Method and apparatus for shaping a magnetic field in a magnetic field-enhanced plasma reactor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8936696-B2
Application number	US-201113011014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2011
Priority date	Feb 14, 2003
Publication date	Jan 20, 2015
Grant date	Jan 20, 2015

Abstract

A magnetic field generator which provides greater control over the magnetic field is provided. The magnetic field generator has a plurality of overlapping main magnetic coil sections for forming a magnetic field generally parallel to the top surface of the supporting member. In other embodiments, sub-magnetic coil sections are placed symmetrically around the main magnetic coil sections.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field within a semiconductor substrate processing system, comprising:
a plurality of first coils that form a first magnetic field having a convex shape; and
a plurality of second coils, positioned proximate to said plurality of first coils for providing a second magnetic field having a concave shape, where a combination of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field form a magnetic field having a desired shape;
wherein each coil of the plurality of first coils and the plurality of second coils have central axes that are radially aligned with and substantially perpendicular to a common central axis about which the plurality of first coils and the plurality of second coils are arranged, and wherein the central axis of any given coil of the plurality of first coils and the plurality of second coils is disposed at a 45 degree angle about the common central axis with respect to at least one other coil of the plurality of first coils and the plurality of second coils.

2. The magnetic field generator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of first current sources coupled to the first coils; and
a plurality of second current sources coupled to the second coils.

3. The magnetic field generator of claim 1 , wherein the first coils are interleaved.

4. The magnetic field generator of claim 1 , wherein each of the first coils covers about 90 degrees of a periphery of a region defined by each coil.

5. The magnetic field generator of claim 1 , wherein each of the first coils covers about 180 degrees of a periphery of a region defined by the first coils.

6. The magnetic field generator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of current sources, wherein each of the first coils and the second coils are driven by a respective one of the plurality of current sources.

7. The magnetic field generator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first coils or the plurality of second coils are shaped to correspond with a process chamber about which the coils are disposed.

8. The magnetic field generator of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of first coils or the plurality of second coils are curved.

9. The magnetic field generator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first coils are about the same size as the plurality of second coils.

10. The magnetic field generator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first coils comprises a first pair and a second pair of first coils, each coil in each respective pair positioned about 180 degrees from each other and having first ends overlapped by one coil in the second pair and second ends overlapped by the other coil in the second pair.

11. The magnetic field generator of claim 10 , wherein the second coils are disposed proximate to the overlapping ends of the first coils.

12. The magnetic field generator of claim 1 , wherein the combination of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field form a substantially uniform magnetic field.

13. The magnetic field generator of claim 1 , wherein the combination of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field form a magnetic field having a desired gradient.

14. A magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field within a semiconductor substrate processing system comprising:
a plurality of first coils that form a first magnetic field having a first shape that is one of convex or concave; and
a plurality of second coils for providing a second magnetic field having a second shape that is one of convex or concave, the second shape being different than the first shape, wherein a combination of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field form a magnetic field having a desired shape;
wherein each coil of the plurality of first coils and the plurality of second coils have central axes that are radially aligned with and substantially perpendicular to a common central axis about which the plurality of first coils and the plurality of second coils are arranged, and wherein the central axis of any given coil of the plurality of first coils and the plurality of second coils is disposed at a 45 degree angle about the common central axis with respect to at least one other coil of the plurality of first coils and the plurality of second coils.

15. A magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field within a semiconductor substrate processing system comprising:
a process chamber having a substrate support disposed therein, the substrate support having a support surface perpendicular to a central axis of the substrate support;
a plurality of first coils disposed circumferentially about the process chamber and that form a first magnetic field having a convex shape proximate a substrate support surface of the substrate support; and
a plurality of second coils disposed circumferentially about the process chamber and positioned proximate to the plurality of first coils, the plurality of second coils for providing a second magnetic field having a concave shape, where a combination of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field form a magnetic field having a desired shape;
wherein each coil of the plurality of first coils and the plurality of second coils have central axes that are substantially radially aligned with and perpendicular to the central axis of the substrate support, and wherein the central axis of any given coil of the plurality of first coils and the plurality of second coils is disposed at a 45 degree angle about the central axis of the substrate support with respect to at least one other coil of the plurality of first coils and the plurality of second coils.

16. The magnetic field generator of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of first coils and the plurality of second coils each equal an even number of at least four coils.

17. The magnetic field generator of claim 16 , further comprising:
eight current sources, each one of the current sources coupled to a different at least one of the plurality of first coils and the plurality of second coils.

18. The magnetic field generator of claim 15 , wherein the combination of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field form a magnetic field generally parallel to the support surface of the substrate support.

19. The magnetic field generator of claim 15 , wherein the combination of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field form a magnetic field having a desired contour with respect to the support surface of the substrate support.

20. The magnetic field generator of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of second coils further comprise:
a plurality of sets of second coils wherein each set of second coils is disposed proximate adjacent ends of two first coils in the plurality of first coils, and wherein either:
the central axis of at least one second coil in each set is disposed above the support surface of the substrate support, and the central axis of at least one second coil in each set is disposed below the support surface of the substrate support;
the central axis of at least one second coil in each set is disposed approximately level with the support surface of the substrate support; or
the central axis of each of the second coils is approximately level with the support surface of the substrate support.

Assignees

• Lindley Roger Alan
• Liu Jingbao
• Pu Bryan Y
• Horioka Keiji
• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Lindley Roger Alan
• Liu Jingbao
• Pu Bryan Y
• Horioka Keiji

Classifications

• H01J37/32623 Primary

  Mechanical discharge control means · CPC title

• H01J37/3266

  Magnetic control means · CPC title

• H01J37/32688

  Multi-cusp fields · CPC title