# US 12,537,179 B2 · Capacitive sensing data integration for plasma chamber condition monitoring

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- Number: US 12,537,179 B2
- Document ID: US12537179B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/071,444
- Filed: 2022-11-29
- Published: 2023-03-30
- Granted: 2026-01-27
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-06
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Yaoling Pan; Patrick John Tae; Michael D. Willwerth; Leonard Tedeschi; Kiyki-Shiy N Shang; Mikhail V. Taraboukhine; Charles R. Hardy; Sivasankar Nagarajan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12537179B2

## CPC

- H01J 37/32935: {Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge}
- G01N 27/228: {Circuits therefor (measuring capacitance per se G01R27/26)}
- H01J 37/32807: {Construction (includes replacing parts of the apparatus)}
- H01J 37/32853: {Hygiene}
- H01J 37/32926: {Software, data control or modelling}
- H01J 2237/24495: Signal processing, e.g. mixing of two or more signals
- H01J 2237/24564: Measurements of electric or magnetic variables, e.g. voltage, current, frequency
- H01J 2237/24592: Inspection and quality control of devices
- H01J 2237/31705: Impurity or contaminant control
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

Capacitive sensors and capacitive sensing data integration for plasma chamber condition monitoring are described. In an example, a plasma chamber monitoring system includes a plurality of capacitive sensors, a capacitance digital converter, and an applied process server coupled to the capacitance digital converter, the applied process server including a system software. The capacitance digital converter includes an isolation interface coupled to the plurality of capacitive sensors, a power supply coupled to the isolation interface, a field-programmable gate-array firmware coupled to the isolation interface, and an application-specific integrated circuit coupled to the field-programmable gate-array firmware.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An interconnect for a plasma chamber monitoring system, the interconnect comprising:
a first connector for coupling to a capacitance digital converter of a capacitive sensor module;
a second connector for coupling to an electronics plugin module and an external power supply;
a shielded cable coupled to and between the first connector and the second connector, the shielded cable comprising:
a shielding metal for physically connecting the interconnect to a frame of a plasma chamber;
a power supply line housed within the shielding metal;
a ground line housed within the shielding metal; and
one or more communication lines housed within the shielding metal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the power supply line housed within the shielding metal is a 3-4 Volt power supply line.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The interconnect of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more communication lines housed within the shielding metal is or includes an inter-integrated circuit bus.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the ground line housed within the shielding metal provides a common ground for the capacitive sensor module and the electronic.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the one or more communication lines housed within the shielding metal synchronize sensor data clocking.

### Claim 6

A system, comprising:
a plasma chamber; and
a plasma chamber monitoring system coupled to the plasma chamber, the plasma chamber monitoring system comprising an interconnect, the interconnect comprising:
a first connector for coupling to a capacitance digital converter of a capacitive sensor module;
a second connector for coupling to an electronics plugin module and an external power supply; and
a shielded cable coupled to and between the first connector and the second connector, the shielded cable comprising:
a shielding metal for physically connecting the interconnect to a frame of a plasma chamber;
a power supply line housed within the shielding metal;
a ground line housed within the shielding metal; and
one or more communication lines housed within the shielding metal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the power supply line housed within the shielding metal is a 3-4 Volt power supply line.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein each of the one or more communication lines housed within the shielding metal is or includes an inter-integrated circuit bus.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the ground line housed within the shielding metal provides a common ground for the capacitive sensor module and the electronic.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more communication lines housed within the shielding metal synchronize sensor data clocking.