Inductively Coupled Plasma Wafer Bevel Strip Apparatus

1 . A plasma processing apparatus for processing a bevel portion of a semiconductor wafer, the plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a processing chamber;

a plasma chamber separated from the processing chamber by a separation grid;

an inductively coupled plasma source configured to generate a plasma in the plasma chamber;

a pedestal disposed within the processing chamber, the pedestal configured to support a semiconductor wafer;

wherein the separation grid has an edge portion and a blocking portion, the edge portion disposed above an edge portion of the semiconductor wafer when supported on the pedestal, wherein the edge portion of the separation grid has a plurality of holes configured to allow the passage of active radicals generated in the plasma to the processing chamber.

2 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the active radicals provide for treatment of a bevel portion of the semiconductor wafer.

3 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blocking portion reduces the passage of ions and active radicals generated in the plasma to the processing chamber.

4 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blocking portion comprises a solid portion of the separation grid.

5 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the edge portion extends a distance of about 30 mm or less from a perimeter of the separation grid.

6 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separation grid has a gas injection aperture formed in a center portion of the separation grid, the gas injection aperture configured to allow the injection of a protective gas onto the semiconductor wafer to control a width of a bevel treatment process on the semiconductor wafer.

7 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the apparatus further comprises an insert, the insert having a peripheral portion and a center portion, the center portion extending a vertical distance past the peripheral portion, the center portion extending to the separation grid.

8 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the plasma processing apparatus has a first gas injection port to the plasma chamber and a second gas injection port for providing gas through the insert.

9 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the insert defines a gas channel from the second gas injection port to the gas injection aperture on the separation grid.

10 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises an aligning focus ring configured to assist positioning of the semiconductor wafer on the pedestal.

11 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pedestal comprises a heat source for heating the semiconductor wafer.

12 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pedestal is movable in a vertical direction to adjust a vertical position of the semiconductor wafer relative to the separation grid.

13 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises one or more movable lift pins configured to support the semiconductor wafer, the lift pins moveable in a vertical direction to adjust a vertical position of the semiconductor wafer relative to the separation grid.

14 . A separation grid for a plasma processing apparatus having a processing chamber and a plasma chamber remote from the processing chamber, the separation grid having an edge portion and a blocking portion, wherein the edge portion has a plurality of holes configured to allow the passage of active radicals generated in the plasma to the processing chamber to treat the edge portion of the semiconductor wafer.

15 . The separation grid of claim 14 , wherein the blocking portion does not have any holes.

16 . The separation grid of claim 14 , wherein the blocking portion comprises a solid portion.

17 . The separation grid of claim 14 , wherein the edge portion extends a distance of about 30 mm or less from a perimeter of the separation grid.

18 . The separation grid of claim 14 , wherein the separation grid has a gas injection aperture formed in a center portion of the separation grid, the gas injection aperture configured to allow the injection of a protective neutral gas onto the semiconductor wafer to control a width of a bevel treatment process on the semiconductor wafer.

19 . A method of treating a bevel portion of a semiconductor wafer in a plasma processing apparatus, the method comprising:

placing a semiconductor wafer having a bevel portion on a pedestal in a processing chamber of a plasma processing apparatus, the processing chamber being separated from a plasma chamber by a separation grid, the separation grid having an edge portion disposed over the edge of the semiconductor wafer and a center portion;

heating the semiconductor wafer using one or more heat sources in the pedestal;

generating a plasma in the plasma chamber by energizing an inductively coupled plasma source;

filtering one or more ions in the edge portion of the separation grid

providing active radicals through edge portion to treat the bevel portion of the semiconductor wafer; and

blocking ions and active radicals generated in the plasma with the blocking portion of the separation grid.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the method comprises providing a gas through a gas injection aperture of the separation grid to a control a width of the bevel treatment process on the semiconductor wafer.