# US 12,763,294 B2 · Plasma processing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,763,294 B2 - Document ID: US12763294B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/541,526 - Filed: 2023-12-15 - Published: 2024-07-04 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2022-12-28 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Takashi Aramaki; Lifu Li; Hiroshi Tsujimoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12763294B2 ## CPC - H01J 37/32715: {Workpiece holder} - H01J 37/32568: {Relative arrangement or disposition of electrodes; moving means} - H01J 37/32091: {the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma} - H01J 2237/2007: Holding mechanisms - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a plasma processing apparatus including: a plasma processing chamber; a first bias electrode disposed in an electrostatic chuck to have a first outer diameter; a second bias electrode disposed in the electrostatic chuck to have a second outer diameter; a third bias electrode disposed in the electrostatic chuck to have a third outer diameter; a first DC power supply; a second DC power supply; a third DC power supply; a voltage adder; a first voltage pulse generator electrically connected to the first bias electrode and configured to generate a first voltage pulse signal; a second voltage pulse generator electrically connected to the second bias electrode and configured to generate a second voltage pulse signal; and a third voltage pulse generator electrically connected to the third bias electrode and configured to generate a third voltage pulse signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a plasma processing chamber; a substrate support disposed in the plasma processing chamber, the substrate support including a base, an electrostatic chuck and an edge ring, the electrostatic chuck being disposed on the base and having a substrate support surface and a ring support surface, and the edge ring being disposed on the ring support surface to surround a substrate disposed on the substrate support surface; a substrate chuck electrode disposed below the substrate support surface in the electrostatic chuck; at least one ring chuck electrode disposed below the ring support surface in the electrostatic chuck; a first bias electrode disposed in the electrostatic chuck and having a first outer diameter; a second bias electrode disposed in the electrostatic chuck and having a second outer diameter greater than the first outer diameter; a third bias electrode disposed in the electrostatic chuck and having a third outer diameter greater than the second outer diameter; a first DC power supply configured to generate a first primary DC signal having a first primary voltage level; a second DC power supply configured to generate a second primary DC signal having a second primary voltage level; a third DC power supply configured to generate a third primary DC signal having a third primary voltage level; a voltage adder configured to generate first to third secondary DC signals from the first to third primary DC signals, the first secondary DC signal having a first secondary voltage level, the second secondary DC signal having a second secondary voltage level, the third secondary DC signal having a third secondary voltage level, wherein the first secondary voltage level, the second secondary voltage level and the third secondary voltage level are selected not to overlap one another from the first primary voltage level, a voltage level derived by adding the first primary voltage level and the second primary voltage level, and a voltage level derived by adding the first primary voltage level and the third primary voltage level; a first voltage pulse generator electrically connected to the first bias electrode and configured to generate a first voltage pulse signal from the first secondary DC signal, the first voltage pulse signal having the first secondary voltage level; a second voltage pulse generator electrically connected to the second bias electrode and configured to generate a second voltage pulse signal from the second secondary DC signal, the second voltage pulse signal having the second secondary voltage level; and a third voltage pulse generator electrically connected to the third bias electrode and configured to generate a third voltage pulse signal from the third secondary DC signal, the third voltage pulse signal having the third secondary voltage level. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first voltage pulse signal contains a sequence of first voltage pulses, the second voltage pulse signal contains a sequence of second voltage pulses, and the third voltage pulse signal contains a sequence of third voltage pulses. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first primary voltage level, the second primary voltage level, and the third primary voltage level have negative polarity. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein an absolute value of the first primary voltage level is greater than absolute values of the second primary voltage level and the third primary voltage level. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first bias electrode is disposed to vertically overlap with the substrate support surface, the second bias electrode is disposed to vertically overlap with the substrate support surface and the ring support surface, and the third bias electrode is disposed to vertically overlap with the ring support surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first bias electrode is disposed to vertically overlap with the substrate support surface, the second bias electrode is disposed to vertically overlap with the substrate support surface, and the third bias electrode is disposed to vertically overlap with the ring support surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first bias electrode is disposed to vertically overlap with the substrate support surface, the second bias electrode is disposed to vertically overlap with the substrate support surface, and the third bias electrode is disposed to vertically overlap with the substrate support surface and the ring support surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first bias electrode is disposed to vertically overlap with the substrate support surface, the second bias electrode is disposed to vertically overlap with the substrate support surface, and the third bias electrode is disposed to vertically overlap with the substrate support surface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first bias electrode, the second bias electrode, and the third bias electrode are disposed at the same height. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first bias electrode, the second bias electrode, and the third bias electrode are disposed at heights different from one another. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second bias electrode is disposed at a position lower than the first bias electrode, and the third bias electrode is disposed at a position lower than the second bias electrode. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein an outer edge area of the first bias electrode vertically overlaps with an inner edge area of the second bias electrode, and an outer edge area of the second bias electrode vertically overlaps with an inner edge area of the third bias electrode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ring chuck electrode includes an inner ring chuck electrode to which a first ring chuck voltage having a first polarity is applied, and an outer ring chuck electrode to which a second ring chuck voltage having a second polarity is applied. ### Claim 14 A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a plasma processing chamber; a substrate support disposed in the plasma processing chamber, the substrate support including a base, an electrostatic chuck and an edge ring, the electrostatic chuck being disposed on the base and having a substrate support surface and a ring support surface, and the edge ring being disposed on the ring support surface to surround a substrate disposed on the substrate support surface; a substrate chuck electrode disposed below the substrate support surface in the electrostatic chuck; at least one ring chuck electrode disposed below the ring support surface in the electrostatic chuck; a first bias electrode disposed in the electrostatic chuck and having a first outer diameter; a second bias electrode disposed in the electrostatic chuck and having a second outer diameter greater than the first outer diameter; a third bias electrode disposed in the electrostatic chuck and having a third outer diameter greater than the second outer diameter; a first DC power supply configured to generate a first DC signal having a first voltage level; a second DC power supply configured to generate a second DC signal having a second voltage level; a third DC power supply configured to generate a third DC signal having a third voltage level; a first voltage pulse generator electrically connected to the first bias electrode and configured to generate a first voltage pulse signal having the first voltage level; a second voltage pulse generator electrically connected to the second bias electrode and configured to generate a second voltage pulse signal having a fourth voltage level, the fourth voltage level being a sum of the first voltage level and the second voltage level; and a third voltage pulse generator electrically connected to the third bias electrode and configured to generate a third voltage pulse signal having a fifth voltage level, the fifth voltage level being a sum of the first voltage level, the second voltage level, and the third voltage level.