Electric field uniformity on distributed electrode

A semiconductor processing system comprising:

• a power source transmitting, via N outputs, N first transverse mode signals, wherein N is a natural number greater than 1;
• at least one phase adjuster circuit;
• and
• a plasma chamber comprising:
• N circular waveguides configured to receive the N first transverse mode signals, wherein each of the N circular waveguides comprises:
• an input end;
• an output end;
• and
• a mode converter positioned between the input end and the output end and configured to convert the received first transverse mode signal to a second transverse mode signal to be output by the circular waveguide;
• and
• one or more dielectrics configured to receive the second transverse mode signals from the N circular waveguides and to distribute energy from the second transverse mode signals to one or more antennas of the plasma chamber, the one or more dielectrics comprising N receiving areas positioned at a substantially equal distance from each other and at a substantially equal distance from a center point;
• wherein the N circular waveguides are positioned adjacent to the N receiving areas of the one or more dielectrics such that each receiving area of the N receiving areas has a corresponding circular waveguide of the N circular waveguides;
• and
• wherein the at least one phase adjuster circuit is configured to adjust the phase of at least one of the first transverse mode signals received by the N circular waveguides such that the received first transverse mode signals differ in phase by approximately 360/N for adjacent ones of the N circular waveguides.

A system for providing energy to a plasma chamber having multiple power signal inputs, the system comprising:

• N dielectrics evenly positioned at a substantially equal distance from a center point, wherein N is a natural number greater than one;
• N antennas, wherein each dielectric of the N dielectrics is positioned over a corresponding antenna of the N antennas, and each dielectric of the N dielectrics is configured to provide received energy to its corresponding antenna of the N antennas;
• N circular waveguides, wherein each of the N circular waveguides is positioned over a corresponding one of the N dielectrics, wherein each of the N circular waveguides comprises:
• an input end;
• an output end;
• and
• a mode converter positioned between the input end and the output end and configured to convert a received first transverse mode signal to a second transverse mode signal to be output by the circular waveguide to the corresponding dielectric of the one or more dielectrics;
• and
• at least one phase adjuster circuit configured to adjust the phase of at least one of the transverse mode signals received by the N circular waveguides such that the received transverse mode signals differ in phase by approximately 360/N for adjacent ones of the N circular waveguides.