Plasma generation apparatus

• US 7,411,148 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jusung Engineering Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Jusung Engineering Company Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Jae-Hyun, Lee, Sang-Won, Hong, Bo-Han, Lee, Yong-Kwan, Uhm, Sae-Hoon, Kwon, Gi-Chung
• Primary Examiner(s): Van; Quang T
• Application Number:
  US11/356,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20060191880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 219/121.43, 219/121.57, 219/121.36, 219/121.54, 219/121.55, 118/723.IR, 118/723.I, 118/723.AN, 156/345.35, 156/345.48, 156/345.49, 156/345.46, 204/298.01, 315/111.01, 315/111.21, 315/111.41, 315/111.51
• US Class Current: 219/121.43
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/46 using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy H05H1/26 takes precedence

Abstract

A plasma generation apparatus includes: a chamber having a chamber lid and defining an airtight reaction region; a susceptor in the chamber; a gas supplier supplying a process gas to the chamber; and a toroidal core vertically disposed with respect to the susceptor through the chamber lid, including: a toroidal ferromagnetic core combined with the chamber, the toroidal ferromagnetic core having a first portion outside the chamber and a second portion inside the chamber, the second portion having an opening portion; a radio frequency (RF) power supply connected to the chamber; an induction coil electrically connected to the RF power supply, the induction coil rolling the first portion; and a matching circuit matching an impedance between the RF power supply and the induction coil.

Claims

1. A plasma generation apparatus, comprising:

a chamber having a chamber lid and defining an airtight reaction region for generating a plasma;

a susceptor in the chamber;

a gas supply means supplying a process gas to the chamber; and

a toroidal core vertically disposed with respect to the susceptor through the chamber lid, comprising;

a toroidal ferromagnetic core combined with the chamber, the toroidal ferromagnetic core having a first portion outside the chamber and a second portion inside the chamber, the second portion having an opening portion;

a radio frequency (RF) power supply connected to the chamber;

a phase shifter connected to the RF power supply;

an induction coil electrically connected to the RF power supply, the induction coil rolling the first portion; and

a matching circuit matching an impedance between the RF power supply and the induction coil,

wherein the plasma generation apparatus has at lease two toroidal ferromagnetic cores and the RF power supply independently corresponding to each of the at least two toroidal ferromagnetic cores.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the toroidal ferromagnetic core includes one of a ferrite material and an iron powder material.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cover covering the toroidal ferromagnetic core.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the cover includes one of ceramic, aluminum and stainless steel.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the toroidal ferromagnetic core has a central axis parallel with a surface of the susceptor.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plasma generation apparatus has at least two toroidal ferromagnetic cores and the RF power supply, and wherein each of the at least two toroidal ferromagnetic cores connected to the RF power supply.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the RF power supply supplies a RF power having a range within about 10 KHz to about 13.56 MHz.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plasma-inspecting unit measuring a plasma parameter in the chamber;

a feedback control unit controlling one of the RF power supply and the matching circuit according to an information of the plasma parameter to control a RF power transmitted to the toroidal ferromagnetic core.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a voltage-current (V-I) probe unit supplying the information of the plasma parameter to the feedback control unit by measuring a voltage and a current in a conducting wire between the matching circuit and the induction coil.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a rotation driving unit rotating the toroidal ferromagnetic core with a predetermined angle and controlled by the feedback control unit.

11. A plasma generation apparatus, comprising:

a chamber having a chamber lid and defining an airtight reaction region for generating a plasma;

a susceptor in the chamber;

a gas supply means supplying a process gas to the chamber;

a plasma-inspecting unit measuring a plasma parameter in the chamber;

a feedback control unit controlling one of the power supply unit and the matching circuit according to information of the plasma parameter; and

a toroidal core module including a toroidal core vertically disposed with respect to the susceptor through the chamber lid, the toroidal core combined with the chamber, the toroidal core having a first portion outside the chamber and a second portion inside the chamber, the second portion having an opening portion, comprising;

a power supply unit generating a radio frequency (RF) power by be connected to an external power supply;

an induction coil electrically connected to the power supply unit, the induction coil rolling the toroidal core;

a matching circuit matching an impedance between the power supply unit and the induction coil;

a housing surrounding the toroidal core, the power supply unit, the induction coil and the matching circuit; and

a rotation driving unit rotating the toroidal core with a predetermined angle and controlled by the feedback control unit in the housing.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a cover covering the toroidal core.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the toroidal core includes one of a ferrite material and an iron powder material.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the RF power has a range within about 10 KHz to about 13.56 MHz.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a voltage-current (V-I) probe unit supplying the information of the plasma parameter to the feedback control unit by measuring a voltage and a current of a conducting wire connecting the matching circuit and the induction coil in the housing.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a phase shifter connected to the power supply unit, the phase shifter controlling a phase of the RF power and controlled by the feedback control unit.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the plasma generation apparatus includes at least two toroidal core modules.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the toroidal core is an antenna for generating the plasma within the chamber.