A substrate processing apparatus capable of preventing an increase in resistance of a lower electrode due to thermal deformation includes: an electrode; and a rod contacting the electrode, wherein the rod includes a first portion having a first coefficient of thermal expansion; and a second portion having a second coefficient of thermal expansion that is less than the first coefficient of thermal expansion.

The inventive concept relates to a substrate support unit provided in an apparatus for treating a substrate using plasma. In an embodiment, the substrate support unit includes a dielectric plate on which the substrate is placed, a lower electrode that is disposed under the dielectric plate and that has a first diameter, a power supply rod that applies RF power to the lower electrode and has a second diameter, and a ground member disposed under the lower electrode and spaced apart from the lower electrode by a first gap by an insulating member, the ground member including a plate portion having a through-hole formed therein through which the power supply rod passes, in which the through-hole has a third diameter.

A voltage sensor for a voltage controlled interface of a plasma processing system. The voltage sensor receives a RF signal generated by a pickup device. The RF signal is indicative of a RF voltage provided at a substrate in a plasma chamber. The voltage sensor includes first and second dividers corresponding to first and second channels and having first and second capacitance ratios. The dividers receive the RF signal and respectively generate first and second reduced voltage signals. A first output of the first channel outputs a first output signal based on the first reduced voltage signal and while the RF signal is in a first voltage range. A second output of the second channel outputs a second output signal based on the second reduced voltage signal and while the RF signal is in a second voltage range.

A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber having a processing zone in which a semiconductor substrate may be processed, a process gas source in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber for supplying a process gas into the vacuum chamber, a showerhead module through which process gas from the process gas source is supplied to the processing zone of the vacuum chamber, and a substrate pedestal module. The substrate pedestal module includes a platen made of ceramic material having an upper surface configured to support a semiconductor substrate thereon during processing, a stem made of ceramic material having an upper stem flange that supports the platen, and a backside gas tube made of ceramic material that is located in an interior of the stem. The backside gas tube includes an upper gas tube flange that is located between a lower surface of the platen and an upper surface of the upper stem flange wherein the backside gas tube is in fluid communication with at least one backside gas passage of the platen and the backside gas tube is configured to supply a backside gas to a region below a lower surface of a semiconductor substrate that is to be supported on the upper surface of the platen during processing.

A high frequency plasma apparatus includes a reaction chamber, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a plurality of feed points located at one of the two electrodes at least. The feed points are used to simultaneously generate a first standing wave and a second standing wave, with different temporal and spatial patterns. By adjusting amplitudes of the two standing waves and the temporal and spatial phase differences between the two standing waves appropriately, plasma uniformity of the high frequency plasma apparatus can be effectively improved.

The plasma processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment includes a processing container, a stage, an upper electrode, a dielectric plate, and a waveguide. The stage is provided in the processing container. The dielectric plate is provided above the stage with a space in the processing container interposed therebetween. The upper electrode is provided above the dielectric plate. The waveguide has an end and guides high frequency waves in a VHF band or a UHF band. The end is arranged to face the space to radiate high frequency waves to the space. The dielectric plate includes a conductive film. The conductive film is provided on an upper surface of the dielectric plate. The upper surface faces the upper electrode. The conductive film is electrically connected to the upper electrode.

To provide a plasma processing apparatus or a plasma processing method capable of improving a reliability or a yield. The plasma processing apparatus includes: a sample stage that is disposed inside a processing chamber disposed inside a vacuum container and on which a wafer is placed; a ring-shaped electrode made of a conductor, which is disposed on an outer peripheral side of the upper surface of the sample stage so as to surround the sample stage and to which radio frequency power is supplied; a dielectric cover that is placed above the ring-shaped electrode and covers the ring-shaped electrode; a rod-shaped member that is suspended and disposed in a through hole disposed on an outer peripheral side portion of the base material having a disc or cylindrical shape and forming the sample stage, and has a connector portion on an upper end portion of the rod-shaped member connected to the ring-shaped electrode and positioned at the ring-shaped electrode; a beam-shaped member that is disposed below the sample stage below the through hole with a gap therebetween and extends in a horizontal direction, whose one end is connected to a lower end portion of the rod-shaped member and the other end is positioned with respect to the sample stage, and whose the other end urges the rod-shaped member upward with respect to the ring-shaped electrode; and a radio frequency power source that is connected to the rod-shaped member via a power supply path and supplies the radio frequency power to the ring-shaped electrode.

A plasma processing system used for reactive sputtering may include multiple dual magnetron sputtering (DMS) components. Each DMS component may include a power supply coupled with two electrodes that switch between operation as a cathode and anode and are located within a plasma chamber. The power supply may be configured to operate as a transmitter or receiver power supply. A transmitter power supply may receive a phase-control-input signal that includes a phase offset value and may produce a phase-control-output signal and synchronization signal. The transmitter power supply may send the phase-control-output signal and synchronization signal to a receiver power supply, which may use these signals to synchronize electrode switching with the transmitter power supply and to apply the phase offset.

Embodiments of the disclosure provided herein include an apparatus and method for the plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. More specifically, embodiments of this disclosure describe a biasing scheme that is configured to provide a radio frequency (RF) generated RF waveform from an RF generator to one or more electrodes within a processing chamber and a pulsed-voltage (PV) waveform delivered from one or more pulsed-voltage (PV) generators to the one or more electrodes within the processing chamber. The plasma process(es) disclosed herein can be used to control the shape of an ion energy distribution function (IEDF) and the interaction of the plasma with a surface of a substrate during plasma processing.

A method and apparatus for a heated pedestal is provided. In one embodiment, the heated pedestal includes a body comprising a ceramic material, a plurality of heating elements encapsulated within the body, and one or more grooves formed in a surface of the body adjacent each of the plurality of heating elements, at least one side of the grooves being bounded by a ceramic plate.