US 11,887,823 B2
Electron bias control signals for electron enhanced material processing
Stewart Francis Sando, St. Petersburg, FL (US); Samir John Anz, La Crescenta, CA (US); David Irwin Margolese, Pomona, CA (US); and William Andrew Goddard, Pasadena, CA (US)
Assigned to VELVETCH LLC, Pasadena, CA (US)
Filed by VELVETCH LLC, Pasadena, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 25, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/306,603.
Application 18/306,603 is a division of application No. 17/668,301, filed on Feb. 9, 2022, granted, now 11,688,588.
Prior Publication US 2023/0260765 A1, Aug. 17, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01J 37/32 (2006.01); H05H 1/54 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/32697 (2013.01) [H01J 37/32027 (2013.01); H05H 1/54 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for processing a surface of a substrate, the method comprising:
placing a substrate on a support stage in a region of a DC plasma reaction chamber configured to produce a positive column of DC plasma;
generating the DC plasma;
presetting a potential at the surface of the substrate to a reference potential; and
capacitively coupling, to the support stage, a periodic biasing signal having a biasing voltage that is referenced to the reference potential, the periodic biasing signal comprising:
an active phase having a positive voltage that is based on a known reaction threshold voltage of targeted chemical bonds of atoms at the surface of a substrate;
a neutralization phase having a negative voltage; and
an initialization phase having a zero voltage.