Phased array antennas and methods for controlling uniformity in processing a substrate
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsLuc Albarede, John Stephen Drewery
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for directing a main beam towards a gap within a plasma chamber is provided. The system includes an edge ring and a plurality of antenna elements coupled to the edge ring. The plurality of antenna elements includes a first antenna element and a second antenna element. The first antenna element receives a radio frequency (RF) signal having a phase and the second antenna element receives a phase-shifted signal. The phase-shifted signal has a phase that is shifted with respect to the phase of the RF signal to output the main beam towards the gap within the plasma chamber.
Claims20
A controller system comprising:
- a phase shifter;
- and
- a controller coupled to the phase shifter, the phase shifter is configured to receive a plurality of radio frequency (RF) input signals split from a power source, the controller configured to control the phase shifter to shift a phase of one of the plurality of RF input signals, the phase is shifted to output a phase-shifted signal, the phase shifter is configured to provide the phase-shifted signal to be used in formation of a beam to be directed to a gap within a plasma chamber.
A method comprising:
- receiving, by a phase shifter, a plurality of radio frequency (RF) input signals split from a power source;
- controlling the phase shifter to shift a phase of one of the plurality of RF input signals, the phase is shifted to output a phase-shifted signal;
- and
- providing the phase-shifted signal to be used in formation of a beam to be directed to a gap within a plasma chamber.
A system comprising:
- a power source configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal that is split into a plurality of RF input signals;
- a plasma chamber including a component;
- a phase shifter;
- and
- a controller coupled to the phase shifter, the phase shifter is configured to receive the plurality of RF input signals, the controller configured to control the phase shifter to shift a phase of one of the plurality of RF input signals, the phase is shifted to output a phase-shifted signal, the phase shifter is configured to provide the phase-shifted signal to be used in formation of a beam to be directed to a gap within the plasma chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.