Method and apparatus for low energy electron enhanced etching of substrates in an AC or DC plasma environment
AssigneeGeorgia Tech Research Corporation
InventorsKevin P. Martin, Harry P. Gillis, Dimitri A. Choutov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for low-damage, anisotropic etching of substrates having the substrate mounted upon a mechanical support located within an ac or dc plasma reactor. The mechanical support is independent of the plasma reactor generating apparatus and capable of being electrically biased. The substrate is subjected to a plasma of low-energy electrons and a species reactive with the substrate. An additional structure capable of being electrically biased can be placed within the plasma to control further the extraction or retardation of particles from the plasma.
Claims18
An apparatus for low-damage anisotropic dry etching of a substrate, comprising:
- a plasma reactor for containing a plasma;
- and
- a mechanical support within said plasma reactor, said mechanical support isolated from the creation of the plasma;
- and
- an additional structure capable of being electrically biased, the additional structure disposed within the plasma reactor proximal to the mechanical support, wherein when the plasma reactor contains a plasma, at least a portion of the additional structure extends into the plasma.
An apparatus for low-damage anisotropic dry etching of a substrate, comprising:
- a direct current plasma reactor including a cathode and an anode;
- means for generating low energy electrons with a cold cathode;
- means for subjecting a semiconductor disposed on the anode to a plasma including low energy electrons and a species reactive with the semiconductor;
- and
- an additional structure within said plasma, said additional structure capable of being electrically biased
An apparatus for low-damage anisotropic low energy electron enhanced etching of a substrate, comprising:
- a plasma reactor;
- a plasma creation means at least partially disposed within the plasma reactor for creating a plasma having positively charged ions and electrons;
- a substrate holder disposed within the plasma reactor for receiving a substrate, wherein the substrate holder is isolated from the plasma creation means;
- an electron etcher means for etching the substrate received by the substrate holder with electrons from the plasma, wherein the electron etching means is in electrical communication with the substrate holder;
- and
- a charged particle controller means for controlling the flux of charged particle from a plasma onto a substrate disposed on the substrate holder, the charged particle controller means disposed proximal to the substrate holder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.