초록 ▼

Semiconductive wafers are processed, i.e., etched or layers deposited thereon, by means of a plasma enhanced chemical vapor processing system. The processing system includes an evacuable horizontal tubular envelope disposed within a surrounding heater or furnace for maintaining, the case of depositi

Semiconductive wafers are processed, i.e., etched or layers deposited thereon, by means of a plasma enhanced chemical vapor processing system. The processing system includes an evacuable horizontal tubular envelope disposed within a surrounding heater or furnace for maintaining, the case of deposition, a region of uniform temperature within the central region of the elongated tubular envelope. Two sets of interleaved generally planar electrodes are disposed within the evacuable envelope for establishing an electrical plasma discharge in the process gaps defined between the interleaved electrodes. Wafers are loaded into the processing gaps vertically with the major face of each wafer facing into the process gap. The mutually opposed surfaces of the interleaved electrodes are preferably lined with a material of the same conductivity as that of the bulk material of the wafer to enhance the uniformity of the processing. The chemical vapor is caused to flow axially through the evacuable tube, and through the electrical plasma discharge established in the processing gaps at subatmospheric pressure, to produce chemically active vapor products of the plasma discharge which interact with the faces of the wafers facing into the processing gaps for processing of the wafers.

대표청구항 ▼

In a method of plasma enhanced chemical vapor processing of semiconductive wafers wherein an evacuable envelope contains first and second sets of interleaved electrodes one set being electrically insulated relative to the other for establishing an electrical plasma discharge within said evacuable en

In a method of plasma enhanced chemical vapor processing of semiconductive wafers wherein an evacuable envelope contains first and second sets of interleaved electrodes one set being electrically insulated relative to the other for establishing an electrical plasma discharge within said evacuable envelope in the processing gaps between said interleaved electrodes, the steps of: loading semiconductive wafers into the processing gaps between adjacent interleaved electrodes of said first and second sets with one major face of each wafer being disposed facing an adjacent electrode and the other major face of each wafer facing into the processing gap defined between adjacent ones of said first and second electrodes; evacuating said envelope to subatmospheric pressure; introducing a vapor at subatmospheric pressure into said envelope; establishing an electrical plasma discharge at subatmospheric pressure in the processing gaps between said interleaved first and second sets of electrodes to produce chemically active vapor products of said plasma discharge; and chemically interacting said chemically active vapor products with said major faces of said wafers which face into said processing gaps for processing of said wafers.