Methods and apparatus for treating workpieces with plasmas

Claim 2

The method of claim 1 further including the step of discontinuing the application of electrical power to said ignition electrode once said plasma has been created.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein said step of using an ignition electrode includes locating said electrode physically separate from said gas and applying a high frequency, high wattage signal to said electrode to inductively couple power to said gas to create said desired plasma.

Claim 4

The method of claim 3 wherein said frequency is about 13 MHz and said wattage is about 1 Kw.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 further including the steps of: (a) positioning said workpiece on an electrically conductive support located to subject said workpiece to said plasma; and (b) applying power to said support to attract particles from said plasma to said workpiece.

Claim 6

The method of claim 5 wherein said step of applying power to said support includes applying an RF signal thereto.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 further including the step of positioning said ignition electrode to apply power to said gas at a location which is remote from the location at which said workpiece is to be treated.

Claim 8

In a method of treating a workpiece with a desired plasma, the steps of: (a) positioning said workpiece in a processing section of a reactor chamber on an electrically conductive support located to subject said workpiece to a plasma to be formed in a source section of said reactor chamber; (b) introducing a gas from which a plasma is to be formed into said source section chamber; (c) using an ignition electrode to apply electrical power with an RF signal to said gas to create said desired plasma; and (d) inductively coupling RF energy with an antenna into said plasma to sustain such plasma.

Claim 9

The method of claim 8 wherein said gas is a nonreactive gas.

Claim 10

The method of claim 8 further including the step of discontinuing the application of electrical power to said ignition electrode once said plasma is created.

Claim 11

In processing apparatus for treating a workpiece with a plasma, the combination comprising: (a) an antenna positioned to inductively couple energy into a desired plasma to sustain such plasma within a reactor chamber of said apparatus; and (b) an ignition electrode to apply electrical power to a gas to create said desired plasma to be sustained by inductive coupling.

Claim 12

The processing apparatus combination of claim 11 further including a support within said chamber for said workpiece, which support is electrically conductive for the application thereto of electrical energy to generate an electrical field to attract particles from said plasma to said workpiece.

Claim 13

The processing apparatus combination of claim 11 wherein said gas is within said reactor chamber when said plasma is created, and said ignition electrode is positioned to apply electrical power to said gas at a location which is opposed to the location of said support within said chamber.

Claim 14

The processing apparatus combination of claim 11 wherein said electrode is adapted to be energized by an RF energy source to apply said electrical power to said gas.

Claim 15

The processing apparatus combination of claim 11 wherein said workpiece includes a semiconductive material, and means are included as part of said combination for supplying a gas which is nonreactive relative to said semiconductive material, from a source of the same for the creation of the desired plasma.

Claim 16

The processing apparatus combination of claim 11 wherein said ignition electrode is positioned outside said chamber to inductively couple said power to said gas when the same is within said chamber.

Claim 17

The processing apparatus combination of claim 11 wherein said ignition electrode is positioned to apply said power to said gas at a location which is remote from a location within said chamber at which said workpiece is to be positioned.

Claim 18

The processing apparatus combination of claim 11 further including means for supplying a gas to said chamber for the creation of said plasma, from a source of such gas.

Claim 19

The processing apparatus combination of claim 18 wherein said source is a source of argon.

Claim 21

The method of claim 20, wherein said reducing step comprises substantially ceasing to apply said power to said electrode.

Claim 22

The method of claim 20, wherein said power applied to said electrode comprises RF power.

Claim 23

The method of claim 20, wherein said RF power is inductively coupled into said chamber only after said plasma has been ignited.

Claim 24

The method of claim 20, wherein said introducing step produces a substantially higher pressure within said chamber while said plasma is being ignited than when said workpiece is being processed by said maintained plasma.

Claim 25

The method of claim 1, wherein said electrical power applied to said gas is reduced after said plasma has been created.

Claim 26

The method of claim 1, wherein an operative amount of RF power is applied to said antenna only after said plasma has been created.