公开(公告)号：US20240355586A1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-24

申请号：US18138730

申请日：2023-04-24

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Linying CUI ,  James ROGERS ,  Rajinder DHINDSA

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32183 ,  H01J37/32128 ,  H01J37/32568 ,  H01J2237/3343

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for controlling the uniformity of a plasma formed using a radio frequency (RF) source power assembly that includes one or more resonant tuning circuits coupled to two or more electrodes disposed within a multi-electrode source assembly. Improved plasma uniformity control and reduced system cost are achieved by eliminating multiple RF generators and matches that power the multiple electrodes separately. Multiple frequencies may also be provided to multiple electrodes at the same time, which can include another cost savings when using a multi-frequency RF source assembly. Local plasma density and sheath voltage over a surface of a substrate are controlled with segmented electrodes disposed within the processing region of a plasma processing chamber. The ion flux and direction, as well as energetic electron flux towards the substrate, are controlled to address the plasma non-uniformity and global tilt during processing of a semiconductor substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20240355585A1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-24

申请号：US18302141

申请日：2023-04-18

Applicant: MKS Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Aaron BURRY ,  Peter PAUL ,  Aaron RADOMSKI

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32174 ,  H01J37/32128 ,  H01J2237/334

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) power generation system includes a RF power source that generates a RF output signal delivered to a load. A RF power controller is configured to generate a control signal to vary the RF output signal. The controller adjusts a parameter associated with the RF output signal, and the parameter is controlled in accordance with a trigger signal. The parameter is adjusted over a predetermined number of bins. The parameter is adjusted in accordance with a cost function, and the cost function is determined by introducing a perturbation for each bin into an actuator that affects the cost function. The actuator may control an external RF output signal, and the trigger signal may vary in accordance with the external RF output signal. The perturbation is determined in accordance with a basis set having fewer dimensions than the number of bins.

公开(公告)号：US12125673B2

公开(公告)日：2024-10-22

申请号：US18507260

申请日：2023-11-13

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Fabrice Cubaynes ,  Dmitry Grishin

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H02M3/24 ,  H03K17/687

CPC classification number: H01J37/32128 ,  H03K17/6871 ,  H02M3/24

Abstract: Embodiments provided herein generally include apparatus, e.g., plasma processing systems, and methods for the plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. Some embodiments are directed to a waveform generator. The waveform generator generally includes a first voltage stage having: a first voltage source; a first switch; and a second switch, where a first terminal of the first voltage source is coupled to a first terminal of the first switch, and where a second terminal of the first voltage source is coupled to a first terminal of the second switch. The waveform generator also includes a current stage coupled to a common node between second terminals of the first switch and the second switch, the current stage having a current source and a third switch coupled to the current source.

公开(公告)号：US20240312766A1

公开(公告)日：2024-09-19

申请号：US18671680

申请日：2024-05-22

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Jianping Zhao ,  John Carroll ,  Charles Schlechte ,  Peter Lowell George Ventzek

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32183 ,  H01J37/32128 ,  H01J37/32146 ,  H01J37/32541 ,  H01J37/3299 ,  H01J2237/24564

Abstract: A plasma system includes a plasma apparatus comprising a plasma chamber and a substrate support disposed in the plasma chamber. The system includes an electromagnetic (EM) circuit block coupled to a radio frequency (RF) electrode. The EM circuit block includes a broadband RF waveform function generator, the broadband RF waveform having EM power distributed over a range of frequencies, and a broadband impedance matching network having an input coupled to an output of the broadband RF waveform function generator and an output coupled to a terminal of the RF electrode, an operating frequency range of the broadband impedance matching network including the range of frequencies. The system includes a controller programmed to adjust an input parameter of the EM circuit block.

公开(公告)号：US12068132B2

公开(公告)日：2024-08-20

申请号：US17901477

申请日：2022-09-01

Applicant: DAIHEN Corporation

Inventor： Yuichi Hasegawa ,  Tatsuya Morii

IPC: H01J37/00 ,  H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32183 ,  H01J37/32128 ,  H01J37/32165 ,  H01J37/32174

Abstract: A radio-frequency (RF) power supply apparatus includes a first power supply, a second power supply, and a matching device connected to the first/second power supplies. The first power supply supplies first RF power to a load by outputting first RF voltage with a first fundamental frequency. The second power supply supplies second RF power to the load by outputting second RF voltage with a second fundamental frequency lower than the first fundamental frequency. The matching device generates a clock signal with a frequency higher than the first fundamental frequency and provides the clock signal to the first power supply. The first power supply generates, by using the clock signal, a waveform signal with the same cycle as the second RF voltage. The first power supply performs, by using the clock signal, frequency modulation control on the first RF voltage to be output from the first power supply.

公开(公告)号：US20240213002A1

公开(公告)日：2024-06-27

申请号：US18598743

申请日：2024-03-07

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Ikko TANAKA

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32862 ,  H01J37/32128 ,  H01J37/32146 ,  H01J37/32449 ,  H01J2237/334

Abstract: A plasma processing method includes (a) placing a substrate onto a substrate support surface of a substrate support in a chamber in a plasma processing apparatus. The plasma processing method further includes (b) etching a film on the substrate with plasma. The plasma processing method further includes (c) cleaning the chamber with plasma. In (b) and (c), a bias voltage including a pulse of a direct current voltage and having a pulse waveform is cyclically applied to a bias electrode in the substrate support. The bias voltage has a bias frequency being an inverse of a duration of a waveform cycle of the pulse waveform. The bias frequency is higher in (c) than in (b).

公开(公告)号：US20240194447A1

公开(公告)日：2024-06-13

申请号：US18076725

申请日：2022-12-07

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Yue GUO ,  Kartik RAMASWAMY ,  Yang YANG

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32183 ,  H01J37/32128 ,  H01J37/32146

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to a method of processing a substrate in a plasma processing system. The method generally includes tuning a first capacitor and a second capacitor of a tuning circuit to match a first impedance corresponding to a first stage of a waveform, while a frequency of a radio frequency (RF) generator is preset to a first frequency; tuning a third capacitor of the tuning circuit and the frequency of the RF generator to match a second impedance corresponding to a second stage of the waveform, wherein the frequency of the RF generator is tuned to a second frequency; recording setting values of the first frequency and the second frequency that match different impedances at different stages of the waveform; and switching between the first frequency and the second frequency to match the different impedances at the different stages of the waveform.

公开(公告)号：US20240194446A1

公开(公告)日：2024-06-13

申请号：US18063888

申请日：2022-12-09

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Linying CUI ,  James ROGERS ,  Keith HERNANDEZ ,  William CHIN ,  Leonid DORF

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32155 ,  H01J37/32128 ,  H01J37/32568 ,  H01J2237/024 ,  H01J2237/24507 ,  H01J2237/334

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure include an apparatus and a method for controlling plasma uniformity by controlling plasma density in the bulk plasma over the center region and circumferential edge region of the substrate. Plasma uniformity can be controlled by use of an RF tuning circuit coupled to one of a plurality of electrodes positioned relative to a substrate during plasma processing. By adjusting the electrical characteristics of at least one of the RF tuning circuits, the effect that the generated RF fundamental frequency and related RF harmonic frequencies have on the plasma processing results can be controlled. Beneficially, the use of one or more of the tuning circuits and methods of using the same may be used to provide individual tuning knobs for controlling reactive neutral species concentration, ion energy and angular distribution, ion directionality and directionality uniformity, and separately controlling ion flux and reactive neutral species uniformity across the surface of the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20240177969A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-30

申请号：US18059222

申请日：2022-11-28

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kartik RAMASWAMY ,  Yue GUO ,  Yang YANG ,  Fernando SILVEIRA ,  A.N.M. Wasekul AZAD

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32174 ,  H01J37/32128 ,  H01J37/32146 ,  H01J2237/3341

Abstract: Embodiments provided herein generally include apparatus, plasma processing systems, and methods for generation of a waveform for plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. One embodiment includes a waveform generator having three MOSFETs and three series-connected capacitors. The capacitors are connected across a DC power supply and, depending on the value of the capacitors, voltage across each of them may be varied. Each of the top two capacitors is followed by a diode. The bottom capacitor is connected to the ground. The drain terminal of each MOSFET is connected to higher potential end of the series connected capacitors. Each MOSFET is followed by a diode and the cathode ends of the diodes are connected together. An electrode is connected between the common cathode and ground.

公开(公告)号：US20240153742A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-09

申请号：US18412218

申请日：2024-01-12

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Gen TAMAMUSHI

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32146 ,  H01J37/32128 ,  H01J37/32165 ,  H01J37/32183 ,  H01J2237/327 ,  H01J2237/334

Abstract: A plasma processing method according to the present disclosure includes disposing a substrate on a substrate support, supplying, into a chamber, a processing gas for processing the substrate, generating, in the chamber, a plasma from the processing gas by using a first RF signal and a second RF signal, and applying a bias signal to the substrate support, and generating the plasma includes superimposing the second RF signal on the first RF signal based on a timing when the bias signal is applied to the substrate support.