Inductive plasma source with high coupling efficiency

A method of processing a substrate in the manufacture of a device, the method comprising:

• providing a plasma processing chamber having a substrate holder disposed therein, an inductive applicator disposed external to the chamber, and a plurality of elongated narrow thin dielectric windows constituting a portion of an applicator wall of the chamber, each window having a transverse dimension substantially smaller than a span of the chamber, the inductive applicator having at least one inductive coupling element situated in a position adjacent to a window selected from among the plurality of windows and within approximately five millimeters of the chamber interior, the applicator wall having a plurality of feed gas holes interspersed among the windows, and the substrate holder being operable to hold a substrate in a position generally facing the applicator wall;
• placing a substrate on the substrate holder in the interior, generally facing the applicator wall;
• delivering a preselected flow rate of process gas into the chamber through the feed gas holes;
• circulating a radiofrequency magnetic flux from the inductive coupling element directionally into chamber through the window, the flux emerging generally perpendicular to the selected window into a localized space extending from the window perpendicularly into the chamber, and returning generally perpendicular to the selected window from the localized space to the inductive coupling element;
• wherein a plasma current is induced by the magnetic flux within a relatively narrow region of the chamber adjacent to the window, the relatively narrow region being within the localized space, and wherein a substantially inductive plasma in the chamber is powered with the induced plasma current;
• and
• performing at least one treatment of the substrate using the substantially inductive plasma.

A method of processing a substrate in the manufacture of a device, the method comprising:

• providing a plasma processing chamber having a plurality of elongated narrow thin dielectric windows constituting a portion of an applicator wall of the chamber spanning at least 300 millimeters over a substrate holder disposed in the chamber, wherein each of the windows has a transverse dimension substantially smaller than a span of the chamber, providing an inductive applicator comprising a plurality of inductive coupling elements disposed external to the chamber, each inductive coupling element being disposed over and adjacent to one of the windows on the wall and within approximately five millimeters of the chamber interior, each inductive coupling element comprising a coil and a magnetic flux concentrator having magnetically permeable material over the coil, and the applicator wall having a plurality of feed gas holes interspersed among the windows;
• placing a substrate on the substrate holder in the interior, generally facing the applicator wall;
• delivering a preselected flow rate of process gas into the chamber through the feed gas holes;
• circulating radiofrequency magnetic flux directionally downward from each inductive coupling element into the chamber through the respective adjacent window, the flux entering the chamber generally perpendicular to the respective adjacent window, and returning from the chamber to each inductive coupling element generally perpendicular to the respective adjacent window;
• wherein the magnetic flux from each inductive coupling element induces a plasma current in a relatively narrow region of the chamber localized below the respective adjacent window, and wherein a substantially inductive plasma in the chamber is powered with the plasma currents induced below the windows;
• and
• performing at least one treatment of the substrate using the substantially inductive plasma.