Patent ID: 6589437
Filing Date: 2003-07-08
Classification: H01J

Abstract:
A method of processing a workpiece, comprising:(a) providing an inductively coupled plasma reactor comprising a reactor chamber having an interior surface and reactor walls, a workpiece support for holding the workpiece, a ceiling overlying the workpiece support and adjacent the reactor walls and an RF applicator adapted to couple power from a power source into the reactor chamber, wherein the interior surface of the reactor chamber and the ceiling are comprised of a non-metallic material; (b) irradiating a process gas within the reactor chamber with an energy emission from the RF applicator to generate a plasma containing species; (c) modulating the energy emission with a first modulating signal so as to control the density of the species generated; wherein the first modulating signal comprises a first on-time region and a first off-time region; wherein modulating the energy emission comprises adjusting a duration of at least one of: (a) the first on-time region; (b) the first off-time region; wherein modulating the energy emission further comprises modulating at least one of: the power source, a current of the RF applicator, a rate of change of the current from the RF applicator; and wherein modulating further comprises modulating the power source and adjusting a power level of the power source such that an average power of the power source is constant.