Patent ID: 7430984
Filing Date: 2008-10-07
Classification: H01J

Abstract:
1. A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece, said plasma reactor comprising: an enclosure; a workpiece support within the enclosure facing an overlying portion of the enclosure, said workpiece support and the overlying portion of said enclosure defining a process region therebetween extending generally across the diameter of said wafer support; said enclosure having a first and second pairs of openings therethrough, the two openings of each of said first and second pairs being at generally opposite sides of said workpiece support; a first hollow conduit outside of said process region and connected to said first pair of openings, providing a first torroidal path extending through said conduit and across said process region; a second hollow conduit outside of said process region and connected to said second pair of openings, providing a second torroidal path extending through said conduit and across said process region; first and second plasma source power applicators inductively coupled to the interiors of said first and second hollow conduits, respectively, each of said first and second plasma source power applicators being capable of maintaining a plasma in a respective one of said first and second torroidal paths; an RF power generator providing an RE output current; a current switching network connected between said RF power generator and said first and second plasma source power applicators for applying respective periodic time segments of RF output current to respective ones of said first and second plasma source power applicators.