Patent ID: 7435454
Filing Date: 2008-10-14
Classification: C23C,H01J

Abstract:
1. A method for depositing a film on a substrate using a plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) process, comprising: disposing said substrate in a process chamber configured to facilitate said PEALD process; introducing a first process material within said process chamber; introducing a second process material within said process chamber; coupling electromagnetic power to said process chamber during introduction of the second process material in order to generate a plasma that facilitates a reduction reaction between the first and second process materials at a surface of said substrate; coupling electromagnetic power to a gas injection electrode to generate a plasma that ionizes contaminants such that the ionized contaminants are attracted to a plurality of orifices in said gas injection electrode; and vacuum pumping said process chamber through said plurality of orifices to expel said ionized contaminants from said process chamber, wherein the step of coupling electromagnetic power to the gas injection electrode comprises coupling electromagnetic power to the gas injection electrode after the step of coupling electromagnetic power to said process chamber.