Patent ID: 9111727
Filing Date: 2015-08-18
Classification: H01J,H01L

Abstract:
1. A microwave processing system for processing a substrate comprising: a rectangular process chamber comprising a process space having a substrate holder therein; a resonator assembly coupled to the rectangular process chamber using an interface assembly, the resonator assembly having an electromagnetic (EM) energy tuning space therein, the interface assembly including a set of isolation assemblies, wherein a set of EM-coupling regions, each with EM energy therein, are established in the EM-energy tuning space; a set of plasma-tuning rods, each coupled to a respective one of the isolation assemblies, the set of plasma-tuning rods each having a plasma-tuning portion configured to control plasma uniformity in the process space and an EM-tuning portion in the EM-energy tuning space, each of the plasma-tuning portions being coupled to a respective one of the EM-coupling regions, wherein the EM-turning portions are configured to obtain EM energy from the set of EM-coupling regions; a set of plasma-tuning slabs coupled to a set of slab control assemblies, each plasma-tuning slab being positioned a variable EM-coupling distance from the EM-tuning portion of a plasma-tuning rod of the set by a respective slab control assembly of the set that is configured to tune the EM energy in a respective one of the EM-coupling regions of the set so that the EM energy in at least one EM-coupling region of the set differs from the EM energy in at least one other EM-coupling region of the set when the respective EM-coupling distance for the at least one EM-coupling region differs from the respective EM-coupling distance of the at least one other EM-coupling region; a cavity-tuning slab positioned at a variable cavity tuning distance within the EM energy tuning space by a cavity control assembly coupled to the cavity tuning slab and configured to tune EM energy in the EM-energy tuning space; a resonator sensor coupled to the EM-energy tuning space, the resonator sensor being configured to obtain resonator data from the EM-energy tuning space; and a controller coupled to the set of isolation assemblies, the cavity control assembly, the set of slab control assemblies, and the resonator sensor, wherein the controller is configured to independently control each of the EM-coupling regions to tune the EM energy therein, the cavity control assembly to tune the EM energy in the EM-energy tuning space, EM-tuning distances established between the set of plasma-tuning slabs and the respective EM-tuning portion of the respective plasma-tuning rod within the EM-energy tuning space, and the set of plasma-tuning rods using the set of isolation assemblies, in response to the resonator data, thereby controlling the set of EM-coupling regions in the EM-energy tuning space and the plasma uniformity in the process space.