Back to results
US 6,641,698 B2Granted
Integrated circuit fabrication dual plasma process with separate introduction of different gases into gas flow
AssigneeLSI Logic Corporation
InventorAlex Kabansky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dual plasma process generates a microwave neutral plasma remote from a semiconductor wafer and a radio frequency (RF) ionized plasma adjacent to the wafer for simultaneous application to the wafer. A first gas flows through a microwave plasma generation area, without a second gas in the gas flow, to generate the neutral microwave plasma. The second gas is added to the gas flow downstream of the microwave plasma generation area prior to an RF plasma generation area.
Claims14
Apparatus for subjecting a semiconductor wafer simultaneously to first and second plasmas during processing of the wafer, comprising:
- a process chamber within which to support a semiconductor wafer and apply the first and second plasmas simultaneously to the semiconductor wafer during processing;
- a source of non-fluorine gas;
- structure defining a first plasma generation area at a location outside of the process chamber, the first plasma generation area defining structure connected to receive non-fluorine gas supplied from the non-fluorine gas source;
- a first plasma generator associated with the first plasma generation area defining structure and operative to generate a first plasma within the non-fluorine gas within the first plasma generation area;
- a source of fluorine gas;
- structure defining a gas mixture area which is separated from the first plasma generation area, the gas mixture area defining structure connected to receive the non-fluorine gas containing the first plasma from the first plasma generation area and also connected to receive the fluorine gas supplied from the fluorine gas source, the gas mixture area defining structure creating a mixture of the fluorine gas and the non-fluorine gas containing the first plasma;
- structure within the process chamber defining a second plasma generation area
- the second plasma generation area
- defining structure connected to receive the mixture of the fluorine gas and the non-fluorine gas from the gas mixture area;
- a second plasma generator associated with the second plasma generation area for generating a second plasma within the fluorine gas of the mixture of the fluorine gas and the non-fluorine gas containing the first plasma. and
- structure within the process chamber for supporting the semiconductor wafer relative to the second plasma generation area defining structure to simultaneously contact the semiconductor wafer with the first plasma and the second plasma.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.