Determining A Malfunctioning Device in A Plasma System

A method for determining a malfunctioning device in a plasma system, comprising:

• receiving an indication whether plasma is generated within a plasma chamber of the plasma system;
• determining whether the plasma system operates within constraints in response to receiving the indication that the plasma is generated, wherein determining whether the plasma system operates within the constraints is performed when the plasma system includes an impedance matching circuit that is located between the plasma chamber and an RF generator of the plasma system, wherein determining whether the plasma system operates within the constraints is performed when the plasma system includes an RF transmission line coupling the impedance matching circuit to the plasma chamber;
• determining a value of a variable at a node of the RF transmission line in response to determining that the plasma system lacks operation within the constraints, wherein determining the value of the variable is performed when the impedance matching circuit is coupled with a known load;
• comparing the determined value with a pre-recorded value of the variable;
• determining whether the determined value is outside a range of the pre-recorded value;
• and
• determining that the malfunctioning device is between an input of the RF generator and the node in response to determining that the determined value is outside the range of the pre-recorded value,
• wherein the method is executed by one or more processors.

A method for determining a malfunctioning device in a plasma system, comprising:

• receiving an indication whether plasma is generated within a plasma chamber of the plasma system, the plasma system including a processing portion and a power delivery portion;
• determining whether the plasma system operates within constraints in response to receiving the indication that the plasma is generated;
• determining a value of a variable at an output of the power delivery portion when the processing portion is decoupled from the power delivery portion;
• comparing the determined value with a pre-recorded value of the variable;
• determining whether determined value is outside a range of the pre-recorded value;
• and
• determining that the malfunctioning device is between an input of the power delivery portion and an output of the power delivery portion in response to determining that the determined value is outside the range of the pre-recorded value.