An apparatus for forming a plasma may include one or more coupling ports to accept and RF current. The apparatus may additionally include a receptacle to accommodate one or more gases, in which the receptacle is oriented along a first axis. The apparatus may additionally include an RF coupling structure, oriented in a plane and substantially surrounding the receptacle, the RF coupling structure can be configured to conduct an RF current to bring about formation of the plasma within the receptacle. The apparatus may further include one or more linkages, coupled to the RF coupling structure, which may permit the plane of the RF coupling structure to pivot about a second axis so as to tilt the plane of the RF coupling structure toward the first axis.

In an embodiment, a method includes: receiving, within a processing chamber, a wafer with a photoresist mask above a metal layer, wherein the processing chamber is connected to a gas source; applying an etchant configured to etch the metal layer in accordance with the photoresist mask within the processing chamber; and applying gas from the gas source to perform plasma ashing in the processing chamber.

An electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) thruster includes a magnetic field source configured to generate a magnetic field, a thruster body that defines a chamber, the thruster body being disposed relative to the magnetic field source such that the magnetic field is present in the chamber and such that a magnetic nozzle is established, an antenna configured to propagate radio frequency (RF) power within the chamber, and a waveform generator coupled to the antenna to generate an RF waveform for the RF power. The waveform generator is configured such that the RF waveform includes multiple frequencies.

Epitaxial regions may be formed in specific locations on a semiconductor wafer with specific asymmetric properties such as slope or tilt direction, slope or tilt angle, and/or other asymmetric properties. The asymmetric epitaxial regions may be formed using various plasma-based fin structure etching techniques described herein. The specific asymmetric properties may increase metal landing coverage areas in particular locations on the semiconductor wafer (e.g., that are optimized for particular locations on the semiconductor substrate) to reduce the contact resistance between the epitaxial regions and associated conductive structures that are formed to the epitaxial regions. This increases semiconductor device performance, decreases the rate and/or likelihood of defect formation, and/or increases semiconductor device yield, among other examples.

A RF power generator has a RF power source configured to generate an output signal. A power splitter is configured to receive the output signal and generate a plurality of split signals. A demagnetizing circuit is configured to receive the plurality of split signals. The demagnetizing circuit is configured to include a plurality of inductances corresponding to the plurality of split signals. The plurality of inductances is configured to reduce the effects of mutual impedance of an ICP chamber in series with the plurality of inductances so that a ratio between a pair of the plurality of split signals varies substantially linearly as one of the pair of the plurality of split signals is varied.

A method of forming features over a semiconductor substrate is provided. The method includes supplying a gas mixture over a surface of a substrate at a continuous flow rate. A first radio frequency (RF) signal is delivered to an electrode while the gas mixture is supplied at the continuous flow rate to deposit a polymer layer over the surface of the substrate. The surface of the substrate includes an oxide containing portion and a nitride containing portion. A second RF signal is delivered to the electrode while continuously supplying the gas mixture at the continuous flow rate to selectively etch the oxide containing portion relative to the nitride containing portion.

An inductively coupled plasma generating apparatus includes: a radio frequency (RF) generator; an impedance matcher connected to the RF generator; a gas supplier; and a first plasma head connected to the impedance matcher and the gas supplier to receive power and gas, that comprises a dielectric tube and a first antenna, wherein the first antenna is attached to the dielectric tube by being spirally wound along the length of the dielectric tube, and plasma is generated in the dielectric tube by a magnetic field created by the first antenna.

Embodiments disclosed herein include plasma sources. In an embodiment, a plasma source comprises an input to a plenum for dividing gas into a plurality of parallel fluidic paths, a plurality of plasma zones, wherein each plasma zone is along one of the plurality of parallel fluidic paths, and a plurality of magnetic cores, wherein each magnetic core surrounds one of the plurality of plasma zones. In an embodiment, an RF coil wraps around the plurality of magnetic cores. In an embodiment, the plasma source further comprises a manifold at a bottom of the plurality of plasma zones, where the manifold merges the plurality of fluidic paths into a single output.

A substrate processing system includes a multi-zone cooling apparatus to provide cooling for all or substantially all of a window in a substrate processing chamber. In one aspect, the apparatus includes one or more plenums to cover all or substantially all of a window in a substrate processing chamber, including under an energy source for transformer coupled plasma in the substrate processing chamber. One or more air amplifiers and accompanying conduits provide air to the one or more plenums to provide air flow to the window. The conduits are connected to plenum inlets at various distances from the center, to direct airflow throughout the window and thus address center hot, middle hot, and edge hot conditions, depending on the processes being carried out in the chamber. In one aspect, the one or more plenums include a central air inlet, to direct air toward the center portion of the window, to address center hot conditions.

A plasma generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a pair of electrodes arranged in a dielectric discharge tube; an initial discharge induction coil module; and a main discharge induction coil module. The initial discharge induction coil module and the main discharge induction coil module are connected to an RF power source, and the RF power source provides RF power having different resonance frequencies to the initial discharge induction coil module and the main discharge induction coil module, respectively.