Lam Research Corporation

Christopher H Olson

Michael S Barnes

Brett C Richardson

Farro Frank Kaveh

John Patrick Holland

Arthur M Howald

Alan M Schoepp

Tuan Ngo

Robert Knop

Tuan M Ngo

Robert E Knop

Disclosed is a method and device for compensating a bias voltage on a wafer disposed over an electrostatic chuck in a processing chamber of a plasma processing system. The plasma processing system includes an electrostatic and RF power supplies that are coupled to the electrostatic chuck. The bias compensation device includes a voltage converter, a storage unit, and a voltage adjusting circuitry. The voltage converter is coupled to the electrostatic chuck for detecting a voltage Vpp of the electrostatic chuck. The voltage converter converts the detected voltage to a lower voltage Vref. The storage unit stores a predetermined slope and a predetermined offset of a calibration curve, which is derived by fitting a plurality of wafer bias voltages as a function of electrostatic chuck voltages.

Method and device for compensating wafer bias in a plasma processing chamber

A tendency for a discontinuity to occur in the amount of power reflected back to an r.f. bias source of a vacuum plasma processor is overcome by controlling the r.f. bias source output power so the power delivered to plasma in a vacuum processing chamber remains substantially constant. The r.f bias source output power is changed much faster than changes in capacitors of a matching network connecting the r.f. bias power source to an electrode of a workpiece holder processor. A capacitive impedance component of the plasma is determined by optically measuring the thickness of a plasma sheath in the chamber.

Plasma processing method and apparatus with control of rf bias

A method and apparatus is disclosed for controlling the pressure of reaction chamber in wafer processing equipment. The disclosed apparatus and method uses a ballast port for inserting gas into the evacuation system, thereby controlling the pressure in the reaction chamber. The disclosed apparatus and method further uses estimation curves to estimate the desired position of a controlled gate valve which is located between the reaction chamber and turbo pump. The disclosed apparatus and method further introduces process gases at higher rate than set point levels to reduce the transition time or stabilization time required when raising the pressure in the reaction chamber.

Method and apparatus for pressure control in vacuum processors

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El Dorado, CA, United States of America

Christopher H Olson