Methods for implementing highly efficient plasma traps
First Claim
1. A method for minimizing microwave leakage into a processing chamber of a microwave plasma system, wherein said microwave plasma system is configured for generating plasma and channeling at least a portion of said plasma downstream to said processing chamber, comprising:
- providing a plasma tube assembly, wherein said plasma tube assembly is a cylindrical structure positioned upstream from said processing chamber, said plasma tube assembly including a plasma-sustaining region, wherein said plasma is formed when a gas mixture interacts with microwave power within said plasma-sustaining region; and
securing a first set of plasma traps to said plasma tube assembly, said first set of plasma traps being a first set of electrically conductive disks surrounding said cylindrical structure, wherein said first set of plasma traps being positioned upstream from said processing chamber and said first set of plasma traps including at leasta first electrically conductive disk with a first downstream corrugated outer surface and a first upstream corrugated outer surface, said first downstream corrugated outer surface and said first upstream corrugated outer surface including a plurality of corrugated peaks, anda second electrically conductive disk with a second downstream corrugated outer surface and a second upstream corrugated outer surface, said second downstream corrugated outer surface and said second upstream corrugated outer surface including a plurality of corrugated peaks, wherein a corrugated outer surface of said second electrically conductive disk is facing a corrugated outer surface of said first electrically conductive disk in a space-apart relationship so as to form a first interstitial region between said first electrically conductive disk and said second electrically conductive disk, whereby said first electrically conductive disk, said second electrically conductive disk, and said first interstitial region form one of a set of upstream plasma traps and a set of downstream plasma traps relative to said plasma-sustaining region of said plasma tube assembly.
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Abstract
A method for minimizing microwave leakage into processing chamber of a microwave plasma system is provided. The method includes securing plasma traps to a plasma tube assembly, which is a cylindrical structure positioned upstream from the processing chamber and has a plasma-sustaining region. The plasma traps are electrically conductive disks surrounding the cylindrical structure and are positioned upstream from the processing chamber. The plasma traps include at least two electrically conductive disks. Each electrically conductive disk includes corrugated outer surfaces with plurality of corrugated peaks. The corrugated outer surface of the first electrically conductive disk is facing a corrugated outer surface of the second electrically conductive disk in a space-apart relationship to form an interstitial region between the electrically conductive disks. Both electrically conductive disk and the interstitial region form one of a set of upstream plasma traps and a set of downstream plasma traps relative to the plasma-sustaining region.
59 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for minimizing microwave leakage into a processing chamber of a microwave plasma system, wherein said microwave plasma system is configured for generating plasma and channeling at least a portion of said plasma downstream to said processing chamber, comprising:
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providing a plasma tube assembly, wherein said plasma tube assembly is a cylindrical structure positioned upstream from said processing chamber, said plasma tube assembly including a plasma-sustaining region, wherein said plasma is formed when a gas mixture interacts with microwave power within said plasma-sustaining region; and securing a first set of plasma traps to said plasma tube assembly, said first set of plasma traps being a first set of electrically conductive disks surrounding said cylindrical structure, wherein said first set of plasma traps being positioned upstream from said processing chamber and said first set of plasma traps including at least a first electrically conductive disk with a first downstream corrugated outer surface and a first upstream corrugated outer surface, said first downstream corrugated outer surface and said first upstream corrugated outer surface including a plurality of corrugated peaks, and a second electrically conductive disk with a second downstream corrugated outer surface and a second upstream corrugated outer surface, said second downstream corrugated outer surface and said second upstream corrugated outer surface including a plurality of corrugated peaks, wherein a corrugated outer surface of said second electrically conductive disk is facing a corrugated outer surface of said first electrically conductive disk in a space-apart relationship so as to form a first interstitial region between said first electrically conductive disk and said second electrically conductive disk, whereby said first electrically conductive disk, said second electrically conductive disk, and said first interstitial region form one of a set of upstream plasma traps and a set of downstream plasma traps relative to said plasma-sustaining region of said plasma tube assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for containing plasma within a plasma tube assembly of a downstream microwave plasma system, said downstream microwave plasma system being configured for generating plasma within a plasma-sustaining region of said plasma tube assembly and channeling at least a portion of said plasma downstream to a processing chamber of said downstream microwave plasma system, comprising:
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providing a first hollow center electrically conductive disk surrounding a cylindrical structure that defines a plasma passage of said plasma tube assembly; securing a second hollow center electrically conductive disk in a spaced-apart relationship relative to said first hollow center electrically conductive disk so as to form a first hollow center disk-shape interstitial region between said first hollow center electrically conductive disc and said second hollow center electrically conductive disc, said second hollow center electrically conductive disk also surrounding said cylindrical structure; and securing a third hollow center electrically conductive disk in a spaced-apart relationship relative to said second hollow center electrically conductive disk so as to form a second hollow center disk-shape interstitial region between said third hollow center electrically conductive disc and said second hollow center electrically conductive disc, said third hollow center electrically conductive disk also surrounding said cylindrical structure, whereby said first hollow center electrically conductive disk, said second hollow center electrically conductive disk, said third hollow center electrically conductive disk, said first hollow center disk-shape interstitial region, and said second hollow center disk-shape interstitial region form one of a set of upstream plasma traps and a set of downstream plasma traps relative to said plasma-sustaining region of said plasma tube assembly. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification