Apparatus, systems, and methods for conducting a hardmask (e.g., carbon containing hardmask) removal process on a workpiece are provided. In one example implementation, a process can include admitting a process gas into a plasma chamber, generating a plasma in the plasma chamber from the process gas using an inductively coupled plasma source, and exposing the carbon containing hardmask to the plasma to remove at least a portion of the carbon containing hardmask. The process gas can include a sulfur containing gas. The process gas does not include a halogen containing gas. The inductively coupled plasma source can be separated from the plasma chamber by a grounded electrostatic shield to reduce capacitive coupling between the inductively coupled plasma source and the plasma.

A substrate support unit for thin film deposition on a substrate including a pattern structure and a thin film deposition apparatus including the substrate support unit includes a heater; an RF electrode; a first rod connected to the heater; a second rod connected to the RF electrode; and an RF shield spaced apart from the second rod, disposed to surround the second rod, and extending in an extension direction of the second rod.

In the present invention, there is provided a plasma processing apparatus including a vacuum processing chamber for applying a plasma processing to a sample, a sample stage deployed inside the vacuum processing chamber for mounting the sample thereon, induction antennas provided outside the vacuum processing chamber, a radio-frequency power supply for supplying a radio-frequency power to the induction antennas, and a Faraday shield which is capacitively coupled with the plasma, a radio-frequency voltage being applied to the Faraday shield from the radio-frequency power supply via a matching box, wherein the matching box includes a series LC circuit including a variable capacitor and an inductor, a motor control unit for controlling a motor for the variable capacitor, and a radio-frequency voltage detection unit for detecting the radio-frequency voltage applied to the Faraday shield, the matching box executing a feedback control over the radio-frequency voltage applied to the Faraday shield.

A processing chamber includes an upper surface and a showerhead arranged to supply gases through the upper surface into the processing chamber. At least a portion of the showerhead extends above the upper surface of the processing chamber. A shroud enclosure is arranged on the upper surface of the processing chamber. The shroud enclosure is arranged around the portion of the showerhead extending above the upper surface of the processing chamber and is configured to isolate radio frequency interference generated by the showerhead.

Methods of etching metal by depositing a material reactive with a metal to be etched and a halogen to form a volatile species and exposing the substrate to a halogen-containing gas and activation gas to etch the substrate are provided. Deposited materials may include silicon, germanium, titanium, carbon, tin, and combinations thereof. Methods are suitable for fabricating MRAM structures and may involve integrating ALD and ALE processes without breaking vacuum.

A plasma processing apparatus that performs plasma processing on a substrate held on a transport carrier including an annular frame and a holding sheet. The apparatus includes a process chamber; a process gas supply unit that supplies process gas to the process chamber; a decompressing mechanism that decompresses the process chamber; a plasma excitation device that generates plasma in the process chamber; a stage in the chamber, on which the transport carrier is loaded; a cooling mechanism for cooling the stage; a cover that partly covers the holding sheet and the frame and that has a window section through which the substrate is partly exposed to plasma; a correction member that presses the frame onto the stage and corrects warpage of the frame; and a movement device that moves the correction member. The correction member is provided separately from the cover to be covered by the cover.

An apparatus for treating a substrate includes a process chamber with a treatment space, a substrate support unit that supports the substrate, a gas supply unit that supplies a gas into the treatment space, and a plasma source that excites the gas into plasma, the process chamber includes a discharge chamber that is provided over the substrate support unit and has a space in which the gas is excited into the plasma, and the plasma source includes an antenna including a first coil and a second coil that surround a side surface of the discharge chamber along a circumference of the discharge chamber, and a power supply that applies electric power to the antenna, wherein the first coil and the second coil are alternately arranged along a vertical direction, and when viewed from the top, currents flow through the first coil and the second coil in the same direction.

A segmented edge protection shield for plasma dicing a wafer. The segmented edge protection shield includes an outer structure and a plurality of plasma shield edge segments. The outer structure defines an interior annular edge configured to correspond to the circumferential edge of the wafer. Each one of the plurality of plasma shield edge segments is defined by an inner edge and side edges. The inner edge is interior to and concentric to the annular edge of the outer structure. The side edges extend between the inner edge and the annular edge.

A radio frequency (RF) screen for a microwave powered ultraviolet (UV) lamp system is disclosed. In one example, a disclosed RF screen includes: a sheet comprising a conductive material; and a frame around edges of the sheet. The conductive material defines a predetermined mesh pattern of individual openings across substantially an operative area of the screen. Each of the individual openings has a triangular shape.

A process of forming a first mask on a first region of a metal film formed on a surface of a substrate, a process of modulating a work function of a first exposed region of the metal film, using plasma of a first process gas, a process of removing the first mask, a process of forming a second mask on a second region of the metal film, and a process of modulating the work function of a second exposed region of the metal film, using plasma of a second process gas are executed.