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  Hybrid plasma reactorUSPTO Application #: 20070221331Title: Hybrid plasma reactor Abstract: Provided is a hybrid plasma reactor. The hybrid plasma reactor includes an ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) source unit and a bias RF (Radio Frequency) power supply unit. The ICP source unit includes a chamber, an antenna coil unit, and a source power supply unit. The chamber includes a chamber body whose top is opened and a dielectric window covering the opened top of the chamber body. The antenna coil unit is disposed outside of the dielectric window. The source power supply unit supplies a source power to the antenna coil unit. The bias RF power supply unit supplies a bias RF power to a cathode. The cathode is installed within the chamber and mounts a target wafer on its top. (end of abstract) Agent: Volpe And Koenig, P.C. - Philadelphia, PA, US Inventor: Weon-Mook Lee USPTO Applicaton #: 20070221331 - Class: 15634538 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070221331. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001]1. Field of the Invention [0002]The present invention relates to a device used in a semiconductor fabrication process, and more particularly, to a plasma reactor. [0003]2. Description of the Related Art [0004]In general, a plasma reactor performing a dry etch process using plasma is classified into a Capacitively Coupled Plasma (CCP) type plasma reactor and an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) type plasma reactor, depending on a method for generating plasma within a chamber. As known in the art, in the CCP type plasma reactor, ion flux energy proportionally increases within a plasma chamber as a frequency of a Radio Frequency (RF) power supplied to an upper electrode or a cathode gets lower. Also, in the CCP type plasma reactor, ion density increases as the frequency of the RF power supplied to the upper electrode or the cathode gets higher. In the ICP type plasma reactor, low dissociation condition and high dissociation condition can be provided within the chamber as an RF power supplied to an antenna coil increases. A degree of dissociation of reaction gas is small under the low dissociation condition, and is great under the high dissociation condition. In case where the ICP type plasma reactor performs an etch process under each of the low and high dissociation conditions, a target wafer shows physical properties different from each other. In detail, when the ICP type plasma reactor performs the etch process under the low dissociation condition, the target wafer shows a similar physical property with when the CCP type plasma reactor performs an etch process. When the ICP type plasma reactor performs the etch process under the high dissociation condition, an increase of the RF power supplied to the antenna coil results in a sudden reduction of plasma ion energy within the chamber as a frequency of a bias RF power supplied to a cathode gets lower. [0005]As the dry etch process implemented using plasma, there are an insulating film (oxide) etch process and a poly/metal etch process. The insulating film etch process is mainly based on a physical etch process. Thus, an insulating film is etched mainly using a narrow gap CCP type plasma reactor in which a multi frequency RF power is applied to an upper electrode or a cathode. Such the CCP type plasma reactor has an advantage of being capable of generating high energy ions using high electric field. However, the CCP type plasma reactor leads to process kit damage caused by ion impact, and leads to arcing problem caused by high plasma potential because of its characteristic. Low dissociation reduces an efficiency of In-situ Chamber Cleaning (ICC) and thus, a Mean Time Between Chamber clean (MTBC) is implemented shortly. The CCP type plasma reactor is problematic in hardware design and cost required for supplying a high frequency power to the upper electrode or the cathode. [0006]Unlike the insulating film etch process, the poly/metal etch process generally based on a relatively chemical etch way is mainly using the ICP type plasma reactor. This is because the ICP type plasma reactor can independently control plasma ion density and energy within the chamber, facilitate generation of high-density and large-scale plasma at a low pressure, and sufficiently etch a device by a small plasma ion energy, thereby reducing a device damage. [0007]Parameters of much importance in realizing the ICP type plasma reactor are a damage of a dielectric window caused by high voltage supplied to the antenna coil, high/low plasma ion density and uniformity over a wide area, a control of a concentration of excessive radicals, tunable ion energy, and a wide ion energy distribution. [0008]However, an ICP type plasma reactor created up to now can generate high density plasma ions, but cannot control a concentration of excessive radicals, control plasma ion energy, and expand a plasma ion energy distribution. Therefore, the ICP type plasma reactor shows a poorer process performance than the CCP type plasma reactor though it is more effective than the CCP type plasma reactor. As a result, the ICP type plasma reactor is difficult to perform a high aspect ratio process while guaranteeing a high PhotoResist (PR) selectivity. [0009]In case where the ICP type plasma reactor performs the dry etch process, a high dissociation of reaction gas and an increase of a source power lead to a sudden reduction of plasma ion energy when a low frequency RF power is supplied to the cathode. As a result, there occurs a phenomenon such as etch stop, chamber matching, low PR selectivity, and narrow process window. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010]An aspect of exemplary embodiments of the present invention is to address at least the problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of exemplary embodiments of the present invention is to provide a hybrid plasma reactor for supplying a bias RF power, which is a mixture of a high frequency RF power and a low frequency RF power, to a cathode and controlling a source power supplied to an antenna coil, thereby compensating a sudden reduction of plasma ion energy caused by an increase of the source power and sustaining plasma ion density and energy within a set range, when the low frequency RF power is supplied to the cathode. [0011]According to one aspect of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a hybrid plasma reactor. The hybrid plasma reactor includes an ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) source unit and a bias RF (Radio Frequency) power supply unit. The ICP source unit includes a chamber, an antenna coil unit, and a source power supply unit. The chamber includes a chamber body whose top is opened and a dielectric window covering the opened top of the chamber body. The antenna coil unit is disposed outside of the dielectric window. The source power supply unit supplies a source power to the antenna coil unit. The bias RF power supply unit supplies a bias RF power to a cathode. The cathode is installed within the chamber and mounts a target wafer on its top. A plasma ion density within the chamber is greater when a source power greater than a set power is supplied to the antenna coil unit than when a source power smaller than the set power is supplied to the antenna coil unit. A plasma ion energy within the chamber is greater when the source power smaller than the set power is supplied to the antenna coil unit than when the source power greater than the set power is supplied to the antenna coil unit. In order to increase the set power and expand a tunable range of the source power, the bias RF power supply unit supplies the bias RF power, which is a mixture of a high frequency RF power and a low frequency RF power, to the cathode so that a sudden reduction of the plasma ion energy within the chamber occurring as the source power supplied to the antenna coil unit increases greater than the set power is compensated or so that the plasma ion density and energy within the chamber is sustained within a set range. [0012]According to another aspect of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a hybrid plasma reactor. The hybrid plasma reactor includes an ICP source unit and a high frequency RF power supply unit. The ICP source unit includes a chamber, an antenna coil unit, and a source power supply unit. The chamber includes a chamber body whose top is opened and a dielectric window covering the opened top of the chamber body. The antenna coil unit is disposed outside of the dielectric window. The source power supply unit supplies a source power to the antenna coil unit. The high frequency RF power supply unit supplies a bias RF power to a cathode. The cathode is installed within the chamber and mounting a target wafer on its top. The low frequency RF power supply unit connects to the cathode in parallel with the high frequency RF power supply unit, and supplies a low frequency RF power to the cathode. A plasma ion density within the chamber is greater when a source power greater than a set power is supplied to the antenna coil unit than when a source power smaller than the set power is supplied to the antenna coil unit. A plasma ion energy within the chamber is greater when the source power smaller than the set power is supplied to the antenna coil unit than when the source power greater than the set power is supplied to the antenna coil unit. In order to increase the set power and expand a tunable range of the source power, the high frequency RF power supply unit and the low frequency RF power supply unit operate together and supply a bias RF power, which is a mixture of the high frequency RF power and the low frequency RF power, to the cathode so that a sudden reduction of the plasma ion energy within the chamber occurring as the source power supplied to the antenna coil unit increases greater than the set power is compensated or so that the plasma ion density and energy within the chamber is sustained within a set range. [0013]According to a further another aspect of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a hybrid plasma reactor. The hybrid plasma reactor includes an ICP source unit, a high frequency RF power supply unit, a low frequency RF power supply unit, and a source power switch unit. The ICP source unit includes a chamber, an antenna coil unit, and a source power supply unit. The chamber includes a chamber body whose top is opened and a dielectric window covering the opened top of the chamber body. The antenna coil unit is disposed outside of the dielectric window. The source power supply unit supplies a source power to the antenna coil unit. The high frequency RF power supply unit supplies a bias RF power to a cathode. The cathode is installed within the chamber and mounting a target wafer on its top. The low frequency RF power supply unit connects to the cathode in parallel with the high frequency RF power supply unit, and supply a low frequency RF power to the cathode. The source power switch unit connects to the cathode in parallel with the high frequency RF power supply unit. The source power switch unit switches on to selectively connect the cathode to the ground via the source power switch unit so that the high frequency RF power generated from the source power supply unit is selectively supplied to the cathode. [0014]A closed loop is formed including the source power supply unit, the antenna coil unit, the cathode, the source power switch unit, and the ground when the cathode connects to the ground via the source power switch unit. The source power is any one of an RF power having a frequency higher than that of the high frequency RF power, an RF power having a frequency lower than that of the low frequency RF power, and an RF power having a frequency between frequencies of the low frequency RF power and the high frequency RF power. [0015]A plasma ion density within the chamber is greater when a source power greater than a set power is supplied to the antenna coil unit than when a source power smaller than the set power is supplied to the antenna coil unit. A plasma ion energy within the chamber is greater when the source power smaller than the set power is supplied to the antenna coil unit than when the source power greater than the set power is supplied to the antenna coil unit. [0016]In order to increase the set power and expand a tunable range of the source power, the high frequency RF power supply unit, the low frequency RF power supply unit, and the source power switch unit operate together and supply a bias RF power obtained by mixing the high frequency RF power and the low frequency RF power with the source power, to the cathode so that a sudden reduction of the plasma ion energy within the chamber occurring as the source power supplied to the antenna coil unit increases greater than the set power is compensated or so that the plasma ion density and energy within the chamber is sustained within a set range. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0017]The accompanying drawings, which are included to aid in The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: [0018]FIG. 1 illustrates a construction of a plasma reactor according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [0019]FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional diagram of an antenna coil unit shown in FIG. 1, and a distribution of magnetic field generated around the antenna coil unit when a source power is supplied to the antenna coil unit; [0020]FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating an intensity of magnetic field depending on each radius (R) of a primary antenna coil group and a secondary antenna coil group included in the antenna coil unit shown in FIG. 2 and a length (L) between the primary and secondary antenna coil groups; [0021]FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an etch procedure implemented by the plasma reactor shown in FIG. 1; Continue reading... Full patent description for Hybrid plasma reactor Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Hybrid plasma reactor patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Hybrid plasma reactor or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Agitated wet process machine Next Patent Application: Plasma processing apparatus Industry Class: Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Hybrid plasma reactor patent info. 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