Magnetically enhanced inductively coupled plasma reactor with magnetically confined plasma

Abstract

The present invention provides a plasma reactor having a plasma source chamber capable of generating a high density plasma typically utilizing a helicon wave. The plasma is delivered to a process chamber having a workpiece. The present invention may provide a plurality of magnets, each being located longitudinally around an axis perpendicular to the plane of the workpiece to form a magnetic bucket that extends the length of the side wall of the processing chamber and across a workpiece insertion opening and a vacuum pump opening. The magnetic bucket of the present invention may be formed so that the pedestal need not be raised to be within the bucket, or may be formed by permanent magnets oriented with one pole of each magnet facing the interior of the processing chamber, or with opposite poles of adjacent magnets facing each other, thereby forming cusps around the axis perpendicular to the plane of the workpiece. Current carrying conductors may generate all or part of the magnetic bucket. The present invention may provide an inner wall member secured within the processing chamber. All or a portion of the inner wall may be grounded to provide a well defined anode for bias power that is applied to the workpiece pedestal, and may be heated so that deposits do not cause its impedance to drift.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.