# US 2014/0151333 A1 · Small Plasma Chamber Systems and Methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0151333 A1 - Document ID: US20140151333A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/176,493 - Filed: 2014-02-10 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2009-12-03 - Assignees: Lam Research Corporation - Applicants: Lam Research Corporation - Inventors: Richard Gottscho; Rajinder Dhindsa; Mukund Srinivasan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151333A1 ## CPC - H01J 37/32366: {Localised processing} - C23C 16/50: using electric discharges {(generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34)} - C23C 16/503: using DC or AC discharges - C23C 16/505: using radio frequency discharges - C23C 16/513: using plasma jets - H01J 37/32082: {Radio frequency generated discharge (H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence)} - H01J 37/32137: {controlling of the discharge by modulation of energy} - H01J 37/32376: {Scanning across large workpieces} - H10P 72/0462: {characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers} - H10P 72/7618: {characterised by a movable susceptor, stage or support, others than those only rotating on their own vertical axis, e.g. susceptors on a rotating carrousel} - H10P 72/7621: {characterised by supporting two or more semiconductor substrates} - H10P 72/7624: {characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support} - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A plasma deposition chamber is disclosed. A substrate support for supporting a surface to be processed is in the chamber. A processing head including an array of plasma microchambers is also in the chamber. Each of the plasma microchambers includes an open side disposed over at least a first portion of the surface to be processed. The open side has an area less than an entire area of the surface to be processed. A process gas source is coupled to the chamber to provide a process gas the array of plasma microchambers. A radio frequency power supply is connected to at least one electrode of the processing head. The array of plasma microchambers is configured to generate a plasma using the process gas to deposit a layer over the at least first portion of the surface to be processed. A method for performing a plasma deposition is also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A chamber, comprising: a substrate support disposed in the chamber, the substrate support configured for supporting a surface to be processed; a processing head disposed in the chamber, the processing head including an array of plasma microchambers, each of the plasma microchambers having an internal plasma volume and an open side, the open side of each of the plasma microchambers is configured to be disposed over at least a first portion of the surface to be processed, the open side of each of the plasma microchambers having an area that is less than an entire area of the surface to be processed; a process gas source, coupled to the chamber, so that a process gas is provided to each of the array of plasma microchambers, the process gas used to deposit a layer on the surface to be processed; and a radio frequency (RF) power supply connected to at least one electrode of the processing head, the array of plasma microchambers is configured to generate a plasma using the process gas to deposit the layer over the at least first portion of the surface to be processed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the RF power supply includes a first setting that is proportional to the internal plasma volume in the plasma microchamber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the RF power supply includes a first power supply coupled to the plasma microchamber and a second RF power supply coupled to the substrate support. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the RF power supply includes a second setting corresponding to a desired plasma process to be conducted on the first portion of the surface to be processed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the substrate support has a chucking area that is less than or equal an area of the surface to be processed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein only a portion of the substrate support is biased and wherein the biased portion of the substrate support is substantially aligned with the plasma microchamber. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the array of plasma microchambers is a movable plasma microchamber and the biased portion of the substrate support is movable for maintaining substantial alignment with the movable plasma microchamber. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a vacuum source coupled to at least one of the array of plasma microchambers. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the vacuum source is an adjustable vacuum source. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a sealing structure defined between the substrate support and the processing head. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the sealing structure includes a sealing ring. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the sealing structure includes an outer chamber around the microchamber. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising an actuator coupled to the at least one of the array of plasma microchambers, the actuator being configured to move the at least one of the array of plasma microchambers in a plane substantially parallel to the surface to be processed and wherein the actuator being configured to move the at least one of the array of plasma microchambers in one or more of a rotational direction, an angular direction, a linear direction, a non-linear direction, or a pivoting direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the array of plasma microchambers is movable relative to the surface to be processed and further comprises an actuator connected to the movable at least one of the array of plasma microchambers, the actuator configured to move the movable at least one of the array of plasma microchambers so as to align the open side of the movable at least one of the array of plasma microchambers with a second portion of the surface to be processed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the substrate support includes an edge ring wherein the edge ring is adjacent to at least a portion of an edge of a surface to be processed. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the edge ring is biased. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each of the array of plasma microchambers includes a plurality of inlet ports and a plurality of outlet ports. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of inlet ports is coupled to one of a plurality of process gas sources. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of inlet ports are coupled to a purge gas source. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of outlet ports are coupled to a vacuum source. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one monitoring instrument coupled to the plasma microchamber and a controller. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the controller includes at least one recipe including at least one plasma processing operational parameter including at least one of a group consisting of: a time interval; a DC bias applied to at least one electrode within at least one of the array of plasma microchambers; a voltage of an RF signal applied to at least one electrode within at least one of the array of plasma microchambers; a frequency of an RF signal applied to at least one electrode within at least one of the array of plasma microchambers; a power of an RF signal applied to at least one electrode within at least one of the array of plasma microchambers; a pressure within at least one of the array of plasma microchambers; a flowrate of the at least one process gas; a temperature of the surface to be processed; and/or a mixture ratio of the at least one process gas. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the monitoring instrument is directed toward the surface to be processed. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein an inner volume of the at least one of the array of plasma microchambers has a constant width along a length of the first plasma microchamber. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein an inner volume of the at least one of the array of plasma microchambers has a width that varies along a length of the at least one of the array of plasma microchambers. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein an inner volume of the at least one of the array of plasma microchambers has a constant depth that along a length of at least one of the array of plasma microchambers. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein an inner volume of the at least one of the array of plasma microchambers has a depth that varies along a length of the at least one of the array of plasma microchambers. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein an inner volume of the at least one of the array of plasma microchambers has a depth that is adjustable along a length of the at least one of the array of plasma microchambers. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the array of plasma microchambers have a linear arrangement. ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the array of plasma microchambers have a rotary arrangement. ### Claim 31 A method of performing a plasma deposition comprising: placing a surface to be processed on a substrate support; injecting at least one process gas into a first plasma microchamber; forming a plasma in the first plasma microchamber, the first plasma microchamber having an open side process area that is aligned over a first portion of the surface to be processed, the open side process area is less than an area of an entire surface to be processed; generating at least one plasma product in the first plasma microchamber; and depositing at least a portion of the at least one plasma product on the first portion of the surface to be processed. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising moving the first plasma microchamber, relative to the surface to be processed, until a second one of a plurality of portions of the surface to be processed is aligned to the open side process area of the first plasma microchamber. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising drawing a plurality of plasma byproducts out of the first plasma microchamber. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33, wherein the plurality of plasma byproducts are drawn out of the first plasma microchamber proximate to a top portion of the first plasma microchamber. ### Claim 35 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising: monitoring the plasma processing within the first plasma microchamber; inputting the monitoring data to a controller coupled to the first plasma microchamber; and modifying at least one plasma processing operational parameter corresponding to the monitoring data received in the controller. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The method of claim 35, wherein the at least one plasma processing operational parameter includes at least one of a group consisting of: a time interval; a DC bias applied to at least one electrode within the first plasma microchamber; a voltage of an RF signal applied to at least one electrode within the first plasma microchamber; a frequency of an RF signal applied to at least one electrode within the first plasma microchamber; a power of an RF signal applied to at least one electrode within the first plasma microchamber; a pressure within the first plasma microchamber; a flowrate of the at least one process gas; a temperature of the surface to be processed; and/or a mixture ratio of the at least one process gas. ### Claim 37 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising a second plasma microchamber wherein the second plasma microchamber applies a second plasma process to a selected portion of the surface to be processed. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, wherein the second plasma process is different than the plasma deposition process performed in the first plasma microchamber. ### Claim 39 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, wherein the second plasma process is a plasma etch process.