Workpiece processing chamber having a rotary microwave plasma antenna with slotted spiral waveguide

• US 9,928,993 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2015
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Stowell, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): DHINGRA, RAKESH KUMAR
• Application Number:
  US14/609,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20160196955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 118723 MW, 15634541
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3222 Antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32229 Waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/22 Longitudinal slot in boundary wall of waveguide or transmission line H01Q13/203 takes precedence

Abstract

A microwave antenna includes a first spiral conduit having a first conduit end, first plural ports in a floor of the first spiral conduit spaced apart along the length of the first spiral conduit; an axial conduit coupled to a rotatable stage; and a distributor waveguide comprising an input coupled to the axial conduit and a first output coupled to the first conduit end.

Claims

1. A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece comprising:

a chamber and a workpiece support surface in said chamber;

a rotary coupling comprising a stationary stage and a rotatable stage having an axis of rotation;

a microwave source coupled to said stationary stage;

a rotation actuator;

a microwave antenna coupled to said rotation actuator and overlying said chamber, said microwave antenna comprising;

a floor and a ceiling defining a planar region therebetween;

a first spiral wall extending between said floor and said ceiling and having a spiral axis corresponding to said axis of rotation, said first spiral wall defining a first spiral conduit having a first conduit end, said first spiral conduit spiraling radially inwardly from the first conduit end in the planar region and making a plurality of revolutions around said spiral axis such that microwave energy fed into the first spiral conduit flows azimuthally through the first spiral conduit;

first plural ports in said floor spaced apart along the length of said first spiral conduit;

an axial conduit coupled to said rotatable stage; and

a distributor waveguide comprising an input coupled to said axial conduit and a first output coupled to said first spiral conduit.

2. The reactor of claim 1 wherein said microwave antenna further comprises:

a second spiral wall extending between said floor and said ceiling and aligned with said spiral axis, said second spiral wall defining a second spiral conduit having a second conduit end, said second spiral conduit spiraling radially inwardly from the second conduit end in the planar region and making a plurality of revolutions around said spiral axis such that microwave energy fed into the second spiral conduit flows azimuthally through the second spiral conduit;

second plural ports in said floor spaced apart along the length of said second spiral conduit; and

wherein said distributor waveguide further comprises a second output coupled to said second spiral conduit.

3. The reactor of claim 2 wherein said distributor waveguide comprises:

a waveguide chamber overlying said microwave antenna and having respective openings aligned with respective ones of said first and second conduit ends; and

a first pair of reflective surfaces angled to deflect radiation in said waveguide chamber into said respective openings.

4. The reactor of claim 3 wherein said microwave antenna further comprises:

a second pair of reflective surfaces angled to deflect radiation from said respective openings to respective ones of said first and second conduit ends.

5. The reactor of claim 3 wherein said first and second conduit ends are at a periphery of said microwave antenna, said distributor waveguide spanning a diameter of said microwave antenna.

6. The reactor of claim 5 wherein said respective openings are displaced from one another by 180 degrees along said periphery.

7. The reactor of claim 2, wherein said first spiral conduit and said second spiral conduit are interlaced along a radial direction from the spiral axis.

8. The reactor of claim 2, wherein said first spiral conduit is closed off at said first conduit end and closed off at a third conduit end at an opposite end of said first spiral conduit from said first conduit end, and said second spiral conduit is closed off at said second conduit end and closed off at a fourth conduit end at an opposite end of said second spiral conduit from said second conduit end.

9. The reactor of claim 1, wherein said first output of said distributed waveguide is located at said first conduit end.

10. The reactor of claim 1, wherein first plural ports are spaced evenly along the length of said first spiral conduit.

11. A microwave antenna for a plasma reactor, comprising:

a floor and a ceiling defining a planar region therebetween;

a first spiral wall defining a first spiral conduit and extending between said floor and said ceiling and having a spiral axis and a first conduit end, said first spiral conduit spiraling radially inwardly from the first conduit end in the planar region and making a plurality of revolutions around said axis of rotation such that microwave energy fed into the first spiral conduit flows azimuthally through the first spiral conduit;

first plural ports in said floor spaced apart along the length of said first spiral conduit;

an axial conduit; and

a distributor waveguide comprising an input coupled to said axial conduit and a first output coupled to said first conduit end.

12. The antenna of claim 11 further comprising:

a rotary coupling comprising a stationary stage and a rotatable stage having an axis of rotation coinciding with said spiral axis;

a microwave source coupled to said stationary stage, said axial conduit coupled to said rotatable stage; and

a rotation actuator coupled to said rotatable stage.

13. The antenna of claim 11 further comprising:

a second spiral wall extending between said floor and said ceiling and aligned with said spiral axis, said second spiral wall defining a second spiral conduit having a second conduit end, said second spiral conduit spiraling radially inwardly in the planar region from the second conduit end and making a plurality of revolutions around said spiral axis such that microwave energy fed into the second spiral conduit flows azimuthally through the second spiral conduit;

second plural ports in said floor spaced apart along the length of said second spiral conduit; and

wherein said distributor waveguide further comprises a second output coupled to said second conduit end.

14. The antenna of claim 13 wherein said distributor waveguide comprises:

a waveguide chamber having respective openings aligned with respective ones of said first and second conduit ends; and

a first pair of reflective surfaces angled to deflect radiation in said waveguide chamber into said respective openings.

15. The antenna of claim 14 further comprising:

a second pair of reflective surfaces angled to deflect radiation from said respective openings to respective ones of said first and second conduit ends.

16. The antenna of claim 15 wherein said first and second conduit ends are on opposite sides of a periphery of said source.

17. The antenna of claim 16 wherein said respective openings are displaced from one another by 180 degrees along said periphery.

18. A plasma reactor comprising:

a workpiece processing chamber;

a first planar spiral waveguide conduit overlying said workpiece processing chamber and having a spiral axis and a first conduit end, said first planar spiral waveguide conduit spiraling radially inwardly from the first conduit end and making a plurality of revolutions around said spiral axis such that microwave energy fed into the first spiral conduit flows azimuthally through the first spiral conduit;

first plural ports in said first planar spiral waveguide conduit facing said workpiece processing chamber and spaced apart along the length of said first planar spiral waveguide conduit;

an axial conduit; and

a distributor waveguide comprising an input coupled to said axial conduit and a first output coupled to said first planar spiral waveguide conduit.

19. The reactor of claim 18 further comprising:

a rotary coupling comprising a stationary stage and a rotatable stage having an axis of rotation coinciding with said spiral axis;

a microwave source coupled to said stationary stage, said axial conduit coupled to said rotatable stage; and

a rotation actuator coupled to said rotatable stage.

20. The reactor of claim 19 further comprising:

a second planar spiral waveguide conduit aligned with said spiral axis, said second planar spiral conduit having a second conduit end, said second planar spiral waveguide conduit spiraling radially inwardly from the second conduit end and making a plurality of revolutions around said spiral axis such that microwave energy fed into the second spiral conduit flows azimuthally through the second spiral conduit;

second plural ports in said second spiral waveguide conduit spaced apart along the length of said second spiral conduit; and

wherein said distributor waveguide further comprises a second output coupled to said second planar spiral waveguide conduit.