A method is introduced for creating a protective oxide layer over a surface of a metallic structure for use in a semiconductor processing system. The method includes providing the metallic structure, anodizing the surface of the metallic structure to form an anodization layer on the surface, and converting, using a plasma electrolytic oxidation process, at least a portion of the anodization layer to form the protective oxide layer.

An apparatus for plasma atomic layer deposition includes a tubular, insulating injector adhesion preventive member mountable to a gas-introducing opening section from inside a film forming chamber, a tubular, insulating exhaust adhesion preventive member mountable to an exhaust opening section from inside the film forming chamber, and an insulating film forming chamber adhesion preventive member mountable to an inner wall side of the film forming chamber. The injector adhesion preventive member and the exhaust adhesion preventive member are separated from each of a plate electrode and a counter electrode side, and the film forming chamber adhesion preventive member is disposed on each side of the injector adhesion preventive member and the exhaust adhesion preventive member to be separated from each of the plate electrode and the counter electrode side. The apparatus further includes an upper and lower inert-gas supply port that purges inert gas toward inside the film forming chamber.

Certain embodiments herein relate to an apparatus used for remote plasma processing. In various embodiments, the apparatus includes a reaction chamber that is conditioned by forming a low recombination material coating on interior chamber surfaces. The low recombination material helps minimize the degree of radical recombination that occurs when the reaction chamber is used to process substrates. During processing on substrates, the low recombination material may become covered by relatively higher recombination material (e.g., as a byproduct of the substrate processing), which results in a decrease in the amount of radicals available to process the substrate over time. The low recombination material coating may be reconditioned through exposure to an oxidizing plasma, which acts to reform the low recombination material coating. The reconditioning process may occur periodically as additional processing occurs on substrates. The apparatus may be configured to cause formation and reconditioning of the low recombination material coating.

Thermally conductive coatings are deposited on an inner surface of a particle containment chamber to mitigate excessive heating of the inner surface. A particle manipulation system includes a particle containment plasma containment chamber with a thermally-conductive coating comprising bort, graphite, and/or diamond on the inner surface of the chamber. The coating material and thickness can be selected to absorb a majority of energetic radiation (such as X-rays) incident on the coating and transport heat generated by the absorbed X-rays away from the inner surface of the chamber. Methods of deposition, including in situ deposition, are also described.

A consumable part for a plasma processing chamber includes a plasma facing side. An engineered surface is formed into the plasma facing side of the consumable part. A plurality of raised features defines the engineered surface, wherein features are arranged in a predefined pattern, wherein each of the plurality of raised features includes a top region having an outer edge and a sidewall. A base surface of the engineered surface is configured to surround each of the plurality of raised features, such that a corresponding sidewall of a corresponding raised feature extends up at an angle from the base surface to a corresponding top region. The consumable part is configured to be installed in the plasma processing chamber. The consumable part is configured to be exposed to a plasma and byproducts of the plasma.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma processing chamber, a source power coupling element configured to generate plasma in an interior of the plasma processing chamber by coupling source power to the plasma processing chamber, a DC pulse generator configured to generate a DC pulse train at a DC pulse frequency, a substrate holder disposed in the interior of the plasma processing chamber, a DC coupling element coupled to the DC pulse generator, a DC current path including the DC coupling element, the plasma, and a reference potential node in a series configuration, the DC coupling element being configured to bias the substrate holder relative to the reference potential node using the DC pulse train, and a capacitive pre-coat layer disposed between the DC coupling element and the plasma. The capacitive pre-coat layer increases the RC time constant of the DC current path according to the DC pulse frequency.

A method of tuning an electrical characteristic of a plasma processing chamber of a plasma processing apparatus includes determining a capacitance value from a range of capacitance values according to a direct current (DC) pulse frequency of a DC pulse train to be generated by a DC pulse generator of the plasma processing apparatus, tuning the electrical characteristic by selecting the determined capacitance value using a tuning circuit coupled between a DC coupling element and the DC pulse generator, the tuning circuit comprising a variable capacitance tunable in the range of capacitance values, and biasing the DC coupling element relative to a reference potential node by generating the DC pulse train at the DC pulse frequency using the DC pulse generator.