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US5928528A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Plasma treatment method and plasma treatment system

Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
•
Filing: 1997-09-02
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Granted: 1999-07-27
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Expires: 2017-09-02
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Abstract

Abstract A reactive gas supplied to a chamber 1 is put into plasma by supplying radio frequency power to the chamber 1 intermittently or while repeating high and low levels alternately and a specimen A in the chamber 1 is treated by the plasma. A positive pulse-like bias voltage synchronized with a period in which the radio frequency power is not supplied or a period in which low-level power is supplied is applied to the specimen A for preventing charging.

Inventors

  • 👤 Masafumi Kubota
  • 👤 Shigenori Hayashi
  • 👤 Michinari Yamanaka
  • 👤 Kenji Harafuji

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-05 16:50
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/32431; H01J37/32697; H01J37/32706; H10; H10P; H10P50/00; H10P50/20; H10P50/26; H10P50/264; H10P50/266; H10P50/267; H10P50/268; H10P50/28; H10P50/282; H10P50/283

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim 81 words
A plasma treatment method comprising the steps of: supplying a reactive gas to a vacuum chamber; supplying radio frequency power to the vacuum chamber intermittently so as to put the reactive gas into plasma; applying a positive pulse-like bias voltage to a specimen placed in the vacuum chamber, the bias voltage being synchronized with a period in which the radio frequency power is not supplied; and treating the specimen by the plasma of the reactive gas generated in the vacuum chamber.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 81 words
A plasma treatment method comprising the steps of: supplying a reactive gas to a vacuum chamber; supplying radio frequency power to the vacuum chamber intermittently so as to put the reactive gas into plasma; applying a positive pulse-like bias voltage to a specimen placed in the vacuum chamber, the bias voltage being synchronized with a period in which the radio frequency power is not supplied; and treating the specimen by the plasma of the reactive gas generated in the vacuum chamber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 28 words
The plasma treatment method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pulse-like bias voltage is applied to the specimen via a specimen stage disposed in the vacuum chamber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 39 words
The plasma treatment method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pulse-like bias voltage is applied after expiration of a predetermined time interval measured from an end time of a period in which the radio frequency power is supplied.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 32 words
The plasma treatment method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the predetermined time interval ends at a time at which electron density in the vacuum chamber becomes less than a predetermined value.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 29 words
The plasma treatment method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bias voltage has a negative period synchronized with a period in which the radio frequency power is supplied.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 125 words
A plasma treatment system comprising: a vacuum chamber in which a specimen is placed; a reactive gas supply to supply a reactive gas to said vacuum chamber; a plasma generating power supply to supply radio frequency power to said vacuum chamber intermittently; and a bias voltage supply to apply a positive pulse-like bias voltage to the specimen, the bias voltage being synchronized with a period in which the radio frequency power is not supplied and the bias voltage being applied after an expiration of a time interval, the time interval measured from an end time of a period in which the radio frequency power is supplied to a time at which electron density in the vacuum chamber becomes less than a predetermined electron density value.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 125 words
A plasma treatment system comprising: a vacuum chamber in which a specimen is placed; a reactive gas supply to supply a reactive gas to said vacuum chamber; a plasma generating power supply to supply radio frequency power to said vacuum chamber intermittently; and a bias voltage supply to apply a positive pulse-like bias voltage to the specimen, the bias voltage being synchronized with a period in which the radio frequency power is not supplied and the bias voltage being applied after an expiration of a time interval, the time interval measured from an end time of a period in which the radio frequency power is supplied to a time at which electron density in the vacuum chamber becomes less than a predetermined electron density value.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 31 words
The plasma treatment system as claim in claim 6 wherein said bias voltage supply applies the pulse-like bias voltage to the specimen via a specimen stage disposed in said vacuum chamber.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 30 words
The plasma treatment system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said bias voltage supply has a negative period synchronized with a period in which the radio frequency power is supplied.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 31 words
The plasma treatment system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the predetermined electron density value is an electron density value being less than a half of a peak electron density value.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 31 words
The plasma treatment system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the predetermined electron density value is an electron density value being less than a half of a peak electron density value.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 31 words
The plasma treatment system as claimed in claim 6, further comprising an electron density detector to monitor electron density in the vacuum chamber and connected to regulate the bias voltage supply.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 83 words
A plasma treatment method comprising the steps of: supplying a reactive gas to a vacuum chamber; supplying radio frequency power to the vacuum chamber while repeating high and low levels alternatively so as to put the reactive gas into plasma; applying a positive pulse-like bias voltage to a specimen placed in the vacuum chamber, the bias voltage being synchronized with a period in which low-power is supplied; and treating the specimen by the plasma of the reactive gas generated in the vacuum chamber.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 83 words
A plasma treatment method comprising the steps of: supplying a reactive gas to a vacuum chamber; supplying radio frequency power to the vacuum chamber while repeating high and low levels alternatively so as to put the reactive gas into plasma; applying a positive pulse-like bias voltage to a specimen placed in the vacuum chamber, the bias voltage being synchronized with a period in which low-power is supplied; and treating the specimen by the plasma of the reactive gas generated in the vacuum chamber.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 37 words
The plasma treatment method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the pulse-like bias voltage is applied after expiration of a predetermined time interval measured from an end time of a period in which high-level power is supplied.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 32 words
The plasma treatment method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the predetermined time interval ends at a time at which electron density in the vacuum chamber becomes less than a predetermined value.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 31 words
The plasma treatment system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the predetermined electron density value is an electron density value being less than a half of a maximum electron density value.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 28 words
The plasma treatment method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the pulse-like bias voltage is applied to the specimen via a specimen stage disposed in the vacuum chamber.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 29 words
The plasma treatment method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said bias voltage has a negative period synchronized with a period in which the radio frequency power is high.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 128 words
A plasma treatment system comprising: a vacuum chamber in which a specimen is placed; a reactive gas supply to supply a reactive gas to said vacuum chamber; a plasma generating power supply to supply radio frequency power to said vacuum chamber while repeating high and low levels alternately; and a bias voltage supply to apply a positive pulse-like bias voltage to the specimen, the bias voltage being synchronized with a period in which low-level power is supplied and the bias voltage being applied after an expiration of a time interval, the time interval measured from an end time of a period in which the radio frequency power is high to a time at which electron density in the vacuum chamber becomes less than a predetermined electron density value.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 128 words
A plasma treatment system comprising: a vacuum chamber in which a specimen is placed; a reactive gas supply to supply a reactive gas to said vacuum chamber; a plasma generating power supply to supply radio frequency power to said vacuum chamber while repeating high and low levels alternately; and a bias voltage supply to apply a positive pulse-like bias voltage to the specimen, the bias voltage being synchronized with a period in which low-level power is supplied and the bias voltage being applied after an expiration of a time interval, the time interval measured from an end time of a period in which the radio frequency power is high to a time at which electron density in the vacuum chamber becomes less than a predetermined electron density value.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 31 words
The plasma treatment system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said bias voltage supply applies the pulse-like bias voltage to the specimen via a specimen stage disposed in said vacuum chamber.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 30 words
The plasma treatment system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said bias voltage supply has a negative period synchronized with a period in which the radio frequency power is high.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 31 words
The plasma treatment system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the predetermined electron density value is an electron density value being less than a half of a peak electron density value.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 31 words
The plasma treatment system as claimed in claim 18, further comprising an electron density detector to monitor electron density in the vacuum chamber and connected to regulate the bias voltage supply.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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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) 2002-07-26 2003-01-25 2003-07-27 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2006-07-26 2007-01-25 2007-07-27 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2010-07-26 2011-01-25 2011-07-27 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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