Ground path systems for providing a shorter and symmetrical ground path
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsTuan Anh NGUYEN, Jason M. SCHALLER, Edward P. HAMMOND, IV, David BLAHNIK, Tejas ULAVI, Amit Kumar BANSAL, Sanjeev BALUJA, Jun MA, Juan Carlos ROCHA-ALVAREZ
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Abstract
Embodiments described herein relate to ground path systems providing a shorter and symmetrical path for radio frequency (RF) energy to propagate to a ground to reduce generation of the parasitic plasma. The ground path system bifurcates the processing volume of the chamber to form an inner volume that isolates an outer volume of the processing volume.
Claims20
A chamber suitable for processing semiconductor substrates, comprising:
- a chamber body;
- a chamber lid coupled to the chamber body to define a process volume;
- a faceplate coupled to the chamber lid;
- a pedestal disposed in the processing volume a pumping plate disposed concentric to the pedestal in the processing volume;
- a ground bowl positioned in the processing volume, the ground bowl coupled to a lift system that moves the ground bowl between an elevated processing position and a lowered processing position;
- and
- a ground bowl conductor coupled to the ground bowl, the ground bowl conductor contacting the pumping plate when the ground bowl is in the elevated processing position.
A chamber suitable for processing semiconductor substrates, comprising:
- a chamber body;
- a chamber lid coupled to the chamber body to define a process volume;
- a faceplate coupled to the chamber lid;
- a pedestal disposed in the processing volume;
- a pumping plate disposed concentric to the pedestal in the processing volume;
- a ground bowl positioned in the processing volume, the ground bowl coupled to a lift system that moves the ground bowl between an elevated processing position and a lowered processing position;
- and
- a ground bowl conductor coupled to the ground bowl, the ground bow conductor comprising at least one of aluminum, a nickel-based alloy, and stainless steel, the ground bowl conductor contacting the pumping plate when the ground bowl is in the elevated processing position.
A chamber suitable for processing semiconductor substrates, comprising:
- a chamber body;
- a chamber lid coupled to the chamber body to define a process volume, the chamber lid including a faceplate coupled thereto;
- a faceplate coupled to the chamber lid;
- a pedestal disposed in the processing volume, the pedestal coupled to a stem extending out of the chamber body;
- a pumping plate disposed radially outward of the pedestal;
- a ground bowl coupled to a lift system that moves the ground bowl between an elevated processing position and a lowered processing position;
- and
- a ground bowl conductor coupled to the ground bowl, the ground bowl conductor contacting the pumping plate when the ground bowl is in the elevated processing position and spaced from the pumping plate when the ground bowl is in the lowered processing position, wherein the process volume has a first surface area when the ground bowl is in the elevated processing position and a second surface area when the ground bowl is in the lowered processing position, and the first surface area is less than the second surface area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.