US5777289A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
RF plasma reactor with hybrid conductor and multi-radius dome ceiling
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
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Filing: 1996-02-02
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Granted: 1998-07-07
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Expires: 2016-02-02
Abstract
Abstract An inductively coupled RF plasma reactor for processing semiconductor wafer includes a reactor chamber having a side wall and a ceiling, a wafer pedestal for supporting the wafer in the chamber, an RF power source, apparatus for introducing a processing gas into the reactor chamber, and a coil inductor adjacent the reactor chamber connected to the RF power source, the coil inductor including (a) a side section facing a portion of the side wall and including a bottom winding and a top winding, the top winding being at a height corresponding at least approximately to a top height of the ceiling, and (b) a top section extending radially inwardly from the top winding of the side section so as to overlie at least a substantial portion of the ceiling. The present invention adheres to an optimized coil-dome geometry including a particular dome apex height range relative to the dome base and a particular wafer position range relative to the dome apex.
Inventors
- 👤 Hiroji Hanawa
- 👤 Gerald Zheyao Yin
- 👤 Diana Xiaobing Ma
- 👤 Philip M. Salzman
- 👤 Peter K. Loewenhardt
- 👤 Allen Zhao
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 04:08
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/32431; H01J37/32532; H01J37/32568; H01J37/32009; H01J37/32082; H01J37/321; H01J37/3211; H01J37/32458; H01J37/32513
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece, comprising: a pedestal defining thereon a workstation of diameter d to support a workpiece of a similar diameter on said pedestal within the reactor; a chamber enclosure including a side wall having a top and a ceiling having a base over said top of said side wall; an inductive coil adjacent said ceiling and capable of being coupled to an RF power supply; said base being at a height h above said pedestal and said ceiling having an apex at a height H above said base, wherein H+h is in the angle of approximately 4" to 7" for said workstation diameter d within a range between about 6" and about 12".
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
118 words
A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece, comprising: a pedestal defining thereon a workstation of diameter d to support a workpiece of a similar diameter on said pedestal within the reactor; a chamber enclosure including a side wall having a top and a ceiling having a base over said top of said side wall; an inductive coil adjacent said ceiling and capable of being coupled to an RF power supply; said base being at a height h above said pedestal and said ceiling having an apex at a height H above said base, wherein H+h is in the angle of approximately 4" to 7" for said workstation diameter d within a range between about 6" and about 12".
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The plasma reactor of claim 1 wherein said ceiling has one of the following shapes: (a) flat; (b) conical; (c) arcuate; (d) multi-radius dome.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
The plasma reactor of claim 1 wherein said ceiling comprises a multi-radius dome having at least a center radius R and a corner radius r less than the center radius R, wherein R/r is in a range between on the order of 2 and 10.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
The plasma reactor of claim 1 wherein the base-to-apex height H is generally in a range between on the order of about 3" and about 6" while the pedestal-to-base height h is between on the order of about 1.5" and about 4".
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
The plasma reactor of claim 2 wherein the base-to-apex height H is in a range between on the order of about 3" and about 6" while the pedestal-to-base height h is between on the order of about 1.5" and about 4".
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The plasma reactor of claim 1 wherein said inductive coil comprises plural windings including a bottom winding adjacent said ceiling base and a top winding.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The plasma reactor of claim 6 wherein said top winding defines an aperture of diameter A of said inductive coil.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
The plasma reactor of claim 7 wherein the coil aperture diameter A is no less than the workstation diameter d.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
150 words
A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece, comprising: a pedestal defining thereon a workstation of diameter d to support a workpiece of a similar diameter on said pedestal within the reactor; a chamber enclosure including a vertical side wall having a top and a ceiling having a base underlying said top of said side wall, said ceiling comprising a multi-radius dome having at least a center radius R and a corner radius r less than the center radius R, wherein R/r is in a range between on the order of about 2 and about 10; an inductive coil overlying said ceiling and capable of being coupled to an RF power supply; said vertical side wall top being at a height h above said pedestal and said ceiling having an apex at a height H above said ceiling base, wherein H+h is in a range of between about 4" and 7".
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
150 words
A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece, comprising: a pedestal defining thereon a workstation of diameter d to support a workpiece of a similar diameter on said pedestal within the reactor; a chamber enclosure including a vertical side wall having a top and a ceiling having a base underlying said top of said side wall, said ceiling comprising a multi-radius dome having at least a center radius R and a corner radius r less than the center radius R, wherein R/r is in a range between on the order of about 2 and about 10; an inductive coil overlying said ceiling and capable of being coupled to an RF power supply; said vertical side wall top being at a height h above said pedestal and said ceiling having an apex at a height H above said ceiling base, wherein H+h is in a range of between about 4" and 7".
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
41 words
The plasma reactor of claim 9 wherein the base-to-apex height H is in a range between on the order of about 3" and about 6" while the pedestal-to-base height h is between on the order of about 1.5" and about 4".
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
The plasma reactor of claim 10 wherein said inductive coil comprises plural windings including a bottom winding adjacent said ceiling base and a top winding.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The plasma reactor of claim 11 wherein said op winding defines an aperture of diameter A of said inductive coil.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
The plasma reactor of claim 12 wherein the coil aperture diameter A is no less than the workstation diameter d.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-07-06 | 2002-01-05 | 2002-07-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-07-06 | 2006-01-05 | 2006-07-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-07-06 | 2010-01-05 | 2010-07-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |