Apparatus and method for efficient and compact remote microwave plasma generation

A remote microwave plasma apparatus for use with a substrate processing system, said remote microwave plasma apparatus comprising:

• a process chamber;
• a resonator cavity, said resonator cavity being formed by at least a side wall, a near-end wall and a microwave-absorbing material, wherein said side wall is electrically coupled to said near-end wall;
• an adjustable aperture disposed between said microwave absorbing material and said resonator cavity, said adjustable aperture being electrically coupled to said side wall;
• a plasma discharge tube disposed within said resonator cavity, said plasma discharge tube having an inlet port and a plasma outlet port;
• a microwave power source with a launcher, said launcher coupling microwave energy from said microwave power source to said resonator cavity;
• a glow-discharge detector adjacent to said plasma outlet port;
• and
• an aperture controller coupled to said glow discharge detector, said aperature controller adjusting said adjustable aperture in response to a signal produced by said glow-discharge detector upon detection of a glow discharge.

A remote microwave plasma apparatus for use with a substrate processing system, said remote microwave plasma apparatus comprising:

• a process chamber;
• a resonator cavity;
• a plasma discharge tube disposed within said resonator cavity, said plasma discharge tube having an inlet port and a plasma outlet port;
• a microwave power source with a launcher coupling microwave energy from said microwave power source to said resonator cavity;
• a gas source providing a process gas flow to said plasma discharge tube at said inlet port;
• a glow-discharge detector adjacent to said plasma outlet port;
• and
• a power controller coupled to said microwave power source and to said glow-discharge detector.

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

• a processing chamber;
• a microwave resonator cavity coupled to said processing chamber;
• a plasma discharge tube disposed within said microwave resonator cavity coupled to said processing chamber through a plasma outlet port;
• a microwave source coupled to said microwave resonator cavity with a launcher;
• and
• a gas delivery system configured to deliver a longitudinal flow of a gas to said plasma discharge tube at an inlet port of said plasma discharge tube said inlet port being proximate to said launcher.

A method for generating plasma species comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a discharge tube within a resonator cavity, said discharge tube having inlet and outlet ports;
• b) providing a launcher capable of coupling microwave energy from a microwave power source to said resonator cavity;
• c) flowing a process gas into the inlet port in said discharge tube, said inlet port being proximate to said launcher;
• and
• d) forming a plasma from said process gas in said discharge tube by applying said microwave energy to said process gas.