A plasma processing apparatus wherein a layer structure consisting of plural layers formed in stack one upon another on a semiconductor wafer placed on the sample holder located in the process chamber, is etched with plasma generated in the process chamber by supplying high frequency power to the electrode disposed in the sample holder, the apparatus comprising a ring-shaped electrode disposed above the electrode and around the periphery of the top portion of the sample holder, an outer circumferential ring of dielectric material disposed above the ring-shaped electrode and opposite to the plasma, and a power source for supplying power at different values to the ring-shaped electrode depending on the sorts of layers of the layer structure.

Plasma Processing Apparatus

There is disclosed a plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor workpiece such as a wafer, including a chamber having an overhead ceiling with a three-dimensional shape such as a hemisphere or dome. The reactor further includes an inductive antenna over the ceiling which may be conformal or nonconformal in shape with the ceiling. The ceiling may be a semiconductor material so that it can function as both a window for the inductive field of the antenna as well as an electrode which can be grounded, or to which RF power may be applied or which may be allowed to float electrically. The reactor includes various features which allow the radial distribution of the plasma ion density across the wafer surface to be adjusted to an optimum distribution for processing uniformity across the wafer surface.

Parallel plate electrode plasma reactor having an inductive antenna and adjustable radial distribution of plasma ion density

The invention is embodied by a plasma reactor for processing a workpiece, including a reactor enclosure (105) defining a processing chamber (100), a semiconductor window (110), a base (120) within the chamber (100) for supporting the workpiece (125) during processing thereof, a gas inlet system (137) for admitting a plasma precursor gas into the chamber (100), and an inductive antenna (145) adjacent a side of the semiconductor window (110) opposite the base (120) for coupling power into the interior of the chamber (100) through the semiconductor window electrode (110).

Plasma reactor having an inductive antenna coupling power through a parallel plate electrode

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a plasma reactor having a chamber for containing a plasma and a passageway communicating with the chamber is enhanced with a first removable plasma confinement magnet module placed adjacent the passageway including a first module housing and a first plasma confinement magnet inside the housing. It may further include a second removable plasma confinement magnet module placed adjacent the passageway including a second module housing, and a second plasma confinement magnet. Preferably, the first and second modules are located on opposite sides of the passageway. Moreover, the first and second plasma confinement magnets have magnetic orientations which tend to oppose plasma transport or leakage through the passageway. Preferably, the module housing includes a relatively non-magnetic thermal conductor such as aluminum and is in thermal contact with said chamber body. Cooling apparatus can be thermally coupled to the chamber body, whereby to maintain the first plasma confinement magnet below its Curie temperature. If the reactor includes a pumping annulus adjacent of a periphery of the chamber, then the passageway can be one which communicates between the chamber and the pumping annulus. Also, the passageway can be a wafer slit valve or a gas feed inlet. Such a gas feed inlet can be a center gas feed through a ceiling of the chamber. The module housing can rest upon the chamber side wall and the chamber ceiling can rest upon the module housing.

Inductively coupled RF Plasma reactor having an overhead solenoidal antenna and modular confinement magnet liners

The present invention is embodied in a method of operating an inductively coupled plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer, the reactor including a vacuum chamber for containing the wafer, a process gas source, a semiconductor window electrode facing an interior portion of the chamber, an inductive power radiator on an exterior side of the semiconductor window electrode, the inductive field having a skin depth generally decreasing with the frequency of the RF inductive field and with the density of the plasma in the chamber and generally increasing with the pressure inside the vacuum chamber, the inductive coupling of the RF field tending to approach extinguishment as the skin depth approaches the spacing between the wafer and the window electrode, a method for maintaining an intermediate plasma density inside the chamber without extinguishing the inductive coupling of the RF field, the method including operating the reactor at a selected flow rate of the process gas, a selected chamber pressure and a selected plasma source power level corresponding to the reduced plasma density, and maintaining the frequency of the RF field at least at a level sufficient to limit the skin depth to a depth less than the electrode-to-wafer spacing, whereby to maintain the inductive coupling of the RF field.

Low density high frequency process for a parallel-plate electrode plasma reactor having an inductive antenna

A reactive ion etching method utilizing high frequency voltage wherein cathode drop voltage developed in the vicinity of an electrode disposed for impressing a high frequency power is gradually reduced immediately before stopping the impression of high frequency power at the end of ion etching process, thereby reducing the voltage impressed on an insulation layer within a semiconductor wafer below the breakdown voltage of the insulation layer.

Tohru C

Papers

Reactive-ion etching method