Abstract:
Method and apparatus for improving the reproducibility of chucking forces of an electrostatic chuck used in plasma enhanced CVD processing of substrates provides for precoating of the electrostatic chuck with a dielectric layer, such as SiO 2 , after every chamber cleaning process. The uniform and tightly bonded dielectric layer deposited on the electrostatic chuck eliminates the need for a cover wafer over the chuck surface during the chamber cleaning and provides for more reliable gripping of wafers.

Description:
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/828,154, filed on Mar. 27, 1997, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the holding of a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, in a vacuum processing chamber. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for improving chucking reproducibility of substrates on electrostatic chucks. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Electrostatic chucks are used to hold individual substrates on a pedestal in semiconductor processing systems. One example of an electrostatic chuck is described in co-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,473 which is incorporated herein by reference. An electrostatic chuck typically includes at least a dielectric layer and an electrode, which may be located on a chamber pedestal or formed as an integral part of the pedestal. A substrate is placed in contact with the dielectric layer, and a direct current voltage is placed on the electrode to create the electrostatic attractive force to grip the substrate. An electrostatic chuck is particularly useful in vacuum processing environments where the maximum differential pressure which can be established between the low pressure chamber environment and the surface of the pedestal is insufficient to firmly grip the substrate or where mechanical clamping of the substrate is undesirable. 
     Although an electrostatic chuck may be formed from as little as a single dielectric layer and an electrode, a more typical working configuration is a thin laminate member which is supported on a chamber pedestal to receive and support the substrate. The laminate member preferably includes an electrode core, preferably a thin copper member such as a mesh, which is sandwiched between upper and lower dielectric layers of an organic material such as polyimide. An adhesive such as polyamide may be used to attach the polyimide layers to the electrode core. The lower dielectric layer of the laminate member is attached directly to the upper surface of the pedestal, usually with an adhesive such as polyamide, and the upper dielectric layer forms a planar surface on which the substrate is received. To supply the high voltage potential to the electrode, a strap, formed as an integral extension of the laminate member, extends around the edge of the pedestal and connects to a high voltage connector on the underside of the pedestal. 
     The use of organic materials as the dielectric layer of the electrostatic chuck creates an inherent limitation in the useful life of the chuck, because organic materials, including polyimides, have a relatively low tolerance for many process gases and plasmas, particularly to oxygen and oxygen-based plasmas. Although the majority of the surface area of the dielectric portions of the dielectric chuck are protected from the plasma by the substrate, the dielectric materials usually gets exposed to the plasma over its useful life. 
     Repetitive plasma process and clean cycles eventually erodes the dielectric layer to the point where arcing may occur between the electrode and the plasma, which destroys the effectiveness of the electrostatic chuck. Dielectric materials other than those particularly mentioned above, may also be adversely affected by exposure to process and cleaning gases and plasmas. For example, dielectrics such as quartz and silicon dioxide are eroded by CHF 3  and CF 4  plasma environments. Likewise, chuck configurations other than those using the laminate member construction may be adversely affected by process and cleaning gases and plasmas, such that the dielectric layers thereof will be eroded to the point where an arc will form between the electrode and the plasma. 
     Another problem which occurs with electrostatic chucks is that a charge buildup on the surface of the chuck can occur. As a result, the griping force on the substrate is not instantaneously removed once the bias is removed. In some cases, this is a problem since a significant remnant of this force can remain for as long as 30 to 60 seconds after removal of the clamping voltage. The waiting period required for this charge to leak off before the wafer can be removed decreases the throughput of the system. If excessive force is applied to lift a wafer while the remnant charge force is still present, the wafer can be damaged. 
     One solution to the dechucking problem has been to dope the ceramic surface of the chuck with conductive impurities to increase the surface conductivity of the chuck. Doping of the surface enables a residual charge to move more easily between the chucking electrode and the wafer interface. This solution makes the surface condition of the chuck critical to the chucking force which is applied to the wafer. However, the surface condition and properties of the chuck can be substantially changed by exposure to process and cleaning plasmas used in a typical system chamber. This is a further problem in that deterioration of the dielectric layer results in premature release of wafers. 
     There remains a need for a technique for improving the reliability of chucking substrates on electrostatic chucks which eliminates the problems encountered as a result of deterioration of the dielectric layer on electrostatic chucks. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a method and apparatus for processing substrates in a vacuum chamber having an electrostatic chuck and eliminating a need for a cover wafer during chamber cleaning. In one aspect of the invention, reliable gripping and releasing of substrates is provided by precoating a substrate receiving surface of an electrostatic chuck with a dielectric material after each chamber cleaning process. In the precoating step, a dielectric layer, such as a SiO 2  layer, is deposited on the electrostatic chuck. In one embodiment, the dielectric layer is deposited over a doped ceramic surface. Preferably, the precoat layer is deposited during a chamber seasoning step which typically follows a chamber clean cycle to coat the surfaces within the chamber. The precoat layer is removed during a subsequent chamber cleaning process and is replaced after the cleaning process is completed before resuming substrate processing. The precoat layer masks any surface changes on the electrostatic chuck and provides reproducible gripping and releasing of substrates by providing a generally uniform and consistent dielectric layer across the surface of the electrostatic chuck. Precoating of the electrostatic chuck at temperatures greater than about 150° C. provides the most uniform precoat layer, and thus the most reliable gripping and releasing of wafers. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       So that the manner in which the above recited features, advantages and objects of the present invention are attained and can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. 
       It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic top view of a commercial wafer processing platform which is programmed to precoat an electrostatic chuck in an HDP-CVD processing chamber; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic side view partially in section showing the layout of an HDP-CVD processing chamber included in the platform of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic side view of the electrostatic chuck contained within the processing chamber of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic side view of a precoat layer of a dielectric material on the surface of the electrostatic chuck of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a flow chart of a process control computer program product used in conjunction with the wafer processing platform of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a flow chart illustrating preferred process steps undertaken in precoating the electrostatic chuck with a dielectric material before processing a wafer. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention provides a method for improving operation of electrostatic chucks used to hold substrates in processing chambers. The method generally comprises depositing a layer of a dielectric material on a substrate supporting surface of an electrostatic chuck, positioning a substrate on the wafer supporting surface, and processing the substrate while held on the wafer supporting surface of the electrostatic chuck. The vacuum chamber is preferably a chemical vapor deposition chamber in which a dielectric layer can be deposited. A preferred chamber is a high density plasma chamber such as an Ultima Chamber or a D x Z Chamber, both available from Applied Materials, Inc., of Santa Clara, Calif. A precursor process gas such as silane, dichlorosilane or tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) can be used to deposit the dielectric layer. The dielectric material deposited on the electrostatic chuck is removed during chamber cleaning processes performed periodically and must be redeposited prior to positioning another substrate on the electrostatic chuck. Redepositing of the dielectric layer after each chamber cleaning step is an advantage since a uniform surface which is not altered by the deposition processes or chamber cleaning processes is provided on the electrostatic chuck. 
     The present invention further provides a substrate processing system comprising a plasma chamber comprising a plasma zone, an electrostatic chuck comprising a wafer supporting surface for holding a substrate in the plasma zone, and a vacuum system. The processing system further comprises a source of one or more process gases, one or more RF generators coupled to the plasma chamber for generating a plasma in the plasma zone and a controller to provide computer control of the system. Process steps are selected by a memory coupled to the controller, the memory comprising a computer usable medium comprising a computer readable program code for selecting a process comprising the steps of cleaning the vacuum chamber with a plasma of one or more cleaning gases, depositing a layer of a dielectric material directly onto a substrate supporting surface of the electrostatic chuck, positioning a substrate on the substrate supporting surface, processing the substrate while held by the electrostatic chuck, and removing the substrate from the vacuum chamber. 
     The method of the invention can be used with any processing chamber that has an electrostatic chuck for gripping a substrate and components capable of depositing a uniform dielectric layer. A preferred processing chamber such as the HDP-CVD chamber or the D x Z Chamber are preferably mounted on a Centura® platform. The present invention will be described with reference to an HDP-CVD chamber. However, the present invention can be performed in a variety of chambers available from different equipment manufacturers. 
     The HDP-CVD processing chamber includes an electrode disposed in a ceramic electrostatic chuck and is capable of plasma enhanced deposition of a dielectric material. The platform is computer operated and includes program code which can be modified to enable precoating of the surface of the electrostatic chuck with a dielectric layer after each chamber clean prior to processing of wafers in the chamber. 
     Platform Components 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic top view of a Centura® platform which is programmed to precoat an electrostatic chuck with a dielectric material in accordance with the present invention. Substrates housed in a cassette  10  are introduced and withdrawn from the platform through a first slit valve in a first load lock chamber  12  or through a second slit valve in a second load lock chamber  14 . A robot  16  having a blade  18  is located in a transfer chamber  20  to move a wafer  22  between various chambers  24 ,  26 ,  28  mounted on the transfer chamber  20 . The chambers include a multi-slot cool down chamber  24 , a wafer orienting chamber  26 , and two HDP-CVD process chambers  28  each of which includes an electrostatic chuck as described in more detail below. A microprocessor controller  30  and associated software are provided to control processing and movement of substrates through the system. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic side view of an HDP-CVD chamber  28  showing principally the coil geometry in relation to an electrostatic chuck  32 . A chamber body  34  has one or more side gas inlets  36  for introducing one or more process gases into a plasma zone  38 . A dome  40  is mounted on the chamber body  34  and supports a chamber lid  42  which has a recessed lower surface for receiving a top antenna coil  44 . The chamber lid  42  may also have a central gas inlet  46  for introducing one or more process gases to the plasma zone  38 . A side coil holder  48  is mounted around the side of the dome  40  and has a recessed inner surface for receiving a side antenna coil  50 . An RF source  52  provides RF power to the top antenna coil  44  and a separate RF source  54  provides RF power to the side antenna coil  50 . Alternatively, a single RF source may supply RF power through a splitter to both coils  44 ,  50 . The dual coil arrangement, when properly tuned to a wafer being processed, can generate a uniform ion current across its surface. 
     Deposition gases are introduced into the chamber through both the side gas inlets  36  and the central gas inlet  46 . A turbo pump  56 , or other pumping system, exhausts gases out of the chamber through a valve assembly  58  to maintain a desired pressure in the chamber, typically about 0.5 milliTorr to about 50 milliTorr, during processing. The electrostatic chuck  32  is mounted on a pedestal  60  which is supported by the chamber body  34 . Lift pins  62  move through passages in the pedestal  60  and electrostatic chuck  32  and rise to remove a substrate  22  from the robot blade  18  and then lower the substrate  22  onto the electrostatic chuck  32 . 
     The chamber body  34  is preferably made of aluminum and the dome is preferably made of a ceramic material or other dielectric material which is transparent to RF energy. The coils  44 ,  50  are preferably made of copper or other conductive metal. The electrostatic chuck is preferably made of a ceramic material, most preferably aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) or aluminum nitride (AlN) which is doped with metallic impurities in order to render it more conductive to dissipate any charge build up occurring thereon. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic side view of the electrostatic chuck  32  showing an RF electrode  64  and a chucking electrode  66  embedded in the chuck. The RF electrode  64  is coupled to an RF source  68 . The chucking electrode  66  can be a bipolar chucking electrode or a unipolar chucking electrode, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,473, to form an electric field which holds a substrate against a substrate receiving surface  70  on the electrostatic chuck  32 . The chucking electrode is coupled through an RF filter  72  to a voltage source  74 . 
     Precoating the Electrostatic Chuck 
     In the method of the present invention, after a conventional chamber cleaning step, an in-situ chamber precoat step is performed to deposit a dielectric layer  76  on the substrate receiving surface  70  of the electrostatic chuck  32  as shown in  FIG. 4. A  high density silane plasma is preferably used to deposit a dielectric material, such as SiO 2 , directly onto the substrate receiving surface  70 . Precursor process gases such as silane, dichlorosilane and TEOS can be used to advantage in the present invention. However, other dielectric deposition processes are contemplated herein. This dielectric layer  76  is completely removed by subsequent chamber cleaning processes and must be redeposited after each chamber cleaning. 
     The precoat layer  76  preferably has a thicknesses of between about 1000A and about 5000A, with the lower limit determined by the chucking voltage used. Greater thicknesses essentially insulate the doped ceramic material in the electrostatic chuck and may prevent the residual charge on the wafer from dissipating to the electrostatic chuck  32 . However, other thicknesses may be used depending on the chucking and biasing voltages used and the gripping force needed to secure a wafer during processing. 
     Rather than having to use square wave voltages of 500 to 1000 volts peak value, as in the &#39;473 patent, deposition of the dielectric, preferably SiO 2 , allows the use of square wave voltages of about 250 volts peak to reliably grip the wafer. This precoat step has been found to be especially effective at chuck surface temperatures of greater than 150° C. In this temperature range, the pinhole density throughout the precoat layer  76  is lower. 
     System Controller 
     The load lock chambers  12 ,  14 , the processing chambers  24 ,  26 ,  28 , and the transfer chamber  20  are controlled by the system controller  30 . The processing platform includes analog assemblies such as mass flow controllers (MFCs) and RF generators that are controlled by the system controller  30  which executes system control software stored in a memory, which in the preferred embodiment is a hard disk drive. Motors and optical sensors are used to move and determine the position of movable mechanical assemblies such as the valve assembly  58  and the pump  56  for maintaining a vacuum in the HDP-CVD chamber  28 . 
     The system controller  30  controls all of the activities of the substrate processing platform and a preferred embodiment of the controller  30  includes a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, and a card rack. The card rack contains a single board computer (SBC), analog and digital input/output boards, interface boards and stepper motor controller boards. The system controller conforms to the Versa Modular Europeans (VME) standard which defines board, card cage, and connector dimensions and types. The VME standard also defines the bus structure having a 16-bit data bus and 24-bit address bus. 
     The system controller  30  operates under the control of a computer program stored on the hard disk drive. The computer program dictates the sequence and timing of process steps, mixture of gases, RF power levels, and other parameters of a particular process. The interface between a user and the system controller  30  is typically a CRT monitor and light pen. In the preferred embodiment, a second monitor is included in the system controller  30 , the first monitor being mounted in the clean room wall for the operators and the other monitor behind the wall for the service technicians. Both monitors simultaneously display the same information but only one light pen is enabled. The light pen detects light emitted by CRT display with a light sensor in the tip of the pen. To select a particular screen or function, the operator touches a designated area of the display screen and pushes the button on the pen. The touched area changes its highlighted color, or a new menu or screen is displayed, confirming communication between the light pen and the display screen. 
     The process of the invention can be implemented using a computer program product  410  that runs on, for example, the system controller  30 . The computer program code can be written in any conventional computer readable programming language such as for example 68000 assembly language, C, C++, or Pascal. Suitable program code is entered into a single file, or multiple files, using a conventional text editor, and stored or embodied in a computer usable medium, such as a memory system of the computer. If the entered code text is in a high level language, the code is compiled, and the resultant compiler code is then linked with an object code of precompiled windows library routines. To execute the linked compiled object code, the system user invokes the object code, causing the computer system to load the code in memory, from which the CPU reads and executes the code to perform the tasks identified in the program. 
       FIG. 5  shows an illustrative block diagram of the hierarchical control structure of the computer program  410 . A user enters a process set number and process chamber number into a process selector subroutine  420  in response to menus or screens displayed on the CRT monitor by using the light pen interface. The process sets are predetermined sets of process parameters necessary to carry out specified processes, and are identified by predefined set numbers. The process selector subroutine  420  identifies (I) the desired process chamber, and (ii) the desired set of process parameters needed to operate the process chamber for performing the desired process. The process parameters for performing a specific process relate to process conditions such as, for example, process gas composition and flow rates, temperature, pressure, plasma conditions such as RF bias power levels and magnetic field power levels, cooling gas pressure, and chamber wall temperature and are provided to the user in the form of a recipe. The parameters specified by the recipe are entered utilizing the light pen/CRT monitor interface. 
     The signals for monitoring the process are provided by the analog input and digital input boards of system controller and the signals for controlling the process are output on the analog output and digital output boards of the system controller  30 . 
     A process sequencer subroutine  430  comprises program code for accepting the identified process chamber and set of process parameters from the process selector subroutine  420 , and for controlling operation of the various process chambers. Multiple users can enter process set numbers and process chamber numbers, or a user can enter multiple process chamber numbers, so the sequencer subroutine  430  operates to schedule the selected processes in the desired sequence. Preferably the sequencer subroutine  430  includes a program code to perform the steps of (i) monitoring the operation of the process chambers to determine if the chambers are being used, (ii) determining what processes are being carried out in the chambers being used, and (iii) executing the desired process based on availability of a process chamber and type of process to be carried out. Conventional methods of monitoring the process chambers can be used, such as polling. When scheduling which process is to be executed, the sequencer subroutine  430  can be designed to take into consideration the present condition of the process chamber being used in comparison with the desired process conditions for a selected process, or the “age” of each particular user entered request, or any other relevant factor a system programmer desires to include for determining the scheduling priorities. 
     Once the sequencer subroutine  430  determines which process chamber and process set combination is going to be executed next, the sequencer subroutine  430  causes execution of the process set by passing the particular process set parameters to a chamber manager subroutine  440  which controls multiple processing tasks in a process chamber according to the process set determined by the sequencer subroutine  430 . For example, the chamber manager subroutine  440  comprises program code for controlling sputtering and CVD process operations in the HDP-CVD process chamber  28 . The chamber manager subroutine  440  also controls execution of various chamber component subroutines which control operation of the chamber component necessary to carry out the selected process set. Examples of chamber component subroutines are electrostatic chuck control subroutine  450 , process gas control subroutine  460 , pressure control subroutine  470 , heater control subroutine  480 , and plasma control subroutine  490 . Those having ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that other chamber control subroutines can be included depending on what processes are desired to be performed in the process chamber. 
     In operation, the chamber manager subroutine  440  selectively schedules or calls the process component subroutines in accordance with the particular process set being executed. The chamber manager subroutine  440  schedules the process component subroutines similarly to how the sequencer subroutine  430  schedules which process chamber and process set is to be executed next. Typically, the chamber manager subroutine  440  includes steps of monitoring the various chamber components, determining which components needs to be operated based on the process parameters for the process set to be executed, and causing execution of a chamber component subroutine responsive to the monitoring and determining steps. 
     Operation of particular chamber components subroutines will now be described with reference to FIG.  5 . The electrostatic chuck control subroutine  450  comprises program code for controlling chamber components that are used to position, grip, and release the wafer  22  on the wafer receiving surface  70  of the electrostatic chuck  32 . When a wafer is loaded into the process chamber  28 , the lift pins  62  lift the wafer from the robot blade  18  and lower the wafer onto the wafer receiving surface  70 . In operation, the electrostatic chuck control subroutine  450  controls the chucking electrode  66  in response to process set parameters that are transferred from the chamber manager subroutine  440 . 
     The process gas control subroutine  460  has program code for controlling process gas composition and flow rates. The process gas control subroutine  460  controls the open/close position of the safety shut-off valves, and also ramps up/down the mass flow controllers to obtain the desired gas flow rate. The process gas control subroutine  460  is invoked by the chamber manager subroutine  440 , as are all chamber components subroutines, and receives from the chamber manager subroutine process parameters related to the desired gas flow rates. Typically, the process gas control subroutine  460  operates by opening the gas supply lines, and repeatedly (i) reading the necessary mass flow controllers, (ii) comparing the readings to the desired flow rates received from the chamber manager subroutine  440 , and (iii) adjusting the flow rates of the gas supply lines as necessary. Furthermore, the process gas control subroutine  460  includes steps for monitoring the gas flow rates for unsafe rates, and activating the safety shut-off valves when an unsafe condition is detected. 
     In some processes, an inert gas such as argon is flowed into the chamber to stabilize the pressure in the chamber before reactive process gases are introduced into the chamber. For these processes, the process gas control subroutine  460  is programmed to include steps for flowing the inert gas into the chamber for an amount of time necessary to stabilize the pressure in the chamber, and then the steps described above would be carried out. Additionally, when a process gas it to be vaporized from a liquid precursor, for example TEOS, the process gas control subroutine  460  would be written to include steps for vaporizing the liquid precursor in a delivery gas such as helium. For this type of process, the process gas control subroutine  460  regulates the flow of the delivery gas and the liquid precursor. As discussed above, the desired process gas flow rates are transferred to the process gas control subroutine  460  as process parameters. Furthermore, the process gas control subroutine  460  includes steps for obtaining the necessary delivery gas flow rate and liquid precursor flow rate by accessing a stored table containing the necessary values for a given process gas flow rate. Once the necessary values are obtained, the delivery gas flow rate and the precursor liquid flow rate are monitored, compared to the necessary values, and adjusted accordingly. 
     The pressure control subroutine  470  comprises program code for controlling the pressure in the chamber by regulating the size of the opening of the valve assembly  58 . The size of the opening of the throttle valve is set to control the chamber pressure to the desired level in relation to the total process gas flow, size of the process chamber, and pumping set point pressure. When the pressure control subroutine  470  is invoked, the desired, or target pressure level is received as a parameter from the chamber manager subroutine  440 . The pressure control subroutine  470  operates to measure the pressure in the chamber by reading one or more conventional pressure manometers connected to the chamber, compare the measure value(s) to the target pressure, obtain PID (proportional, integral, and differential) values from a stored pressure table corresponding to the target pressure, and adjust the throttle valve according to the PID values obtained from the pressure table. Alternatively, the pressure control subroutine  470  can be written to open or close the throttle valve to a particular opening size to regulate the chamber to the desired pressure. 
     The heater control subroutine  480  comprises program code for controlling the temperature of resistive heat coils that are used to heat various chamber surfaces. The heater control subroutine  480  is also invoked by the chamber manager subroutine  440  and receives a target, or set point, temperature parameter. The heater control subroutine  480  measures the temperature by measuring voltage output of a thermocouple, compares the measured temperature to the set point temperature, and increases or decreases current applied to the heat coil to obtain the set point temperature. The temperature is obtained from the measured voltage by looking up the corresponding temperature in a stored conversion table, or by calculating the temperature using a fourth order polynomial. The heater control subroutine  480  gradually controls a ramp up/down of current applied to the resistive heat coil. The gradual ramp up/down increases the life and reliability of the heat coils. Additionally, a built-in-fail-safe mode can be included to detect process safety compliance, and can shut down operation of the heat coil if the process chamber is not properly set up. 
     The plasma control subroutine  490  comprises program code for setting the RF bias voltage power level applied to the process electrodes in the chamber, and optionally, to set the level of the magnetic field generated in the chamber. Similar to the previously described chamber component subroutines, the plasma control subroutine  490  is invoked by the chamber manager subroutine  440 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the chamber manager  440  for the HPD-CVD chambers  28  include program code which provides for a chamber cleaning  500  to be followed by precoating  502  of the electrostatic chuck with a dielectric material such as HDP-CVD deposition of SiO 2  as described above. After precoating the electrostatic chuck  32 , the program code provides for positioning  504  a wafer on the electrostatic chuck  32  and processing  506  the wafer in a manner known to persons skilled in formation of integrated circuits on the wafers. For example, SiO 2  can be simultaneously deposited on the wafer and sputtered to the HDP-CVD chamber walls to enhance gap filling of sub 0.5 micron devices having high aspect ratio lines or vias wherein the ratio of gap height to width is &gt;1.2:1. The program code then provides for removing  508  the wafer from the chamber. A large number of wafers can be positioned  504 , processed  506 , and removed  508  before returning to the chamber cleaning step  500 . 
     The above CVD system description is mainly for illustrative purposes, and other plasma CVD equipment such as electrode cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma CVD devices or the like may be employed in the processing platform, with or without a system controller. Additionally, variations of the above described system such as variations in electrostatic chuck design and location of RF electrodes are possible. 
     While the foregoing is directed to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims which follow.