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US 8,282,850 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for controlling relative particle concentrations in a plasma
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsShih Ming Chang, Chi-Lun Lu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for controlling a plasma etching process includes plasma control structure that can vary a size of a plasma flow passage, vary a speed of plasma flowing through the plasma flow passage, vary plasma concentration flowing through the plasma flow passage, or a combination thereof.
Claims15
A method comprising:
- providing a plasma control structure defining a first portion of a plasma flow passage and a second portion of the plasma flow passage, wherein the first and second portions are linearly aligned with one another, the plasma control structure including spaced first and second electrodes associated with the first portion of the plasma flow passage, the first portion of the plasma flow passage extending between and being immediately adjacent each of the first and second electrodes;
- passing plasma through the first portion of the plasma flow passage, wherein the plasma has first particles and second particles;
- and
- imposing on the plasma passing through the first portion of the plasma flow passage a deflective force that influences the first particles but not the second particles so that a ratio of first particles to second particles in plasma flowing through the second portion of the plasma flow passage is different from that which flowed through the first portion of the plasma flow passage, wherein plasma flows successively through the first portion of the plasma flow passage and the second portion of the plasma flow passage, the imposing a deflective force including applying a voltage between the first and second electrodes, wherein the plasma control structure includes a first stencil filter with a first hole therethrough defining the first portion of the plasma flow passage and includes a second stencil filter with a second hole therethrough defining the second portion of the plasma flow passage, the first and second electrodes being placed at the first hole and separated from each other in a direction transverse to a direction of plasma flow.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- providing a plasma control structure defining a first plasma flow passage and a second plasma flow passage, the first and second plasma flow passages being spaced from each other in a first direction and each extending substantially in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
- passing a first portion of a plasma completely through the first plasma flow passage and simultaneously passing a second portion of the plasma completely through the second plasma flow passage, the first and second portions being of the same composition, and the first portion exiting the first plasma flow passage in the second direction and then traveling away from the first plasma flow passage in substantially the second direction;
- and
- selectively varying a speed of the first portion in the region of the first plasma flow passage, without varying a speed of the second portion in the region of the second plasma flow passage.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- providing a plasma control structure defining a plasma flow passage;
- selectively varying a physical size of the plasma flow passage;
- and
- selectively varying a speed of a portion of plasma flowing through the plasma flow passage, the portion exiting the plasma flow passage in a direction and then traveling away from the plasma flow passage in substantially the direction, the plasma control structure including a first stencil filter with a hole therethrough, the hole defining the plasma flow passage, the first stencil filter including a first electrode and a second electrode, the first and second electrodes spaced apart from each other along the direction, further wherein selectively varying a speed includes varying a voltage across the first and second electrodes.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.