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US 2003/0201722 A1Published application
Plasma processing apparatus
AssigneeTrikon Holdings Limited
InventorNicholas John Appleyard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates to plasma processing apparatus and in particular, but not exclusively, to inductively coupled plasma helicon or electron cyclotron resonance apparatus. A plasma generation chamber 15 is sat above a process chamber 16, in which is located workpiece support 17. A plasma generation or source region exists at 19 and coils 1 and 2 are provided to create magnetic mirrors above and below the plasma generation zone whereby electrons will be reflected back towards the plasma zone and there is no electrical conductive path extending around or through at least the upper mirror.
Claims39
A plasma processing apparatus including:
- (a) a process chamber,
- (b) an antenna or a microwave source for radiating electromagnetic waves
- (c) a plasma generation chamber having a plasma zone and being generally orientated about an axis;
- and being proximate to and in electromagnetic communication with the antenna or source and being for feeding particles to the process chamber;
- and
- (d) a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field within the plasma generation chamber such that it extends generally parallel to the axis and passes from the chamber into the process chamber
- characterised in that the magnetic field generator and/or a further magnetic field generator converges the magnetic field at a location upstream of the plasma generation zone whereby electrons travelling along the magnetic field lines will be reflected towards the plasma zone and in that there is no electrically conductive path extending around or through the upstream location.
4 more elements
A plasma processing apparatus including:
- (a) a process chamber,
- (b) An antenna for radiating electromagnetic waves
- (c) a plasma generation chamber generally orientated about an axis and being proximate to and in electromagnetic communication with the antenna and for feeding ions or neutral particles to the process chamber;
- and
- (d) a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field within the plasma generation chamber such that it extends generally parallel to the axis and passes from the chamber into the process chamber
- characterised in that the magnetic field generator generates a field which is substantially uniform within the plasma generator chamber and substantially parallel to the axis thereof.
3 more elements
A plasma processing apparatus including:
- (a) a process chamber,
- (b) an antenna or a microwave source for radiating electromagnetic waves
- (c) a plasma generation chamber having a plasma zone and being generally orientated about an axis;
- being proximate to and in electromagnetic communication with the antenna or microwave source and being for feeding particles to the process chamber;
- and
- (d) a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field within the plasma generation chamber such that it extends generally parallel to the axis.
- characterised in that the magnetic field generator and/or a further magnetic field generator converges the magnetic field at a location downstream of the plasma zone whereby electrons travelling along the magnetic field lines will be reflected towards the plasma zone and in that there is either no electrically conductive or a controllable conductive path extending around or through the downstream location.
4 more elements
A plasma processing apparatus including:
- (a) a process chamber,
- (b) an antenna or a microwave source for radiating electromagnetic waves
- (c) a plasma generation chamber generally orientated about an axis and being proximate to and in electromagnetic communication with the antenna or microwave source and for feeding ions to the process chamber;
- and
- (d) a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field within the plasma generation chamber such that it extends generally parallel to the axis and passes from the chamber into the process chamber
- characterised in that there is a pumping outlet between the plasma generator and process chambers whereby neutral particles are removed and do not enter the process chamber.
3 more elements
A plasma processing apparatus including:
- (a) a process chamber,
- (b) an antenna or a microwave source for radiating electromagnetic waves
- (c) a plasma generation chamber having a plasma zone and being generally orientated about an axis;
- being proximate to and in electromagnetic communication with the antenna or source and being for feeding ions to the process chamber;
- and
- (d) a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field within the plasma generation chamber such that it extends generally parallel to the axis and passes from the chamber into the process chamber, the magnetic field generator and/or a further magnetic field generator converges the magnetic field at a location downstream of the plasma zone whereby electrons travelling along the magnetic field lines will be partially reflected towards the plasma zone characterised in that the magnetic field at the location is variable to allow the transmission of a controllable flux of electrons lines through the downstream location and in that there is either no electrically conductive, or a controllable conductive path extending around or through the downstream location and in that there is no electrically conductive path or there is a controllable conductive path excluding around or through the downstream locations.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.