Patent ID: 6123805
Filing Date: 2000-09-26
Classification: H01J

Abstract:
A discharge electrode for a dry etch apparatus, comprising:an electrode plate on which a wafer is to be mounted, said electrode plate being disposed at and thereby forming the top of the discharge electrode;an electrode housing supporting said electrode plate;a pipe connection opening through which process gas is to be discharged from the discharge electrode, said pipe connection opening being located at the bottom of the discharge electrode;said electrode housing extending vertically downward from said electrode plate to a location at the bottom of the discharge electrode so as to form a tubular side wall of the discharge electrode having a vertically extending central longitudinal axis, said pipe connection opening being disposed radially inwardly of said tubular side wall at the bottom of the discharge electrode, and said tubular side wall having a plurality of discharge openings extending therethrough in directions radially of said longitudinal axis and which discharge openings are formed symmetrically with respect to said electrode plate supported by said electrode housing, the discharge openings forming a discharge passage extending through the electrode housing and in open flow communication with said pipe connection opening located at the bottom of the discharge electrode, whereby process gases will discharge uniformly about a wafer supported on the electrode plate, through said discharge openings and out said pipe connection opening when the discharge electrode is used to carry out a dry etch process.