Eni Technologies Inc.

Eni Technology, Inc.

Daniel F Vona, Jr

Kevin S Gerrish

Anthony R A Keane

Kevin P Nasman

A method and apparatus for measuring the characteristics of radio frequency energy in an industrial radio frequency processing system at a plurality of frequencies is disclosed. The method and apparatus measures the characteristics of radio energy using one detector.

Power delivery system

Plasma process control arrangement controls a plasma generator that provides electrical power to a plasma chamber for an RF or DC plasma process. A sensor system detects operating parameters of the electrical power, including voltage and current levels. A process detection system (pds) controller has inputs coupled to the sensor system to receive the operating parameters, a programmable memory unit for storing a control program to compute an output control signal based on the operating parameters, and a control output coupled to a control input of the plasma generator. An external computer device, includes a monitor, an icon copying device for example, a mouse suitable for drag-and-drop operation, and a memory storing a suitable code-building program for generating a user-selected control program according to user-determined process requirements. Respective graphical icons are presented on the monitor and are selected and connected by use of the icon copying device to represent logic processing of the operational parameters, and the external computer device creates the corresponding user-selected control program. The user-selected control program is downloaded from the external computer device to the programmable memory of the pds controller, e.g., using standard connectors and cables.

Process detection system for plasma process

An RF probe for a plasma chamber picks up current and voltage samples of the RF power applied to an RF plasma chamber, and the RF voltage and current waveforms are supplied to respective mixers. A local oscillator supplies both mixers with a local oscillator signal at the RF frequency plus or minus about 15 KHz, so that the mixers provide respective voltage and current baseband signals that are frequency shifted down to the audio range. The phase relation of the applied current and voltage is preserved in the baseband signals. These baseband signals are then applied to a stereo, two-channel A/D converter, which provides a serial digital signal to a digital signal processor or DSP. A local oscillator interface brings a feedback signal from the DSP to the local oscillator. The DSP can be suitably programmed to obtain complex Fast Fourier Transforms of the voltage and current baseband samples. The frequency-domain spectra are analyzed to obtain, with great accuracy, magnitude of voltage and current and phase angle. Other parameters are derived from these three.

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Rochester, NY, United States of America

Daniel F Vona, Jr