) generating a gaseous discharge using an inductive coupling structure which couples phase and anti-phase capacitive currents to the gaseous discharge;

(2) subjecting a substrate to entities, at least one of which emanates from a species generated by the gaseous discharge excited by a high frequency field; and

(3) substantially balancing the phase and anti-phase capacitive currents.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said product comprises a semiconductor device.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the inductive coupling structure is a helical resonator.

4. The process of claim 2 wherein the helical resonator has an electrical length which is substantially a whole number multiple of one wavelength.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the one of the entities is provided in chemical vapor deposition.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the one of the entities is provided in plasma etching.

7. A process for fabricating a product comprising the steps of:

(1) generating a plasma using a helical resonator having a coil having elements and a surrounding shield having a surrounding shield potential;

(2) capacitively coupling plasma to certain elements of the coil which have a potential greater than the surrounding shield potential, thereby driving a first current, and capacitively coupling plasma to other elements of the coil which have a potential below the surrounding shield potential, thereby driving a second current; and

(3) subjecting a substrate to a composition of entities and employing the resulting substrate for completion of the product, at least one of the entities emanating from a species generated by the plasma, the integral of the first current being substantially equal to the integral of the second current.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein the helical resonator is characterized in that the capacitive current flow from the coil into the plasma is substantially equal to the capacitive current from the plasma into the coil.

9. The process of claim 7 wherein the average potential of the plasma is substantially equal to that of the surrounding shield.

10. Apparatus for fabricating a product, the apparatus comprising:

an enclosure comprising an outer surface and an inner surface, the enclosure housing a gaseous discharge;

an inductive coupling structure disposed adjacent to the outer surface;

a high frequency power source operably coupled to the inductive coupling structure, the high frequency power source and inductive coupling structure being adapted to excite the gaseous discharge in a manner to provide at least one entity from a high frequency field in which the vector sum of phase and anti-phase capacitive current coupled from the inductive coupling structure substantially balances.

11. Apparatus of claim 10 wherein the enclosure is a chamber.

12. Apparatus of claim 10 wherein the enclosure is a tube.

13. Apparatus of claim 12 wherein the tube is made of a material selected from quartz, glass, diamond, polymer, sapphire and alumina.

14. Apparatus of claim 10 further comprising an electrical circuit, the circuit operably coupled to the inductive coupling structure to selectively balance the capacitive currents.

15. Apparatus of claim 10 wherein the apparatus is adapted for chemical vapor deposition.

16. Apparatus of claim 10 wherein the apparatus is adapted for plasma etching.

17. Apparatus of claim 10 wherein the enclosure, the inductive coupling structure and the high frequency power source define a helical resonator structure having an electrical length which is substantially a whole number multiple of one wavelength.

18. Apparatus of claim 14 wherein the inductive coupling structure operates at selective phase and anti-phase potentials which substantially cancel each other out.

19. Apparatus of claim 14 wherein the electrical circuit is a transformer circuit.

20. Apparatus of claim 10 wherein the inductive coupling structure is a coil having both ends open.