Direct Current Pulsing Plasma Systems

A plasma processing system, comprising,

• a chamber having a lower electrode coupled to a substrate support and an upper electrode coupled to ground, a plasma processing volume is defined between the upper electrode and the lower electrode;
• a first direct current (DC) to direct current (DC) converter configured to receive at an input a positive DC voltage input and supply at an output a positive amplified DC voltage signal that includes a radio frequency (RF) component, the positive DC voltage input follows a pulsing pattern that is digitally programmable, the output of the DC to DC convertor is connected to the lower electrode of the chamber;
• a second direct current (DC) to direct current (DC) converter configured to receive at an input a negative DC voltage input and supply at an output a negative amplified DC voltage signal that includes a radio frequency (RF) component, the negative DC voltage input follows a pulsing pattern that is digitally programmable, the output of the DC to DC convertor is connected to the lower electrode of the chamber;
• a controller being interfaced with the first and second DC to DC converters to set the pulsing pattern, wherein positive pulses of the pulsing pattern are provided by the first DC to DC converter and negative pulses of the pulsing pattern are provided by the second DC to DC converter.

A method for processing a substrate using a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) chamber driven by a DC to DC converter, comprising,

• providing the chamber having a lower electrode coupled to a substrate support and an upper electrode coupled to ground, a plasma processing volume is defined between the upper electrode and the lower electrode;
• providing a direct current (DC) voltage input based on a pulsing pattern, the pulsing pattern being defined by a digital program;
• generating a radio frequency (RF) component using the DC input voltage;
• amplifying the DC input voltage that includes the RF component;
• and
• rectifying the RF component to produce an amplified DC voltage signal that includes the RF component, the amplified DC voltage signal that includes the RF component being supplied to the lower electrode of the chamber;
• wherein the pulsing pattern that is defined by the digital program defines a frequency of the amplified DC voltage signal and a frequency of the RF component, the frequency of the amplified DC voltage defines positive or negative pulses, and pulse widths and amplitudes of the positive or negative pulses.