Other

Applied Materials, Inc.

Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation

Teryl Pratt

Rongping Wang

Guomin Mao

Kent Pearce

Hemant P Mungekar

Ramesh Gopalan

Andy Chuang

Methods and apparatus for plasma processing are provided herein. For example, apparatus can include a system for plasma processing including a remote plasma source including a supply terminal configured to connect to a power source and an output configured to deliver RF power to a plasma block of the remote plasma source for creating a plasma and a controller configured to control operation of the remote plasma source based on a measured input power at the supply terminal.

Methods and systems for monitoring input power for process control in semiconductor process systems

A plasma ignition circuit includes a transformer having a primary coil configured to couple an RF power supply. A first secondary coil is configured to couple a remote plasma source (RPS), and a second secondary coil. The plasma ignition circuit further includes a control switch having an input configured to couple the second secondary coil and an output configured to capacitively couple the RPS and a switch controller. The switch controller is configured to upon sensing a secondary RF voltage applied to the second secondary coil in response to an RF voltage applied by RF power supply to the primary coil, enable the control switch to capacitively apply the secondary RF voltage to the RPS to ignite a plasma within the RPS. Upon sensing a drop in plasma impedance when the plasma is ignited, disable the control switch to discontinue applying the secondary RF voltage to the RPS.

Plasma ignition circuit

An electronic tracked and ranging system is disclosed. Electronic tracked and ranging system applies interferometer principles to determine ranging distance from a monitor unitto a tracked unit. In particular, the system transmits a monitor direct sequence spread spectrum (MDSSS)from a monitor unitto a tracked unit. Afterwards, tracked unittransmits a tracked direct sequence spread spectrum (TDSSS). Finally, monitor unitreceives TDSSS, performs a comparison to a reference MDSSSlocks signals between MDSSSand TDSSSand outputs distance between monitor unitand tracked unitusing several phase comparisons. Multiple frequencies within MDSSSare phase detected so as to increase accuracy of monitor unitranging distance to tracked unit

Electronic tracking and ranging system

An electrical switching circuit for controlling current flow to an electrical load from a primary power source with a first electrical potential difference relative to a circuit ground comprising a primary energy storage device with a low side coupled to the electrical load, a secondary electrical energy storage device with a high side and a low side, a controllable electrical switch that toggles the low side of the secondary energy storage device from the circuit ground to the low side of the primary energy storage device, a primary unidirectional current gate coupled between the high side of the secondary energy storage device and the high side of the primary energy storage device to let current flow from the secondary energy storage device to the primary energy storage device when the potential difference of the high side of the secondary energy storage device is higher than the high side of the primary energy storage device, a secondary unidirectional current gate coupled between a secondary power source with an electrical potential difference of at least the predetermined potential relative to the circuit ground and the high side of the secondary energy storage device to let current flow from the secondary power source to the high side of the secondary energy storage device when the potential difference of the secondary power source is higher than the high side of the secondary energy storage device, wherein periodic operation of the secondary electrical switch charges the secondary energy storage device when the secondary switch toggles its low side to the circuit ground and the secondary energy storage device charges the primary storage device when the secondary switch toggles its low side to the low side of the primary energy storage device.

Constant-ON state high side switch circuit

An electronic tracked and ranging system is disclosed. Electronic tracking and ranging system applies interferometer principles to determine ranging distance from a monitor unitto a tracked unit. In particular, the system transmits a monitor direct sequence spread spectrum (MDSSS)signal from a monitor unitto a tracked unit. Afterwards, tracked unittransmits a tracked direct sequence spread spectrum (TDSSS)signal. Finally, monitor unitreceives TDSSS, performs a comparison to a reference MDSSS signallocks between MDSSS signaland TDSSS signaland outputs distance between monitor unitand tracked unitusing several phase comparisons. Multiple frequencies within MDSSS signalare phase detected so as to increase accuracy of monitor unitranging distance to tracked unit

Growing community of inventors

Morgan Hill, CA, United States of America

Teryl Pratt