Various RF plasma systems are disclosed that do not require a matching network. In some embodiments, the RF plasma system includes an energy storage capacitor; a switching circuit coupled with the energy storage capacitor, the switching circuit producing a plurality of pulses with a pulse amplitude and a pulse frequency, the pulse amplitude being greater than 100 volts; a resonant circuit coupled with the switching circuit. In some embodiments, the resonant circuit includes: a transformer having a primary side and a secondary side; and at least one of a capacitor, an inductor, and a resistor. In some embodiments, the resonant circuit having a resonant frequency substantially equal to the pulse frequency, and the resonant circuit increases the pulse amplitude to a voltage greater than 2 kV.

An arc chamber has a liner operably coupled to body. The liner has a second surface recessed from a first surface and a hole having a first diameter. The liner has a liner lip extending upwardly from the second surface toward the first surface that surrounds the hole and has a second diameter. An electrode has a shaft and head. The shaft has a third diameter that is less than the first diameter and passes through the body and hole and is electrically isolated from the liner by an annular gap. The head has a fourth diameter and a third surface having an electrode lip extending downwardly from the third surface toward the second surface. The electrode lip has a fifth diameter that is between the second and fourth diameters. A spacing between the liner lip and electrode lip defines a labyrinth seal and generally prevents contaminants from entering the annular gap. The shaft has an annular groove configured to accept a boron nitride seal.

Various embodiments include an apparatus to supply precursor gases to a processing tool. In various examples, the apparatus includes a point-of-use (POU) valve manifold that includes a manifold body to couple to a processing chamber of the processing tool. The manifold body has a multiple precursor-gas outlet ports surrounded by an annulus. A purge-gas outlet port of the manifold body is directed substantially toward interior walls of the annulus. For each of multiple precursor gases, the POU-valve manifold further includes: a first valve coupled to the manifold body and a divert valve coupled to the first valve. The first valve can be coupled to a precursor-gas supply and has a separate precursor-gas flow path internal to the manifold body. The divert valve diverts the precursor gas during a period when the precursor gas is not to be directed into the processing chamber by the first valve. Other examples are disclosed.

Some embodiments include a plasma system comprising: a plasma chamber, an RF plasma generator, a bias generator, and a controller. The RF plasma generator may be electrically coupled with the plasma chamber and may produce a plurality of RF bursts, each of the plurality of RF bursts including RF waveforms, each of the plurality of RF bursts having an RF burst turn on time and an RF burst turn off time. The bias generator may be electrically coupled with the plasma chamber and may produce a plurality of bias bursts, each of the plurality of bias bursts including bias pulses, each of the plurality of bias bursts having an bias burst turn on time and an bias burst turn off time. In some embodiments the controller is in communication with the RF plasma generator and the bias generator that controls the timing of various bursts or waveforms.

In a plasma processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment, a gas supply system supplies a gas into a processing container. A plasma source excites the gas supplied by the gas supply system. A support structure holds a processing target within the processing container. The support structure is configured to rotatably and tiltably support the processing target. The plasma processing apparatus further includes a bias power supply unit that applies a pulse-modulated DC voltage, as a bias voltage for ion attraction, to the support structure.

The invention includes a gas processing system for transforming a hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into outflow gas products, where the system includes a gas delivery subsystem, a plasma reaction chamber, and a microwave subsystem, with the gas delivery subsystem in fluid communication with the plasma reaction chamber, so that the gas delivery subsystem directs the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the plasma reaction chamber, and the microwave subsystem directs microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber to energize the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, thereby forming a plasma in the plasma reaction chamber, which plasma effects the transformation of a hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the outflow gas products, which comprise acetylene and hydrogen. The invention also includes methods for the use of the gas processing system.

A chamber of a plasma system includes a chamber wall defining a plasma processing area, a substrate supporter configured to support a substrate in the plasma processing area, and a liner located in the plasma processing area and separating the chamber wall from the plasma processing area. A liner for a plasma system and a method for installing a liner to a plasma system are also provided.

The present invention provides an improved plasma source configuration comprising a vacuum chamber having the source. A dielectric member is in communication with the vacuum chamber and surrounded by the plasma source. A high aspect ratio gap is formed between a film breaker and the dielectric member.

A heater power feeding mechanism is provided that divides a stage on which a substrate is placed into zones by using a plurality of heaters and can control a temperature of each of the zones. The heater power feeding mechanism includes a plurality of sets of heater terminals connected to any of the plurality of heaters by a segment unit when a set of the heater terminals is made one segment, a heater interconnection, and an interconnection structure configured to connect at least any of the plurality sets of the heater terminals with each other by using the heater interconnection by the segment unit.

Processing chambers and methods to disrupt the boundary layer are described. The processing chamber includes a showerhead and a substrate support therein. The showerhead and the substrate support are spaced to have a process gap between them. In use, a boundary layer is formed adjacent to the substrate support or wafer surface. As the reaction occurs at the wafer surface, reaction products and byproduct are produced, resulting in reduced chemical utilization rate. The processing chamber and methods described disrupt the boundary layer by changing one or more process parameters (e.g., pressure, flow rate, time, process gap or temperature of fluid passing through the showerhead).