Plasma reactor for processing a workpiece and having a tunable cathode

• Main Authors: BIVENS DARIN, KUMAR AJAY, GRIMBERGEN MICHAEL N, LEWINGTON RICHARD, NGUYEN KHIEM K, CHANDRACHOOD MADHAVI R
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.06.2011
• Subjects: 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; ELECTRICITY; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; METALLURGY; MULTI-STEP PROCESSES FOR SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLICMATERIAL INVOLVING AT LEAST ONE PROCESS PROVIDED FOR IN CLASSC23 AND AT LEAST ONEPROCESS COVERED BY SUBCLASS C21D OR C22F OR CLASS C25; NON-MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF METALLIC MATERIAL FROM SURFACE; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THESURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION

A plasma reactor is provided for processing a workpiece such as a transparent mask or a semiconductor wafer. The reactor includes a vacuum chamber having a ceiling and a sidewall. A workpiece support pedestal within the chamber includes a metal cathode having a support surface facing the ceiling and defining a support plane for supporting a workpiece. The cathode has a hollow space formed within its interior. The reactor further includes a movable metal element within the hollow space and a mechanism for controlling a distance between the metal element and the support plane.