Patent ID: 7084573

Claim:
A method of producing a high-density plasma in the chamber of a vacuum processing apparatus comprising: providing an annular magnet pack having sufficient strength and volume to produce a magnetic field extending into the processing chamber; embedding an electrode in the magnetic field in the processing chamber with the magnetic flux substantially parallel to the surface of the electrode; and energizing the electrode with RF energy to capacitively couple the energy into the chamber to produce a high-density plasma therewith; the providing and embedding steps including providing a capacitively coupled source comprising: an electrode having an annular surface within the vacuum chamber, an RF generator having an output coupled to the electrode, a magnet pack including: an outer side magnet having its polar axes intersecting the surface of the electrode with a first pole thereof closer to the electrode and a second note thereof more remote from the electrode, an inner side magnet having its polar axes intersecting the surface of the electrode with a first pole thereof closer to the electrode and a second pole thereof more remote from the electrode, and a ferromagnetic back piece extending between, and adjacent to, the second poles of the inner and outer side magnets, and the magnets of the magnet pack have sufficient volume and strength to produce a magnetic field that extends generally from the first pole of the outer magnet to the first pole of the inner magnet, the electrode being embedded in the magnetic field.