Modular recipe controlled calibration (MRCC) apparatus used to balance plasma in multiple station system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10991550-B2
Application number	US-201816121408-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2018
Priority date	Sep 4, 2018
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A circuit tuning radio frequency (RF) power. The circuit includes a low to mid frequency (LF/HF) tuning circuit including a variable LF/MF capacitor coupled in series with an LF/MF inductor. The LF/MF tuning circuit is coupled between ground and a common node configured to receive an RF input. The circuit includes a high frequency (HF) tuning circuit coupled in parallel to the LF/MF tuning circuit between ground and the common node. The HF tuning circuit includes a variable HF capacitor coupled in series with an HF inductor. Cross parallel isolation occurs between the LF/MF inductor of the LF/MF tuning circuit and the HF inductor of the HF tuning circuit when adjusting the variable LF/MF capacitor or variable HF capacitor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit tuning radio frequency (RF) power, comprising:
a low frequency (LF) to mid frequency (MF) tuning circuit including a variable low frequency to mid frequency (LF/MF) capacitor coupled in series with an LF/MF inductor, the LF/MF tuning circuit coupled between ground and a common node configured to receive an RF input supplying the RF power that is selectable, wherein in the LF/MF tuning circuit the LF/MF inductor is coupled to the common node and to the variable LF/MF capacitor, wherein in the LF/MF tuning circuit the variable LF/MF capacitor is coupled to the LF/MF inductor and to the ground; and
a high frequency (HF) tuning circuit coupled in parallel to the LF/MF tuning circuit between the ground and the common node, the HF tuning circuit including a variable HF capacitor coupled in series with an HF inductor, wherein in the HF tuning circuit the HF inductor is coupled to the common node and to the variable HF capacitor, wherein in the HF tuning circuit the variable HF capacitor is coupled to the HF inductor and to the ground,
wherein cross parallel isolation occurs between the LF/MF inductor of the LF/MF tuning circuit and the HF inductor of the HF tuning circuit when adjusting the variable LF/MF capacitor or the variable HF capacitor,
wherein the common node is coupled to an output node that is configured to provide an RF output.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the RF power supplied at the RF input is provided by an RF dual source power generator providing at least one of LF/HF power at a low to mid frequency and HF power at a high frequency.

3. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein when the RF power supplied at the RF input has a low to mid frequency component, the HF inductor presents a high impedance to the RF input effectively isolating the HF tuning circuit from the LF/MF tuning circuit when adjusting the variable LF/MF capacitor.

4. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein when the RF power supplied at the RF input has a high frequency component, the LF/MF inductor presents a high impedance to the RF input effectively isolating the LF/MF tuning circuit from the HF tuning circuit when adjusting the variable HF capacitor.

5. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the output node is configured to provide the RF output to a corresponding processing station after tuning.

6. The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising:
an LF/MF actuator coupled to the variable LF/MF capacitor and configured for adjusting the variable LF/MF capacitor;
an LF/MF absolute encoder configured for determining a value of the variable LF/MF capacitor;
an HF actuator coupled to the variable HF capacitor and configured for adjusting the variable HF capacitor; and
an HF absolute encoder configured for determining a value of the variable HF capacitor.

7. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the LF/MF inductor has a higher value than the HF inductor to provide isolation between the LF/MF tuning circuit and the HF tuning circuit when operating at a low to mid frequency or at a high frequency.

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Juco Eller Y
• Leeser Karl Frederick
• French David
• Kapoor Sunil
• Bingham Aaron
• Metz David Alan
• Herzig Brett
• Hiester Jacob L
• Knight Brian

Classifications

• H10P72/7624

  characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support · CPC title

• H01J37/321

  the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma · CPC title

• H01J37/32091 Primary

  the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma · CPC title

• H03H7/40

  Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance · CPC title

• H01J37/32183 Primary

  Matching circuits · CPC title