Some embodiments are directed to a generator and separator assembly for generating ions via atmospheric pressure, low temperature plasma and separating the generated ions. The generator and separator assembly include a plasma generator for generating the generating atmospheric pressure, low temperature plasma that is configured to eject positively and negatively ions. A separator is disposed to receive the positively and negatively ions ejected from the plasma generator, and includes a first separator electrode; a second separator electrode spaced from the first separator electrode; and a separator power supply that supplies electric power in the form of at least one of different voltages and different polarities to the first and second electrodes ranging from 0 kV and 10 kV, such that the received positively charged ions are redirected in one direction and the received negatively charged ions are redirected to another direction different from the one direction.

A heater controller controls power supplied to a heater capable of adjusting the temperature of a placement surface such that the heater reaches a set temperature. A temperature monitor measures the power supplied in the non-ignited state where the plasma is not ignited and in the transient state where the power supplied to the heater decreases after the plasma is ignited, while the power is controlled such that the temperature of the heater becomes constant. A parameter calculator calculates a heat input amount and the thermal resistance by using the power supplied in the non-ignited state and in the transient state to perform a fitting on a calculation model for calculating the power supplied in the transient state. A set temperature calculator calculates the set temperature of the heater at which the wafer reaches the target temperature, using the heat input amount and thermal resistance.

A control circuit for outputting a direct current (DC) signal in the form of a pulsed signal includes a switch circuit having a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a fourth terminal, a first control terminal, and a second control terminal, wherein the first terminal and the second terminal are input terminals of the DC signal, the third terminal and the fourth terminal are output terminals of the pulsed signal, the first control terminal and the second control terminal receive a first signal or a second signal to control outputting the pulsed signal, in response to the first control terminal and the second control terminal receiving the first signal, the third terminal and the fourth terminal output the pulsed signal, and in response to the first control terminal and the second control terminal receiving the second signal, the third terminal and the fourth terminal stop outputting the pulsed signal; and an energy storage circuit having two terminals connected to the first terminal and the second terminal of the switch circuit to store residual electric energy of the switch circuit when the switch circuit does not output the pulsed signal. The control circuit reduces the oscillation the voltage of occurred at the end of each pulse, and improving the accuracy of controlling the plasma energy and density used in the semiconductor processes.

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.

The present invention provides a method for plasma dicing a substrate. The method comprising providing a process chamber having a wall; providing a plasma source adjacent to the wall of the process chamber; providing a work piece support within the process chamber; placing the substrate onto a support film on a frame to form a work piece work piece; loading the work piece onto the work piece support; providing a clamping electrode for electrostatically clamping the work piece to the work piece support; providing a mechanical partition between the plasma source and the work piece; generating a plasma through the plasma source; and etching the work piece through the generated plasma.

A method for detecting radicals in process gases in a semiconductor fabrication assembly is provided where the semiconductor fabrication includes a plasma source and a mass spectrometer with an ion source. The method includes separating ions from the process gases and determining a fixed electron energy in which to measure the process gases. Process gases in the semiconductor fabrication assembly are continuously sampled. A first measurement is performed on the sampled process gases at the electron energy using the mass spectrometer, where the first measurement is performed with the plasma source off. A second measurement of the sampled process gases is performed at the fixed electron energy using the mass spectrometer, where the second measurement is performed with the plasma source on. An amount of a radical present in the sampled process gases is determined as a difference between the second measurement and the first measurement.

Implementations described herein relate to pressure control for vacuum chuck substrate supports. In one implementation, a process chamber defines a process volume and a vacuum chuck support is disposed within the process volume. A pressure controller is disposed on a fluid flow path upstream from the vacuum chuck and a flow restrictor is disposed on the fluid flow path downstream from the vacuum chuck. Each of the pressure controller and flow restrictor are in fluid communication with a control volume of the vacuum chuck.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber having a gas inlet and a gas outlet; a plasma generator; and a controller configured to cause: (a) providing a substrate including a silicon-containing film and a mask formed on the film; (b) etching the silicon-containing film through the mask to the first depth, thereby forming a recess in the silicon-containing film; (c) forming a protection film at least on the mask and a side wall of the recess formed on the silicon-containing film after (a); and (d) etching the silicon containing film through the mask to a second depth, the second depth being greater than the first depth.

A member for a plasma processing device of the present disclosure is a member for a plasma processing device made of ceramics and having a shape of a cylindrical body with a through hole in an axial direction. The ceramics is mainly composed of aluminum oxide, and has a plurality of crystal grains and a grain boundary phase that is present between the crystal grains. An inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body has an arithmetic average roughness Ra of 1 μm or more and 3 μm or less, and an arithmetic height Rmax of 30 μm or more and 130 μm or less.

Plasma applications are disclosed that operate with argon or helium at atmospheric pressure, and at low temperatures, and with high concentrations of reactive species in the effluent stream. Laminar gas flow is developed prior to forming the plasma and at least one of the electrodes can be heated which enables operation at conditions where the argon or helium plasma would otherwise be unstable and either extinguish, or transition into an arc. The techniques can be employed to clean and activate a metal substrate, including removal of oxidation, thereby enhancing the bonding of at least one other material to the metal.