1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a plasma processing chamber having a lower chamber liner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern integrated circuits are complex devices that may include millions of components on a single chip; however, the demand for faster, smaller electronic devices is ever increasing. This demand not only requires faster circuits, but it also requires greater circuit density on each chip. In order to achieve greater circuit density, minimal dimensions, or critical dimensions, of features of integrated circuit components must be reduced as well.
Reduction in the critical dimensions of integrated circuit component features requires strict process uniformity across a substrate in order to maintain high yields. One problem associated with conventional plasma etch processes used in manufacturing of integrated circuits is non-uniformity of an etch rate across the substrate. Such non-uniformity may be due, in part, to a vacuum pump drawing an etching gas toward an exhaust port provided in an etch chamber and away from the substrate. Since gases are more easily pumped away from areas of the chamber that are closest to the exhaust port, the etching gas is pulled toward the exhaust port and away from the substrate. This creates a non-uniform etch on the substrate positioned therein, which may significantly decrease the performance of the resulting integrated circuit and significantly increase the cost of fabrication.
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus for uniformly etching material layers during the manufacture of integrated circuits.