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Method and apparatus for producing uniform process rates

  • US 6,320,320 B1
  • Filed: 11/15/1999
  • Issued: 11/20/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A plasma processing apparatus for processing a substrate with a plasma, comprising:

  • a first RF power source having a first RF frequency;

    a process chamber;

    a substantially circular antenna operatively coupled to said first RF power source and disposed above a plane defined by said substrate when said substrate is disposed within said process chamber for said processing, said substantially circular antenna being configured to induce an electric field inside said process chamber with a first RF energy generated by said first RF power source, said substantially circular antenna including at least a first pair of concentric loops in a first plane and a second pair of concentric loops in a second plane, said first pair of concentric loops and said second pair of concentric loops being substantially identical and symmetrically aligned with one another, said substantially circular antenna forming an azimuthally symmetric plasma inside said process chamber; and

    a coupling window disposed between said antenna and said process chamber, said coupling window being configured to allow the passage of said first RF energy from said antenna to the interior of said process chamber, said coupling window having a first layer and a second layer, said second layer being configured to substantially suppress the capacitive coupling formed between said substantially circular antenna and said plasma, said substantially circular antenna and said coupling window working together to produce a substantially uniform process rate across the surface of said substrate.

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