# US 12,217,937 B2 · Radio frequency source for inductively coupled and capacitively coupled plasmas in substrate processing chambers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,217,937 B2 - Document ID: US12217937B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/693,409 - Filed: 2022-03-13 - Published: 2023-10-05 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2022-03-13 - Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc. - Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc. - Inventors: Abdul Aziz Khaja; Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12217937B2 ## CPC - H01J 37/321: {the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma} - H01J 37/32183: {Matching circuits} - H01J 37/32357: {Generation remote from the workpiece, e.g. down-stream} - H01J 37/32862: {In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts} - H01J 2237/332: Coating - H01J 2237/334: Etching - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract A radio frequency (RF) source may be used to generate a capacitively coupled plasma to perform a plasma-based process on a substrate in a plasma processing chamber. A controller may cause the RF source and a switching element to route an RF signal to electrodes in the pedestal that generate the plasma in the processing chamber as part of a recipe performed on a substrate during etch or deposition processes. Between processes, the controller may cause the same RF source to generate a second RF signal that is instead routed by the switching element to inductive coils to generate an inductively coupled plasma for a cleaning process to remove film deposits on the interior of the plasma processing chamber. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a plasma processing chamber; a Radio-Frequency (RF) source; and a controller configured to perform operations comprising: receiving an indication of a plasma process to be performed on a substrate in the plasma processing chamber; causing the RF source to generate a first RF signal configured to generate a capacitively coupled plasma in the plasma processing chamber during the plasma process performed on the substrate; receiving an indication of a cleaning process to be performed in the plasma processing chamber; and causing the RF source to generate a second RF signal configured to generate an inductively coupled plasma in the plasma processing chamber during the cleaning process. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a switching element coupled to an output of the RF source. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the operations performed by the controller further comprise: causing the switching element to route the first RF signal to one or more electrodes in a pedestal of the plasma processing chamber during the plasma process performed on the substrate to generate the capacitively coupled plasma. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the operations performed by the controller further comprise: causing the switching element to route the second RF signal to inductive coils during the cleaning process to generate the inductively coupled plasma. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote plasma generator, wherein the second RF signal is routed to the remote plasma generator to generate the inductively coupled plasma. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising inductive coils positioned around a gas mixing region of the plasma processing chamber, wherein the second RF signal is routed to the inductive coils to generate the inductively coupled plasma in the gas mixing region. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising inductive coils positioned in a pedestal of the plasma processing chamber, wherein the second RF signal is routed to the inductive coils to generate the inductively coupled plasma in a processing volume of the plasma processing chamber. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a first RF matching circuit configured to match an impedance of the capacitively coupled plasma during the plasma process performed on the substrate, wherein the first RF signal is routed through the first RF matching circuit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, further comprising a second RF matching circuit configured to match an impedance of the inductively coupled plasma during the cleaning process, wherein the second RF signal is routed through the second RF matching circuit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising an RF matching circuit, wherein the operations performed by the controller further comprise: causing the RF matching circuit to match impedance of either the inductively coupled plasma or the capacitively coupled plasma depending on whether the plasma process is being performed on the substrate or the cleaning process is being executed. ### Claim 11 A method of using a single Radio-Frequency (RF) source to generate inductively coupled plasmas and capacitively coupled plasmas in plasma processing chambers, the method comprising: receiving an indication of a plasma process to be performed on a substrate in a plasma processing chamber; causing an RF source to generate a first RF signal configured to generate a capacitively coupled plasma in the plasma processing chamber during the plasma process performed on the substrate; receiving an indication of a cleaning process to be performed in the plasma processing chamber; and causing the RF source to generate a second RF signal configured to generate an inductively coupled plasma in the plasma processing chamber during the cleaning process. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the first RF signal is routed to an electrode in a lid assembly of the plasma processing chamber. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein a pedestal of the plasma processing chamber comprises a ground connection through which the first RF signal is grounded after generating the capacitively coupled plasma. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the RF source is shared between a plurality of plasma processing chambers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the RF source generates both the capacitively coupled plasma and the inductively coupled plasma without requiring an additional RF source. ### Claim 16 One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving an indication of a plasma process to be performed on a substrate in a plasma processing chamber; causing a Radio-Frequency (RF) source to generate a first RF signal configured to generate a capacitively coupled plasma in the plasma processing chamber during the plasma process performed on the substrate; receiving an indication of a cleaning process to be performed in the plasma processing chamber; and causing the RF source to generate a second RF signal configured to generate an inductively coupled plasma in the plasma processing chamber during the cleaning process. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are distributed between different computing systems. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the instructions are part of one or more recipes executed on a batch of substrates in the plasma processing chamber. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise: causing a switching element to route the first RF signal to one or more electrodes in a pedestal of the plasma processing chamber during the plasma process performed on the substrate to generate the capacitively coupled plasma; and causing the switching element to route the second RF signal to inductive coils or a remote plasma generator during the cleaning process to generate the inductively coupled plasma. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise: causing one or more RF matching circuits to match an impedance of either the inductively coupled plasma or the capacitively coupled plasma depending on whether the plasma process is being performed on the substrate or the cleaning process is being executed.