Externally excited torroidal plasma source with a gas distribution plate
First Claim
1. A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece, said plasma reactor comprising:
- a vacuum enclosure, including a wall, defining a vacuum chamber, said vacuum chamber having a main chamber portion on one side of said wall and a plenum on another side of said wall, said plenum communicating with said chamber portion through at least one opening in said wall;
a workpiece support within said main chamber portion and facing said wall;
a gas distribution plate coupled to said wall, said wall separating said main chamber portion from the plenum, facing said workpiece support and coupled to a reactive process gas supply for injecting reactive process gases directly into a process region adjacent said workpiece support;
a gas injection port at said plenum coupled to a diluent gas supply for injecting diluent gases into said plenum; and
a first coil antenna adapted to accept RF power, inductively coupled to the interior of said plenum, and capable of maintaining a plasma in a reentrant path through the plenum and across the process region.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece includes a vacuum enclosure, including a wall, defining a vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber having a main chamber portion on one side of the wall and a plenum on another side of the wall, the plenum communicating with the chamber portion through at least one opening in the wall, a workpiece support within the main chamber portion and facing the wall. A gas distribution plate is adjacent the wall and faces the workpiece support and is coupled to a reactive process gas supply for injecting reactive process gases directly into a process region adjacent the workpiece support. A gas injection port at the plenum is coupled to a diluent gas supply for injecting diluent gases into the plenum. A coil antenna adapted to accept RF power is inductively coupled to the interior of said plenum, and is capable of maintaining a plasma in a reentrant path through the plenum and across the process region.
-
Citations
9 Claims
-
1. A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece, said plasma reactor comprising:
-
a vacuum enclosure, including a wall, defining a vacuum chamber, said vacuum chamber having a main chamber portion on one side of said wall and a plenum on another side of said wall, said plenum communicating with said chamber portion through at least one opening in said wall;
a workpiece support within said main chamber portion and facing said wall;
a gas distribution plate coupled to said wall, said wall separating said main chamber portion from the plenum, facing said workpiece support and coupled to a reactive process gas supply for injecting reactive process gases directly into a process region adjacent said workpiece support;
a gas injection port at said plenum coupled to a diluent gas supply for injecting diluent gases into said plenum; and
a first coil antenna adapted to accept RF power, inductively coupled to the interior of said plenum, and capable of maintaining a plasma in a reentrant path through the plenum and across the process region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
said enclosure comprises a side wall and a ceiling;
said conduit is connected to openings in opposite sides of said side wall.
-
-
4. The reactor of claim 2 wherein:
-
said enclosure comprise a side wall and a ceiling;
said conduit is connected to openings in said ceiling near opposite sides of said wafer support.
-
-
5. The reactor of claim 1 wherein said plenum comprises an enclosure enclosing an azimuthally circular annular volume and said opening in said wall comprises a circular annular opening coinciding with said plenum.
-
6. The reactor of claim 3 wherein a central void is enclosed between said plenum and said vacuum enclosure, said coil antenna being disposed within said central void.
-
7. The reactor of claim 6 further comprising an access pipe extending in a longitudinal direction from the outside of said plenum to said central void, and conductors running through said access pipe and connected to said coil antenna.
-
8. The reactor of claim 6 wherein said coil antenna comprises plural windings in said central void, said plural windings having respective axes disposed at respective angles about an axis of said workpiece support.
-
9. The reactor of claim 8 wherein said plural windings are coupled to respective plural RF signals of a common frequency and different phases so as to produce a plasma current rotating in a plane parallel to a plane of said workpiece support.
Specification