Method for controlling a plasma chamber
AssigneeReno Technologies, Inc.
InventorImran Ahmed BHUTTA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An system and method for controlling a plasma chamber includes operably coupling an RF generator to the plasma chamber, the RF generator providing an RF signal to a chamber input of the plasma chamber; measuring a parameter at the chamber input; determining a rate of change based on the measured parameter; detecting an excessive rate of change condition comprising the rate of change exceeding a reference rate of change; detecting a repetitive change condition comprising a predetermined number of the excessive rate of change conditions in a predetermined time; upon detection of the repetitive change condition, decreasing a power of the RF signal provided to the chamber input.
Claims22
A system for controlling a plasma chamber, the system comprising:
- an RF generator operably coupled to a chamber input of the plasma chamber, the RF generator configured to provide an RF signal to the chamber input;
- a sensor component configured to measure a parameter at the chamber input;
- and
- a control unit configured to:
- receive a sensor signal from the sensor component, the sensor signal indicative of the measured parameter;
- determine a rate of change based on the measured parameter;
- detect an excessive rate of change condition comprising the rate of change exceeding a reference rate of change;
- detect a repetitive change condition comprising a predetermined number of the excessive rate of change conditions in a predetermined time;
- and
- upon detection of the repetitive change condition, decrease a power of the RF signal provided to the chamber input.
6-10. (canceled)
A method for controlling a plasma chamber, the method comprising:
- operably coupling an RF generator to the plasma chamber, the RF generator providing an RF signal to a chamber input of the plasma chamber;
- measuring a parameter at the chamber input;
- determining a rate of change based on the measured parameter;
- detecting an excessive rate of change condition comprising the rate of change exceeding a reference rate of change;
- detecting a repetitive change condition comprising a predetermined number of the excessive rate of change conditions in a predetermined time;
- and
- upon detection of the repetitive change condition, decreasing a power of the RF signal provided to the chamber input.
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor, the method comprising:
- placing a substrate in a plasma chamber configured to deposit a material layer onto the substrate or etch a material layer from the substrate;
- and
- energizing plasma within the plasma chamber by operably coupling an RF generator to the plasma chamber, the RF generator providing an RF signal to a chamber input of the plasma chamber, the RF signal having a current, a voltage, and a phase angle between the voltage and the current, and while energizing the plasma:
- measuring a parameter at the chamber input;
- determining a rate of change based on the measured parameter;
- detecting an excessive rate of change condition comprising the rate of change exceeding a reference rate of change;
- detecting a repetitive change condition comprising a predetermined number of the excessive rate of change conditions in a predetermined time;
- and
- upon detection of the repetitive change condition, decreasing a power of the RF signal provided to the chamber input.
26-30. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.