Patent ID: 6379576
Filing Date: 2002-04-30
Classification: G03F,H01J,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer comprising:a reactor chamber within which a plasma is generated to produce plasma products for processing the semiconductor wafer wherein the plasma products include charged particles and neutral species; a gas inlet through which gas is provided to the reactor chamber; an electrode adjacent to the plasma; a power source operatively coupled to the electrode to provide power to the plasma; a support for the semiconductor wafer positioned such that the wafer is exposed to at least one plasma product during processing; and a shield system configured to selectively provide a first level and a second level of capacitive shielding between the power source and the plasma, the shield system configured to provide the first level of capacitive shielding to induce bombardment of the semiconductor wafer by charged particles from the plasma at a desired level for processing the semiconductor wafer during a first period of time and to provide the second level of capacitive shielding to substantially reduce bombardment of the semiconductor wafer by charged particles for processing the semiconductor wafer during a second period of time.