US Patent 7182880 Process for reducing particle formation during etching

A process for reducing the formation of potential device-contaminating particles in a process chamber, particularly an etch chamber or a pre-clean chamber used to pre-clean substrates prior to a PVD or other process. The process chamber conventionally includes multiple antennae, the purpose of which is to conduct bias power from a bias power source to a substrate supported on a pedestal assembly. According to the process of the invention, the antennae are removed from the pedestal assembly. Accordingly, the antennae, no longer present in the chamber during substrate processing, are capable of neither generating potential device-contaminating particles nor causing electrical arcing between the pedestal assembly and the chamber wall or other elements in the process chamber, leading to operational power loss.