Applied Materials, Inc.

Travis Koh

Philip Allan Kraus

Leonid Dorf

Olivier Luere

Kartik Ramaswamy

Yang Yang

Rajinder Dhindsa

James Rogers

Joseph F AuBuchon

Steven Lane

Olivier Joubert

Tza-Jing Gung

Kelvin Chan

Simon Huang

Prabu Gopalraja

Vijay D Parkhe

Thai Cheng Chua

Sunil Srinivasan

Lawrence Wong

Haitao Wang

Jaeyong Cho

Christopher A Rowland

Daniel Distaso

Sheng-Chin Kung

Christian Amormino

Nattaworn Boss Nunta

Mark Markovsky

Robert Casanova

Systems and methods for controlling a voltage waveform at a substrate during plasma processing include applying a shaped pulse bias waveform to a substrate support, the substrate support including an electrostatic chuck, a chucking pole, a substrate support surface and an electrode separated from the substrate support surface by a layer of dielectric material. The systems and methods further include capturing a voltage representative of a voltage at a substrate positioned on the substrate support surface and iteratively adjusting the shaped pulse bias waveform based on the captured signal. In a plasma processing system a thickness and a composition of a layer of dielectric material separating the electrode and the substrate support surface can be selected such that a capacitance between the electrode and the substrate support surface is at least an order of magnitude greater than a capacitance between the substrate support surface and a plasma surface.

Systems and methods for controlling a voltage waveform at a substrate during plasma processing

Embodiments include a method of processing a substrate. In an embodiment, the method comprises flowing one or more source gasses into a processing chamber, and inducing a plasma from the source gases with a plasma source that is operated in a first mode. In an embodiment, the method may further comprise biasing the substrate with a DC power source that is operated in a second mode. In an embodiment, the method may further comprise depositing a film on the substrate.

Plasma enhanced CVD with periodic high voltage bias

Systems and methods for creating arbitrarily-shaped ion energy distribution functions using shaped-pulse-bias. In an embodiment, a method includes applying a positive jump voltage to an electrode of a process chamber to neutralize a wafer surface, applying a negative jump voltage to the electrode to set a wafer voltage, and modulating the amplitude of the wafer voltage to produce a predetermined number of pulses to determine an ion energy distribution function. In another embodiment a method includes applying a positive jump voltage to an electrode of a process chamber to neutralize a wafer surface, applying a negative jump voltage to the electrode to set a wafer voltage, and applying a ramp voltage to the electrode that overcompensates for ion current on the wafer or applying a ramp voltage to the electrode that undercompensates for ion current on the wafer.

Creating ion energy distribution functions (IEDF)

Systems and methods for creating arbitrarily-shaped ion energy distribution functions using shaped-pulse&#x2014;bias. In an embodiment, a method includes applying a positive jump voltage to an electrode of a process chamber to neutralize a wafer surface, applying a negative jump voltage to the electrode to set a wafer voltage, and modulating the amplitude of the wafer voltage to produce a predetermined number of pulses to determine an ion energy distribution function. In another embodiment a method includes applying a positive jump voltage to an electrode of a process chamber to neutralize a wafer surface, applying a negative jump voltage to the electrode to set a wafer voltage, and applying a ramp voltage to the electrode that overcompensates for ion current on the wafer or applying a ramp voltage to the electrode that undercompensates for ion current on the wafer.

Systems and methods for tunable workpiece biasing in a plasma reactor are provided herein. In some embodiments, a system includes: a plasma chamber that performs plasma processing on a workpiece, a first pulsed voltage source, coupled directly to a workpiece, a second pulsed voltage source, coupled capacitively to the workpiece, and a biasing controller comprising one or more processors, and memory, wherein the memory comprises a set of computer instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, independently controls the first pulsed voltage source and the second pulsed voltage source based on one or more parameters of the first pulsed voltage source and the second pulsed voltage source in order to tailor ion energy distribution of the flux of ions directed to the workpiece.

System for tunable workpiece biasing in a plasma reactor

Embodiments described herein generally relate to plasma assisted or plasma enhanced processing chambers. More specifically, embodiments herein relate to electrostatic chucking (ESC) substrate supports configured to provide pulsed DC voltage, and methods of applying a pulsed DC voltage, to a substrate during plasma assisted or plasma enhanced semiconductor manufacturing processes.

Substrate support with electrically floating power supply

The present disclosure generally relates to plasma assisted or plasma enhanced processing chambers. More specifically, embodiments herein relate to electrostatic chucking (ESC) substrate supports configured to provide independent pulses of DC voltage through a switching system to electrodes disposed through the ESC substrate support, or to electrodes disposed on a surface of the ESC, or to electrodes embedded in the ESC substrate support. The switching system can independently alter the frequency and duty cycle of the pulsed DC voltage that is coupled to each electrode. During processing of the substrate, the process rate, such as etch rate or deposition rate, can be controlled independently in regions of the substrate because the process rate is a function of the frequency and duty cycle of the pulsed DC voltage. The processing uniformity of the process performed on the substrate is improved.

System for coupling a voltage to portions of a substrate

Embodiments described herein generally relate to plasma process apparatus. In one embodiment, the plasma process apparatus includes a plasma source assembly. The plasma source assembly may include a first coil, a second coil surrounding the first coil, and a magnetic device disposed outside the first and inside the second coil. The magnet enables additional tuning which improves uniformity control of the processes on the substrate.

Magnet configurations for radial uniformity tuning of ICP plasmas

Methods and apparatus for controlling a magnetic field in a plasma chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, a process chamber liner may include a cylindrical body, an inner electromagnetic cosine-theta (cos &#x3b8;) coil ring including a first plurality of inner coils embedded in the body and configured to generate a magnetic field in a first direction, and an outer electromagnetic cosine-theta (cos &#x3b8;) coil ring including a second plurality of outer coils embedded in the body and configured to generate a magnetic field in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, wherein the outer electromagnetic cos &#x3b8; coil ring is disposed concentrically about the inner electromagnetic cos &#x3b8; coil ring.

Method and apparatus for controlling a magnetic field in a plasma chamber

Spatial distribution of RF power delivered to plasma in a processing chamber is controlled using an arrangement of primary and secondary inductors, wherein the current through the secondary inductors affects the spatial distribution of the plasma. The secondary inductors are configured to resonate at respectively different frequencies. A first secondary inductor is selectively excited to resonance, during a first time period within a duty cycle, by delivering power to a primary inductor at the resonant frequency of the first secondary inductor. A second secondary inductor is selectively excited to resonance, during a second time period within a duty cycle, by delivering power to a primary inductor at the resonant frequency of the second secondary inductor. The secondary inductors are isolated from one another and terminated such that substantially all current that passes through them and into the plasma results from mutual inductance with a primary inductor.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Travis Koh