Methods and apparatuses for energetic neutral flux generation for processing a substrate

摘要

Apparatuses and methods for processing substrates are disclosed. A processing apparatus includes a chamber for generating a plasma therein, an electrode associated with the chamber, and a signal generator coupled to the electrode. The signal generator applies a DC pulse to the electrode with sufficient amplitude and sufficient duty cycle of an on-time and an off-time to cause events within the chamber. A plasma is generated from a gas in the chamber responsive to the amplitude of the DC pulse. Energetic ions are generated by accelerating ions of the plasma toward a substrate in the chamber in response to the amplitude of the DC pulse during the on-time. Some of the energetic ions are neutralized to energetic neutrals in response to the DC pulse during the off-time. Some of the energetic neutrals impact the substrate with sufficient energy to cause a chemical reaction on the substrate.

主权项

1. A method of treating a substrate, comprising:
forming a plasma in a processing chamber by applying a DC voltage to an electrode associated with the processing chamber but electrically decoupled from the substrate, the DC voltage of sufficient amplitude to cause the plasma to form; accelerating ions of the plasma to become energetic ions moving toward the substrate disposed in the processing chamber by maintaining the DC voltage on the electrode for a first duration; neutralizing at least some of the energetic ions to generate energetic neutrals moving toward the substrate by removing the DC voltage from the electrode for a second duration sufficient to:
enable the at least some of the energetic ions to be neutralized by combining with electrons before reaching the substrate; andretain a kinetic energy of the energetic neutrals toward the substrate; and impacting the substrate with at least some of the energetic neutrals.