This disclosure relates to a reactor including an energy source configured to generate a microwave in a direction of propagation. A reaction chamber is coupled to the energy source. A waveguide disposed in the reactor includes a window positioned at an angle, such as being misaligned, relative to the direction of propagation of the microwave such that an average dielectric constant experienced by the microwave increases over a region where the window occupies a greater fraction of a cross-sectional area of the waveguide. The window includes one or more dielectric materials that have respective dielectric constants that increase along the propagation direction in a first region that is adjacent to a first face of the window, and decrease in a second region that is adjacent to a second face of the window. The dielectric materials have a mass density that varies based on one or more pores formed therein.

Embodiments include a plasma processing tool that includes a processing chamber, and a plurality of modular microwave sources coupled to the processing chamber. In an embodiment, the plurality of modular microwave sources include an array of applicators that are positioned over a dielectric body that forms a portion of an outer wall of the processing chamber. The array of applicators may be coupled to the dielectric body. Additionally, the plurality of modular microwave sources may include an array of microwave amplification modules. In an embodiment, each microwave amplification module may be coupled to at least one of the applicators in the array of applicators. According to an embodiment, the dielectric body be planar, non-planar, symmetric, or non-symmetric. In yet another embodiment, the dielectric body may include a plurality of recesses. In such an embodiment, at least one applicator may be positioned in at least one of the recesses.

A microwave control method is used in a microwave plasma processing apparatus including a microwave generation unit, a waveguide for guiding a microwave generated by the microwave generation unit, a tuner for controlling a position of a movable short-circuiting plate, and a stub provided between the tuner and an antenna in the waveguide and insertable into an inner space of the waveguide. The method includes detecting the position of the movable short-circuiting plate controlled by the tuner for the microwave outputted by the microwave generation unit, determining whether or not a difference between a reference position and the detected position of the movable short-circuiting plate is within a tolerable range, and controlling an insertion length of the stub into the inner space of the waveguide when it is determined that the difference between the position of the movable short-circuiting plate and the reference position is not within the tolerable range.

An etching method includes loading, first and second supplying, removing and etching steps. In the loading step, a target object is loaded into a chamber. In the first supply step, a first gas containing carbon, hydrogen and fluorine is supplied into the chamber. In the modification step, plasma of the first gas is generated to modify a surface of a mask film and a surface of an organic film which is not covered with the mask film. In the second supply step, a second gas for etching the organic film is supplied into the chamber. In the removal step, a modified layer formed on the surface of the organic film is removed by applying a first high frequency bias power. In the etching step, the organic film below the modified layer is etched by applying a second high frequency bias power lower than the first high frequency bias power.

Disclosed is a plasma processing apparatus including: a processing container into which an electromagnetic wave for plasma excitation is supplied; a placing table provided inside the processing container and configured to place a workpiece thereon; a first coupling member inserted into each of a plurality of insertion portions formed in a part of a dielectric member that transmits the electromagnetic wave, among a plurality of members that constitute the placing table, and configured to couple the dielectric member and a member to be coupled; and a dielectric cap fitted to each of the plurality of insertion portions so as to cover the first coupling member and having a dielectric constant substantially equal to the dielectric constant of the dielectric member.

The disclosure relates to microwave cavity plasma reactor (MCPR) apparatus and associated optical measurement system that enable microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (MPACVD) of a component such as diamond while measuring the local surface properties of the component while being grown. Related methods include deposition of the component, measurement of the local surface properties, and/or alteration of operating conditions during deposition in response to the local surface properties. As described in more detail below, the MPCR apparatus includes one or more electrically conductive, optically transparent regions forming part of the external boundary of its microwave chamber, thus permitting external optical interrogation of internal reactor conditions during deposition while providing a desired electrical microwave chamber to maintain selected microwave excitation modes therein.

A pressure barrier comprising a window with a first side and a second side, a main section comprising a length, a first end, and a second end opposite the first end, a first gradient compression section adjacent to the first end of the main section, and a second gradient decompression section adjacent to the second end of the main section is described. A pressure difference can be formed between the first and second side of the window. The window can comprise a dielectric material, where an average dielectric constant of the gradient compression section increases toward the main section, and an average dielectric constant of the gradient decompression section decreases away from the main section. A microwave propagating in a propagation direction can enter the pressure barrier at the gradient compression section and exit the pressure barrier through the gradient decompression section.

A gas distribution plate for a plasma reactor has a dielectric front plate and a dielectric back plate bonded together, with gas injection orifices extending through the front plate and gas supply channels in the surface of front plate facing the back plate. The back plate is joined to a heat reflective plate, or the back plate itself is formed of a heat reflective material, such as Beryllium Oxide.

This invention relates to a plasma chemical vapor deposition microwave resonant cavity, which has a high focusing ability and can be flexibly configured. The resonant cavity is a rotary body formed by two isosceles triangles intersecting at the vertex angles with a Boolean union operation. The base angles of the two triangles are 5075. Between 2n(2n+0.5) , the base lengths of the two triangles are equal or have an n difference, where n is an integer and is the microwave wavelength. The distance between the centroids of the upper and the lower isosceles triangles is 04/5. A strongly focused electric field can be formed in the cavity by adjusting the base lengths, base angles and centroid distance. Different dielectric windows, microwave coupling modes and gas inlet and outlet modes can be selected in the cavity to fit specific applications. The cavity has simple structures.

Systems, methods, and computer programs are presented for controlling the temperature of a window in a semiconductor manufacturing chamber. One apparatus includes a heater for receiving and heating a flow of air and an air amplifier coupled to pressurized gas. The air amplifier has an input that receives the flow of air from the heater, and the air amplifier having an output. A duct is coupled to the output of the air amplifier and a plenum is coupled to the duct. The plenum receives the flow of air and distributes the flow of air over a window of a plasma chamber. A temperature sensor is situated about the window of the plasma chamber and a controller is provided to control the air amplifier and the heater based on a temperature measured by the temperature sensor.