US 2018/0005852 A1 · ION TO NEUTRAL CONTROL FOR WAFER PROCESSING WITH DUAL PLASMA SOURCE REACTOR

Abstract

The disclosed techniques relate to methods and apparatus for etching a substrate. A plate assembly divides a reaction chamber into a lower and upper sub-chamber. The plate assembly includes an upper and lower plate having apertures therethrough. When the apertures in the upper and lower plates are aligned, ions and neutral species may travel through the plate assembly into the lower sub-chamber. When the apertures are not aligned, ions are prevented from passing through the assembly while neutral species are much less affected. Thus, the ratio of ion flux:neutral flux may be tuned by controlling the amount of area over which the apertures are aligned. In certain embodiments, one plate of the plate assembly is implemented as a series of concentric, independently movable injection control rings. Further, in some embodiments, the upper sub-chamber is implemented as a series of concentric plasma zones separated by walls of insulating material.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A plate assembly for a reaction chamber comprising a plasma source, the plate assembly comprising:

a first plate;
and
a second plate comprising at least two substantially concentric plate sections that are independently rotatable with respect to the first plate, wherein the first plate and second plate have apertures extending through the thickness of each plate, and wherein the first plate and second plate are substantially parallel and vertically aligned with one another such that either (i) the first plate is above the second plate, or (ii) the first plate is below the second plate.

A controller for controlling an etching apparatus, the controller having logic to direct execution of a method of etching a substrate, the logic comprising instructions to:

(a) position the substrate in a reaction chamber of the etching apparatus comprising:
(i) an upper sub-chamber and a lower sub-chamber, wherein the upper sub-chamber comprises at least two substantially concentric plasma zones, wherein each plasma zone is isolated from other plasma zones by one or more insulating walls,
(ii) a plate assembly positioned between the upper sub-chamber and lower sub-chamber and comprising a first plate and a second plate, wherein each plate has apertures extending through the thickness of the plate, and wherein the second plate is rotatable with respect to the first plate,
(iii) one or more gas inlets to the upper sub-chamber,
(iv) one or more gas outlets to the lower sub-chamber configured to remove gas from the lower sub-chamber, and
(v) a plasma generation source configured to produce a plasma in the upper sub-chamber,
(b) flow plasma generating gas into and generate a plasma in each plasma zone,
(c) flow neutral species present in the plasmas from the plasma zones, through the plate assembly, and into the lower sub-chamber, and
(d) etch the substrate.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

15/702,541Filed 12 Sep 2017

Priority

4 Aug 2010

Published

4 Jan 2018

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H10P 72/0421
For etching: for drying etching
H01J 37/32357
Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources: generation remote from the…
H01J 37/32422
Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources: arrangement for selecting…
H10P 50/242
Of semiconductor materials: of Group IV materials

Family

Application12/850,552Continuation in part · filed 4 Aug 2010

Application14/033,241Continuation · filed 20 Sep 2013

Application15/702,541Continuation

Application14/033,241Continuation in part

US 2012/0034786 A1Published application

US 2015/0083582 A1Published application

US 2017/0213747 A9Published application

US 8,869,742 B2Related patent

US 9,793,126 B2Related patent

US 2018/0005852 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Ion to neutral control for wafer processing with dual plasma source reactor

Life of this patent

Ion to neutral control for wafer processing with dual plasma source reactor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21