Methods and apparatus for generating a plasma for "downstream" rapid shaping of surfaces of substrates and films

Abstract

A gas, which is flowed into a plasma chamber 12 positioned "upstream" from a etching reaction site on a substrate 20, is converted into a plasma and its active species by the application of excitation. The means for excitation may be radio frequency power or microwave power. The excitation is decoupled from the substrate so as to prevent "print through" effects caused by electrical and geometric characteristic of the substrate. The active species are then flowed "downstream" from the plasma chamber 12 to the surface of the substrate 20 through an outlet 16 having an interactive flange 18 attached to the terminal end. The interactive flange 18 provides a surface separate from the substrate to consume the active species. The interactive flange inhibits the etching reaction from occurring outside of the local material removal footprint. The distance between the oulet and surface of the substrate is adjustable to provide a means to control the material removal footprint and removal footprint profile.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.