Merie plasma reactor with overhead RF electrode tuned to the plasma with arcing suppression
First Claim
1. A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor workpiece, comprising:
- a reactor chamber having a chamber wall and containing a workpiece support for holding the semiconductor workpiece;
an overhead electrode overlying said workpiece support;
an RF power generator for supplying power at a frequency of said generator;
said overhead electrode having a reactance that forms a resonance with the plasma at an electrode-plasma resonant frequency which is at or near said frequency of said generator;
a magnetic field generator for producing a controllable magnetic field over the surface of said workpiece; and
a fixed impedance matching element coupled to said RF power generator and to said overhead electrode.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor workpiece, includes a reactor chamber having a chamber wall and containing a workpiece support for holding the semiconductor support, the electrode comprising a portion of the chamber wall, an RF power generator for supplying power at a frequency of the generator to the overhead electrode and capable of maintaining a plasma within the chamber at a desired plasma ion density level. The overhead electrode has a capacitance such that the overhead electrode and the plasma formed in the chamber at the desired plasma ion density resonate together at an electrode-plasma resonant frequency, the frequency of the generator being at least near the electrode-plasma resonant frequency. The reactor further includes a set of MERIE magnets surrounding the plasma process area overlying the wafer surface that produce a slowly circulating magnetic field which stirs the plasma to improve plasma ion density distribution uniformity.
193 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor workpiece, comprising:
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a reactor chamber having a chamber wall and containing a workpiece support for holding the semiconductor workpiece;
an overhead electrode overlying said workpiece support;
an RF power generator for supplying power at a frequency of said generator;
said overhead electrode having a reactance that forms a resonance with the plasma at an electrode-plasma resonant frequency which is at or near said frequency of said generator;
a magnetic field generator for producing a controllable magnetic field over the surface of said workpiece; and
a fixed impedance matching element coupled to said RF power generator and to said overhead electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31)
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- 29. The reactor of 28 wherein said ground plane conductor comprises a ceiling of a housing overlying said overhead electrode, said strip line conductor formed along a winding path within said housing and beneath said ceiling.
Specification