US 11,887,813 B2Granted

Pulsed voltage source for plasma processing

AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.

InventorsFabrice Cubaynes, Dmitry Grishin

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Embodiments provided herein generally include apparatus, e.g., plasma processing systems, and methods for the plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. Some embodiments are directed to a waveform generator. The waveform generator generally includes a first voltage stage having: a first voltage source; a first switch; and a second switch, where a first terminal of the first voltage source is coupled to a first terminal of the first switch, and where a second terminal of the first voltage source is coupled to a first terminal of the second switch. The waveform generator also includes a current stage coupled to a common node between second terminals of the first switch and the second switch, the current stage having a current source and a third switch coupled to the current source.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A waveform generator, comprising:

a first voltage stage comprising:
a first voltage source;
a first switch;
and
a second switch, wherein
a first terminal of the first voltage source is coupled to a first terminal of the first switch,
a second terminal of the first voltage source is coupled to a first terminal of the second switch and an output node of the waveform generator,
the second switch is disposed between a first node and the second terminal of the first voltage source, wherein the first terminal of the second switch and the second terminal of the first voltage source are connected with the output node,
a second terminal of the first switch is coupled to the first node and a second terminal of the second switch, and
the output node is configured to be coupled to a load;
and
a second voltage stage coupled between the first node and a ground node, wherein the first node is disposed between the second terminals of the first switch and the second switch, the second voltage stage comprising:
a second voltage source;
a third switch;
and
a fourth switch, wherein
a first terminal of the second voltage source is coupled to a first terminal of the third switch,
a second terminal of the second voltage source is coupled to a first terminal of the fourth switch and the first node,
the fourth switch is disposed between a second node and the first node, and
the second node is coupled to the ground node, a second terminal of the third switch and a second terminal of the fourth switch.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/961,452Filed 6 Oct 2022 · continuation
Priority: 23 Jun 2021
Published: US 2023/0029754 A12 Feb 2023
Granted: 30 Jan 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H01J 37/32128
Radio frequency generated discharge: using particular waveforms, e.g. polarised waves
H02M 7/49
Converters with outputs that each can have more than two voltages levels: combination of the output voltage waveforms of a plurality of converters
H03K 17/6871
The devices being field-effect transistors: the output circuit comprising more than one controlled field-effect transistor
H02M 3/24
With intermediate conversion into AC: by static converters

Family

Application17/356,446Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Jun 2021
US 2023/0029754 A1Pre-grant publication · published 2 Feb 2023
US 11,569,066 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2022/0415615 A1Published application
US 11,887,813 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.