System, Method and Apparatus for Coordinating Pressure Pulses and RF Modulation in a Small Volume Confined Process Reactor

摘要

A plasma processing system and method includes a processing chamber, and a plasma processing volume included therein. The plasma processing volume having a volume less than the processing chamber. The plasma processing volume being defined by a top electrode, a substrate support surface opposing the surface of the top electrode and a plasma confinement structure including at least one outlet port. A conductance control structure is movably disposed proximate to the at least one outlet port and capable of controlling an outlet flow through the at least one outlet port between a first flow rate and a second flow rate, wherein the conductance control structure controls the outlet flow rate and an at least one RF source is modulated and at least one process gas flow rate is modulated corresponding to a selected processing state set by the controller during a plasma process.

主权项

1. A plasma processing system comprising:
a processing chamber; at least one gas source coupled to the processing chamber; a controller coupled to the processing chamber and the at least one gas source; the processing chamber including:
a top electrode disposed within a top portion of the processing chamber;a substrate support disposed opposite from the top electrode;a plasma processing volume having a volume less than a volume of the processing chamber, the plasma processing volume being defined by:
a surface of the top electrode;a supporting surface of a substrate support opposing the surface of the top electrode; andan outer perimeter defined by a plasma confinement structure, the plasma confinement structure including at least one outlet port;at least one RF source coupled to at least one of the substrate support or the top electrode; anda conductance control structure movably disposed proximate to the at least one outlet port, wherein the conductance control structure restricts an outlet flow through the at least one outlet port when disposed in a first position to a first flow rate and wherein the conductance control structure increases the outlet flow through the at least one outlet port when disposed in a second position to a second flow rate, wherein the conductance control structure moves between the first position and the second position corresponding to a selected processing state set by the controller during a plasma process and wherein the at least one RF source is modulated corresponding to the selected processing state set by the controller during the plasma process.