RF power splitting and control
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsDavid Coumou, Dennis Brown, Jacob Harrell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments disclosed herein include an apparatus that includes a radio frequency (RF) power supply, and a power splitter electrically coupled to the RF power supply. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes a plurality of impedance matches electrically coupled to the power splitter, where the power splitter is configured to split RF power from the RF power supply in order to supply the RF power to each of the plurality of impedance matches. In an embodiment, the apparatus further includes a plurality of chambers, wherein each chamber is electrically coupled to a different one of the plurality of impedance matches.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a radio frequency (RF) power supply;
- a power splitter electrically coupled to the RF power supply;
- a plurality of impedance matches electrically coupled between the power splitter, and a plurality of chambers;
- wherein the power splitter is intervening between the RF power supply and the plurality of impedance matches and is configured to split RF power from the RF power supply in order to supply the RF power to each of the plurality of impedance matches;
- and
- wherein each chamber is electrically coupled to a different one of the plurality of impedance matches.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a radio frequency (RF) power generator;
- a power splitter coupled to the RF power generator;
- a plurality of impedance matches, wherein each of the plurality of impedance matches are electrically coupled to each of a plurality of chambers, and wherein the power splitter is intervening between the RF power generator and the plurality of impedance matches and is configured to split RF power from the RF power generator to supply RF power to each of the plurality of impedance matches, and wherein each of the plurality of impedance matches comprises an actuator configured to alter an impedance of a respective impedance match;
- a plurality of reflected power sensors, wherein each of the plurality of reflected power sensors is electrically coupled between the power splitter and a different one of the plurality of impedance matches;
- and
- a controller, wherein the controller is configured to receive an input signal from each of the plurality of reflected power sensors and use the input signal to drive the actuators in order to alter the impedance of the respective impedance match.
An apparatus for controlling a plurality of impedance matches which are electrically coupled between a power splitter, and a plurality of chambers, wherein the power splitter is intervening between an Radio Frequency (RF) power supply and the plurality of impedance matches, the apparatus comprising:
- coupling circuitry and analog control circuitry configured to receive incident and reflected RF voltages and RF current signals from a plurality of sensors;
- an RF control platform, wherein the RF control platform comprises:
- programmable logic;
- a real time processing unit (RTPU);
- a message controller;
- and
- a processor;
- and a plurality of motor control interfaces, wherein the plurality of motor control interfaces are configured to control impedances of the plurality of impedance matches.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.