Patent ID: 7943007

Claim:
A bevel etcher wherein a bevel edge of a semiconductor substrate is subjected to plasma cleaning, comprising: a lower support having a cylindrical top portion; a lower plasma-exclusion-zone (PEZ) ring supported on the top portion of the lower support, the lower PEZ ring having an upper surface on which the substrate is supported such that the bevel edge of the substrate extends outwardly of an outer edge of the upper surface; an upper dielectric component disposed above the lower support and having a cylindrical bottom portion opposing the top portion of the lower support; an upper PEZ ring surrounding the bottom portion of the dielectric component and opposing the lower PEZ ring, an annular space between the lower and upper PEZ rings limiting the extent of the bevel edge to be cleaned by the plasma; and at least one radio frequency (RF) power source adapted to energize process gas into the plasma during a cleaning operation; wherein the lower and upper PEZ rings are adapted to respectively shield the lower support and the upper dielectric component from the plasma during the cleaning operation; wherein: (a) the outer diameter of the top portion of the lower PEZ ring defines the bottom edge exclusion of the substrate; (b) the lower and upper PEZ rings are formed of a material selected from the group consisting of an electrically conductive, semiconductive, dielectric material, a ceramic, and a high electrical resistance material; (c) the outer diameter of the bottom portion of the upper PEZ ring defines the top edge exclusion of the substrate; and/or (d) the cylindrical top portion of the lower support includes an electrostatic chuck; wherein the at least one RF power source includes a lower electrode ring surrounding the lower PEZ ring; and an upper electrode ring surrounding the upper PEZ ring and opposing the lower electrode ring; and wherein the upper and lower electrode rings are formed of a SiC.