Plasma confinement rings including rf absorbing material for reducing polymer deposition
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorJames H. Rogers
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Abstract
Plasma confinement rings are adapted to reach sufficiently high temperatures on plasma-exposed surfaces of the rings to substantially reduce polymer deposition on those surfaces. The plasma confinement rings include an RF lossy material effective to enhance heating at portions of the rings. A low-emissivity material can be provided on a portion of the plasma confinement ring assembly to enhance heating effects.
Claims36
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A plasma confinement ring assembly for a plasma processing chamber, comprising:
- a mounting ring comprising an inner ring adapted to be supported on an outer ring, the inner ring including a plasma-exposed inner surface, an outer surface opposite to the inner surface, and a coating of an electrically-conductive, low-emissivity material on the outer surface;
- and
- at least two plasma confinement rings arranged in a stack and suspended from the mounting ring.
A method of processing a semiconductor substrate in a plasma processing chamber, comprising:
- supplying process gas into a plasma processing chamber comprising at least two plasma confinement rings arranged in a stack, each of the plasma confinement rings comprising a plasma-exposed surface and an RF lossy material;
- and
- producing a plasma from the process gas and etching a semiconductor substrate in the plasma processing chamber;
- wherein, during the etching, the RF lossy material couples RF energy such that the plasma-exposed surface of each plasma confinement ring reaches a sufficiently high temperature to substantially reduce polymer deposition on the plasma-exposed surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.