Power supply system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10755894-B2
Application number	US-201815888245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2018
Priority date	Feb 20, 2012
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

A power supply system 90 includes high frequency power supplies 92 and 93 that supply a high frequency power for plasma generation; a DC power supply 91 that supplies a DC voltage to be applied to an electrode; and control unit 94 that controls the high frequency power supplies 92 and 93 and the DC power supply 91 including a first DC power supply unit 101 that supplies a first negative DC voltage V 1 , a second DC power supply unit 102 that supplies a second negative DC voltage V 2 having a higher absolute value than the first negative DC voltage V 1 , and a selecting circuit 103 that selectively connects the first DC power supply unit 101 and the second DC power supply unit 102 to the electrode; and a discharging circuit 104 connected with a node 109 between the first DC power supply unit 101 and the selecting circuit 103.

First claim

We claim:

1. A power supply system in a plasma etching apparatus in which a lower electrode included in a mounting table that mounts a target substrate thereon and an upper electrode facing the lower electrode are provided within a processing chamber, the power supply system comprising:
a high frequency power supply which is electrically connected with the lower electrode and configured to generate a high frequency power for plasma generation;
a DC power supply, configured to apply an output voltage as a negative DC voltage to the upper electrode, having a first DC power supply unit configured to supply a first negative DC voltage, a second DC power supply unit configured to supply a second negative DC voltage having a higher absolute value than that of the first negative DC voltage, and a selecting circuit configured to selectively connect the first DC power supply unit and the second DC power supply unit to the upper electrode; and
a control unit configured to control the high frequency power supply and the DC power supply,
wherein the control unit is configured to alternately repeat an output of the high frequency power and a stop of the output thereof at a certain frequency by outputting a first control signal to the high frequency power supply,
the control unit is configured to connect the first DC power supply unit to the upper electrode during a period where the high frequency power is outputted and connect the second DC power supply unit to the upper electrode during a period where the output of the high frequency power is stopped by outputting a second control signal to the DC power supply,
the DC power supply further includes a discharging circuit connected with a node between the first DC power supply unit and the selecting circuit,
each of the high frequency power supply, the DC power supply and the control unit has a function of monitoring a synchronization control status,
the high frequency power supply includes a first input monitoring unit configured to monitor the first control signal inputted to the high frequency power supply and a first output monitoring unit configured to monitor the high frequency power outputted from the high frequency power supply,
the high frequency power supply is further configured to determine whether a monitored result of the first output monitoring unit is in an abnormal state based on the first control signal,
the DC power supply includes a second input monitoring unit configured to monitor the second control signal inputted to the DC power supply and a second output monitoring unit configured to monitor the output voltage outputted from the DC power supply,
the DC power supply is further configured to determine whether a monitored result of the second output monitoring unit is in an abnormal state based on the second control signal, and
the control unit includes a third output monitoring unit configured to monitor whether the first or second control signal outputted from the control unit is in an abnormal state.

2. The power supply system of claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit is configured to stop the outputs of the first control signal and the second control signal when the first control signal and the second control signal contain preset abnormalities.

3. The power supply system of claim 1 ,
wherein the DC power supply stops the output of the output voltage when the second control signal contains a preset abnormality.

4. The power supply system of claim 1 ,
wherein the second control signal is a pulse signal configured to switch the DC power supply unit connected with the upper electrode between the first DC power supply unit and the second DC power supply unit, and
the DC power supply compares the output voltage from the DC power supply with the inputted second control signal, and the DC power supply stops the output of the output voltage when a difference between a frequency of the output voltage and a frequency of the second control signal is equal to or higher than a preset value or when a difference between a duty ratio of the output voltage and a duty ratio of the second control signal is equal to or higher than a preset value.

5. The power supply system of claim 1 ,
wherein the high frequency power supply stops the output of the high frequency power when the first control signal contains a preset abnormality.

6. The power supply system of claim 5 ,
wherein the output of the high frequency power starts during a first period and the output of the high frequency power stops during a third period,
the high frequency power supply monitors the high frequency power from the high frequency power supply during a second period between the first period and the third period, and the high frequency power supply controls the output of the high frequency power based on the monitored high frequency power.

7. The power supply system of claim 1 ,
wherein the first control signal is a pulse signal configured to switch between the output of the high frequency power and the stop of the output thereof, and
the high frequency power supply compares the high frequency power from the high frequency power supply with the inputted first control signal, and the high frequency power supply stops the output of the high frequency power when a difference between a frequency of the high frequency power and a frequency of the first control signal is equal to or higher than a preset value or when a difference between a duty ratio of the high frequency power and a duty ratio of the first control signal is equal to or higher than a preset value.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Hirano Taichi
• KUMAGAI Fumitoshi

Classifications

• H10P50/283

  by chemical means · CPC title

• H10P50/73

  using masks for insulating materials · CPC title

• H10W20/081

  by forming openings in the dielectric parts · CPC title

• H05H2242/26

  Matching networks · CPC title

• H01J37/32027 Primary

  DC powered · CPC title