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US 2018/0005802 A1Published application
Systems and methods for tailoring ion energy distribution function by odd harmonic mixing
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsZhigang Chen, Alexei Marakhtanov, John Patrick Holland
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for controlling a process applied to a substrate within a plasma chamber are described. The systems and methods include generating and supplying odd harmonic signals and summing the odd harmonic signals to generate an added signal. The added signal is supplied to an electrode within the plasma chamber for processing the substrate. The use of odd harmonic signals facilitates high aspect ratio etching of the substrate.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a radiofrequency (RF) generator including:
- an odd harmonic power supply configured to generate an nth harmonic RF signal, wherein n is an odd number;
- an impedance matching circuit coupled to the odd harmonic power supply, wherein the impedance matching circuit is configured to output an nth modified harmonic RF signal upon receiving the nth harmonic RF signal;
- a frequency multiplier coupled to the impedance matching circuit, wherein the frequency multiplier is configured to receive the nth modified harmonic RF signal to output an (n+2)th harmonic RF signal;
- a variable adjuster coupled to the frequency multiplier, wherein the variable adjuster is configured to modify a variable of the (n+2)th harmonic RF signal to output an adjusted (n+2)th harmonic RF signal;
- an adder coupled to the variable adjuster and the impedance matching circuit, wherein the adder is configured to add the nth modified harmonic RF signal and the adjusted (n+2)th harmonic RF signal to provide an added RF signal;
- and
- a plasma chamber coupled to the RF generator, wherein the plasma chamber is configured to receive the added RF signal from the adder to provide power to an electrode within the plasma chamber.
5 more elements
A system comprising:
- a radio frequency (RF) generator including:
- a first odd harmonic RF power supply configured to generate an nth harmonic RF signal, wherein n is an odd number;
- a second odd harmonic RF power supply configured to generate an (n+2)th harmonic RF signal;
- a first impedance matching circuit coupled to the first odd harmonic RF power supply, wherein the first impedance matching circuit is configured to receive the nth harmonic RF signal to output an nth modified harmonic RF signal;
- a second impedance matching circuit coupled to the second odd harmonic RF power supply, wherein the second impedance matching circuit is configured to receive the (n+2)th harmonic RF signal to output an (n+2)th modified harmonic RF signal;
- an adder coupled to the first impedance matching circuit and the second impedance matching circuit, wherein the adder is configured to add the nth modified harmonic RF signal and the (n+2)th modified harmonic RF signal to output an added RF signal;
- and
- a plasma chamber coupled to the RF generator, wherein the plasma chamber is configured to receive the added RF signal from the adder for changing an impedance of plasma within the plasma chamber.
5 more elements
A system comprising:
- a radio frequency (RF) generator including:
- a first odd harmonic RF power supply configured to generate an nth harmonic RF signal, wherein n is an odd number;
- a second odd harmonic RF power supply configured to generate an (n+2)th harmonic RF signal;
- a variable adjuster coupled to the second odd harmonic RF power supply, wherein the variable adjuster is configured to adjust a variable of the (n+2)th harmonic RF signal to output an adjusted (n+2)th harmonic RF signal;
- a first impedance matching circuit coupled to the first odd harmonic RF power supply, wherein the first impedance matching circuit is configured to receive the nth harmonic RF signal for outputting an nth modified harmonic RF signal;
- a second impedance matching circuit coupled to the variable adjuster, wherein the second impedance matching circuit is configured to receive the adjusted (n+2)th harmonic RF signal to output an (n+2)th modified harmonic RF signal;
- an adder coupled to the first impedance matching circuit and the second impedance matching circuit, wherein the adder is configured to add the nth modified harmonic RF signal with the (n+2)th modified harmonic RF signal to output an added RF signal;
- and
- a plasma chamber coupled to the RF generator, wherein the plasma chamber is configured to receive the added RF signal to modify an impedance of plasma within the plasma chamber.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.