According to various embodiments, a wafer chuck may include at least one support region configured to support a wafer in a receiving area; a central cavity surrounded by the at least one support region configured to support the wafer only along an outer perimeter; and a boundary structure surrounding the receiving area configured to retain the wafer in the receiving area.

Embodiments described herein relate to plasma processes. A plasma process includes generating a plasma containing negatively charged oxygen ions. A substrate is exposed to the plasma. The substrate is disposed on a pedestal while being exposed to the plasma. While exposing the substrate to the plasma, a negative direct current (DC) bias voltage is applied to the pedestal to repel the negatively charged oxygen ions from the substrate.

A substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes a processing container capable of being vacuum-exhausted, a lower electrode, and an upper electrode. A target substrate can be placed on the lower electrode. The upper electrode is disposed in the processing container so as to face the lower electrode. A substrate processing method of the present disclosure includes performing a first process on the target substrate using an AC voltage without using a DC pulse voltage, and performing a second process on the target substrate using the DC pulse voltage.

Method and apparatus that forms low resistivity tungsten film on substrates. In some embodiments, a method of reducing resistivity of tungsten includes generating a plasma in a processing volume of a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber with a process gas of krypton and using an RF power with a frequency of approximately 60 MHz and a magnetron, applying bias power at frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz to a substrate, and sputtering a tungsten target to deposit a tungsten thin film on the substrate. At least approximately 90% of the deposited tungsten thin film has a <110> crystalline orientation plane approximately parallel to a top surface of the substrate.

This DC-pulse power supply device is provided with: a DC power supply; a pulse unit (20) for generating a pulse output using a step-up chopper circuit connected to the DC power supply; and a voltage superimposing unit (30A, 30B) connected to a DC reactor of the step-up chopper circuit. The voltage superimposing unit (30A, 30B) superimposes an amount (Vc, VDCL2) corresponding to a superimposed voltage on the output voltage of the step-up chopper circuit. The pulse unit (20) outputs, in a pulse form, the output voltage (Vo) on which the amount (Vc, VDCL2) corresponding to the superimposed voltage is superimposed by the voltage superimposing unit (30A, 30B). The amount corresponding to the superimposed voltage is superimposed on the pulse output of the step-up chopper circuit, thereby raising the output voltage of the pulse output of the step-up chopper circuit.

A transfer module for transferring power to a non-thermal plasma generator includes a power cable; a first epoxy; a second epoxy; an interface between the first epoxy and the second epoxy; and a well; the power cable including a conductor for conducting electrical power and an insulation layer for surrounding a portion of the conductor; the first epoxy being located within the well to surround the insulation layer; the second epoxy being located within the well to surround the conductor located within the well; the second epoxy being located outside the well to surround the conductor located outside the well.

Method and apparatus that forms low resistivity tungsten film on substrates. In some embodiments, a method of reducing resistivity of tungsten includes generating a plasma in a processing volume of a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber with a process gas of krypton and using an RF power with a frequency of approximately 60 MHz and a magnetron, applying bias power at frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz to a substrate, and sputtering a tungsten target to deposit a tungsten thin film on the substrate. At least approximately 90% of the deposited tungsten thin film has a <110> crystalline orientation plane approximately parallel to a top surface of the substrate.

Certain configurations of plasma discharge chambers and plasma ionization sources comprising a plasma discharge chamber are described. In some examples, the discharge chamber comprises a conductive area and is configured to sustain a plasma discharge within the discharge chamber. In other examples, the discharge chamber comprises at least one inlet configured to receive a plasma gas and at least one outlet configured to provide ionized analyte from the discharge chamber. Systems and methods using the discharge chambers are also described.

An ignition method of a plasma chamber includes steps of: (a) starting softly an ignition voltage to a first voltage, (b) decreasing the magnitude of the ignition voltage to a second voltage after a first ignition time, (c) increasing the magnitude of the ignition voltage to the first voltage after a second ignition time, and (d) repeating the step (b) and the step (c) until the ignition is successful.

A substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes a processing container capable of being vacuum-exhausted, a lower electrode, and an upper electrode. A target substrate can be placed on the lower electrode. The upper electrode is disposed in the processing container so as to face the lower electrode. A substrate processing method of the present disclosure includes performing a first process on the target substrate using an AC voltage without using a DC pulse voltage, and performing a second process on the target substrate using the DC pulse voltage.