US 12,002,659 B2
Apparatus for generating etchants for remote plasma processes
Tae Seung Cho, San Jose, CA (US); David Michael Benjaminson, Campbell, CA (US); Kenneth Schatz, Los Altos, CA (US); Ryan Michael Pakulski, Brentwood, CA (US); Martin Yue Choy, San Ramon, CA (US); Pratheep Gunaseelan, Fremont, CA (US); and Chih-Yung Huang, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to APPLIED MATERIALS, INC., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/869,987.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/351,645, filed on Jun. 13, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0402262 A1, Dec. 14, 2023
Int. Cl. H01J 37/30 (2006.01); H01J 37/32 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/32596 (2013.01) [H01J 37/32357 (2013.01); H01J 37/3244 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:
a process chamber with a chamber body enclosing a processing volume;
a remote plasma source (RPS) having a plasma source with an upper electrode and a lower electrode, wherein the upper electrode and the lower electrode are symmetrical with hollow cavities configured to induce a hollow cathode effect within the hollow cavities, wherein the upper electrode and the lower electrode are electrically separated by a first gap with an annular dielectric cover positioned within the first gap, wherein the annular dielectric cover is in direct contact with the lower electrode and forms a second gap between an uppermost surface of the annular dielectric cover and a lowermost surface of the upper electrode, wherein the annular dielectric cover fills approximately 50% to approximately 95% of a height of the first gap, and wherein the RPS is configured to provide radicals or ions into the processing volume; and
a radio frequency (RF) power source configured to provide a symmetrical driving waveform on the upper electrode and the lower electrode to produce an anodic cycle and a cathodic cycle of the RPS, wherein the anodic cycle and the cathodic cycle operate in a hollow cathode effect mode.