Apparatus for monitoring pulsed high-frequency power and substrate processing apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11545340-B2
Application number	US-202017089041-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2020
Priority date	Oct 12, 2015
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed are an apparatus for monitoring pulsed high-frequency power and a substrate processing apparatus including the same. The apparatus includes an attenuation module configured to attenuate a pulsed high-frequency power signal; a rectifier module configured to convert the pulsed high-frequency power signal into a direct current signal; and a detection module configured to detect a pulse parameter based on the direct current signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
a chamber;
a substrate support assembly within the chamber, the substrate support assembly including a lower electrode;
a lower impedance matching unit connected to the lower electrode;
a first RF power source connected to the lower impedance matching unit, the first RF power source configured to generate a first pulsed power signal according to a first ON/OFF pulse;
a second RF power source connected to the lower impedance matching unit, the second RF power source configured to generate a second pulsed power signal according to a second ON/OFF pulse;
a pulse input unit configured to apply the first ON/OFF pulse to the first RF power source and apply the second ON/OFF pulse to the second RF power source; and
a monitoring unit including
a rectifier module configured to convert the first pulsed power signal into a first direct current signal and convert the second pulsed power signal into a second direct current signal, and
a detection module configured to detect a first pulse parameter including at least one of a pulse frequency of the first direct current signal, a pulse duty ratio of the first direct current signal, and a pulse phase difference of the first direct current signal and the second direct current signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring unit further includes an attenuation module configured to attenuate the first pulsed power signal and attenuate the second pulsed power signal, and
wherein the rectifier module is further configured to convert an attenuated first power signal into the first direct current signal and convert an attenuated second power signal into the second direct current signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the attenuation module attenuates the first pulsed power signal such that the first pulsed power signal is in a range of 0 V to 10 V.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detection module includes:
a differentiator configured to differentiate the first direct current signal; and
an edge detection unit configured to detect an edge of the first direct current signal based on a differentiation value obtained by differentiating the first direct current signal through the differentiator.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the edge detection unit includes:
a rising edge detection unit configured to detect a rising edge of the first direct current signal; and
a falling edge detection unit configured to detect a falling edge of the first direct current signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the detection module further includes a pulse frequency calculation unit configured to calculate the pulse frequency of the first direct current signal based on at least two continuous rising edge signals detected by the rising edge detection unit.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the detection module further includes a pulse duty ratio calculation unit configured to calculate the pulse duty ratio of the first direct current signal based on the rising edge and the falling edge of the first direct current signal sequentially detected, respectively, by the rising edge detection unit and the falling edge detection unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the detection module further includes a pulse phase calculation unit configured to calculate the pulse phase difference of the first direct current signal by comparing a first edge signal of the first direct current signal detected by the edge detection unit with a second edge signal of the second direct current signal detected by the edge detection unit.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detection module is further configured to detect a second pulse parameter including at least one of a pulse frequency of the second direct current signal, a pulse duty ratio of the second direct current signal, and a pulse phase difference between the second direct current signal and the first direct current signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lower impedance matching unit is configured to perform impedance matching between the chamber, and the first RF and the second RF power sources.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an upper impedance matching unit connected to an upper electrode of the chamber; and
a third RF power source connected to the upper impedance matching unit, the third RF power source configured to generate a third pulsed power signal according to a third ON/OFF pulse, and
wherein the pulse input unit is further configured to apply the third ON/OFF pulse to the third RF power source.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the rectifier module is further configured to convert the third pulsed power signal into a third direct current signal, and
wherein the detection module is further configured to detect a third pulse parameter including at least one of a pulse frequency of the third direct current signal, a pulse duty ratio of the third direct current signal, and a pulse phase difference between the third direct current signal, and the first and the second direct current signals.

13. An apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
a chamber including an upper electrode and a lower electrode;
a pulse input unit configured to generate a plurality of ON/OFF pulses;
a plurality of RF power sources configured to generate a plurality of pulsed power signals according to the plurality of ON/OFF pulses for applying the plurality of pulsed power signals to at least one of the upper electrode and the lower electrode; and
a monitoring unit including
a rectifier module configured to convert the plurality of pulsed power signals into a plurality of direct current signals, and
a detection module configured to detect a pulse parameter including at least one of a pulse frequency of one of the plurality of direct current signals, a pulse duty ratio of the one of the plurality of direct current signals, and a pulse phase difference between the plurality of direct current signals.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the monitoring unit further includes a plurality of attenuation modules configured to attenuate the plurality of pulsed power signals, and
wherein the rectifier module is further configured to convert a plurality of attenuated power signals into the plurality of direct current signals.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the detection module includes:
a differentiator configured to differentiate the one of the plurality of direct current signals; and
an edge detection unit configured to detect an edge of the one of the plurality of direct current signals based on a differentiation value obtained by differentiating the one of the plurality of direct current signals through the differentiator.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the edge detection unit includes:
a rising edge detection unit configured to detect a rising edge of the one of the plurality of direct current signals; and
a falling edge detection unit configured to detect a falling edge of the one of the plurality of direct current signals.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the detection module further includes a pulse frequency calculation unit configured to calculate the pulse frequency of the one of the plurality of direct current signals based on at least two continuous rising edge signals detected by the rising edge detection unit.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the detection module further includes a pulse duty ratio calculation unit configured to calculate the pulse duty ratio o

Assignees

• Semes Co Ltd

Inventors

• An Jong Hwan
• Nam Shin-Woo
• Lee Hong Won
• Shim Jae Bak

Classifications

• H01J37/32146 Primary

  Amplitude modulation, includes pulsing · CPC title

• H03H7/38

  Impedance-matching networks · CPC title

• G01R23/10

  by converting frequency into a train of pulses, which are then counted {, i.e. converting the signal into a square wave} · CPC title

• G01R23/04

  adapted for measuring in circuits having distributed constants · CPC title

• G01R21/12

  in circuits having distributed constants · CPC title