Patent ID: 7771562

Claim:
An ICP source for a semiconductor wafer plasma etching apparatus comprising: a substrate support electrode; a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) electrode parallel to and spaced apart from the substrate support electrode; a first RF generator and first matching network connected in series with the substrate support electrode, wherein the first RF generator is connected to the substrate support through the first matching network; a series RF circuit that includes a peripheral ionization source comprising a planar inductive coil, coupled by a capacitor in series with and surrounding the CCP electrode on the periphery thereof, the CCP electrode and the peripheral ionization source forming a common plane having the CCP electrode at its center; a second RF generator and second matching network connected in series with the CCP electrode, the second RF generator being directly connected to the CCP electrode through the second matching network, said RF generator coupling RF energy to the series RF circuit to bias the CCP electrode to capacitively couple energy to a plasma proximate the plane and to energize the peripheral ionization source to inductively couple energy to the plasma proximate and parallel to the plane, to thereby form a high density plasma across the substrate support electrode by both capacitively and inductively coupling energy thereto from the series RF circuit; and a slotted Faraday shield between the planar inductive coil and the plasma for facilitating the inductive coupling of energy from the inductive coil into the plasma and for impeding the capacitive coupling of energy from the inductive coil to the plasma.