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US 5,961,851 AGranted
Microwave plasma discharge device
AssigneeFusion Systems Corporation
InventorsMohammad Kamarehi, Richard Pingree, Jianou Shi, Gerald Cox
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of removing material from a substrate, and a plasma discharge device wherein a plasma is excited by microwave energy having an electric field which is azimuthally and axially uniform in relation to the plasma tube. The microwave cavity is divided longitudinally into sections by conducting partitions, each of which is separately fed with microwave energy, and the plasma tube extends through openings in the partitions.
Claims11
A method of removing material from a substrate comprising,
- providing a plasma discharge device comprised of a microwave cavity having a long dimension, including conducting partitions which divide the cavity lengthwise into sections, each partition having an opening therein, and an elongated plasma tube passing through said microwave cavity and through the opening in each partition in the direction of the long dimension of the cavity,
- flowing gas through said plasma tube,
- exciting said gas to a plasma by coupling microwave power to said gas which has an electric field which is substantially azimuthally and axially uniform in relation to said tube, and
- feeding the afterglow from the plasma to a process chamber where said substrate is located, for removing said material from said substrate.
1 more element
A plasma discharge device for treating a workpiece comprising,
- a microwave cavity having a long dimension and including conducting partitions which divide the cavity into lengthwise sections, each partition having an opening therein,
- an elongated plasma tube passing through said microwave cavity and through the opening in each partition in the direction of said long dimension of the cavity,
- means for providing gas to said plasma tube,
- means for providing microwave power of predetermined frequency, which is fed to said cavity,
- said cavity being dimensioned in relation to said microwave frequency to create an electric field in said cavity for exciting said gas in said tube which is substantially azimuthally and axially uniform in relation to said tube, and
- a process chamber separate from said cavity which is adapted for containing said workpiece and is in fluid communication with said plasma tube.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.