Plasma Etch Chamber with Looping Pumping Slit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Plasma etching processes face inefficiencies in removing etched-off material, particularly when dealing with organically passivated substrates or polymer-containing surfaces, which affects processing stability and efficiency in plasma etch chambers.
Innovation Solution
A plasma etch chamber design featuring a vacuum recipient with an etching compartment and a pumping compartment separated by a metal partition wall with a looping pumping slit, along with a metal tubular arrangement and distributed metal connectors, facilitates efficient removal of etched-off material by minimizing flow resistance and establishing effective electric contact for enhanced etching efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional single-compartment plasma etch chamber is used, then the chamber structure is simple, but the removal of etched-off material is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The plasma etch chamber is divided into two separate compartments: an etching compartment where the plasma etching process occurs, and a pumping compartment where vacuum pumping is performed. The compartments are separated by a partition wall with a pumping slit, allowing etched-off material to be efficiently removed from the etching compartment while maintaining structural organization and enabling independent optimization of each compartment's function.
2Area of stationary object
If the etching compartment volume is increased to accommodate larger workpieces, then workpiece capacity is improved, but the pumping efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the chamber into etching and pumping compartments with a partition wall, the design allows the etching compartment to have sufficient volume for large workpieces while the pumping compartment can be optimized for efficient vacuum pumping. The pumping slit in the partition wall provides a dedicated pathway for rapid removal of etched-off material, maintaining pumping efficiency regardless of etching compartment size.
3Productivity
If a large pumping port is provided to improve pumping efficiency, then the removal of etched-off material is enhanced, but the partition wall structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The pumping slit in the partition wall is designed with a looping configuration that extends around the central axis of the chamber. This curved, looping structure provides a large effective pumping area and multiple pathways for gas flow, enhancing pumping efficiency while distributing the structural complexity along the curved path rather than concentrating it in a single large opening.
4Reliability
If metal connectors are added to establish electric contact across the pumping slit, then plasma discharge stability is improved, but the partition wall structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Metal connectors are introduced as intermediary elements that establish electric contact between the etching compartment and pumping compartment across the pumping slit. These connectors serve as mediators for electrical connection, enabling stable plasma discharge by ensuring proper grounding and electrical continuity while minimizing direct structural modifications to the partition wall itself.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design significantly improves etching process stability and efficiency by ensuring efficient removal of etched-off material and maintaining process control through optimized gas flow and electric contact, even when handling complex substrates like organically passivated or polymer-containing surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
a looping pumping slit in the metal partition wall which presents a small flow resistance to pumped gas flow, the pumping compartment with a pumping port which may be tailored large, highly efficient removal of etched off material is achieved
Implementation Method 2
a multitude of distributed metal connectors establishing electric contact from the metal surrounding wall of the pumping compartment, across the at least one pumping slit and via the metal partition wall to the first part of the metal tubular member
Implementation Method 3
The etching compartment comprises all the etching equipment, inside and/or outside its surrounding wall, and may be tailored for microwave plasma generation, parallel-plate plasma discharge, inductively coupled plasma generation
Data Source
AI summary
A plasma etching chamber including within a vacuum recipient: an etching compartment with a central axis and a surrounding wall enclosing the etching compartment; a pumping compartment with a metal surrounding wall having a feed through opening; a metal partition wall traverse to the axis separating the etching compartment from the pumping compartment; a pumping slit in or along the partition wall; a workpiece support; a metal tubular arrangement through the opening, including a first part coupled to the workpiece support and a second part coupled to the metal surrounding wall, the second part being electrically conductively joint to the metal surrounding wall; an Rf feed line through the tubular arrangement connected to the workpiece support; a system ground connector at an end of the second part; distributed metal connectors establishing electric contact from the metal surrounding wall, across the pumping slit via the partition wall to the first part.