Method for generating excited neutral particles for etching and deposition processes in semiconductor technology with a plasma discharge fed by microwave energy
AssigneeSecon Halbleiterproduktionsgeraete Gesellschaft mbH
InventorsHeinz Steinhardt, Josef Mathuni
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plasma discharge tube (5) having a diameter that corresponds to a quarter wavelength of the standing wave is selected and the waveguide system (2) is dimensioned and tuned such that the standing wave forms a first voltage maximum at a first side of the plasma discharge tube (5) and the standing wave is also supplied reflected, so that it forms a second, anti-phase voltage maximum at a second side of the plasma discharge tube (5) that lies opposite the first side and faces toward an end termination (12) of the waveguide system (2). A controlled magnetic field is applied in order to achieve an especially low working pressure.
Claims10
A method for generating excited neutral particles for etching and deposition processes in semiconductor technology using a plasma discharge fed with microwave energy, comprising the steps of:
- generating microwave energy with a frequency,
- coupling said microwave energy into a waveguide system,
- concentrating said microwave energy, as a standing transversal electrical wave, at locations,
- for excitation, conducting specific process gases through the waveguide system with a plasma discharge tube aligned in direction of the electrical field of the wave, whereby a plasma is ignited and excited particles are generated,
- selecting a plasma discharge tube having a diameter corresponding to a quarter wavelength of standing wave,
- dimensioning and tuning the waveguide system such that the standing wave forms a first voltage maximum at one side of the plasma discharge tube and the standing wave is also supplied reflected, so that it forms a second, anti-phase voltage maximum at a second side of the plasma discharge tube that lies opposite the first side and faces toward an end termination of the waveguide system.
An apparatus for generating excited neutral particles, comprising:
- a waveguide system;
- a microwave generator that makes microwave energy available in said waveguide system, said microwave energy concentrating at locations as a standing transversal electrical wave having a specific frequency,
- a plasma discharge tube of a diameter corresponding to a quarter wavelength of the standing wave;
- the waveguide system being dimensioned such and being provided with tuning devices such that an end termination of the waveguide system represents a reflection face and a wall of the plasma discharge tube facing toward it comes to lie in a voltage maximum of the standing wave supplied reflected, whereas the wall of the plasma discharge tube facing toward the microwave generator comes to lie in a voltage maximum of the standing wave,
- so that two anti-phase voltage maximums at two opposite sides of the plasma discharge tube are available for igniting and maintaining the plasma discharge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.