Multi-part electrode for a semiconductor processing plasma reactor and method of replacing a portion of a multi-part electrode

• Main Authors: LOEWENHARDT PETER, KENNEDY WILLIAM S, TRUSSELL DAVID, FISCHER ANDREAS
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.01.2011
• Subjects: APPARATUS THEREFOR; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; CHEMISTRY; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATIONOR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY IONIMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTIONOF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; METALLURGY; PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OFNEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMICBEAMS; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THESURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION

An improved upper electrode system has a multi-part electrode in which a central portion of the electrode having high wear is replaceable independent of an outer peripheral portion of the electrode. The upper electrode can be used in plasma processing systems for processing semiconductor substrates, such as by etching or CVD. The multi-part upper electrode system is particularly useful for large size wafer processing chambers, such as 300 mm wafer processing chambers for which monolithic electrodes are unavailable or costly.