Method and apparatus for time-division plasma chopping in a multi-channel plasma processing equipment

A system for fabrication a semiconductor device using multi-channel time-division plasma chopping or energy source chopping and comprising:

• a plasma processing reactor;
• and
• a multi-channel time-division plasma chopping device associated with said plasma processing reactor, said device comprising:
• a main transfer channel associated with the reactor for transferring gas and plasma mixtures into said reactor;
• a plurality of gas discharge and activation channels associated with said main transfer channel for independently directing various gas and plasma combinations to said main transfer channel;
• and
• a plurality of process energy/excitation sources, each of said excitation sources associated with at least one of said gas discharge channels for independently and selectively controlling plasma generation and flow from said discharge channels to said main transfer channel, wherein said process energy/excitation sources are independently controlled between an "off" and multiple "on" states, each said "on" states at a different energy level.

A system for fabricating a semiconductor device using multi-channel time-division plasma chopping or energy source chopping and comprising:

• a plasma processing reactor;
• and
• a multi-channel time-division plasma chopping device associated with said plasma processing reactor, said device comprising:
• a main transfer channel associated with the reactor for transferring gas and plasma mixtures into said reactor;
• a plurality of gas discharge and activation channels associated with said main transfer channel for independently directing various gas and plasma combinations to said main transfer channel;
• and
• a plurality of process energy/excitation sources, each of said excitation sources associated with at least one of said gas discharge channels for independently and selectively controlling plasma generation and flow from said discharge channels to said main transfer channel, wherein said process energy/excitation sources are independently controlled between an "off" and a continuum of "on" states, said continuum of "on" states generated between two different energy levels.