Susceptor assembly for plasma equipment

Abstract

To provide a capacitive coupling reactor system including a susceptor assembly capable of easily controlling plasma.SOLUTION: A reactor system susceptor assembly can provide various advantages of plasma control. The susceptor assembly includes a main body, a heating element, a first electrode and a second electrode in various embodiments; the main body has an upper surface, a side surface and a bottom surface; the upper surface is a base material support surface; the heating element can be embedded in the main body; the first and second electrodes can be embedded in the main body of the susceptor assembly; the first electrode is arranged between the heating element and the upper surface of the main body; and the second electrode can be arranged to be generally adjacent to at least one of the side surface and the bottom surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to semiconductor processing or reactor systems having susceptor assemblies, and more particularly to capacitively coupled reactor systems having susceptor assemblies that facilitate plasma control. [Background technology]

[0002] The reaction chamber can be used to process substrates therein (e.g., deposit layers of various materials on a semiconductor substrate). For example, the substrate can be placed on a susceptor within the reaction chamber, and one or both of the substrate and susceptor can be heated to a desired temperature setpoint. In an exemplary substrate treatment process, one or more reactive gases can be passed over the heated substrate, causing the deposition of thin films of materials on the substrate surface. Through subsequent deposition, doping, lithography, etching, and other processes, these layers can be made into integrated circuits.

[0003] Semiconductor processing often involves plasma processing (e.g., plasma cleaning, plasma etching, or plasma-enhanced deposition). Plasma processing generally involves generating a plasma of one or more reactant gases, which plasma facilitates cleaning, film deposition, and / or etching. However, conventional plasma equipment often results in the unintended generation of parasitic plasma at undesirable locations within the reaction chamber. This parasitic plasma can have various adverse effects, such as reduced thickness uniformity of the film and / or film residue deposition on the reactor surfaces / walls. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are described in more detail below in the Detailed Description of Exemplary Embodiments of this Disclosure. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0005] According to various embodiments, a susceptor assembly for a reactor system is disclosed herein. The susceptor assembly includes a body, a heating element, a first electrode, and a second electrode according to various embodiments. The body can have a top surface, a side surface, and a bottom surface, with the top surface being a substrate support surface. The heating element can be embedded within the body. The first electrode and the second electrode can also be embedded within the body of the susceptor assembly, with the first electrode being disposed between the heating element and the top surface of the body. The second electrode can be disposed generally proximate at least one of the side surface and the bottom surface.

[0006] In various embodiments, the second electrode includes a mesh material. The bulk material of the body of the susceptor assembly can be a ceramic material. The second electrode is electrically grounded to suppress parasitic plasma around at least one of the side and bottom surfaces, according to various embodiments, while the first electrode is configured to operatively generate a processing plasma above the top surface. The second electrode can extend proximate to the bottom surface such that a heating element is disposed between the first and second electrodes.

[0007] Also disclosed herein, according to various embodiments, is a reactor system including a capacitively coupled plasma configuration. The reactor system may include a susceptor assembly and a housing. The susceptor assembly may include the features described above, and the housing may include an upper portion and a lower portion. The housing may also define a chamber within which the susceptor assembly is disposed. The body of the susceptor assembly may generally divide the chamber into an upper chamber defined between the upper portion of the housing and an upper surface of the susceptor assembly body, and a lower chamber defined between a bottom surface of the susceptor assembly body and the lower portion of the housing. The reactor system may also include a third electrode disposed above the upper surface of the susceptor assembly body.

[0008] The reactor system may further include an RF generator electrically coupled to one of the first electrode and the third electrode with RF power providing communication therebetween, while the other of the first electrode and the third electrode is electrically grounded, thereby operatively generating an electric field between the first electrode and the third electrode to generate a processing plasma above the upper surface of the body of the susceptor assembly. According to various embodiments, the second electrode is electrically grounded to operatively suppress parasitic plasma around at least one of the side and bottom surfaces. The third electrode may be electrically insulated from the lower portion of the housing. In various embodiments, the RF generator is a first RF generator, and the reactor system further includes a second RF generator. The first electrode may include a first zone and a second zone, and the first RF generator may be electrically coupled to the first zone with RF power providing communication therebetween, and the second RF generator may be separately electrically coupled to the second zone with RF power providing communication therebetween.

[0009] In various embodiments, the second electrode extends proximate the bottom surface such that the heating element is disposed between the first and second electrodes. In such a configuration, the reactor system may further include an RF generator electrically coupled to the second electrode with RF power providing communication therewith, with the lower portion of the housing electrically grounded, thereby operatively generating an electric field between the second electrode and the lower portion of the housing and generating a cleaning plasma below the bottom surface of the body of the susceptor assembly. In various embodiments, the RF generator is a first RF generator, and the reactor system further includes a second RF generator. The second electrode, according to various embodiments, includes a first zone and a second zone. According to various embodiments, the first RF generator is electrically coupled to the first zone with RF power providing communication therewith, and the second RF generator is separately electrically coupled to the second zone with RF power providing communication therewith.

[0010] In various embodiments, the reactor system includes a metal plate disposed in the lower chamber below the bottom surface of the body of the susceptor assembly, the metal plate including a fourth electrode electrically insulated from the lower portion of the housing. A ceramic insulator may be disposed between the metal plate and the lower portion of the housing. The reactor system may include an RF generator electrically coupled to one of the second electrode and the fourth electrode with RF power provided thereto while the other of the second electrode and the fourth electrode is electrically grounded, thereby operably generating an electric field between the second electrode and the fourth electrode and generating a cleaning plasma below the bottom surface of the body of the susceptor assembly. The metal plate may include at least one of a protruding surface, an extrusion surface, and a conical extrusion surface. In various embodiments, the bulk material of the susceptor assembly is metal (e.g., a metallic material).

[0011] Also disclosed herein, according to various embodiments, is a capacitively coupled plasma apparatus. The capacitively coupled plasma apparatus may include a susceptor assembly, a housing, and a third electrode, as described above. The capacitively coupled plasma apparatus may include an RF generator electrically coupled to the second electrode with RF power provided to the second electrode, with the lower portion of the housing electrically grounded, thereby operatively generating an electric field between the second electrode and the lower portion of the housing to generate a cleaning plasma below a bottom surface of the body of the susceptor assembly.

[0012] For purposes of summarizing the disclosure and the advantages achieved over the prior art, certain specific objects and advantages of the disclosure have been described hereinabove. Of course, it should be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the disclosure. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments disclosed herein may be practiced in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught or suggested herein, without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

[0013] All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure. These and other embodiments will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of certain embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and the present disclosure is not limited to any particular embodiment discussed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] While this specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming what are regarded as embodiments of the present disclosure, the advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure may be more readily apparent from the following description of certain specific examples of embodiments of the present disclosure when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like element numbering throughout the drawings indicates identical elements.

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary reactor system, according to various embodiments.

[0016] [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary reaction chamber with a lowered susceptor, according to various embodiments.

[0017] [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of an exemplary reaction chamber with the susceptor in a raised position, according to various embodiments.

[0018] [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a susceptor assembly having a heating element and an electrode, according to various embodiments.

[0019] [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a reactor system having a susceptor assembly and a capacitively coupled plasma configuration, according to various embodiments.

[0020] [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a susceptor assembly having a heating element, a first electrode, and a second electrode, according to various embodiments.

[0021] [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a susceptor assembly having a heating element, a first electrode, and a second electrode according to various embodiments.

[0022] [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a reactor system having a susceptor assembly with a second electrode configured to operatively suppress a parasitic plasma, according to various embodiments.

[0023] [Figure 5B]FIG. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a reactor system having a susceptor assembly and a capacitively coupled plasma configuration for generating a plasma below the susceptor assembly, according to various embodiments.

[0024] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a reactor system having a susceptor assembly, a metal plate, and a capacitively coupled plasma configuration for generating a plasma below the susceptor assembly, according to various embodiments.

[0025] [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a schematic cross-sectional view of various surface features of various implementations of a metal plate of a reactor system, according to various embodiments. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a schematic cross-sectional view of various surface features of various implementations of metal plates of a reactor system, according to various embodiments. [Figure 7C] FIG. 7C is a schematic cross-sectional view of various surface features of various implementations of metal plates of a reactor system, according to various embodiments.

[0026] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a susceptor assembly and a reactor system having a multi-zone capacitively coupled plasma configuration for generating a multi-zone plasma below the susceptor assembly, according to various embodiments.

[0027] [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a reactor system having a susceptor assembly and a multi-zone capacitively coupled plasma configuration for generating a multi-zone plasma above the susceptor assembly, according to various embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Although certain embodiments and examples are disclosed below, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments and / or uses of the present disclosure, as well as obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. Accordingly, it is not intended that the scope of the present disclosure should be limited by the specific embodiments described herein.

[0029] The figures shown herein are not meant to be actual drawings of any particular materials, apparatus, structures or devices, but merely representations used to describe embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] As used herein, the term "substrate" may refer to any underlying material or materials that may be used or upon which a device, circuit, or film may be formed.

[0031] As used herein, the term "atomic layer deposition" (ALD) can refer to a vapor deposition process in which deposition cycles, preferably multiple consecutive deposition cycles, are performed in a process chamber. Typically, during each cycle, a precursor chemisorbs to a deposition surface (e.g., the surface of a substrate or a previously deposited underlying surface, such as a material deposited using a previous ALD cycle) to form a monolayer or submonolayer that does not readily react with additional precursors (i.e., a self-limiting reaction). If desired, a reactant (e.g., another precursor or reactant gas) can then be introduced into the process chamber for use in converting the chemisorbed precursor to the desired material on the deposition surface. Typically, this reactant can further react with the precursor. Additionally, a purge step can also be utilized during each cycle to remove excess precursor from the process chamber after conversion of the chemisorbed precursor and / or to remove excess reactants and / or reaction by-products from the process chamber. Additionally, the term "atomic layer deposition," as used herein, is also meant to include processes denoted by related terms, such as "chemical vapor deposition atomic layer deposition," "atomic layer epitaxy" (ALE), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), gas source MBE, or metalorganic MBE, as well as chemical beam epitaxy when performed with alternating pulses of precursor compositions, reactive gases, and purge (e.g., inert carrier) gases.

[0032] As used herein, the term "chemical vapor deposition" (CVD) can refer to any process in which a substrate is exposed to one or more volatile precursors that react and / or decompose on the substrate surface to produce a desired deposit.

[0033] As used herein, the terms "film" and "thin film" can refer to any continuous or discontinuous structure and material deposited by the methods disclosed herein. "Films" and "thin films" can include, for example, 2D materials, nanorods, nanotubes, or nanoparticles, or planar partial or complete molecular layers, or partial or complete atomic layers, or clusters of atoms and / or molecules. "Films" and "thin films" can include materials or layers with pinholes, yet are at least partially continuous.

[0034] As used herein, the term "contaminants" may refer to any undesirable material disposed within the reaction chamber that may affect the purity of the substrate disposed within the reaction chamber. The term "contaminants" may refer to, but is not limited to, undesirable deposits, metallic and non-metallic particles, impurities, parasitic plasma, and waste materials disposed within the reaction chamber.

[0035] According to various embodiments, disclosed herein is a susceptor assembly for a reactor system generally configured to facilitate plasma control. In various embodiments, the reactor system is a plasma device, and the susceptor assembly includes one or more electrodes that affect plasma generation to inhibit parasitic plasma within the reaction chamber. As described in more detail below, the term "parasitic plasma" refers to plasma that adversely affects substrate processing. For example, "parasitic plasma" may refer to plasma that is generated in an undesirable location or region within the reaction chamber, such as below or to the side of the susceptor. In various embodiments, the susceptor assembly and associated reactor system disclosed herein are generally configured to facilitate control of capacitively coupled plasma, as described in more detail below.

[0036] Reactor systems used for ALD, CVD, and / or the like can be used for a variety of applications, including the deposition and etching of materials on substrate surfaces. In various embodiments, referring to FIG. 1 , reactor system 50 can include a reaction chamber 4, a susceptor 6 for holding substrate 30 during processing, a gas distribution system 8 (e.g., a showerhead) for distributing one or more reactants to the surface of substrate 30, one or more reactant sources 10, 12, and / or a carrier and / or purge gas source 14 fluidly connected to reaction chamber 4 via lines 16-20 and valves or controllers 22-26. System 50 can also include a vacuum source 28 fluidly connected to reaction chamber 4.

[0037] As described in more detail below, various details and embodiments of the present disclosure may be utilized in a reaction chamber configured for a number of deposition processes, including, but not limited to, ALD, CVD, metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), physical vapor deposition (PVD), plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and plasma etching. Embodiments of the present disclosure may also be utilized in a reaction chamber configured to process substrates with reactive precursors, which may also include etching processes such as reactive ion etching (RIE), capacitively coupled plasma etching (CCP), and electron cyclotron resonance etching (ECR). In various embodiments, the reactor system has a plasma configuration, such as a capacitively coupled plasma configuration, that utilizes the application of radio frequency (RF) power to the atmosphere within the reaction chamber to generate plasma. Thus, the reactor system is a capacitively coupled plasma reactor (also referred to herein as a capacitively coupled plasma device), as described in detail, including with reference to FIG. 3B .

[0038] 2A and 2B, embodiments of the present disclosure can include reactor systems and methods that can be utilized to process substrates in a reactor system 100. In various embodiments, the reactor system 100 can include a reaction chamber 110 for processing substrates. In various embodiments, the reaction chamber 110 can include a reaction space 112 (i.e., an upper chamber) that can be configured to process one or more substrates, and / or a lower chamber space 114 (i.e., a lower chamber). The lower chamber space 114 can be configured for loading and unloading substrates from the reaction chamber and / or to provide a pressure differential between the lower chamber space 114 and the reaction space 112.

[0039] In various embodiments, the reaction space 112 and the lower chamber space 114 may be separated by a susceptor 130 disposed within the reaction chamber 110. In various embodiments, the reaction space 112 and the lower chamber space 114 may be substantially fluidly separated or isolated from one another. For example, the susceptor 130 may fluidly separate the reaction space 112 and the lower chamber space 114 by forming at least a partial seal (i.e., at least restricting fluid flow) between the susceptor 130 and the chamber sidewall 111 of the reaction chamber 110, which is disposed proximate to the susceptor outer edge 132 of the susceptor 130. That is, the space 108 between the susceptor 130 and the chamber sidewall 111 may be minimized or eliminated so that there is little or no fluid movement between the susceptor 130 and the chamber sidewall 111.

[0040] In various embodiments, to prevent or reduce fluid flow between the susceptor 130 and the chamber sidewall 111, one or more seal members (e.g., seal member 129) may extend from the susceptor 130 (e.g., from the susceptor outer edge 132) and / or from the chamber sidewall 111 of the reaction chamber 110 to the other and form at least a partial seal (i.e., restrict or prevent fluid flow) between the susceptor 130 and the chamber sidewall 111. At least a partial seal of the reaction space 112 from the lower chamber space 114 may be desirable to prevent or reduce precursor gases and / or other fluids utilized in processing the substrate 150 from entering and / or contacting the lower chamber space 114 of the reaction chamber 110. For example, precursor gases utilized to treat substrates within the reaction space may contain corrosive deposition precursors that may contact the lower chamber space 114 to produce undesirable deposits / contaminants / particles that may then be reintroduced into the reaction space 112, thereby providing a source of contamination to substrates disposed within the reaction space.

[0041] In various embodiments, although the seal member 129 extending between the susceptor 130 and the chamber sidewall 111 of the reaction chamber 110, and / or at least a partial seal formed by direct contact between the susceptor 130 and the chamber sidewall 111 of the reaction chamber 110, may limit or substantially prevent fluid communication between the reaction space 112 and the lower chamber space 114 through the space 108, a small amount of precursor gas may still be able to enter the lower chamber space 114 by diffusion, which may result in corrosion, undesirable deposition, and contaminants within the lower chamber of the reaction chamber of the reactor system.

[0042] In various embodiments, the susceptor 130 may include one or more pin holes 137. Each pin hole 137 may extend through the susceptor 130 from its top surface (e.g., the substrate support surface 135 on which the substrate 150 may be placed for processing) to its bottom surface 136. The top surface of the susceptor (e.g., the substrate support surface 135) may be the surface of the susceptor 130 adjacent to the reaction space 112 of the reaction chamber 110. The susceptor bottom surface 136 may be the surface of the susceptor 130 adjacent to the lower chamber space 114 of the reaction chamber 110. In the absence of lift pins disposed in the pin holes 137, the reaction space 112 and the lower chamber space 114 may be in fluid communication with each other through the pin holes 137. That is, the pin holes 137 may be in fluid communication with the reaction space 112 and the lower chamber space 114.

[0043] A lift pin 140 (or other similar object) may be disposed within each pin hole 137. Each lift pin may include a lift pin body configured to penetrate at least a portion of the pin hole 137 when disposed within the pin hole 137. The lift pin body may have a cross-sectional shape complementary to the cross-sectional shape of the pin hole 137. In various embodiments, the top surface of each lift pin may be configured to contact the substrate 150 and move the substrate 150 relative to the susceptor 130. For example, the lift pin 140 may move the substrate 150 up or down relative to the susceptor 130 (i.e., increase or decrease the space between the substrate 150 and the susceptor 130). Placing the substrate on the lift pin may facilitate loading or unloading the substrate from the reaction chamber, for example, through an opening in the chamber sidewall (e.g., opening 98).

[0044] As discussed, the substrate 150 and the susceptor 130 may be movable relative to one another. For example, in various embodiments, one or more lift pins 140 can be configured to separate the substrate 150 from the susceptor 130 and to place the substrate 150 in contact with (i.e., supported by) the susceptor 130. In various embodiments, the susceptor 130 can be moved up and down, e.g., by the susceptor elevator 104, such that the susceptor 130 moves relative to the substrate 150. In various embodiments, the lift pins 140 can be moved up and down, e.g., by the lift pin elevator / platform 142, such that the substrate 150 moves relative to the susceptor 130. In various embodiments, the susceptor 130 and / or the lift pins 140 can be stationary while the other moves. In various embodiments, the susceptor 130 and / or the lift pins 140 can be configured to move relative to the other.

[0045] In various embodiments, the reactor system may include a susceptor (e.g., susceptor 130). A substrate (e.g., substrate 150) may be placed directly on top of the susceptor (e.g., on the substrate support surface 135 of the susceptor 130) for processing. In various embodiments, the top surface of the susceptor may be positioned coplanar with the substrate support surface 135. In various embodiments, the substrate support surface may form a recess in the susceptor such that a recess exists in the top surface of the susceptor. The recess including the substrate support surface 135 may have a height such that at least a portion of the height of the substrate 150 is positioned within the recess. The recess may have a height such that when the substrate is positioned on the substrate support surface and within the recess, the top surface of the substrate is coplanar with the top surface of the susceptor.

[0046] In various embodiments, once the substrate 150 is placed on the lift pins 140, the susceptor 130 can move from the loading position 103 to the processing position 106 and receive the substrate 150 during such movement. In such embodiments, the pin upper ends and / or pin heads or top surfaces of the lift pins 140 can be received by the pin holes 137, such that the substrate 150 can directly contact the susceptor 130. In various embodiments, once the substrate 150 is placed on the lift pins 140, the lift pins 140 can move downward into the susceptor 130, such that the substrate 150 is received by the susceptor 130 (i.e., the substrate 150 rests on the substrate support surface 135). Accordingly, the pin upper ends can be flush with and / or below the substrate support surface 135. The substrate 150 can then be processed in a reaction chamber.

[0047] In various embodiments, and with reference to FIG. 3A , a susceptor assembly 330 includes a heating element 339 and a first electrode 331 embedded within a body 335 of the susceptor assembly 330. The susceptor assembly 330 may be the same as or similar to the susceptor 6, 130 described above with reference to FIGS. 1 , 2A, and 2B , or the susceptor assembly 330 may include at least some or all of the features of the aforementioned susceptor 6, 130. Generally, the body 335 of the susceptor assembly 330, according to various embodiments, includes a top surface 336, side surfaces 337, and a bottom surface 338 for supporting a substrate (also referred to herein as a substrate support surface). The first electrode 331 may be generally disposed within the body 335, between the heating element 339 and the top surface 336. As described in more detail below, the first electrode 331 may be generally configured to operate as one electrode of a capacitively coupled circuit.

[0048] As used herein, when an electrode is referred to as being coupled to or embedded within a component, the electrode may occupy, span, or be generally positioned proximate to at least a particular portion of the component. Thus, a reactor system including one or more electrodes may include multiple electrodes coupled to or included within a section, segment, or portion of the reactor system. In various embodiments, the electrodes may span, or be positioned at or proximate to, different portions of the susceptor and / or different portions of the substrate-supporting surface of the susceptor. The electrodes may extend along the same plane (e.g., a plane near, adjacent, parallel, and / or adjacent to the substrate-supporting surface of the substrate). The electrodes may be positioned within the susceptor such that the plane along which the electrodes extend is approximately 0.1 centimeters (cm) away from the substrate-supporting surface of the susceptor within the susceptor body ("approximately" in this context means plus or minus 0.05 cm).

[0049] In various embodiments, and with reference to Figure 3B, a reactor system 300 includes a susceptor assembly 330 from Figure 3A and a housing 310 that generally defines a reaction space or chamber within which the susceptor assembly 330 is disposed. The reactor system 300 may be the same as or similar to the reactor systems 50, 100 described above with reference to Figures 1, 2A, and 2B, or the reactor system 300 may include at least some or all of the features of the aforementioned reactor systems 50, 100. For example, to avoid obscuring various aspects of the depiction, a substrate is not shown in the remaining figures, although during operation, the substrate would be supported by the susceptor assembly. According to various embodiments, the body 335 of the susceptor assembly 330 may generally divide the chamber into an upper chamber 312 defined between the upper portion 316 of the housing 310 and the top surface 336 of the body 335 of the susceptor assembly 330, and a lower chamber 314 defined between the bottom surface 338 of the body 335 of the susceptor assembly 330 and the lower portion 318 of the housing 310.

[0050] In various embodiments, the body 335 of the susceptor assembly 330 includes a ceramic material. In other words, the bulk material of the body 335 of the susceptor assembly 330 can be a ceramic material. For example, the material of the body 335 of the susceptor assembly 330 can be selected from a group of materials such as aluminum nitride (AlN), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon dioxide (SiO2), silicon carbide (SiC), yttrium oxide (Y2O3), and boron nitride (BN). In various embodiments, the material of the body of the susceptor assembly of the present disclosure is selected from a group of materials consisting of aluminum nitride (AlN), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon dioxide (SiO2), silicon carbide (SiC), yttrium oxide (Y2O3), and boron nitride (BN). The electrodes disclosed herein can be made of a metallic material. For example, the electrode material may be selected from a group of materials including molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), tantalum (Ta), and silicon (Si), among others. In various embodiments, the electrode material of the present disclosure is selected from the group of materials consisting of molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), tantalum (Ta), and silicon (Si).

[0051] The reactor system 300 may include two circuit elements 342, 344 respectively coupled to two components of the reactor system 300 to operatively generate a plasma in the atmosphere between the two components. FIG. 3B generally illustrates the generation of a processing plasma 322 above the upper surface 336 of the susceptor assembly 330 (e.g., in the upper chamber 312). As discussed above, parasitic plasma 325 may be undesirably generated at various locations within the housing 310, and this parasitic plasma 325 may have various negative effects on substrate processing. For example, the parasitic plasma 325 may be generated on the sides and / or below the body 335 of the susceptor assembly. For example, the parasitic plasma 325 may be unintentionally generated in response to wired power transmission to / from the heating element and / or first electrode. That is, wires extending through the susceptor assembly 330 to and from the first electrode 331 and / or heating element 339 may generate an electric field that promotes the generation of the parasitic plasma 325. Thus, Figure 3B may illustrate processing conditions that the present disclosure is intended to alleviate.

[0052] As described in more detail below and with reference to Figures 4A, 4B, 5A, and 5B, the susceptor assemblies 430A, 430B can include a second electrode 432 embedded within the body 335 proximate at least one of the side surface 337 and the bottom surface 338, which can be configured to provide various plasma control benefits. For example, the second electrode 432 embedded within the body of the susceptor assembly can 1) be electrically grounded and therefore configured to operatively suppress parasitic plasma 325 (Figure 3B) and / or 2) utilize the second electrode 432 to direct cleaning plasma 324 below or to the side of the body of the susceptor assembly (e.g., in the lower chamber 314). This configuration of having two electrodes within the susceptor assembly, and its various advantages, will be described in more detail, including with reference to Figure 4A.

[0053] Referring back to FIG. 3B , further details of the treatment plasma 322 are provided. As mentioned above, a first electrode 331 may be disposed adjacent to the upper surface 336 of the body 335 of the susceptor assembly 330, and another electrode (referred to herein as a third electrode) may be disposed above the upper surface 336 of the body 335 of the susceptor assembly. For example, the third electrode may be coupled to or embedded within the upper portion 316 of the housing 310. To simplify the schematic diagram of FIG. 3B , the upper portion 316 is generally shown as being electrically connected to a circuit element 344, although in practice the circuit element 344 may be coupled to an electrode embedded within the upper portion 316 or may be coupled to the upper portion 316 within the upper chamber 312. In various embodiments, when the upper portion 316 is the third electrode, an electrical insulator 317 may be disposed between the upper portion 316 and the remaining section / portion of the housing 310, thereby electrically insulating the third electrode from the remaining portion of the housing 310. As used herein, the material of the electrically insulating section disclosed herein may be any material, including, among others, aluminum nitride (AlN), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon dioxide (SiO2), and the like. 2) In various embodiments, the material of the electrically insulating section of the present disclosure may be selected from a group of materials including aluminum nitride (AlN), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon dioxide (SiO2), and the like. 2) and silicon carbide (SiC).

[0054] In various embodiments, the term “circuit elements” 342, 344 generally refers to wires and other circuitry electrically connected to opposing electrodes and configured to generate a capacitively coupled plasma. In other words, the circuit elements may include a means for current flow to / from the electrodes. One or both of the circuit elements of a pair of electrodes may be electrically grounded. In various embodiments, one of the circuit elements (e.g., circuit element 342) may include a radio frequency (RF) generator 345, and the other circuit element (e.g., circuit element 344) may be electrically grounded, thus operatively enabling an electric field to be generated between the electrodes that generates the plasma. Thus, the reactor system 300 may include an RF generator electrically coupled to provide RF power to one of the first electrode 331 and the third electrode (e.g., upper portion 316), with the other of the first electrode 331 and the third electrode being electrically grounded, thereby enabling generation of a processing plasma 322 in the upper chamber 312.

[0055] In various embodiments, the circuit element may comprise an adjustable circuit configured to provide an adjustable current flow, thereby adjusting the resulting capacitively coupled plasma. For example, during substrate processing (e.g., during atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and / or the like), electric fields may be formed between electrodes as electrons travel therebetween, and these electric fields may be controlled and adjusted to provide desired plasma generation parameters.

[0056] In various embodiments, and referring to FIG. 4A , the susceptor assembly 430A includes a second electrode 432 embedded within the body 335 of the susceptor assembly 430A. The second electrode 432 may be a solid plate / panel, or the second electrode may include a mesh material or otherwise have a mesh configuration. In other words, the second electrode 432 may have a mesh structure disposed proximate the bottom and / or side of the body of the susceptor assembly. As shown in FIG. 4A , the second electrode 432 may extend along the bottom surface 338 of the body 335 of the susceptor assembly 430A. Thus, the heating element 339 may be disposed between the first electrode 331 and the second electrode 432. As shown in FIG. 4B , the susceptor assembly 430B may have a second electrode 432 disposed along the side surface 337 of the body 335. In various embodiments, the second electrode 432 is embedded within the body 335 along and adjacent to both the bottom surface 338 and the side surface 337 .

[0057] In various embodiments, and with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, incorporating a second electrode 432 into a susceptor assembly provides various advantages. While the susceptor assembly 430A of FIG. 4A having the second electrode proximate the bottom surface 338 is shown in the reactor systems 500A, 500B of FIGS. 5A and 5B, the susceptor assembly 430B of FIG. 4B having the second electrode positioned proximate the side surface 337 may also be implemented in the reactor systems 500A, 500B. As described above, the second electrode 432 may provide various benefits, including mitigating parasitic plasma and promoting the generation of cleaning plasma. FIG. 5A illustrates a reactor system 500A with a second electrode 432 configured to provide parasitic plasma mitigation benefits, according to various embodiments, and FIG. 5B illustrates a reactor system 500B with a second electrode configured to provide cleaning plasma benefits, according to various embodiments. These configurations are not mutually exclusive, and thus the reactor systems 500A, 500B may be configured to operate according to multiple modes, such as a parasitic plasma suppression mode and a cleaning plasma mode.

[0058] In various embodiments, and with reference to FIG. 5A , the second electrode 432 is configured to be electrically grounded via the circuit element 544. Thus, the second electrode 432 can be electrically grounded to suppress parasitic plasma around at least one of the bottom and side surfaces of the body of the susceptor assembly. In various embodiments, this electrical grounding of the second electrode 432 can help block plasma generation in the upper chamber 312 (i.e., the processing plasma 322 of FIG. 3B ). For example, the second electrode 432 can be configured to reduce the surface potential of the susceptor assembly 430A, particularly the heating element 339, to suppress parasitic plasma. Thus, the surface potential of the susceptor assembly 430A, which typically arises as a byproduct of RF power, heating element power, or other power communication to / from the susceptor assembly 430A, is reduced. That is, when the second electrode 432 is electrically grounded, the heating element power and ESC voltage from the heating element 339 are blocked, and the heating element potential is reduced (e.g., to zero). Reducing the surface potential of the ceramic heater reduces the parasitic plasma.

[0059] In various embodiments, and with reference to FIG. 5B , reactor system 500B includes circuit elements 542, 544, with one of the circuit elements comprising RF generator 545. In various embodiments, reactor system 500B includes another electrode (referred to herein as a fourth electrode) disposed below the bottom surface 338 of body 335 of susceptor assembly 430A. For example, the fourth electrode may be coupled to, embedded within, or generally disposed proximate to the lower surface of lower portion 318 of housing 310. For purposes of simplicity, lower portion 318 of housing 310 is generally shown as electrically connected to circuit element 544, although in practice circuit element 544 may be coupled to an electrode embedded within lower portion 318 or may be coupled to lower portion 318 within lower chamber 314 (see FIG. 6 ). In various embodiments, if the lower portion 318 of the housing 310 is the fourth electrode, an electrically insulating material may be disposed between the lower portion 318 and the remaining sections / portions of the housing 310, such that the fourth electrode is electrically isolated from the remaining portions of the housing 310.

[0060] An RF generator 545 of one of the circuit elements 542 can be coupled to one of the second electrode and the fourth electrode, while the other of the second electrode and the fourth electrode is electrically grounded. Such a configuration can generate a cleaning plasma 324 in the lower chamber 314. The cleaning plasma 324 can be configured to enable rapid cleaning / etching of the lower chamber 314, allowing the reactor system 500B to quickly remove film residue or other contaminants from this region of the reactor, thereby improving throughput over conventional reactors (which require a longer time to clean this area / region of the reactor). Accordingly, disclosed herein is a method of cleaning a reactor that includes activating the generation of a cleaning plasma in the lower chamber using opposing electrodes, one positioned in a lower region of the susceptor and the other positioned adjacent a lower portion of the housing defining the lower chamber. For example, the PF generator 545 of the first circuit element 542 is electrically coupled to the second electrode 432 with RF power provided thereto while the lower portion 318 of the housing 310 is electrically grounded, thereby operatively generating an electric field between the second electrode 432 and the lower portion 318 of the housing 310 to generate a cleaning plasma 324 below the bottom surface 338 of the body 335 of the susceptor assembly 430A.

[0061] 6 , the fourth electrode of the reactor system 600 may be a metal plate 650 disposed within the lower chamber 314 adjacent to the lower portion 318 of the housing 310. That is, the metal plate 650 may be disposed below the bottom surface 338 of the susceptor assembly 430A such that a gap is defined between the metal plate 650 and the bottom surface 338 of the susceptor assembly 430A, where the cleaning plasma 324 may be generated. The material of the metal plate 650 may be selected from a group of materials including aluminum (Al), stainless steel, titanium (Ti), silicon (Si), and the like. In various embodiments, the material of the metal plate 650 may be selected from a group of materials consisting of aluminum (Al), stainless steel, titanium (Ti), and silicon (Si).

[0062] In various embodiments, the RF generator 645 of the first circuit element 642 may be electrically coupled with RF power to provide communication between one of the second electrode 432 and the fourth electrode (e.g., the metal plate 650) and the other of the second electrode 432 and the fourth electrode (e.g., the metal plate 650), thereby operatively generating an electric field between the second electrode 432 and the fourth electrode to generate the cleaning plasma 324. In various embodiments, the reactor system 600 may include an electrical insulation layer 655 between the metal plate 650 and the lower portion 318 of the housing 310 to electrically insulate the metal plate 650 from the housing 310. The electrical insulation layer 655 may be a ceramic insulator.

[0063] With the fourth electrode being a metal plate 650, the body of the susceptor assembly may include a metal material (instead of a ceramic material). In other words, the bulk material of the body of the susceptor assembly may be a metal material. For example, the material of the body of the susceptor assembly may be selected from a group of materials including aluminum (Al), stainless steel, titanium (Ti), and the like. In various embodiments, the material of the body of the susceptor assembly of the present disclosure is selected from a group of materials consisting of aluminum (Al), stainless steel, and titanium (Ti).

[0064] In various embodiments, and according to FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C, various surface features of various implementations of metal plate 650 are provided. In various embodiments, the top surface of metal plate 650 has a series or pattern of protrusions (FIG. 7A) to facilitate generation of cleaning plasma 324. In other words, metal plate 650 may have a protruding surface. In various embodiments, the top surface of metal plate 650 has a series or pattern of recesses (FIGS. 7B and 7C). The recesses may be defined by cylindrical or straight sidewalls such that the recesses have flat bottoms (FIG. 7B), and thus metal plate 650 may have an extruded surface. In various embodiments, the recesses may be conical such that the sidewalls defining the recesses are tapered / sloped, and thus metal plate 650 may have a conical extruded surface.

[0065] In various embodiments, and referring to FIG. 8 , reactor system 800 includes a multi-zone electrode configuration for generating multiple zones 824A, 824B of cleaning plasma. Reactor system 800 may include two RF generators, such as a first RF generator 845A of a first circuit element 842A and a second RF generator 845B of a second circuit element 842B. A second electrode may include a first zone 832A and a second zone 832B. The first RF generator 845A may be electrically coupled to provide RF power communication with the first zone 832A of the second electrode, and the second RF generator 845B may be separately electrically coupled to provide RF power communication with the second zone 832B of the second electrode. Each RF power generator may be individually controlled to provide a different electric field to tailor the cleaning plasma. Thus, with this configuration, multiple zones of cleaning plasma may be generated. For example, a first zone 824A of cleaning plasma may be generated between a first zone 832A of the second electrode and a fourth electrode (e.g., the lower portion 318 of the housing 310, which may be electrically grounded via the circuit element 844), while a second zone 824B of cleaning plasma may be generated between a second zone 832B of the second electrode and the fourth electrode.

[0066] In various embodiments, the first zone 832A of the second electrode can be at or near the outer (i.e., edge) portion of the lower region of the body of the susceptor assembly, and the second zone 832B of the second electrode can be at or near the inner (i.e., center) portion of the susceptor. As another example, the susceptor can be divided into quadrants or portions, and a zone of the second electrode can be located at, near, or extending along each quadrant or portion of the susceptor. Each electrode zone can be separately coupled to its own circuit element (e.g., an RF generator).

[0067] In various embodiments, and referring to FIG. 9 , a reactor system 900 includes a multi-zone electrode configuration for generating multiple zones 922A, 922B of a processing plasma. The reactor system 900 may include two RF generators, such as a first RF generator 945A of a first circuit element 942A and a second RF generator 945B of a second circuit element 942B. The first electrode may include a first zone 931A and a second zone 931B. The first RF generator 945A may be electrically coupled to provide RF power communication with the first zone 931A of the first electrode, and the second RF generator 945B may be separately electrically coupled to provide RF power communication with the second zone 931B of the first electrode. Each RF power generator may be individually controlled to provide a different electric field to condition the processing plasma. Thus, with this configuration, multiple zones of processing plasma may be generated. For example, a first zone 922A of the processing plasma can be generated between a first zone 931A of the first electrode and a third electrode (e.g., the upper portion 316 of the housing 310, which can be electrically grounded via circuit element 944A), while a second zone 922B of the processing plasma can be generated between a second zone 931B of the first electrode and the third electrode.

[0068] In various embodiments, the first electrode's first zone 931A can be at or near the outer (i.e., edge) portion of the upper region of the body of the susceptor assembly, and the first electrode's second zone 931B can be at or near the inner (i.e., center) portion of the susceptor. As another example, the susceptor can be divided into quadrants or portions, and the first electrode's zones can be located at, near, or extending along each quadrant or portion of the susceptor. Each electrode zone can be separately coupled to its own circuit element (e.g., an RF generator). In various embodiments, the reactor system 900 further includes another circuit element 944B configured to electrically ground the second electrode 932, thereby providing the aforementioned benefit of reducing parasitic plasma during generation of the processing plasma zone.

[0069] Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described herein with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may cause or make more pronounced any benefit, advantage, or solution are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of the present disclosure.

[0070] Reference to features, advantages, or similar language throughout this specification does not imply that all features and advantages of the present disclosure should or are in any single embodiment of the present invention. Rather, language referring to features and advantages is understood to mean that the particular feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein. Thus, discussion of features and advantages and similar language throughout this specification may, but does not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

[0071] Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the present disclosure may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the subject matter of the present application may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the present disclosure. Moreover, in some instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations have not been shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention. No claim element shall be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase "means for."

[0072] The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims, and references to elements in the singular in the appended claims are not intended to mean "one and only one" unless expressly stated otherwise, but rather "one or more." Unless otherwise specified, references to "a," "an," and / or "the" should be understood to include one or more, and references to singular items may include plural items. Additionally, the term "plurality" may be defined as at least two. As used herein, the phrase "at least one," when used in a list of items, means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used, and that only one of the items in the list may be required. An item may be a specific object, thing, or category. Furthermore, when "A, B, and C" is used in the claims, the phrase is intended to be understood to mean that only A may be present in an embodiment, only B may be present in an embodiment, only C may be present in an embodiment, or any combination of elements A, B, and C may be present in a single embodiment, e.g., A and B, A and C, B and C, or A, B, and C. In some cases, "at least one of items A, B, and C" includes, for example, but not limited to, two items A, one item B and ten items C, four items B and seven items C, or other suitable combinations.

[0073] All range and ratio limits disclosed herein may be combined. Unless otherwise specified, terms such as "first," "second," and the like are used herein merely as labels and are not intended to impose any order, position, or hierarchical requirements on the items to which they refer. Further, reference to, for example, a "second" item does not require or exclude the presence of, for example, a "first" item or lower-numbered item, and / or, for example, a "third" or higher-numbered item.

[0074] Any reference to attached, fixed, connected, etc. may include permanent, removable, temporary, partial, complete, and / or any other possible attachment option. Additionally, any reference to non-contact (or similar phrases) may also include reduced or minimal contact. In the above description, certain terms, such as "up," "down," "upper," "lower," "horizontal," "vertical," "left," "right," etc., may be used. These terms, where applicable, are used to provide clarity to the description when dealing with relative relationships. However, these terms are not intended to imply absolute relationships, positions, and / or orientations. For example, with respect to an object, an "upper" surface may become a "lower" surface simply by flipping the object over. Nevertheless, it is still the same object.

[0075] Additionally, examples herein of one element "coupled" to another element may include direct and indirect coupling. A direct coupling may be defined as one element being coupled to another element and in some way contacting it. An indirect coupling may be defined as the connection between two elements not being direct to each other, but having one or more additional elements between the coupled elements. Furthermore, as used herein, fixing one element to another element may include direct fixation and indirect fixation. Additionally, as used herein, "adjacent" does not necessarily indicate contact. For example, one element may be adjacent to another element without contacting the element.

[0076] While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein, it should be understood that the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, while the reactor system is described in connection with various specific configurations, the disclosure is not necessarily limited to these examples. Various changes, modifications, and improvements to the systems and methods described herein can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

[0077] The subject matter of the present disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various systems, components, and configurations, as well as other features, functions, operations, and / or properties disclosed herein, and any and all equivalents thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 4. Reaction Chamber 6 Susceptor 8 Gas Distribution System 10, 12 Reactant Source 14 Purge gas source 16, 18, 20 lines 22, 24, 26 Valves or controllers 28 Vacuum source 30 Base material 50 Reactor System 98 Opening 100 Reactor System 103 Loading position 104 Susceptor elevator 106 Processing location 108 Space 110 Reaction Chamber 111 Chamber side wall 112 Reaction Space 114 Lower chamber space 129 Sealing material 130 Susceptor 132 Edge 135 Base material support surface 136 bottom 137 pin hole 140 Lift Pin 142 Lift Pin Elevator / Platform 150 Base material 300 Reactor System 310 Housing 312 Upper Chamber 314 Lower Chamber 316 Upper part 317 Electrical insulators 318 Lower part 322 Processing Plasma 324 Cleaning Plasma 325 Parasitic Plasma 330 Susceptor Assembly 331 First Electrode 335 Main Unit 336 Top surface 337 Side 338 bottom 339 Heating Elements 342 Circuit Elements 344 Circuit Elements 345 Radio Frequency (RF) Generator 430A Susceptor Assembly 430B Susceptor Assembly 432 Second Electrode 500A Reactor System 500B Reactor System 542 Circuit Elements 544 Circuit Elements 545 RF Generator 600 Reactor System 642 Circuit Elements 645 RF Generator 650 Metal Plate 655 Electrical Insulation Layer 800 Reactor System 824A, 824B Cleaning Plasma Zones 832A First Zone 832B Second Zone 842A First Circuit Element 842B Second Circuit Element 844 Circuit Elements 845A Generator 845B Generator 900 Reactor System 922A First Zone 922B Second Zone 931A First Zone 931B Second Zone 932 Second Electrode 942A First Circuit Element 942B Second Circuit Element 944A Circuit Elements 944B Circuit Elements 945A RF Generator 945B RF Generator

Claims

1. 1. A susceptor assembly for a reactor system, the susceptor assembly comprising: a body including a top surface, a side surface, and a bottom surface, the top surface being a substrate support surface; a heating element embedded within the body; a first electrode embedded within the body between the heating element and the top surface; and a second electrode embedded in the body proximate at least one of the side and bottom surfaces; The susceptor assembly, wherein the second electrode is coupled to an RF generator to generate a cleaning plasma below a bottom surface of the body of the susceptor assembly.

2. The susceptor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode is a mesh material.

3. The susceptor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bulk material of the body comprises a ceramic material.

4. A susceptor assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the first electrode is configured to operatively generate a processing plasma above the upper surface.

5. The susceptor assembly of claim 4 , wherein the second electrode extends adjacent to the bottom surface such that the heating element is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

6. 1. A reactor system including a capacitively coupled plasma configuration, said reactor system comprising:

1. A susceptor assembly comprising: a body including a top surface, a side surface, and a bottom surface, the top surface being a substrate support surface; a heating element embedded within the body; a first electrode embedded within the body between the heating element and the top surface; and a second electrode embedded in the body proximate at least one of the side and bottom surfaces; a housing including an upper portion and a lower portion, the housing defining a chamber in which the susceptor assembly is disposed, the body of the susceptor assembly generally dividing the chamber into an upper chamber defined between the upper portion of the housing and the top surface of the body of the susceptor assembly, and a lower chamber defined between the bottom surface of the body of the susceptor assembly and the lower portion of the housing; and a third electrode disposed above the upper surface of the body of the susceptor assembly; the second electrode extends adjacent to the bottom surface such that the heating element is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode; The reactor system further includes an RF generator electrically coupled to the second electrode with RF power provided thereto while the lower portion of the housing is electrically grounded, thereby operably generating an electric field between the second electrode and the lower portion of the housing to generate a cleaning plasma below a bottom surface of the body of the susceptor assembly.

7. 7. The reactor system of claim 6, further comprising an RF generator electrically coupled to one of the first electrode and the third electrode with RF power provided thereto while the other of the first electrode and the third electrode is electrically grounded, thereby operably generating an electric field between the first electrode and the third electrode to generate a processing plasma above an upper surface of the body of the susceptor assembly.

8. 7. The reactor system of claim 6, wherein the second electrode comprises a mesh configuration.

9. 7. The reactor system of claim 6, wherein the third electrode is electrically insulated from the lower portion of the housing.

10. the RF generator is a first RF generator and the reactor system further comprises a second RF generator; the second electrode includes a first zone and a second zone; 7. The reactor system of claim 6, wherein the first RF generator is electrically coupled with RF power to provide communication with the first zone, and the second RF generator is separately electrically coupled with RF power to provide communication with the second zone.

11. 7. The reactor system of claim 6, further comprising a metal plate disposed in the lower chamber below a bottom surface of the body of the susceptor assembly, the metal plate comprising a fourth electrode electrically insulated from a lower portion of the housing.

12. 12. The reactor system of claim 11, further comprising a ceramic insulator disposed between the metal plate and the lower portion of the housing.

13. A reactor system as described in claim 11, wherein an electric field is operatively generated between the second electrode and the fourth electrode while the fourth electrode is electrically grounded, to generate a cleaning plasma below the bottom surface of the body of the susceptor assembly.

14. 14. The reactor system of claim 13, wherein the metal plate comprises at least one of a protruding surface, an extruded surface, and a conical extruded surface.

15. The reactor system of claim 11 , wherein the bulk material of the body of the susceptor assembly comprises a metal.

16. A capacitively coupled plasma device, 1. A susceptor assembly comprising: a body including a top surface, a side surface, and a bottom surface, the top surface being a substrate support surface; a heating element embedded within the body; a first electrode embedded within the body between the heating element and the top surface; and a second electrode embedded within the body adjacent the bottom surface, whereby the heating element is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode; a housing including an upper portion and a lower portion, the housing defining a chamber in which the susceptor assembly is disposed, the body of the susceptor assembly generally dividing the chamber into an upper chamber defined between the upper portion of the housing and the top surface of the body of the susceptor assembly, and a lower chamber defined between the bottom surface of the body of the susceptor assembly and the lower portion of the housing; a third electrode disposed above the top surface of the body of the susceptor assembly; and a capacitively coupled plasma apparatus including an RF generator electrically coupled to the second electrode with RF power provided thereto while the lower portion of the housing is electrically grounded, thereby operatively generating an electric field between the second electrode and the lower portion of the housing to generate a cleaning plasma below a bottom surface of the body of the susceptor assembly.

Images