Method for igniting a plasma inside a plasma processing reactor
First Claim
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1. A plasma processing reactor for processing a substrate, comprising:
- a process chamber within which a plasma can be both ignited and sustained for said processing;
a RF power source having a RF frequency;
an inductive coil coupled to said RF power source and configured to generate an electric field inside of said process chamber; and
a magnetic field producing apparatus configured to produce a magnetic field inside said process chamber in proximity of said electric field, said magnetic field being effective to promote ignition of said plasma within said process chamber, said magnetic field being activated to ignite said plasma and then deactivated after said plasma is ignited within said process chamber.
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Abstract
The invention relates to a plasma processing reactor for processing a substrate. The plasma processing reactor includes a process chamber. The plasma processing reactor further includes an inductive coil configured to be coupled to a RF power source having a RF frequency wherein the inductive coil generates an electric field inside of the process chamber. The plasma processing reactor additionally includes a magnetic field producing device configured to produce a magnetic field inside the process chamber in proximity of the electric field.
31 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A plasma processing reactor for processing a substrate, comprising:
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a process chamber within which a plasma can be both ignited and sustained for said processing; a RF power source having a RF frequency; an inductive coil coupled to said RF power source and configured to generate an electric field inside of said process chamber; and a magnetic field producing apparatus configured to produce a magnetic field inside said process chamber in proximity of said electric field, said magnetic field being effective to promote ignition of said plasma within said process chamber, said magnetic field being activated to ignite said plasma and then deactivated after said plasma is ignited within said process chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A plasma processing reactor for processing substrates inside a process chamber, comprising:
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means for generating an electric field inside said process chamber of said plasma processing reactor; means, disposed externally of said process chamber, for generating a magnetic field in proximity of said electric field inside said process chamber, said magnetic field being effective to promote the ignition of a plasma within said process chamber; and activation means, coupled to said means for generating said magnetic field, for controlling an activation of said magnetic field, said magnetic field being activated to ignite said plasma and then deactivated after said plasma is ignited within said process chamber. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. In a plasma processing reactor, a method of igniting a plasma inside a process chamber, comprising:
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providing an inductive coil; coupling an RF power source to said inductive coil to provide RF power to said inductive coil, thereby generating an electric field inside said process chamber; providing a magnetic field producing apparatus disposed outside of said process chamber, said magnetic field producing apparatus being configured to produced a magnetic field inside said process chamber in proximity of said electric field; generating said magnetic field with said magnetic field producing apparatus to promote ignition of a plasma within said process chamber; and removing said magnetic field from said process chamber when said plasma is ignited within said process chamber. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification