Method and apparatus for controlling electrostatic coupling to plasmas
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorKevin G. Donohoe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inductively coupled plasma-based device for use during integrated circuit fabrication is described which includes a planar coil electrode positioned adjacent to a dielectric structure physically separating the electrode from a reaction chamber in which a plasma is formed. The electrode presents a variable width adjacent to the dielectric structure, with the width of inner coil windings being less than the width of outer coil windings. The electrode is connected to a terminal capacitance, whose value may be varied to present different voltage amplitudes at different locations along the coil electrode. By locating the larger width coil windings near the reaction chamber walls, and by varying the capacitance value of the terminal capacitor, improved plasma-based processing may result.
Claims44
An inductively coupled plasma device for use during integrated circuit fabrication, comprising:
- a reaction chamber having an interior and being adapted to receive an integrated circuit;
- and
- an electrode having first and second widths disposed towards the reaction chamber, the first and second widths being unequal to produce unequal localized electrostatic coupling strengths within the interior of the reaction chamber.
An inductively coupled plasma device for fabricating semiconductor structures, comprising:
- a reaction chamber adapted to receive the semiconductor material upon which the semiconductor structures are fabricated and gas from which a plasma is formed;
- and
- an electrode positioned proximate to the reaction chamber and operable to produce an electromagnetic field for application to the gas within the reaction chamber to ignite a plasma therewithin, the electrode being configured as a substantially planar coil electrode having a variable width disposed towards the reaction chamber.
A plasma chamber for a plasma enhanced depositing device for depositing selected materials during integrated circuit fabrication, comprising:
- a chamber having first and second regions, the first region being substantially disjoint from the second region;
- and
- an electrode having first and second portions and operable to produce first and second localized electromagnetic coupling strengths within the first and second regions of the chamber, all respectively.
A plasma enhanced depositing device for depositing selected materials during integrated circuit fabrication, comprising:
- a gas supply operable to provide source gas;
- a reaction chamber coupled to the gas supply and adapted to receive the integrated circuit and gas from which a plasma is formed;
- an electrode positioned proximate to the reaction chamber and operable to receive an electrical signal to ignite a plasma within the reaction chamber, the electrode being configured as a substantially planar coil electrode having a variable width disposed towards the reaction chamber;
- and
- a capacitor coupled with the electrode and operable to receive the electrical signal and to produce first and second voltage amplitudes within first and second portions of the electrode, respectively.
An plasma enhanced depositing system for depositing selected materials during integrated circuit fabrication, comprising:
- a gas supply operable to provide source gas;
- a power generator operable to provide a power sufficient to produce a plasma from the source gas;
- a reaction chamber coupled with the gas supply and adapted to receive the source gas and the integrated circuit;
- an electrode coupled with the power generator and operable to receive the power produced by the power generator and correspondingly producing an electromagnetic field for application to the source gas within the reaction chamber to ignite a plasma, the electrode having first and second portions and operable to produce first and second amplitudes of localized capacitive coupling of power within first and second regions of the reaction chamber, all respectively, the first region being substantially disjoint from and greater in extent than the second region;
- and
- a dielectric structure positioned between the electrode and the reaction chamber.
A method of forming a plasma from a gas contained within a chamber, comprising the steps of:
- electromagnetically coupling a first power magnitude to a first region of the chamber;
- and
- electromagnetically coupling a second power magnitude to a second region of the chamber, the second region being substantially disjoint from and lesser in extent than the first region.
A plasma enhanced method of depositing a material to a semiconductor structure, comprising:
- igniting a plasma from a source gas within a reaction chamber adapted to receive the semiconductor structure;
- electrostatically coupling a first region of an electrode having a corresponding first width to the source gas within the reaction chamber at a first localized electrostatic coupling strength;
- and
- electrostatically coupling a second region of the electrode having a corresponding second width to the source gas within the reaction chamber at a second localized electrostatic coupling strength simultaneously with electrostatically coupling the first region of the electrode to the source gas, the second width being unequal to the first width.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.