18232123. PLASMA CONTROL DEVICE AND PLASMA CONTROL METHOD simplified abstract (SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.)

PLASMA CONTROL DEVICE AND PLASMA CONTROL METHOD

Organization Name

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Inventor(s)

Changho Kim of Suwon-si (KR)

Hyeongmo Kang of Suwon-si (KR)

Illsang Ko of Suwon-si (KR)

Dooyoung Gwak of Suwon-si (KR)

Kyungsun Kim of Suwon-si (KR)

Namkyun Kim of Suwon-si (KR)

Yirop Kim of Suwon-si (KR)

Jihwan Kim of Suwon-si (KR)

Seungbo Shim of Suwon-si (KR)

Minyoung Hur of Suwon-si (KR)

PLASMA CONTROL DEVICE AND PLASMA CONTROL METHOD - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18232123 titled 'PLASMA CONTROL DEVICE AND PLASMA CONTROL METHOD

Simplified Explanation

The patent application describes a method for controlling plasma in a chamber during an etching process on a wafer by applying both radio frequency (RF) power and a second voltage at different frequencies.

• The method involves applying gas to a chamber with a wafer, generating plasma with RF power at a first frequency and a second voltage at a lower frequency, then cutting off the RF power and continuously applying the second voltage for specific times before performing the etching process.
• The RF power is a sine wave, while the second voltage is a square wave of a periodic pulse form.

Potential Applications

This technology can be applied in semiconductor manufacturing processes, specifically in plasma etching for microelectronics fabrication.

Problems Solved

This method helps control the plasma generation process more precisely, leading to improved etching accuracy and uniformity on wafers.

Benefits

The method allows for a more controlled and efficient plasma etching process, resulting in higher quality semiconductor devices with better performance.

Potential Commercial Applications

This technology can be utilized in the production of various electronic devices, such as integrated circuits, memory chips, and sensors.

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art could be the use of different waveforms for controlling plasma in etching processes, but the specific combination of RF power and second voltage frequencies as described in this patent application may be novel.

How does this method compare to traditional plasma etching processes in terms of efficiency and accuracy?

This method may offer improved control and precision in plasma etching, but further comparative studies would be needed to determine its advantages over traditional processes.

What are the potential limitations or challenges in implementing this method in industrial semiconductor manufacturing settings?

The scalability and compatibility of this method with existing manufacturing equipment and processes could be potential challenges that need to be addressed for widespread adoption.

Original Abstract Submitted

Provided is a plasma control method including applying gas to a chamber having a wafer loaded therein, generating plasma by applying both radio frequency (RF) power associated with a first voltage at a first frequency and a second voltage at a second frequency that is lower than the first frequency to the chamber for a first time, cutting off the RF power after the first time elapses, continuously applying the second voltage of the second frequency to the chamber for a second time, cutting off the second voltage after the second time elapses, continuously maintaining an off state of the RF power and an off state of the voltage for a third time, and performing an etching process on the wafer by using the plasma formed by the RF power and the second voltage after the third time elapses, wherein the RF power is a sine wave, and the second voltage is a square wave of a periodic pulse form.