Lam Research Corporation

Mks Instruments, Inc.

Bing Ji

Alexei Marakhtanov

John Patrick Holland

Felix Leib Kozakevich

Ranadeep Bhowmick

Andrew D Bailey, Iii

Aaron Michael Burry

Aaron T Radomski

Larry J Fisk, Ii

Stephen M Sirard

Jonathan W Smyka

Erik A Edelberg

Takumi Yanagawa

Mariusz Oldziej

Maryam Moravej

Benjamin J Gitlin

Eric A Hudson

Lumin Li

Gerardo Delgadino

Anthony De La Llera

Kenji Takeshita

Alexander Matyushkin

Zhisong Huang

Kenneth Lucchesi

Bi-Ming Yen

Robert C Hefty

James Eugene Caron

Daniel Le

Yu Cheng

Jungmin Ko

Alecia Chantalle Griffin

Peter Bradley Phillips

A tunable edge sheath (TES) system includes a coupling ring configured to couple to a bottom surface of an edge ring that surrounds a wafer support area within a plasma processing chamber. The TES system includes an annular-shaped electrode embedded within the coupling ring. The TES system includes a plurality of radiofrequency signal supply pins coupled to the electrode within the coupling ring. Each of the plurality of radiofrequency signal supply pins extends through a corresponding hole formed through a bottom surface of the coupling ring. The TES system includes a plurality of radiofrequency signal filters respectively connected to the plurality of radiofrequency supply pins. Each of the plurality of radiofrequency signal filters is configured to provide a high impedance to radiofrequency signals used to generate a plasma within the plasma processing chamber.

Radiofrequency signal filter arrangement for plasma processing system

A system having the low frequency RF generator is described. The low frequency RF has an operating frequency range between 10 kilohertz (kHz) and 330 kHz. The low frequency RF generator generates an RF signal. The system further includes an impedance matching circuit coupled to the low frequency RF generator for receiving the RF signal. The impedance matching circuit modifies an impedance of the RF signal to output a modified RF signal. The system includes a plasma chamber coupled to the RF generator for receiving the modified RF signal. The plasma chamber includes a chuck having a dielectric layer and a base metal layer. The dielectric layer is located on top of the base metal layer. The dielectric layer has a bottom surface, and the base metal layer has a top surface. The base metal layer has a porous plug and the bottom surface of the dielectric layer has a portion that is in contact with the porous plug.

Low frequency RF generator and associated electrostatic chuck

A substrate processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber with a processing zone for processing a substrate using plasma and at least one magnetic field source configured to generate one or more active magnetic fields through the processing zone. The apparatus also includes a magnetic field sensor configured to detect a signal representing the one or more active magnetic fields, and a controller coupled to the magnetic field sensor, and the at least one magnetic field source. The controller is configured to detect a target value corresponding to at least one characteristic of the one or more active magnetic fields, set an initial current through the at least one magnetic field source, the initial current corresponding to the target value; and adjust a subsequent current through the at least one magnetic field source based on the detected signal representing the one or more active magnetic fields.

Magnetic field control system

Systems and methods for controlling a plasma sheath characteristic are described. One of the methods includes determining a first value of the plasma sheath characteristic of a plasma sheath formed within a plasma chamber. The method further includes determining whether the first value of the plasma sheath characteristic is within a predetermined range from a preset value of the plasma sheath characteristic. The method also includes modifying a variable of a radio frequency (RF) generator coupled to the plasma chamber via an impedance matching circuit upon determining that the first value is not within the predetermined range from the preset value. The operation of modifying the variable of the RF generator is performed until it is determined that the first value of the plasma sheath characteristic is within the predetermined range from the preset value.

Systems and methods for controlling a plasma sheath characteristic

A method for optimizing delivery of power to a plasma chamber is described. The method includes dividing each cycle of a low frequency (LF) radio frequency generator (RFG) into multiple time intervals. During each of the time intervals, a frequency offset of a high frequency (HF) RFG is generated for which the delivery of power is maximized. The frequency offsets provide a substantially inverse relationship compared to a voltage signal of the LF RFG for each cycle of the voltage signal. The frequency offsets for the time intervals are multiples of the low frequency. The substantially inverse relationship facilitates an increase in the delivery of power to the electrode. A total range of the frequency offsets from a reference HF frequency over the LF RF cycle depends on a power ratio of power that is supplied by the LF RFG and power that is supplied by the HF RFG.

Systems and methods for optimizing power delivery to an electrode of a plasma chamber

A method for achieving uniformity in an etch rate is described. The method includes receiving a voltage signal from an output of a match, and determining a positive crossing and a negative crossing of the voltage signal for each cycle of the voltage signal. The negative crossing of each cycle is consecutive to the positive crossing of the cycle. The method further includes dividing a time interval of each cycle of the voltage signal into a plurality of bins. For one or more of the plurality of bins associated with the positive crossing and one or more of the plurality of bins associated with the negative crossing, the method includes adjusting a frequency of a radio frequency generator to achieve the uniformity in the etch rate.

Systems and methods for using binning to increase power during a low frequency cycle

An impedance match housing is described. The impedance match housing includes an impedance matching circuit having an input that is coupled to a radio frequency (RF) generator. The impedance matching circuit has an output that is coupled to a first RF strap. The impedance match housing includes a uniformity control circuit coupled in parallel to a portion of the first RF strap to modify uniformity in a processing rate of a substrate when the substrate is processed within a plasma chamber.

Uniformity control circuit for impedance match

An impedance match is described. The impedance match includes a housing having a bottom portion and a top portion. The bottom portion has match components and the top portion has an elongated body. A low frequency input is connected through the bottom portion of the housing, and the low frequency input is interconnected to a first set of capacitors and inductors. A high frequency input is connected through the bottom portion of the housing, and the high frequency input is interconnected to a second set of capacitors and inductors. An elongated strap extends between the bottom portion and the top portion of the housing. A lower portion of the elongated strap is coupled to the second set of capacitors and inductors and an upper portion of the elongated strap is connected to an RF rod at an end of the elongated body.

Impedance match with an elongated RF strap

A radio frequency (RF) generator system includes first and second RF power sources, each RF power source applying a respective RF signal and second RF signal to a load. The first RF signal is applied in accordance with the application of the second RF signal. The application of the first RF signal is synchronized to application of the second RF signal. The first RF signal may be amplitude modulated in synchronization with the second RF signal, and the amplitude modulation can include blanking of the first RF signal. A frequency offset may be applied to the first RF signal in synchronization with the second RF signal. A variable actuator associated with the first RF power source may be controlled in accordance with the second RF signal.

High speed synchronization of plasma source/bias power delivery

Systems and methods for active control of radial etch uniformity are described. One of the methods includes generating a radio frequency (RF) signal having a fundamental frequency and generating another RF signal having a harmonic frequency. The harmonic frequency, or a phase, or a parameter level, or a combination thereof of the other RF signal are controlled to control harmonics of RF plasma sheath within a plasma chamber to achieve radial etch uniformity.

Active control of radial etch uniformity

An apparatus for etching a dielectric layer contained by a substrate is provided. An etch reactor comprises a top electrode and a bottom electrode. An etch gas source supplies an etch gas into the etch reactor. A first Radio Frequency (RF) source generates a first RF power with a first frequency and supplies the first RF power into the etch reactor, whereas the first frequency is between 100 kilo Hertz (kHz) and 600 kHz. A second RF source generates a second RF power with a second frequency and supplies the second RF power into the etch reactor, whereas the second frequency is at least 10 mega Hertz (MHz).

Reducing twisting in ultra-high aspect ratio dielectric etch

A method for forming etched features in a low-k dielectric layer disposed below the photoresist mask in a plasma processing chamber is provided. Features are etched into the low-k dielectric layer through the photoresist mask. The photoresist mask is stripped, wherein the stripping comprising at least one cycle, wherein each cycle comprises a fluorocarbon stripping phase, comprising flowing a fluorocarbon stripping gas into the plasma processing chamber, forming a plasma from the fluorocarbon stripping gas, and stopping the flow of the fluorocarbon stripping gas into the plasma processing chamber and a reduced fluorocarbon stripping phase, comprising flowing a reduced fluorocarbon stripping gas that has a lower fluorocarbon flow rate than the fluorocarbon stripping gas into the plasma processing chamber, forming the plasma from the reduced fluorocarbon stripping gas, and stopping the flow of the reduced fluorocarbon stripping gas.

Growing community of inventors

Pleasanton, CA, United States of America

Bing Ji