Toroidal plasma source for plasma processing
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A substrate processing chamber comprising:
- a chamber body;
a chamber top disposed on the chamber body;
a toroidal plasma source contained within the substrate processing chamber, said toroidal plasma source including a core;
a substrate support member disposed to hold an essentially flat substrate with a process surface, wherein the process surface is opposite and essentially parallel to the core; and
a shaped member disposed between the toroidal plasma source and the process surface of the substrate, said shaped member having a bottom surface that is contoured to affect plasma density distribution.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A toroidal plasma source (28) within a substrate processing chamber (10). The toroidal plasma source forms a poloidal plasma with theta symmetry. The poloidal plasma current is essentially parallel to a surface of the plasma generating structure, thus reducing sputtering erosion of the inner walls. The plasma current is similarly essentially parallel to a process surface (32) of a substrate (34) within the chamber. In a further embodiment, a shaped member (66) between the substrate and the plasma source controls the plasma density in a selected fashion to enhance plasma processing uniformity.
300 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A substrate processing chamber comprising:
-
a chamber body;
a chamber top disposed on the chamber body;
a toroidal plasma source contained within the substrate processing chamber, said toroidal plasma source including a core;
a substrate support member disposed to hold an essentially flat substrate with a process surface, wherein the process surface is opposite and essentially parallel to the core; and
a shaped member disposed between the toroidal plasma source and the process surface of the substrate, said shaped member having a bottom surface that is contoured to affect plasma density distribution. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
a support member wherein power for the toroidal plasma source is carried to the toroidal plasma source on a lead through the support member supporting the toroidal plasma source in the chamber.
-
-
3. The substrate processing chamber of claim 1 wherein the toroidal plasma source includes a core having a plurality of ferrite segments and a non-magnetic space having a selected thickness, the non-magnetic spacer being disposed between two of the plurality of ferrite segments.
-
4. The substrate processing chamber of claim 1 further comprising an RF generator mounted directly on the chamber and operatively coupled to said core without tunable matching circuitry.
-
5. The substrate processing chamber of claim 1 wherein the shaped member has an outer perimeter portion extending beyond a substrate edge.
-
6. The substrate processing chamber of claim 1 wherein when RF energy is applied to said plasma source and plasma current is formed along an electric field line essentially parallel to said substrate.
-
7. The substrate processing chamber of claim 1 wherein the section of the shaped member has first thickness and a second thickness, the first thickness being less than the second thickness, wherein the first thickness is proximate to a center plasma conduit of the shaped member.
-
8. The substrate processing chamber of claim 1 wherein at least part of at least outer surface of the shaped member does not lie in a plain parallel to the plain of substrate.
-
9. A substrate processing chamber comprising:
-
a chamber body;
a chamber top disposed on the chamber body;
a toroidal plasma source contained within the substrate processing chamber, said toroidal plasma source including a core;
a substrate support member disposed to hold a substrate with a process surface, wherein the process surface is opposite and essentially parallel to the core; and
a shaped member disposed between the toroidal plasma source and the process surface of the substrate, said shaped member having a bottom surface that is contoured to affect plasma density distribution, wherein the shaped member has an outer perimeter portion extending beyond a substrate edge; and
wherein the shaped member further comprises at least a gas port. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
-
-
12. A substrate processing chamber comprising:
-
a toroidal plasma source contained within the substrate processing chamber, the toroidal plasma source including a core having a plurality of ferrite segments;
a substrate support member disposed to hold a substrate with a process surface opposite and essentially parallel to a major plane of the toroidal plasma source; and
a bottom plate disposed between the toroidal plasma source and the process surface, the bottom plate having at least a gas port. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
-
-
15. A substrate processing chamber comprising:
-
a chamber top having a plurality of tubes, each of the plurality of tubes being disposed to complete a plasma path loop inside the substrate processing chamber around a toroidal transformer core that is outside of the substrate processing chamber, a first plasma path loop configured to provide a portion of a first poloidal plasma current essentially parallel to a processing surface of a substrate and a second plasma path loop configured to provide a portion of a second poloidal plasma current essentially parallel to the processing surface. - View Dependent Claims (16)
-
-
17. A substrate processing chamber comprising:
-
a chamber body;
a chamber top disposed on the chamber body;
a toroidal plasma source contained within the substrate processing chamber, the toroidal plasma source having a plurality of ferrite segments; and
a non-magnetic spacer having a selected thickness, the non-magnetic spacer being disposed between two of the plurality of ferrite segments.
-
-
18. A substrate processing chamber comprising:
-
a housing that defines a vacuum chamber;
a toroidal plasma source contained within the housing, said toroidal plasma source including a core;
a substrate support member disposed to hold a substrate within said vacuum chamber such that a process surface of said substrate is opposite and essentially parallel to the core; and
a shaped member disposed between the toroidal plasma source and the process surface of the substrate, wherein the shaped member comprises at least a gas port and has a bottom surface that is contoured to affect plasma density distribution. - View Dependent Claims (19)
wherein a plurality of outer gas ports configured to release gas into said chamber from outside of substrate edge, and a plurality of inner gas ports configured to release gas into said chamber from a position within said substrate edge.
-
Specification