Plasma processing with preionized and predissociated tuning gases and associated systems and methods

摘要

Plasma processing systems and methods for using pre-dissociated and/or pre-ionized tuning gases are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a plasma processing system includes a reaction chamber, a support element in the reaction chamber, and one or more cathode discharge assemblies in the reaction chamber. The reaction chamber is configured to produce a plasma in an interior volume of the chamber. The support element positions a microelectronic workpiece in the reaction chamber, and the cathode discharge assembly supplies an at least partially dissociated and/or ionized tuning gas to the workpiece in the chamber.

主权项

1. A plasma processing method, comprising:
supplying a process gas to a reaction chamber and flowing the process gas through a gas distributor in a first direction toward a surface of a workpiece; forming a plasma zone in the chamber using the process gas; flowing a tuning gas through a cathode discharge assembly, forming an electric field at least partially between a cathode and an anode of the cathode discharge assembly, wherein the cathode and the anode of the cathode discharge assembly are positioned at around an outer perimeter of a support element carrying the workpiece, and wherein the electric field at least partially dissociates and/or ionizes the tuning gas; and after flowing the tuning gas through the electric field, supplying the at least partially dissociated or ionized tuning gas to the plasma zone in the chamber proximate to a peripheral edge of the workpiece, wherein the tuning gas flows through an outlet of the cathode discharge assembly in a second direction different than the first direction of the process gas.