Tunable upper plasma-exclusion-zone ring for a bevel etcher

Abstract

A tunable upper plasma exclusion zone (PEZ) ring adjusts a distance of plasma during processing in a processing chamber and includes: a lower surface that includes: a horizontal portion; and an upwardly tapered outer portion that is conical and that extends outwardly and upwardly from the horizontal portion at an upward taper angle of about 5° to 50° with respect to the horizontal portion, where an outer diameter of the upwardly tapered outer portion is greater than 300 millimeters (mm), and where an inner diameter where the upwardly tapered outer portion begins to extend upwardly is less than 300 mm. A controller is to, during processing of a 300 mm circular substrate, adjust the distance of plasma for treatment of the 300 mm circular substrate at least one of radially inward and radially outward using the tunable upper PEZ ring.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An upper plasma exclusion zone (PEZ) ring to adjust a processing distance during plasma processing, comprising:
 an inner diameter;   an outer diameter;   a lower surface that extends from the inner diameter to the outer diameter and that includes:
 a horizontal portion that extends radially outwardly away from the inner diameter; and 
 an upwardly tapered outer portion that is conical and that extends outwardly and upwardly from the horizontal portion to the outer diameter at an upward taper angle of about 5° to 50° with respect to the horizontal portion, 
   wherein the outer diameter is greater than 300 millimeters (mm), and   wherein the inner diameter is less than 300 mm.   
     
     
         2 . The upper PEZ ring of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a vertical portion between the inner diameter and the horizontal portion; and 
 a second horizontal portion, 
 wherein the vertical portion connects a radially inner most portion of the horizontal portion with a radially outer most portion of the second horizontal portion, and 
 the second horizontal portion connecting the vertical portion with the inner diameter. 
 
     
     
         3 . The upper PEZ ring of  claim 2  further comprising a third horizontal portion connecting the outer diameter with the inner diameter. 
     
     
         4 . The upper PEZ ring of  claim 2  wherein:
 a first edge between the horizontal portion and the vertical portion is rounded; 
 a second edge between the vertical portion and the second horizontal portion is rounded; and 
 a third edge between the second horizontal portion and the inner diameter is rounded. 
 
     
     
         5 . The upper PEZ ring of  claim 2  wherein:
 a first edge between the horizontal portion and the vertical portion is square; 
 a second edge between the vertical portion and the second horizontal portion is square; and 
 a third edge between the second horizontal portion and the inner diameter is square. 
 
     
     
         6 . The upper PEZ ring of  claim 1  wherein an edge between the horizontal portion and the upwardly tapered outer portion is a rounded edge. 
     
     
         7 . The upper PEZ ring of  claim 1  wherein an edge between the horizontal portion and the upwardly tapered outer portion is an angular edge. 
     
     
         8 . The upper PEZ ring of  claim 1  wherein the upper PEZ ring is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of an electrically conductive material, a semiconductive material, a dielectric material, a ceramic material, and a high electrical resistance material. 
     
     
         9 . The upper PEZ ring of  claim 1  wherein the upper PEZ ring is formed from one of aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon oxide, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, silicon, yttria, and a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The upper PEZ ring of  claim 1  wherein the upper PEZ ring includes a coating of silicon, silicon carbide, yttria, or aluminum oxide on an outer surface thereof. 
     
     
         11 . A monolithic bevel treatment device disposed above a substrate support, the monolithic bevel treatment device comprising:
 a dielectric component; and   a dielectric upper plasma exclusion zone (PEZ) ring surrounding the dielectric component,   wherein a lower surface of the upper PEZ ring includes an upwardly tapered outer portion that extends outwardly and upwardly away from a horizontal portion of the lower surface of the upper PEZ ring at an upward taper angle with respect to the horizontal portion, wherein:   an outer diameter of the upwardly tapered outer portion is greater than an outer diameter of a semiconductor substrate to be treated; and   an inner diameter where the upwardly tapered outer portion begins to extend outwardly and upwardly is less than the outer diameter of the semiconductor substrate.   
     
     
         12 . The monolithic bevel treatment device of  claim 11 , wherein an edge between the upwardly tapered outer portion and the horizontal portion is a rounded edge. 
     
     
         13 . The monolithic bevel treatment device of  claim 11 , wherein the upwardly tapered outer portion of the dielectric upper PEZ ring is conical with the upward taper angle being 10° to 30°±10% with respect to the horizontal portion. 
     
     
         14 . The monolithic bevel treatment device of  claim 11 , wherein the horizontal portion extends from an inner diameter of the dielectric upper PEZ ring to the upwardly tapered outer portion. 
     
     
         15 . The monolithic bevel treatment device of  claim 11  wherein the entire horizontal portion of the lower surface of the monolithic component lies on a single horizontal plane. 
     
     
         16 . The monolithic bevel treatment device of  claim 11  wherein the horizontal portion has an outer diameter that is less than the outer diameter of the semiconductor substrate. 
     
     
         17 . The monolithic bevel treatment device of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of (a) the dielectric upper PEZ ring and (b) the dielectric component includes a coating on an outer surface thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The monolithic bevel treatment device of  claim 17 , wherein the coating including one of silicon, silicon carbide, yttria, and aluminum oxide. 
     
     
         19 . The monolithic bevel treatment device of  claim 11 , wherein the dielectric upper PEZ ring is formed from at least one of aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon oxide, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, silicon, and yttria. 
     
     
         20 . The monolithic bevel treatment device of  claim 11 , wherein the outer diameter of the semiconductor substrate is 300 millimeters.