Fast tuning radio frequency (RF) matching network
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsYue Guo, Kartik Ramaswamy, A N M Wasekul Azad, Nicolas J. Bright, Yang Yang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Some embodiments are directed to a tuning circuit. The tuning circuit generally includes: a first impedance; a second impedance coupled to the first impedance; a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding magnetically coupled to the primary winding, wherein the primary winding is coupled to a control input for the tuning circuit; and a signal path coupled in parallel with the first impedance or the second impedance, wherein the secondary winding is part of the signal path coupled in parallel with the first impedance or the second impedance.
Claims22
A match circuit including a tuning circuit, the tuning circuit comprising:
- a first impedance coupled between a radio frequency (RF) input of the tuning circuit and a reference potential node;
- a second impedance on a series path between the RF input and an output terminal of the tuning circuit configured to be coupled to a processing chamber;
- a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding magnetically coupled to the primary winding, wherein the primary winding is coupled to a control input for the tuning circuit configured to adjust a match impedance associated with the match circuit;
- and
- a signal path coupled in parallel with the first impedance or the second impedance, the signal path being different than the series path, wherein the secondary winding is part of the signal path coupled in parallel with the first impedance or the second impedance, wherein the signal path is coupled to the RF input of the tuning circuit, the RF input being different than the control input.
A method of processing a substrate in a plasma processing system, comprising:
- generating a radio frequency (RF) signal at an RF input of a tuning circuit;
- generating a control signal based on a pulsed voltage (PV) waveform provided to an electrode of a processing chamber, the control signal being generated to adjust a match impedance associated with a match circuit;
- and
- providing the control signal to a control input for the tuning circuit, wherein the control input is coupled to a primary winding of a transformer of the tuning circuit, the transformer further including a secondary winding magnetically coupled to the primary winding, wherein the tuning circuit includes a first impedance coupled between the RF input and a reference potential node and a second impedance on a series path between the RF input and an output terminal of the tuning circuit coupled to a plasma chamber, and wherein the secondary winding is part of a signal path coupled in parallel with the first impedance or the second impedance, the signal path being different than the series path, wherein the signal path is coupled to the RF input which is different than the control input.
An apparatus for processing a substrate in a plasma processing system, comprising:
- a pulsed voltage (PV) waveform generator configured to generate a PV waveform provided to an electrode of a processing chamber;
- a match circuit comprising a tuning circuit including a transformer having a secondary winding magnetically coupled to a primary winding, wherein the tuning circuit includes a first impedance coupled between a radio frequency (RF) input and a reference potential node and a second impedance on a series path between the RF input and an output terminal of the tuning circuit coupled to a plasma chamber, wherein the secondary winding is part of a signal path coupled in parallel with the first impedance or the second impedance, the signal path being different than the series path;
- an RF generator configured to generate an RF signal at the RF input of the tuning circuit, wherein the signal path is coupled to the RF input;
- and
- a generator configured to generate a control signal based on the PV waveform and provide the control signal to the primary winding to adjust a match impedance associated with the match circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.