Hollow cathode device and method for using the device to control the uniformity of a plasma process

• US 8,409,459 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2008
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Xu, Lin, Chen, Lee, Ventzek, Peter L G, Denpoh, Kazuki
• Primary Examiner(s): OLSEN, ALLAN W
• Application Number:
  US12/039,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20090218212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 216/67
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45563 Gas nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/50 using electric discharges generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/505 using radio frequency discharges
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/509 using internal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/5096 Flat-bed apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 31/00 Cathode ray tubes; Electron beam tubes H01J25/00, H01J33/00, H01J35/00, H01J37/00 take precedence; details of cathode ray tubes or of electron beam tubes H01J29/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32596 Hollow cathodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02 Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof

Abstract

A chamber component configured to be coupled to a processing chamber is described. The chamber component comprises one or more adjustable gas passages through which a process gas is introduced to the process chamber. The adjustable gas passage may be configured to form a hollow cathode that creates a hollow cathode plasma in a hollow cathode region having one or more plasma surfaces in contact with the hollow cathode plasma. Therein, at least one of the one or more plasma surfaces is movable in order to vary the size of the hollow cathode region and adjust the properties of the hollow cathode plasma. Furthermore, one or more adjustable hollow cathodes may be utilized to adjust a plasma process for treating a substrate.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting the spatial distribution of plasma in a process chamber, comprising:

forming plasma in a process chamber using a plasma generation system;

injecting electrons from one or more hollow cathode plasma sources coupled to said process chamber, wherein at least one of the hollow cathode plasma sources is configured to create a hollow cathode plasma in a hollow cathode region, the hollow cathode region being at least in part enclosed by the hollow cathode plasma source, the hollow cathode plasma source having one or more plasma-facing surfaces in contact with said hollow cathode plasma, wherein at least one of said one or more plasma-facing surfaces is movable in order to vary the size of said hollow cathode region to adjust the properties of said hollow cathode plasma; and

adjusting a property of the hollow cathode plasma formed in at least one of said one or more hollow cathode plasma sources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting is performed in-situ.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

turning on the hollow cathode plasma in a plurality of said one or more hollow cathode plasma sources.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

turning off the hollow cathode plasma in a plurality of said one or more hollow cathode plasma sources.