Remote Surface Wave Plasma Source for Fast Chamber Radical Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional remote plasma sources in semiconductor processing require time-consuming ignition sequences, impact processing yields, and increase power consumption due to inefficient plasma cycling.
Innovation Solution
A miniaturized remote plasma source utilizing surfatrons and dielectric tubes that generate surface waves to maintain plasma within the dielectric tube, allowing efficient and constant plasma generation with high radical densities and uniformity, operating in a wide frequency band from megahertz to gigahertz.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional remote plasma sources are used, then plasma can be generated for semiconductor processing, but delays in igniting plasma occur and processing yields are impacted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains plasma continuously in a remote source chamber before semiconductor processing, so that radicals are already present and ready for immediate use. This preliminary maintenance of plasma state eliminates the ignition delay that would otherwise occur during each processing cycle, directly improving productivity without time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs continuous plasma generation in the remote source rather than intermittent ignition. The plasma is maintained constantly, ensuring uninterrupted radical production that can be immediately delivered to the processing chamber, eliminating the start-stop cycles that cause time delays and yield impacts.
2Power
If traditional remote plasma sources cycle plasma on and off, then plasma can be generated when needed, but efficiency is reduced and increased power is required to ignite plasma each time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains plasma continuously in the remote source chamber, avoiding repeated ignition cycles. This continuous operation eliminates the high power bursts required for each ignition event while maintaining steady radical production, thereby reducing overall power consumption and improving process efficiency simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
By pre-maintaining plasma in the remote source, the system avoids the energy-intensive ignition process that would be required for each processing cycle. The preliminary establishment of plasma state allows subsequent radical delivery without repeated high-power ignition events, reducing total power consumption.
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 solution provides high plasma density and radical delivery efficiency, maintaining plasma at low pressures, and offers process flexibility with adjustable power and frequency tuning, enhancing substrate processing efficiency and uniformity.
Implementation Method 1
the plurality of plasma sources is configured to generate surface waves in walls of the dielectric tube that support plasma generation within the dielectric tube
Implementation Method 2
the dielectric tube configured to at least partially contain plasma generated by the plurality of plasma sources and configured to release radicals generated in the plasma
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus provide plasma to a processing volume of a chamber. The Apparatus may comprise a plurality of plasma sources, each with at least a dielectric tube inlet which is at least partially surrounded by a conductive tube which is configured to be connected to RF power to generate plasma and a gas inlet positioned opposite the dielectric tube inlet for a process gas and a dielectric tube directly connected to each of the plurality of plasma sources where the dielectric tube is configured to at least partially contain plasma generated by the plurality of plasma sources and to release radicals generated in the plasma via holes in the dielectric tube.