Tokyo Electron Limited

Tokyo Electron Limi Ted

Barton Lane

Merritt Funk

Chelsea Dubose

Lee Chen

Jianping Zhao

Justin Moses

Radha Sundararajan

Yohei Yamazawa

Peter Ventzek

Peter L G Ventzek

Alok Ranjan

Michael Hummel

Zhiying Chen

Peter Lowell George Ventzek

John L Carroll

Nasim Eibagi

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.

Plasma processing with magnetic ring X point

In one exemplary embodiment described herein are innovative plasma processing methods and system that utilize direct measurement of direct current (DC) field or self-bias voltage (Vdc) in a plasma processing chamber. In one embodiment, a non-plasma contact measurement using the electric field effect from Vdc is provided. The Vdc sensing method may be robust to a variety of process conditions. In one embodiment, the sensor is integrated with any focus ring material (for example, quartz or doped-undoped silicon). Robust extraction of the Vdc measurement signal may be used for process control. In one embodiment, the sensor may be integrated, at least in part, with the substrate being processed in the chamber.

Process control enabled VDC sensor for plasma process

A radio frequency (RF) system including: a first conductive covering surface, a portion of the first conductive covering surface including a portion of the first outer wall of a first RF device; a second conductive covering surface aligned to the first conductive covering surface, the second conductive covering surface being disposed around the insulating hole; an insulating hole for an RF center conductor extending through the first conductive covering surface and the second conductive covering surface, the first conductive covering surface and the second conductive covering surface being disposed around the insulating hole; a cavity bounded by the first conductive covering surface and the second conductive covering surface, the cavity being an insulating region; and an RF signal pickup disposed within the cavity.

Radio frequency (RF) system with embedded RF signal pickups

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.

RF voltage and current (V-I) sensors and measurement methods

An apparatus for plasma processing includes a first resonating structure and a second resonating structure. The first resonating structure is coupled to a first RF generator through a first matching circuit. The second resonating structure surrounds the first resonating structure. The second resonating structure is coupled to a second RF generator through a second matching circuit.

Apparatus for plasma processing

According to an embodiment, a radiating structure of a resonating structure used for plasma processing is disclosed. The radiating structure includes a set of first arms and a set of second arms. Each first arm has a first inductance and is coupled to a respective first capacitor and a respective second capacitor of the resonating structure to form a corresponding first resonant circuit operating at a first resonance frequency. Each second arm has a second inductance and is coupled to a respective third capacitor and a respective fourth capacitor of the resonating structure to form a corresponding second resonant circuit operating at a second resonance frequency. In a first mode of operation, the resonating structure operates as a single resonance antenna. In a second mode of operation, the resonating structure operates as a parallel resonance antenna.

Parallel resonance antenna for radial plasma control

A radio frequency (RF) system includes a RF power source configured to power a load with an RF signal; an RF pipe including an inner conductor and an outer conductor connected to ground coupling the RF power source to the load; and a current sensor aligned to a central axis of the RF pipe carrying the RF signal. A sensor casing is disposed around the RF pipe, where the sensor casing includes a conductive material connected to the outer conductor of the RF pipe. A gallery is disposed within the sensor casing and outside the outer conductor of the RF pipe, where the current sensor is disposed in the gallery. A slit in the outer conductor of the RF pipe exposes the current sensor to a magnetic field due to the current of the RF signal in the inner conductor of the RF pipe.

Described herein are architectures, platforms and methods for providing localized high density plasma sources igniting local gasses during a wafer fabrication process to provide global uniformity. Such plasma sources are resonant structures operating at radio frequencies at or higher than microwave values.

Ultra-localized and plasma uniformity control in a plasma processing system

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.

System and methods for VHF plasma processing

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.

RF measurement system and method

Methods and systems are disclosed for focus ring thickness measurement and feedback control within process chambers. For disclosed embodiments, in-chamber sensors measure physical parameters associated with focus rings, and these measurements are used to determine thickness for the focus rings. The thickness determinations can be used to detect when a focus ring should be replaced and can also be used as feedback to adjust the position of the focus rings within the chamber. For one embodiment, measurements from ultrasonic sensors are used to make thickness determinations for focus rings. For further embodiments, these ultrasonic sensors are positioned at end portions of focus ring lift pins. Other sensors can also be used such as capacitive sensors, resistive sensors, and/or other desired sensors. Further variations and implementations can also be achieved using in-chambers sensors to facilitate focus ring thickness determinations.

Methods and systems for focus ring thickness determinations and feedback control

A system includes a plasma chamber coupled to a power source, and an impedance matching network coupled between the power source and the plasma chamber, wherein the impedance matching network comprises an L-shaped network and a first adjustable inductor coupled between an input of the plasma chamber and ground, and wherein the impedance matching network is configured such that, in a predetermined frequency range, an impedance of the impedance matching network and the plasma chamber is substantially equal to an impedance of the power source.

Impedance matching apparatus and control method

Described herein are technologies related to a radical source with a housing that includes a plasma cavity that is designed to contain a plasma created by a plasma generator. The housing has at least one gas injector designed to inject process gas into the plasma. The plasma produces radicals from the gas injected into the plasma. The cavity has an exit or opening formed therein that ejects the radicals from the cavity. The ejected radicals may be directed towards a subject wafer substrate under the radical source. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Radical source with contained plasma

A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber, a substrate disposed in the processing chamber, and a plurality of electron sources configured to supply electrons to a plasma generated in the processing chamber. Each of the plurality of electron sources includes a first side facing the plasma in the processing chamber. Each of the plurality of electron sources also includes a resonant structure disposed at the first side and configured to be held at a negative direct current bias voltage.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Barton Lane