RF pulse reflection reduction for processing substrates

A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a method of RF pulse reflection reduction in a process chamber to be performed, the method comprising:

• (a) providing a plurality of pulsed RF power waveforms from a plurality of RF generators to a process chamber during a first time period;
• (b) determining an initial reflected power profile for each of the plurality of pulsed RF power waveforms;
• (c) for each of the plurality of pulsed RF power waveforms,
• determining a highest level of reflected power during the first time period, and
• controlling at least one of a match network coupled to an RF generator that produced the pulsed RF power waveform, or the RF generator that produced the pulsed RF power waveform, to reduce the highest level of reflected power;
• (d) determining an adjusted reflected power profile for each of the plurality of pulsed RF power waveforms;
• and
• (e) repeating (c) and (d) until the adjusted reflected power profile for each of the plurality of pulsed RF power waveforms is within a threshold tuning range.

A substrate processing system comprising:

• a plurality of RF generators configured to provide a plurality of pulsed RF power waveforms to a process chamber during a first time period;
• a plurality of sensors configured to measure reflected power for the plurality of pulsed RF power waveforms;
• and
• a plurality of match networks each coupled to one of the plurality of RF generators, wherein each of the plurality of match networks is configured to:
• (a) determine a reflected power profile for one of the plurality of pulsed RF power waveforms based on measurements from one of the plurality of sensors;
• (b) determine a highest level of reflected power of the reflected power profile during the first time period;
• (c) reduce the highest level of reflected power;
• (d) determine an adjusted reflected power profile for each of the plurality of pulsed RF power waveforms based on a second set of measurements from one of the plurality of sensors;
• and
• (e) repeating (b) and (d) until the adjusted reflected power profile for each of the plurality of pulsed RF power waveforms is within a threshold tuning range.