Radio frequency match network and generator
AssigneeComet Technologies USA, Inc.
InventorAlexandre De Chambrier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of providing data on radio frequency pulses in a radio frequency plasma processing system, the method including measuring an electrical parameter within a matching network of the radio frequency plasma processing system; determining an attribute of the measurement of the electrical parameter; defining a first statistic for the attribute of the measurement of the electrical parameter; defining a second statistic based on the first statistic for at least one of a phase and a process; delivering the first statistic and second statistic to a user; and storing the first statistic and the second statistic within the matching network.
Claims21
A method for providing data associated with a radio frequency plasma processing system comprising an RF generator, a plasma chamber, and matching network coupled between the RF generator and the plasma chamber, the method comprising:
- performing a plasma process on a plurality of substrates within the plasma chamber;
- receiving measurements of an electric parameter from a sensor coupled to the plasma processing system during the plasma process performed on each substrate;
- computing an aggregated statistic based on the electrical parameter for the plurality of substrates;
- determining a desired range for the electrical parameter based on the aggregated statistic;
- performing the plasma process on a selected substrate and receiving measurements of the electric parameter for the selected substrate;
- while performing the plasma process on the selected substrate;
- determining that the electric parameter for the selected substrate deviates from the desired range for the electrical parameter;
- and
- determining an expected life of a capacitor in the matching network based on the deviation of the electric parameter for the selected substrate from the desired range;
- and
- issuing an alert indicating:
- the electric parameter for the selected substrate deviates from the desired range for the electrical parameter;
- and
- the expected life of the capacitor.
A radio frequency plasma processing system comprising:
- an RF generator;
- a plasma chamber receiving RF power from the RF generator for plasma processes applied to substrates within the plasma chamber;
- an impedance matching network coupled between the RF generator and the plasma chamber;
- sensor coupled to the plasma processing system;
- and
- a controller connected to the sensor performing a method, comprising:
- receiving measurements from the sensor during a plasma process on a selected substrate within the plasma chamber,
- determining an unacceptable processing condition based on the measurements during the plasma process, and
- determining an expected life of a capacitor in the matching network based on the deviation of the electric parameter for the selected substrate from the desired range;
- and
- issuing an intervention command causing a remedial action altering the RF power during the plasma process to avoid improper processing of the substrate, an alert including the expected life of the capacitor in the alert, or a combination thereof.
A method of providing diagnostics in a radio frequency plasma processing system, the method comprising:
- providing a diagnostic radio frequency signal comprising a plurality of frequencies to a matching network of the radio frequency plasma processing system;
- measuring a voltage, a current, and a phase of the diagnostic radio frequency signal as the diagnostic radio frequency signal propagates through the matching network as a function of a plurality of variable capacitors of the matching network;
- blocking a processing radio frequency between a matching network circuit core and a source that is providing the diagnostic radio frequency signal;
- blocking the diagnostic radio frequency signal at an input and an output of the matching network;
- obtaining a plurality of resonance conditions from the diagnostic radio frequency signal;
- collecting at least one of a typical reference for the voltage, the current and the phase, and a statistic of the voltage, the current, and the phase;
- comparing the voltage, the current, and the phase to at least one of the typical reference for the voltage, the current, and the phase, and the statistic of the voltage, the current and the phase;
- and
- generating a least one of an alert and an intervention command based on the comparing the voltage, the current, and the phase to at least one of the typical reference for the voltage, the current, and the phase, and the statistic of the voltage, the current and the phase.
A method of providing data on radio frequency pulses in a radio frequency plasma processing system, the method comprising:
- measuring an electrical parameter associated with the plasma processing system;
- determining an expected life of a capacitor in the matching network based on the measured electrical parameter;
- issuing an alert, an intervention command, or a combination thereof based on the expected life of the capacitor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.