Method of processing a substrate
First Claim
1. A method for processing a substrate, comprising:
- (a) constraining a gas flow in a housing at a pressure of about atmospheric pressure;
(b) coupling a signal generator to a first electrode that is electrically isolated from a second electrode, wherein the first and second electrodes have at least one perforation and are affixed to the housing so as to require substantially all the gas flow to pass between the first and second electrodes;
(c) exciting the gas flow to create a plasma between the first and second electrodes; and
(d) placing a substrate downstream of the electrodes, wherein the substrate is contacted by a substantially uniform flux of at least one reactive species generated by the plasma.
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Abstract
The invention is embodied in a plasma flow device or reactor having a housing that contains conductive electrodes with openings to allow gas to flow through or around them, where one or more of the electrodes are powered by an RF source and one or more are grounded, and a substrate or work piece is placed in the gas flow downstream of the electrodes, such that said substrate or work piece is substantially uniformly contacted across a large surface area with the reactive gases emanating therefrom. The invention is also embodied in a plasma flow device or reactor having a housing that contains conductive electrodes with openings to allow gas to flow through or around them, where one or more of the electrodes are powered by an RF source and one or more are grounded, and one of the grounded electrodes contains a means of mixing in other chemical precursors to combine with the plasma stream, and a substrate or work piece placed in the gas flow downstream of the electrodes, such that said substrate or work piece is contacted by the reactive gases emanating therefrom. In one embodiment, the plasma flow device removes organic materials from a substrate or work piece, and is a stripping or cleaning device. In another embodiment, the plasma flow device kills biological microorganisms on a substrate or work piece, and is a sterilization device. In another embodiment, the plasma flow device activates the surface of a substrate or work piece, and is a surface activation device. In another embodiment, the plasma flow device etches materials from a substrate or work piece, and is a plasma etcher. In another embodiment, the plasma flow device deposits thin films onto a substrate or work piece, and is a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition device or reactor.
211 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method for processing a substrate, comprising:
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(a) constraining a gas flow in a housing at a pressure of about atmospheric pressure; (b) coupling a signal generator to a first electrode that is electrically isolated from a second electrode, wherein the first and second electrodes have at least one perforation and are affixed to the housing so as to require substantially all the gas flow to pass between the first and second electrodes; (c) exciting the gas flow to create a plasma between the first and second electrodes; and (d) placing a substrate downstream of the electrodes, wherein the substrate is contacted by a substantially uniform flux of at least one reactive species generated by the plasma. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method comprising:
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operating a plasma flow device; the plasma flow device having a) a housing, configured to receive and constrain a gas flow, wherein the housing includes a gas inlet, b) a first electrode having at least one perforation, c) a second electrode having at least one perforation, the second electrode being spaced apart from the first electrode and being electrically insulated therefrom, d) the first and second electrodes being sized and affixed relative to the housing so as to require substantially all the gas flow to pass through the first and second electrodes, and e) a signal generator, coupled to at least one of the first electrode or second electrode, and f) an outlet opening out of the device; operating the device to create a plasma with a pressure of about atmospheric pressure between the first electrode and the second electrode; and passing a plasma effluent from the second electrode through the outlet. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification