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US 11,972,927 B2Granted
Frequency tuning for modulated plasma systems
AssigneeAdvanced Energy Industries, Inc.
InventorGideon Van Zyl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Plasma processing systems and methods are disclosed. The plasma processing system includes a high-frequency generator configured to deliver power to a plasma chamber and a low-frequency generator configured to deliver power to the plasma chamber. A filter is coupled between the plasma chamber and the high-frequency generator, and the filter suppresses mixing products of high frequencies produced by the high-frequency generator and low frequencies produced by the low-frequency generator.
Claims15
A plasma processing system comprising:
- a high-frequency generator configured to deliver power as a multi-state waveform to a plasma;
- a wideband measurement system configurable with a filter bandwidth that exceeds a modulation frequency of the plasma;
- and
- a frequency-tuning subsystem configured to adjust, within each state, a frequency of the multi-state waveform based upon inter-pulse measurements of the multi-state waveform taken with the wideband measurement system, wherein a frequency within a particular state is controlled based upon measurements of identical time slots of sequential pulses of the particular state to adjust an impedance presented to the high-frequency generator.
1 more element
A plasma processing system comprising:
- a high-frequency generator configured to deliver power to a plasma chamber;
- a wideband measurement system configurable with a filter bandwidth that exceeds a modulation frequency of the plasma, the wideband measurement system providing an indication of an impedance presented to the high-frequency generator;
- and
- a frequency-tuning subsystem configured to adjust a frequency of the high-frequency generator to adjust the impedance presented to the high-frequency generator;
- wherein the frequency-tuning subsystem is configured to adjust the frequency of the power by:
- delivering power at a selected frequency for at least 90% of a total time;
- delivering power at a test frequency during test periods, wherein the test periods are no longer than 10% of the total time, wherein a value of the test frequency changes from test period to test period;
- and
- changing a value of the selected frequency to the value of the test frequency if the impedance presented to the high-frequency generator is closer to a target impedance when the high-frequency generator is delivering power at the test frequency.
6 more elements
A plasma processing system comprising:
- a high-frequency generator configured to apply a multi-state waveform to a plasma chamber;
- a wideband measurement system configurable with a filter bandwidth that exceeds a modulation frequency of a plasma in the plasma chamber;
- and
- means for adjusting, within each state, a frequency of the multi-state waveform based upon inter-pulse measurements of the multi-state waveform, wherein a frequency within a particular state is controlled based upon measurements of identical time slots of sequential pulses of the particular state to adjust an impedance presented to the high-frequency generator.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.