# US 2025/0149293 A1 · Plasma generation circuit and substrate processing device including the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0149293 A1 - Document ID: US20250149293A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/747,933 - Filed: 2024-06-19 - Published: 2025-05-08 - Earliest claimed: 2023-11-02 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jaewon Jeong; Dongchan Jeon; Kyungsun Kim; Sungyeol Kim; Yongwon Cho - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250149293A1 ## CPC - H01J 37/3211: {Antennas, e.g. particular shapes of coils} - H01J 37/321: {the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma} - H01J 37/32183: {Matching circuits} - H01J 37/32449: {Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow} - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract A plasma generation circuit includes a high frequency power source configured to generate a first high frequency current; a current divider comprising a first capacitor and a variable capacitor and configured to divide the first high frequency current into a second high frequency current and a third high frequency current; an antenna assembly comprising a center antenna connected to the current divider and through which the second high frequency current is configured to flow, and an edge antenna connected in to the current divider and through which the third high frequency current is configured to flow, the antenna assembly being configured to induce generation of an inductively coupled plasma; a first coil coupled inductor configured to allow the second high frequency current to flow therethrough; and a second coil coupled inductor configured to allow the third high frequency current to flow therethrough and adjacent to the first coil coupled inductor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A plasma generation circuit comprising: a high frequency power source configured to generate a first high frequency current; a current divider comprising a first capacitor and a variable capacitor and configured to divide the first high frequency current into a second high frequency current and a third high frequency current; an antenna assembly comprising a center antenna connected to the current divider and through which the second high frequency current is configured to flow, and an edge antenna connected in to the current divider and through which the third high frequency current is configured to flow, the antenna assembly being configured to induce generation of an inductively coupled plasma; a first coil coupled inductor configured to allow the second high frequency current to flow therethrough; and a second coil coupled inductor configured to allow the third high frequency current to flow therethrough and adjacent to the first coil coupled inductor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The plasma generation circuit of claim 1, wherein: the center antenna and the edge antenna are provided to generate a first electromagnetic inductive coupling by mutual induction, the first coil coupled inductor and the second coil coupled inductor are provided to generate a second electromagnetic inductive coupling in a direction opposite to a direction of the first electromagnetic inductive coupling, and the first electromagnetic inductive coupling is canceled by the second electromagnetic inductive coupling. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The plasma generation circuit of claim 1, wherein the first coil coupled inductor and the second coil coupled inductor are disposed between the current divider and the antenna assembly. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The plasma generation circuit of claim 1, wherein: the first capacitor is disposed between the center antenna and the edge antenna, and a current ratio of the second high frequency current to the third high frequency current is adjusted by a capacitance of the variable capacitor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The plasma generation circuit of claim 1, further comprising: a second capacitor disposed between the center antenna and ground and connected in series with the center antenna; and a third capacitor disposed between the edge antenna and ground and connected in series with the edge antenna. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The plasma generation circuit of claim 1, wherein the center antenna and the edge antenna include coils that are turned in the same direction. ### Claim 7 A plasma generation circuit comprising: a high frequency power source configured to generate a first high frequency current; a current divider comprising a first capacitor and a variable capacitor and configured to divide the first high frequency current into a second high frequency current and a third high frequency current; an antenna assembly comprising a center antenna connected to the current divider and through which the second high frequency current is configured to flow, and an edge antenna connected to the current divider and through which the third high frequency current is configured to flow, the antenna assembly being configured to induce generation of an inductively coupled plasma; a first busbar coupled inductor configured to allow the second high frequency current to flow therethrough; a second busbar coupled inductor configured to allow the third high frequency current to flow therethrough, and disposed to be apart from the first busbar coupled inductor in a horizontal direction; a first busbar connection portion connected in series with the first busbar coupled inductor; and a second busbar connection portion connected in series with the second busbar coupled inductor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The plasma generation circuit of claim 7, wherein: the center antenna and the edge antenna are provided to generate a first electromagnetic inductive coupling by mutual induction, the first busbar coupled inductor and the second busbar coupled inductor are provided to generate a second electromagnetic inductive coupling in a direction opposite to a direction of the first electromagnetic inductive coupling, and the first electromagnetic inductive coupling is canceled by the second electromagnetic inductive coupling. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The plasma generation circuit of claim 8, wherein: a portion of the first busbar connection portion relatively closer to the second busbar connection portion is at a first point, and a portion of the first busbar connection portion relatively further from the second busbar connection portion is at a second point, the first busbar coupled inductor is configured to be movable along an axis parallel to an extension direction of the first busbar connection portion within a length range between the first point and the second point so as to adjust a magnitude of the second electromagnetic inductive coupling, when the first busbar coupled inductor is located at the first point, a horizontal distance between the first busbar coupled inductor and the second busbar coupled inductor is a first distance, when the first busbar coupled inductor is located at the second point, a horizontal distance between the first busbar coupled inductor and the second busbar coupled inductor is a second distance, and a magnitude of the second electromagnetic inductive coupling generated when the first busbar coupled inductor is located at the first point is greater than a magnitude of the second electromagnetic inductive coupling generated when the first busbar coupled inductor is located at the second point. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The plasma generation circuit of claim 7, wherein the first busbar coupled inductor and the second busbar coupled inductor are disposed between the current divider and the antenna assembly. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The plasma generation circuit of claim 7, wherein: the first capacitor is disposed between the center antenna and the edge antenna, and a current ratio of the second high frequency current to the third high frequency current is adjusted by a capacitance of the variable capacitor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The plasma generation circuit of claim 7, further comprising: a second capacitor disposed between the center antenna and ground and connected in series with the center antenna; and a third capacitor disposed between the edge antenna and ground and connected in series with the edge antenna. ### Claim 13 A plasma generation circuit comprising: a gas supply portion configured to supply plasma gas to a chamber configured to define a space for plasma-processing a substrate; a high frequency power source configured to generate a first high frequency current; a current divider comprising a first capacitor and a variable capacitor and configured to divide the first high frequency current into a second high frequency current and a third high frequency current; an antenna assembly comprising a center antenna connected to the current divider and through which the second high frequency current is configured to flow, and an edge antenna connected to the current divider and through which the third high frequency current is configured to flow, the antenna assembly being configured to induce generation of an inductively coupled plasma; and a coupled inductor disposed between the current divider and the antenna assembly, wherein: the center antenna and the edge antenna are provided to generate a first electromagnetic inductive coupling by mutual induction, the coupled inductor is provided to generate a second electromagnetic inductive coupling in a direction opposite to a direction of the first electromagnetic inductive coupling, and the first electromagnetic inductive coupling is canceled by the second electromagnetic inductive coupling, wherein the chamber comprises: an upper housing; a lower housing disposed below the upper housing; a window disposed between the upper housing and the lower housing; and a chuck configured to support the substrate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The plasma generation circuit of claim 13, wherein the coupled inductor comprises: a first coil coupled inductor configured to allow the second high frequency current to flow therethrough; and a second coil coupled inductor configured to allow the third high frequency current to flow therethrough and adjacent to the first coil coupled inductor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The plasma generation circuit of claim 13, wherein the coupled inductor comprises: a first busbar coupled inductor configured to allow the second high frequency current to flow therethrough; a second busbar coupled inductor configured to allow the third high frequency current to flow therethrough, and disposed to be apart from the first busbar coupled inductor in a horizontal direction; a first busbar connection portion connected in series with the first busbar coupled inductor; and a second busbar connection portion connected in series with the second busbar coupled inductor, wherein, a portion of the first busbar connection portion relatively closer to the second busbar connection portion is at a first point, and a portion of the first busbar connection portion relatively further from the second busbar connection portion is at a second point, the first busbar coupled inductor is configured to be movable along an axis parallel to an extension direction of the first busbar connection portion within a length range between the first point and the second point so as to adjust a magnitude of the second electromagnetic inductive coupling, when the first busbar coupled inductor is located at the first point, a horizontal distance between the first busbar coupled inductor and the second busbar coupled inductor is a first distance, when the first busbar coupled inductor is located at the second point, a horizontal distance between the first busbar coupled inductor and the second busbar coupled inductor is a second distance, and a magnitude of the second electromagnetic inductive coupling generated when the first busbar coupled inductor is located at the first point is greater than a magnitude of the second electromagnetic inductive coupling generated when the first busbar coupled inductor is located at the second point. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The plasma generation circuit of claim 13, further comprising: a first filter capacitor disposed between the center antenna and the coupled inductor and connected in series to the center antenna; and a second filter capacitor disposed between the edge antenna and the coupled inductor and connected in series to the edge antenna. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The plasma generation circuit of claim 13, wherein: the center antenna and the edge antenna are disposed between the upper housing and the window, the center antenna is disposed above a center of the window and is configured to induce generation of plasma at a center of the substrate, the edge antenna is disposed above an edge of the window and is configured to induce generation of plasma at an edge of the substrate, and the center antenna and the edge antenna include coils that are turned in the same direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The plasma generation circuit of claim 13, wherein: the first capacitor is disposed between the center antenna and the edge antenna, and a current ratio of the second high frequency current to the third high frequency current is adjusted by a capacitance of the variable capacitor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The plasma generation circuit of claim 13, wherein the current divider is further configured to control an etch rate at a center of the substrate and an edge of the substrate by adjusting a capacitance of the variable capacitor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The plasma generation circuit of claim 13, wherein the gas supply portion comprises: a gas source configured to supply gas to the chamber; a gas valve connected to the gas source and configured to control an amount of the gas supplied to the chamber; a gas supply line configured to provide a path through which the gas moves; and a gas supply nozzle configured to supply the gas between the window and the substrate.