公开(公告)号：US11942307B2

公开(公告)日：2024-03-26

申请号：US17451094

申请日：2021-10-15

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Zhiying Chen ,  Barton Lane ,  Yun Han ,  Peter Lowell George Ventzek ,  Alok Ranjan

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32174 ,  H01J2237/3341

Abstract: A method for plasma processing includes: sustaining a plasma in a plasma processing chamber, the plasma processing chamber including a first radio frequency (RF) electrode and a second RF electrode, where sustaining the plasma includes: coupling an RF source signal to the first RF electrode; and coupling a bias signal between the first RF electrode and the second RF electrode, the bias signal having a bipolar DC (B-DC) waveform including a plurality of B-DC pulses, each of the B-DC pulses including: a negative bias duration during which the pulse has negative polarity relative to a reference potential, a positive bias duration during which the pulse has positive polarity relative to the reference potential, and a neutral bias duration during which the pulse has neutral polarity relative to the reference potential.

公开(公告)号：US20240038506A1

公开(公告)日：2024-02-01

申请号：US17815768

申请日：2022-07-28

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Barton Lane ,  Peter Lowell George Ventzek

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/3065

CPC classification number: H01J37/32669 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01J37/32642

Abstract: A plasma etching system that includes a plasma processing chamber, a substrate holder disposed in the plasma processing chamber, a RF power source configured to generate a plasma in the plasma processing chamber, a first magnet disposed above the substrate holder, the first magnet configured to apply, in the plasma processing chamber, an azimuthally symmetric magnetic field that is independent from a magnetic field generated by the RF power source, and a second magnet disposed below the substrate holder and configured to modify the azimuthally symmetric magnetic field and create a ring X point between the first magnet and the second magnet, where positions of the first magnet and the second magnet are arranged such that the ring X point is located nearer to an edge of the substrate holder than a center of the substrate holder.

公开(公告)号：US11515122B2

公开(公告)日：2022-11-29

申请号：US16357731

申请日：2019-03-19

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Barton Lane

IPC: H01J3/32 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a plasma processing system for VHF plasma processing using a transmission antenna designed to enable a resonant VHF standing wave inside a plasma process chamber used to manufacture semiconductor devices. The system includes a transmission element capable of being electromagnetically coupled to incoming power lines connected to a power source. The transmission element, power transmission lines, and power source form a resonant circuit capable of enabling a VHF standing wave on the transmission element. The transmission element is folded back on itself to reduce the footprint of the antenna, such that the transmission element(s) can be located inside the plasma process chamber. The transmission antenna has three portions, with the first being electromagnetically coupled to the power transmission line, the second being coupled to plasma, and the third being a folded portion that reduces the transmission element's footprint.

公开(公告)号：US20210407771A1

公开(公告)日：2021-12-30

申请号：US16913548

申请日：2020-06-26

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Merritt Funk ,  Yohei Yamazawa ,  Chelsea Dubose ,  Barton Lane

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01J37/244

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a measurement system includes a sensor circuit configured to provide a voltage sense signal proportional to an electric field sensed by the RF sensor and a current sense signal proportional to a magnetic field sensed by the RF sensor; an analysis circuit comprising a frequency selective demodulator circuit configured to: demodulate the voltage sense signal into a first set of analog demodulated signals according to a set of demodulation frequencies, demodulate the current sense signal into a second set of analog demodulated signals according to the set of demodulation frequencies, and determine a phase shift between the voltage sense signal and the current sense signal for at least one frequency of the set of demodulation frequencies; and analog-to-digital converters configured to receive the first and second sets of analog demodulated signals.

公开(公告)号：US10861679B2

公开(公告)日：2020-12-08

申请号：US14838839

申请日：2015-08-28

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Barton Lane

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: A processing system is disclosed having a radio frequency (RF) power system coupled to a process chamber via a transmission line. The RF power system is configured to generate RF power at a RF operating frequency. The processing system also includes a resonant structure arranged within the plasma processing chamber that includes at least one resonant substructure configured to resonate according to at least two different resonant modes when at least one resonant frequency associated with at least one of the modes is at or near the RF operating frequency.

公开(公告)号：US20190148113A1

公开(公告)日：2019-05-16

申请号：US16138375

申请日：2018-09-21

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Jianping Zhao ,  Peter L. G. Ventzek ,  Barton Lane

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/67

Abstract: A system and method for using plasma to treat a substrate are described. The system includes a substrate holder disposed within a plasma processing system, and arranged to support a substrate, a first signal generator for coupling a first signal at a first frequency to plasma in the plasma processing system, and a second signal generator for coupling a second signal at a second frequency to plasma in the plasma processing system, wherein the second frequency being less than the first frequency. The system further includes an amplitude modulation circuit for modulating the first signal between a high amplitude state and a low amplitude state in response to an amplitude modulation signal, and a timing circuit configured to define the amplitude modulation signal that synchronizes the amplitude modulation of the first signal with a target phase for each cycle of the second signal.

公开(公告)号：US12176183B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-24

申请号：US18486220

申请日：2023-10-13

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Barton Lane ,  Merritt Funk ,  Yohei Yamazawa ,  Justin Moses ,  Chelsea DuBose ,  Michael Hummel

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  G01R29/08

Abstract: A radio frequency sensor assembly includes a sensor casing disposed around a central hole, the sensor casing including a first conductive cover and a second conductive cover. The assembly includes a cavity disposed around the central hole and includes a dielectric material, the cavity being bounded by a first major outer surface and a second major outer surface along a radial direction from a center of the central hole, where the first conductive cover is electrically coupled to the second conductive cover through a coupling region beyond the second major outer surface of the cavity, and electrically insulated from the second conductive cover by the cavity and the central hole. The assembly includes a current sensor electrically insulated from the sensor casing and including a current pickup disposed symmetrically around the central hole, the current pickup being disposed within the cavity and being insulated from the sensor casing.

公开(公告)号：US20240203713A1

公开(公告)日：2024-06-20

申请号：US18066078

申请日：2022-12-14

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Barton Lane ,  Jun Shinagawa ,  Merritt Funk ,  Yohei Yamazawa

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32972 ,  H01J37/32082 ,  H01J37/3244 ,  H01J2237/332 ,  H01J2237/3341 ,  H01J2237/335

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate that includes: processing a series of substrates using a plasma processing system having a plasma processing chamber by reactive ion etching (RIE) according to a RIE process condition; and after the processing, performing an in-situ diagnosis of the plasma processing system, the in-situ diagnosis including loading a substrate in the plasma processing chamber, depositing a film over the substrate, purging the plasma processing chamber with an inert gas, generating a RF plasma in the plasma processing chamber from the inert gas, sputtering the film to generate an etch product, the sputtering including exposing the substrate to the RF plasma, determining a rate of the sputtering of the film, and based on the rate of the sputtering of the film, determining a usability condition of the plasma processing system for processing another substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20230402255A1

公开(公告)日：2023-12-14

申请号：US17836792

申请日：2022-06-09

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Barton Lane ,  Peter Lowell George Ventzek

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/321 ,  H01J37/32091 ,  H01J2237/2007 ,  H01J37/32532 ,  H01J2237/06375 ,  H01J37/3244

Abstract: What is described is an equipment for plasma processing including: a pedestal configured to hold a wafer; concentric with the pedestal, a focus ring including an insulator, the focus ring being positioned close to an edge region of the wafer when the wafer is held on the pedestal; and a plurality of gas discharge devices embedded in the focus ring, where each gas discharge device is configured to generate a gas discharge plasma confined within the focus ring.

公开(公告)号：US20230360889A1

公开(公告)日：2023-11-09

申请号：US17661848

申请日：2022-05-03

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Barton Lane ,  Alok Ranjan ,  Peter Lowell George Ventzek

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32385 ,  H01J37/32642 ,  H01J37/32036

Abstract: An apparatus for plasma processing includes a pedestal configured to support a substrate and a conductive structure disposed at the pedestal. The conductive structure is configured to generate a plasma localized at an edge region of the substrate. The conductive structure may be a resonant structure. The apparatus may include a focus ring that has an insulating material with an annular shape defining an interior opening. The conductive structure may be embedded within the insulating material and be configured to generate the plasma along the annular shape and surrounding the interior opening. Processing conditions at the edge region of the substrate may be controlled using the plasma localized at the edge region.