Plasma chamber with a multiphase rotating modulated cross-flow

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein include a plasma treatment chamber, comprising one or more sidewalls. A support surface within the one or more sidewalls holds a workpiece. A first gas injector along the one or more sidewalls injects a first gas flow in a first direction generally parallel to and across a surface of the workpiece. A first pump port along the one or more sidewalls generally opposite of the first gas injector pumps out the first gas flow. A second gas injector along the one or more sidewalls injects a second gas flow in a second direction generally parallel to and across the surface of the workpiece. A second pump port along the one or more sidewalls generally opposite of the second gas injector pumps out the second gas flow.

Description

FIELD[0001]Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to the field of semiconductor processing and, in particular, a plasma chamber with rotating modulated cross-flow.DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART[0002]During a plasma etch, deposition or other treatment processes, a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, is inserted to a sealed plasma reactor chamber, and gas is injected into the chamber over the wafer and then pumped from the chamber. Plasma chambers often comprise (1) a parallel plate capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) source where one electrode has the workpiece on its plasma-facing surface and the other electrode has an array of gas inlet holes (showerhead) in the plasma-facing surface or (2) an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) or microwave source with a radio-frequency (RF) window generally opposite and facing the workpiece, and an array of gas inlet holes in or near the window.[0003]With the axisymmetric gas flow approach described above, pressure & concentration gradients c...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent describes a plasma treatment chamber for performing a rotating gas cross-flow. The chamber has one or more sidewalls and a support surface for holding a workpiece. The chamber has two gas injectors along the sidewalls that inject gas in two directions parallel to the surface of the workpiece. There are also two pump ports along the sidewalls to remove the gas flow. The patent describes a method for carrying out a plasma treatment using the chamber. The technical effect of this design is a more uniform gas flow across the surface of the workpiece, resulting in better treatment outcomes.

Problems solved by technology

In addition, extraneous plasma may form in gas inlet holes due to proximity to dense plasma or breakdown due to high electric fields, leading to non-uniformity changing overtime.

The deformed holes, in turn, result in higher intensity plasma that disrupts the plate, requiring a change in showerheads after some number of hours (e.g., 600 hrs.).

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