Impedance match with an elongated RF strap

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12080518-B2
Application number	US-202117795225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2021
Priority date	Jan 30, 2020
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

An impedance match is described. The impedance match includes a housing having a bottom portion and a top portion. The bottom portion has match components and the top portion has an elongated body. A low frequency input is connected through the bottom portion of the housing, and the low frequency input is interconnected to a first set of capacitors and inductors. A high frequency input is connected through the bottom portion of the housing, and the high frequency input is interconnected to a second set of capacitors and inductors. An elongated strap extends between the bottom portion and the top portion of the housing. A lower portion of the elongated strap is coupled to the second set of capacitors and inductors and an upper portion of the elongated strap is connected to an RF rod at an end of the elongated body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An impedance match for transferring radio frequency (RF) power to an electrode of a plasma chamber, comprising:
a housing having a bottom portion and a top portion, the bottom portion having match components and the top portion having an elongated body;
a low frequency input connected through the bottom portion of the housing, the low frequency input interconnected to a first set of capacitors and inductors;
a high frequency input connected through the bottom portion of the housing, the high frequency input interconnected to a second set of capacitors and inductors;
an elongated strap extending between the bottom portion and the top portion of the housing, wherein the elongated strap has a lower portion and an upper portion, wherein the lower portion of the elongated strap is coupled to the second set of capacitors and inductors and the upper portion of the elongated strap is connected to an RF rod at an end of the elongated body; and
an intermediate strap coupled at a first end to the elongated strap at a mid-connection that is between the lower portion and the upper portion, wherein the intermediate strap is connected to an auxiliary capacitor at a second end.

2. The impedance match of claim 1 , wherein the mid-connection of the intermediate strap to the elongated strap is located proximate to a base of the elongated body of the housing.

3. The impedance match of claim 1 , wherein the elongated body of the housing provides for housing the upper portion of the elongated strap that extends above the mid-connection.

4. The impedance match of claim 1 , wherein the elongated strap that extends above the mid-connection provides an additional inductance leading to the RF rod.

5. The impedance match of claim 1 , wherein each of the elongated strap and the intermediate strap is defined by a flat conductive bar material.

6. The impedance match of claim 1 , wherein the housing has a front side and a back side, wherein the back side is configured to face toward the plasma chamber, and the RF rod extends out from the back side of the housing from the upper portion of the elongated strap.

7. The impedance match of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate strap has a portion that is configured to overlap without contact with the lower portion of the elongated strap, such that the mid-connection provides a location for providing an inductance and a variable capacitance of the auxiliary capacitor.

8. The impedance match of claim 1 , wherein the elongated body is narrower than the bottom portion of the housing.

9. The impedance match of claim 1 , wherein the high frequency input is configured to be connected via an RF cable to a high frequency RF generator, wherein the low frequency input is configured to be connected via an RF cable to a low frequency RF generator, wherein the low frequency RF generator is configured to operate at a lower frequency than a frequency of operation of the high frequency RF generator.

10. The impedance match of claim 1 , wherein the bottom portion of the housing has a first port configured to receive a first RF cable that couples the low frequency input to a low frequency RF generator.

11. The impedance match of claim 10 , wherein the bottom portion of the housing has a second port configured to receive a second RF cable that couples the high frequency input to a high frequency RF generator.

12. The impedance match of claim 1 , wherein the elongated strap is longer than the intermediate strap.

13. The impedance match of claim 1 , wherein the housing is situated within another housing, wherein the other housing includes a compartment that includes a chuck power supply and a filter, wherein the other housing further includes another compartment that includes a match circuit for a tunable edge ring.

14. An impedance match for transferring RF power to an electrode of a plasma chamber, comprising:
a housing having a bottom portion and a top portion, wherein the bottom portion has match components and the top portion has an elongated body;
an elongated strap extending between the bottom portion and the top portion of the housing, wherein the elongated strap has an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion of the elongated strap is coupled to the match components and the upper portion of the elongated strap is connected to an RF rod at an end of the elongated body; and
an intermediate strap coupled at a first end to the elongated strap at a mid-connection that is between the lower portion and the upper portion, wherein the intermediate strap is connected to an auxiliary capacitor at a second end.

15. The impedance match of claim 14 , wherein the match components include:
a first set of capacitors and inductors coupled to a high frequency input; and
a second set of capacitors and inductors coupled to a low frequency input.

16. The impedance match of claim 14 , wherein each of the elongated strap and the intermediate strap is defined by a flat conductive bar material.

17. The impedance match of claim 14 , wherein the elongated strap that extends above the mid-connection provides an additional inductance leading via the upper portion to the RF rod.

18. The impedance match of claim 14 , wherein the housing is situated within another housing, wherein the other housing includes a compartment that includes a chuck power supply and a filter, wherein the other housing further includes another compartment that includes a match circuit for a tunable edge ring.

19. An impedance match comprising:
a housing having a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the top portion is narrower than the bottom portion;
a first branch configured to be coupled to a first radio frequency (RF) generator;
a second branch configured to be coupled to a second RF generator; and
an output,
wherein the second branch includes a first capacitor, a second capacitor, the output, a first RF strap, and a second RF strap including a first RF strap portion and a second RF strap portion,
wherein the first RF strap, the first strap portion, and the second RF strap portion are coupled to each other at a point,
wherein the first capacitor is coupled via the first RF strap portion and the second RF strap portion to the output of impedance match,
wherein the second capacitor is coupled via the first RF strap and the second RF strap portion to the output of the impedance match, wherein the top portion is configured to house the second RF strap portion.

20. The impedance match of claim 19 , wherein each of the first RF strap and the second RF strap is defined by a flat conductive bar material.

21. The impedance match of claim 19 , wherein the first RF generator is configured to operate at a lower frequency than a frequency of operation of the second RF generator.

22. The impedance match of claim 19 , wherein the first RF strap has a portion that is configured to overlap without contact with the first RF strap portion.

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Kozakevich Felix Leib
• Marakhtanov Alexei
• Ji Bing
• Bhowmick Ranadeep
• Holland John

Classifications

• H03H7/38

  Impedance-matching networks · CPC title

• H01J37/32577

  Electrical connecting means · CPC title

• H01J37/32183 Primary

  Matching circuits · CPC title