Plasma processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11380528-B2
Application number	US-201816622423-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2018
Priority date	Jun 14, 2017
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus for processing a substrate using a plasma, comprising: a process chamber in which the processing takes place; a plasma source for providing a plasma to the process chamber; a substrate mount within the process chamber for holding the substrate, the substrate mount comprising a surface having a plurality of apertures.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A plasma processing apparatus for processing a substrate using a plasma, comprising:
a process chamber in which the processing takes place;
a plasma source for providing a plasma to the process chamber;
a substrate mount within the process chamber for holding the substrate on a surface of the substrate mount, the surface having a plurality of apertures, wherein the apertures are through-holes extending through an entire thickness of the substrate mount, wherein the through-holes are open spaces without any physical structure within the through-holes, the through-holes configured to increase flow of plasma from a first side of the substrate mount to a second side of the substrate mount.

2. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 wherein a width of the apertures substantially corresponds to twice the thickness of a plasma sheath formed on the substrate mount.

3. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures are arranged in a two dimensional grid configuration.

4. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein each aperture includes at least two nearest neighbor apertures spaced an equal distance from the each aperture.

5. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the two dimensional grid is a square grid configuration.

6. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the two dimensional grid is a hexagonal grid configuration.

7. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the apertures have a width between 1 mm and 15 mm.

8. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apertures in the substrate mount are substantially circular.

9. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apertures in the substrate mount are substantially square, and wherein the plurality of apertures are arranged in a two dimensional grid configuration, wherein the two dimensional grid is a square grid configuration.

10. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apertures are substantially uniformly distributed over the surface of the substrate mount in a two dimensional grid configuration.

11. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the substrate mount is substantially sheet-shaped, and wherein a width of the apertures is greater than a thickness of the substrate mount.

12. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate mount is a grounded electrode.

13. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate mount is a floating electrode.

14. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one RF electrode for providing an electric field within the process chamber.

15. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the RF electrode comprises a plurality of apertures.

16. A plasma processing apparatus for processing a substrate using a plasma, comprising:
a process chamber in which the processing takes place;
a plasma source for providing a plasma to the process chamber;
a substrate mount within the process chamber for holding the substrate on a surface of the substrate mount, the surface having a plurality of apertures, wherein the apertures are through-holes extending through an entire thickness of the substrate mount, wherein the through-holes are open spaces without any physical structure within the through-holes, the through-holes configured to increase flow of plasma from a first side of the substrate mount to a second side of the substrate mount, wherein the substrate mount is a floating electrode; and
wherein the apertures are substantially uniformly distributed over the surface of the substrate mount in a two dimensional grid configuration,
wherein a width of the apertures is greater than a thickness of the substrate mount.

Assignees

• Hzo Inc

Inventors

• Brooks Andrew Simon Hall
• Hennighan Gareth
• Aresta Gianfranco
• Lione Richard Anthony
• Singh Shailendra Vikram
• Woollard Siobhan Marie

Classifications

• H01J37/32715 Primary

  Workpiece holder · CPC title

• C23C16/509

  using internal electrodes · CPC title

• H01J37/3244 Primary

  Gas supply means · CPC title

• H01J37/32779

  of batches of workpieces · CPC title

• C23C16/4583

  the substrate being supported substantially horizontally · CPC title