Ion Filter

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for using ion filtering to adjust the number of ions delivered to a substrate. The method comprising a process chamber being provided that is operatively connected to a plasma source. The substrate is provided on a substrate support that is provided within the process chamber. An electrical bias source is provided that is operatively connected to an aperture plate that is provided in the process chamber. The substrate on the substrate support is processed using a plasma generated using the plasma source. A variable bias voltage from the electrical bias source is applied to the aperture plate during the plasma processing of the substrate. The plasma processing of the substrate can further comprise exposing the substrate to a plasma time division multiplex process which alternates between deposition and etching on the substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for using ion filtering to adjust the number of ions delivered to a substrate, the method comprising:
 providing a process chamber;   providing a plasma source operatively connected to the process chamber;   providing a substrate support within the process chamber;   providing the substrate onto the substrate support;   providing a plurality of electrical bias sources;   providing an aperture plate in the process chamber, said aperture plate having a plurality of aperture plate zones, wherein at least two aperture plate zones of the plurality of aperture plate zones are operatively connected to a separate bias of the plurality of electrical bias sources;   generating a plasma using the plasma source;   processing the substrate on the substrate support using the generated plasma; and   applying a separate bias voltage from the plurality of electrical bias sources to at least two aperture plate zones of the plurality of aperture plate zones during the plasma processing of the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of aperture plate zones further comprising an annular geometry. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate further comprising a semiconductor wafer on tape on a frame. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the aperture plate further comprising a plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the aperture plate is actively cooled for a period of time during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one zone of the plurality of aperture plate zones is grounded for a period of time during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         7 . A method for using ion filtering to adjust the number of ions delivered to a substrate, the method comprising:
 providing a process chamber;   providing a plasma source operatively connected to the process chamber;   providing a substrate support within the process chamber;   providing the substrate onto the substrate support;   providing a plurality of electrical bias sources;   providing a plurality of aperture plates in the process chamber, at least one of the plurality of aperture plates having a plurality of aperture plate zones, wherein at least two aperture plate zones of the plurality of aperture plate zones are operatively connected to a separate bias of the plurality of electrical bias sources;   generating a plasma using the plasma source;   processing the substrate on the substrate support using the generated plasma; and   applying a separate bias voltage from the plurality of electrical bias sources to at least two aperture plate zones of the plurality of aperture plate zones during the plasma processing of the substrate.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the plurality of aperture plate zones further comprising an annular geometry. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the substrate further comprising a semiconductor wafer on tape on a frame. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the plurality of aperture plates further comprising a plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein at least one aperture plate zone of the plurality of aperture plate zones is actively cooled for a period of time during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein at least one aperture plate zone of the plurality of aperture plate zones is grounded for a period of time during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the plurality of aperture plates is positioned non-planar to at least one of the plurality of aperture plates during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the plurality of aperture plates is positioned non-parallel to at least one of the plurality of aperture plates during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         15 . A method for using ion filtering to adjust the number of ions delivered to a substrate, the method comprising:
 providing a process chamber;   providing a plasma source operatively connected to the process chamber;   providing a substrate support within the process chamber;   providing the substrate onto the substrate support;   providing an electrical bias source;   providing an aperture plate in the process chamber, said aperture plate being operatively connected to the electrical bias source;   generating a plasma using the plasma source;   processing the substrate on the substrate support using the generated plasma; and   applying variable bias voltage from the electrical bias source to the aperture plate, said bias voltage being varied as a function of time during the plasma processing of the substrate.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the substrate further comprising a semiconductor wafer on tape on a frame. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the aperture plate further comprising a plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the aperture plate is actively cooled for a period of time during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the aperture plate is grounded for a period of time during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the plasma processing of the substrate further comprising exposing the substrate to a plasma time division multiplex process which alternates between deposition and etching on the substrate. 
     
     
         21 . A method for using ion filtering to adjust the number of ions delivered to a substrate, the method comprising:
 providing a process chamber;   providing a plasma source operatively connected to the process chamber;   providing a substrate support within the process chamber;   providing the substrate onto the substrate support;   providing an electrical bias source;   providing a plurality of aperture plates in the process chamber, at least one of said plurality of aperture plates being operatively connected to the electrical bias source;   generating a plasma using the plasma source;   processing the substrate on the substrate support using the generated plasma; and   applying variable bias voltage from the electrical bias source to at least one of the plurality of aperture plates, said bias voltage being varied as a function of time during the plasma processing of the substrate.   
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the substrate further comprising a semiconductor wafer on tape on a frame. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the plurality of aperture plates further comprising a plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the plurality of aperture plates is actively cooled for a period of time during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the plurality of aperture plates is grounded for a period of time during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the plurality of aperture plates is positioned non-planar to at least one of the plurality of aperture plates during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the plurality of aperture plates is positioned non-parallel to at least one of the plurality of aperture plates during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the plasma processing of the substrate further comprising exposing the substrate to a plasma time division multiplex process which alternates between deposition and etching on the substrate. 
     
     
         29 . A method for using ion filtering to adjust the number of ions delivered to a substrate, the method comprising:
 providing a process chamber;   providing a plasma source operatively connected to the process chamber;   providing a substrate support within the process chamber;   providing the substrate onto the substrate support;   providing a plurality of electrical bias sources;   providing an aperture plate in the process chamber, said aperture plate having a plurality of aperture plate zones, wherein at least two aperture plate zones of the plurality of aperture plate zones are operatively connected to a separate bias of the plurality of electrical bias sources;   generating a plasma using the plasma source;   processing the substrate on the substrate support using the generated plasma; and   applying a separate bias voltage from the plurality of electrical bias sources to at least two aperture plate zones of the plurality of aperture plate zones during the plasma processing of the substrate, at least one bias voltage being varied as a function of time during the plasma processing of the substrate.   
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein at least one of the plurality of aperture plate zones further comprising an annular geometry. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the substrate further comprising a semiconductor wafer on tape on a frame. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the aperture plate further comprising a plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein at least one aperture plate zone of the aperture plate is actively cooled for a period of time during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein at least one aperture plate zone of the aperture plate is grounded for a period of time during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the plasma processing of the substrate further comprising exposing the substrate to a plasma time division multiplex process which alternates between deposition and etching on the substrate. 
     
     
         36 . A method for using ion filtering to adjust the number of ions delivered to a substrate, the method comprising:
 providing a process chamber;   providing a plasma source operatively connected to the process chamber;   providing a substrate support within the process chamber;   providing the substrate onto the substrate support;   providing a plurality of electrical bias sources;   providing a plurality of aperture plates in the process chamber, at least one of the plurality of aperture plates having a plurality of aperture plate zones, wherein at least two aperture plate zones of the plurality of aperture plate zones is operatively connected to a separate bias of the plurality of electrical bias sources;   generating a plasma using the plasma source;   processing the substrate on the substrate support using the generated plasma; and   applying a separate bias voltage from the plurality of electrical bias sources to at least two aperture plate zones of the plurality of aperture plate zones during the plasma processing of the substrate, at least one bias voltage being varied as a function of time during the plasma processing of the substrate.   
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein at least one of the plurality of aperture plate zones further comprising an annular geometry. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein the substrate further comprising a semiconductor wafer on tape on a frame. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein at least one of the plurality of aperture plates further comprising a plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein at least one aperture plate zone of the plurality of aperture plate zones is actively cooled for a period of time during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein at least one aperture plate zone of the plurality of aperture plate zones is grounded for a period of time during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein at least one of the plurality of aperture plates is positioned non-planar to at least one of the plurality of aperture plates during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein at least one of the plurality of aperture plates is positioned non-parallel to at least one of the plurality of aperture plates during the plasma processing of the substrate. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein the plasma processing of the substrate further comprising exposing the substrate to a plasma time division multiplex process which alternates between deposition and etching on the substrate. 
     
     
         45 . An ion filtering system comprising:
 a process chamber;   a plasma source operatively connected to the process chamber;   a substrate support positioned within the process chamber;   a plurality of electrical bias sources; and   an aperture plate in the process chamber, said aperture plate having a plurality of aperture plate zones, wherein at least two aperture plate zones of the plurality of aperture plate zones are operatively connected to a separate bias of the plurality of electrical bias sources.   
     
     
         46 . The system according to  claim 45 , wherein at least one of the plurality of aperture plate zones further comprising an annular geometry. 
     
     
         47 . The system according to  claim 45 , wherein the aperture plate further comprising a plurality of apertures.