Lam Research Corporation

USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

David Michael French

Sunil Kapoor

Karl Frederick Leeser

Brad Winston Hoff

Edward J Augustyniak

Yukinori Sakiyama

George Thomas

Vincent Burkhart

Susan L Heidger

Damien Martin Slevin

Eller Y Juco

Timothy Scott Thomas

Jacob Lee Hiester

Donald A Shiffler

Aaron Bingham

Joel Philip Hollingsworth

Liang Meng

Brett Herzig

David Alan Metz

Wilkin W Tang

Brian Knight

Albert S Tompa

Pramod Subramonium

John Wiltse

Dirk Rudolph

Vince Burkhart

Miguel Benjamin Vasquez

Matthew Scott Weimer

George B Butler

Ragesh Puthenkovilakam

Sam Jafarian Tehrani

Christopher-James Parker

Clyde J Swedenberg

Billy R White

Rujun Bai

Keith Joseph Batryn

Melvin S Kaufman

J T Rosborough

In some examples, a variable inductor device includes a first planar loop comprising a first planar face and a material that supports electromagnetic coupling and a second planar loop comprising a second planar face and a material that supports electromagnetic coupling. The first planar loop is separable from the second planar loop to vary the inductance of the variable inductance device. In some examples, the first and second planar faces overlapping each other in a closed configuration of the device.

Variable inductor device comprising first and second planar loops configured to be separable by pivoting about a hinge

An apparatus including a multi-station processing chamber with a top plate and a bottom portion encloses stations each including a pedestal assembly. A spindle centrally located between the stations is configured to rotate about a central axis, and is electrically connected to the bottom portion. An actuator controls movement of the spindle in the Z-direction. An indexer connected to the spindle rotates with the spindle, and includes extensions each configured to interface with a corresponding substrate for substrate transfer. An electrically conductive interface movably connected to the top plate provides an RF return path. Another actuator coupled to the grounding interface controls movement of the electrically conductive interface in the Z-direction. The electrically conductive interface moves downwards in the Z-direction to make contact with the indexer when each of the plurality of extensions is parked and the spindle is moved to a lower position during plasma processing.

Process module chamber providing symmetric RF return path

A filter module for a substrate processing chamber includes a plurality of exterior panels defining an interior, a plurality of internal panels defining a plurality of compartments within the interior of the filter module, and an adjustable capacitor arranged on a first panel of the plurality of internal panels within a first compartment of the plurality of compartments. The adjustable capacitor is coupled, through the first panel, to a motor located outside of the first compartment, and the adjustable capacitor is configured to receive a radio frequency input signal and provide a radio frequency voltage to the substrate processing chamber based on a position of the motor.

Filter box for a substrate processing system

A thermal choke rod connecting a radio frequency source to a substrate support of a plasma processing system includes a tubular member having a first connector for connecting to an RF rod coupled to the substrate support and a second connector for connecting to an RF strap that couples to the RF source. A tubular segment extends between the first and second connectors. The first connector has a conically-shaped end region that tapers away from the inner surface thereof to an outer surface in a direction toward the tubular segment, and slits that extend for a prescribed distance from a terminal end of the first connector. The outer surface of the tubular segment has a threaded region for threaded engagement with an annular cap that fits over the first connector and reduces an inner diameter of the first connector upon contact with the conically-shaped end region of the first connector.

High temperature RF connection with integral thermal choke

A substrate processing system for processing a substrate within a processing chamber is provided and includes a source terminal, a substrate support, and a tuning circuit. The substrate support holds the substrate and includes first and second electrodes, which receive power from a power source via the source terminal. The tuning circuit is connected to the first electrode or the second electrode. The tuning circuit is allocated for tuning signals provided to the first electrode. The tuning circuit includes at least one of a first impedance set or a second impedance set. The first impedance set is serially connected between the first electrode and the power source and receives a first signal from the power source via the source terminal. The second impedance set is connected between an output of the power source and a reference terminal and receives the first signal from the power source via the source terminal.

RF tuning systems including tuning circuits having impedances for setting and adjusting parameters of electrodes in electrostatic chucks

In some examples, an array sensor temperature control system is provided. The system may include an array sensor for generating a two-dimensional image, the two-dimensional image including a plurality of pixels or cells indicative of a temperature of a monitored component; a controller for controlling a heating or cooling device to adjust the temperature of the monitored component; and an array sensor controller activated by a power source and being in communication with the array sensor and controller.

Temperature monitoring

An apparatus to estimate parameters of a radio frequency (RF) signal may include a voltage sensor configured to provide an indication of a voltage of the RF signal as well as a current sensor configured to provide an indication of current conducted by the RF signal. The apparatus may additionally include an analog-to-digital conversion module coupled to an output port of the voltage sensor and the current sensor, wherein the analog-to-digital converter is configured to provide digital representations of an instantaneous voltage and an instantaneous current of the RF signal. The apparatus may additionally include one or more processors configured to transform the digital representations of the instantaneous voltage and current into frequency domain representations of a complex voltage and complex current.

RF signal parameter measurement in an integrated circuit fabrication chamber

Methods and related apparatus for depositing an ashable hard mask (AHM) on a substrate include pulsing a low frequency radio frequency component at a high power. Pulsing low frequency power may be used to increase the selectivity or reduce the stress of an AHM. The AHM may then be used to etch features into underlying layers of the substrate.

Depositing a carbon hardmask by high power pulsed low frequency RF

A system for controlling of wafer bow in plasma processing stations is described. The system includes a circuit that provides a low frequency RF signal and another circuit that provides a high frequency RF signal. The system includes an output circuit and the stations. The output circuit combines the low frequency RF signal and the high frequency RF signal to generate a plurality of combined RF signals for the stations. Amount of low frequency power delivered to one of the stations depends on wafer bow, such as non-flatness of a wafer. A bowed wafer decreases low frequency power delivered to the station in a multi-station chamber with a common RF source. A shunt inductor is coupled in parallel to each of the stations to increase an amount of current to the station with a bowed wafer. Hence, station power becomes less sensitive to wafer bow to minimize wafer bowing.

Control of wafer bow in multiple stations

A circuit tuning radio frequency (RF) power. The circuit includes a low to mid frequency (LF/HF) tuning circuit including a variable LF/MF capacitor coupled in series with an LF/MF inductor. The LF/MF tuning circuit is coupled between ground and a common node configured to receive an RF input. The circuit includes a high frequency (HF) tuning circuit coupled in parallel to the LF/MF tuning circuit between ground and the common node. The HF tuning circuit includes a variable HF capacitor coupled in series with an HF inductor. Cross parallel isolation occurs between the LF/MF inductor of the LF/MF tuning circuit and the HF inductor of the HF tuning circuit when adjusting the variable LF/MF capacitor or variable HF capacitor.

Modular recipe controlled calibration (MRCC) apparatus used to balance plasma in multiple station system

An electrode is embedded in a piece of ceramic material having a population of conduction band electrons. Applying a voltage bias to the electrode causes electrons to flow towards or away from the electrode to form a positively charged sheath either a distance apart from or adjacent the electrode, depending the polarity of the bias. The electron flow also forms a negatively charged sheath lying opposite the positively charged sheath, and an electrically neutral region lying between the two sheaths. Electromagnetic radiation impinging the ceramic material heats the ceramic where the radiation is absorbed by the electron population. As the incident radiation is absorbed in proportion to the electron density, heating is increased in the negatively charged sheath, relative to the other parts of the ceramic material. The location of heating is controlled by controlling the magnitude and polarity of the voltage bias.

Apparatus and method to control electromagnetic heating of ceramic materials

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Albuquerque, NM, United States of America

David Michael French