Patent ID: 6248251
Filing Date: 2001-06-19
Classification: H01J

Abstract:
An apparatus for plasma processing a substrate comprising:a vacuum chamber having a dielectric wall;an inductor positioned outside of the chamber in proximity to the wall;an RF energy source connected to the inductor;a Faraday shield positioned between the inductor and the wall, the shield being in the shape of a loop having opposite ends and a circumference interrupted by at a full height gap that interrupts the entire height of the shield and is bordered by the opposite ends of the shield, whereby the opposite ends of the shield are in close proximity to each other across the gap;the shield having a localized ground connection that allows RF current induced around the loop to develop a peak-to-peak voltage across the opposite ends of the loop and the gap that is sufficiently high, when no RF plasma is present in the chamber, to produce a plasma igniting electric field adjacent the gap inside of the wall of the chamber.