High Efficiency Plasma Source

A method for generating a plasma for processing a substrate, comprising:

• placing a substrate in a processing chamber, the processing chamber separate from a plasma chamber for generating a plasma to be used in processing the substrate;
• energizing an induction coil located adjacent a dielectric sidewall of the plasma chamber to generate a substantially inductive plasma in a plasma chamber interior;
• and
• providing process gas to the plasma chamber interior proximate the induction coil through a narrow gas injection channel defined by the sidewall of plasma chamber and a gas injection insert disposed in the plasma chamber interior.

A plasma reactor for processing a substrate, comprising:

• a processing chamber having a substrate holder operable to hold the substrate;
• a plasma chamber separate from said processing chamber for generating a plasma to be used in processing the substrate, said plasma chamber having a ceiling and a dielectric side wall defining a plasma chamber interior;
• an induction coil adjacent said plasma chamber about said dielectric side wall;
• and
• a gas injection insert disposed within the plasma chamber interior, said gas injection insert and said side wall defining a narrow gas injection channel adjacent said dielectric side wall for providing a process gas to said plasma chamber interior proximate said induction coil, the gas injection insert further defining an active region with enhanced electron confinement adjacent the induction coil, the narrow gas injection channel providing the process gas to the active region adjacent the induction coil;
• wherein the narrow gas injection channel has a width in the range of about 1 mm to about 3 mm and length in the range of about 2 cm to about 10 cm, and the active region has a width in the range of about 20 mm to about 45 mm and a length in the range of about 35 mm to about 100 mm.