Magnetic field generator for magnetron plasma, and plasma etching apparatus and method comprising the magnetic field generator

A magnetic field generator for magnetron plasma generation comprising a first dipole-ring magnet having a plurality of columnar first segment magnets arranged in a ring-like manner and a second dipole-ring magnet having a plurality of columnar second segment magnets arranged in a ring-like manner, wherein the plurality of first and second segment magnets are embedded in a non-magnetic base and are respectively equipped with a spacer, wherein the first dipole-ring magnet is identical in diameter with the second dipole-ring magnet, and the first dipole-ring magnet is arranged such as to be superimposed on the second dipole-ring magnet, and the first segment magnets provided on one side of the spacer and second segment magnets provided on the opposite side of the spacer are different in the magnetic field strength thereof and have different magnetic flux densities.

A magnetic field generator for magnetron plasma generation comprising a dipole-ring magnet with a plurality of columnar segment magnets arranged in a ring-like manner with the magnetization directions thereof varying continuously around the ring, wherein the generator is provided with at least one magnetic field direction control means, and wherein the magnetic field direction control means is a disk-like magnet which is magnetized such as to have two poles on each major side thereof and positioned such that the major side thereof is in a plane normal to the center axis of the dipole-ring magnet, and the disk-like magnet is away from a horizontal level at which a workpiece is provided, and is positioned in the vicinity of an upper end of the dipole-ring magnet.

A magnetic field generator for magnetron plasma generation comprising a dipole-ring magnet with a plurality of columnar segment magnets arranged in a ring-like manner, wherein the generator is provided with at least one magnetic field direction control means for controlling the direction of the magnetic field of the dipole-ring magnet in the direction of the central axis of the dipole-ring magnet, and wherein the magnetic field direction control means is a ring-like member of magnetic substance and is moveable in the direction of the central axis of the dipole-ring magnet, and the ring-like member is provided in the vicinity of inner surface of the dipole-ring magnet.

A magnetic field generator for magnetron plasma generation comprising a dipole-ring magnet with a plurality of columnar segment magnets arranged in a ring-like manner, wherein the generator is provided with at least one magnetic field direction control means for controlling the direction of the magnetic field of the dipole-ring magnet, and the magnetic field direction control means is a ring-like magnet which is magnetized such as to have two poles, and the ring-like magnet is away from a horizontal level, at which a workpiece is provided, and is positioned in the vicinity of an upper end of the dipole-ring magnet, and wherein the ring-like magnet is divided into two halves along a plane that includes the central axis of the ring-like magnet, one half of the ring-like magnet is magnitized in a first direction and the other half thereof is magnitized in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and wherein the line along which the ring-like magnet is divided substantially normal to the direction of the magnetic field of the dipole-ring magnet.

A magnetic field generator for magnetron plasma generation comprising a dipole-ring magnet with a plurality of columnar segment magnets arranged in a ring-like manner, wherein the generator is provided with at least one magnetic field direction control means for controlling the direction of the magnetc field of the dipole-ring magnet in the direction of the central axis of the dipole-ring magnet, the magnetic field direction control means is a ring-like member of magnetic substance and is moveable in the direction of the central axis of the dipole-ring magnet, and wherein the magnetic ring-like member is positioned between an inner surface of the dipole-ring magnet and a processing chamber provided inside of the dipole-ring magnet.