Plasma reactor with heated source of a polymer-hardening precursor material

A capacitively coupled plasma reactor comprising:

• a reactor chamber;
• a capacitive electrode facing an interior portion of said chamber and an RF power source for supplying plasma source power to said capacitive electrode;
• process gas inletting apparatus and a process gas supply coupled to said inletting apparatus for furnishing a process gas containing etchant and polymer precursors;
• a support for holding an article to be processed inside said reactor chamber;
• a polymer-hardening precursor piece inside said chamber;
• and
• a heater capable of heating said polymer-hardening precursor piece to a temperature whereby said polymer-hardening precursor piece donates polymer-hardening precursor material into a plasma, said temperature being greater than that temperature required to scavenge fluorine.

A plasma reactor comprising:

• plasma source power coupling apparatus disposed about a ceiling and an RF power source to supply RF power to said plasma source power coupling apparatus;
• process gas inletting apparatus and a process gas supply coupled to an inlet for furnishing a process gas containing etchant and polymer precursors;
• a support for holding an article to be processed inside a reactor chamber;
• a chamber liner comprising a polymer-hardening precursor material inside said reactor chamber, said chamber liner having an outer surface adjacent an interior surface of said reactor chamber and an inner surface facing an interior portion of said reactor chamber;
• and
• a heater capable of heating said polymer-hardening precursor material to a temperature at which said polymer-hardening precursor material donates polymer-hardening precursor material into a plasma, said temperature being greater than that temperature required to scavenge fluorine.