Conductive collar surrounding semiconductor workpiece in plasma chamber
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsShawming Ma, Ralph H M Straube
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plasma chamber apparatus and method having a process kit capable of reducing or eliminating electrical arcing from exposed metal at the perimeter of a workpiece. The plasma chamber includes a cathode electrode adjacent the workpiece. A process kit encircles the perimeter of the workpiece. The process kit includes a dielectric shield and an electrically conductive collar that overlies the dielectric shield. The resistivity of the conductive collar is 0.1 ohm-cm or less.
Claims30
A plasma chamber for performing a semiconductor fabrication process on a workpiece, comprising:
- an electrode having a front surface facing an interior region of the chamber;
- a workpiece support member for holding the workpiece so that the workpiece occupies a workpiece area adjacent the front surface of the electrode;
- a shield, composed of dielectric material, encircling the perimeter of the workpiece area;
- and
- a conductive collar, composed of a semiconductor material having a resistivity no greater than 0.1 ohm-cm, encircling the perimeter of the workpiece area and overlying at least a portion of the dielectric shield.
A process kit adapted for mounting adjacent a workpiece in a semiconductor fabrication process chamber, comprising:
- a shield, composed of dielectric material, encircling the perimeter of the workpiece;
- and
- a conductive collar, composed of a semiconductor material having a resistivity no greater than 0.1 ohm-cm, encircling the perimeter of the workpiece and overlying at least a portion of the dielectric shield.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.