Filter box for a substrate processing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12347648-B2
Application number	US-202017594968-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2020
Priority date	May 6, 2019
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

A filter module for a substrate processing chamber includes a plurality of exterior panels defining an interior, a plurality of internal panels defining a plurality of compartments within the interior of the filter module, and an adjustable capacitor arranged on a first panel of the plurality of internal panels within a first compartment of the plurality of compartments. The adjustable capacitor is coupled, through the first panel, to a motor located outside of the first compartment, and the adjustable capacitor is configured to receive a radio frequency input signal and provide a radio frequency voltage to the substrate processing chamber based on a position of the motor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A filter module for a substrate processing chamber, the filter module comprising:
a plurality of exterior panels defining an interior;
a plurality of internal panels defining a plurality of compartments within the interior of the filter module; and
an adjustable capacitor arranged on a first panel of the plurality of internal panels within a first compartment of the plurality of compartments, wherein the adjustable capacitor is coupled, through the first panel, to a motor located outside of the first compartment, and wherein the adjustable capacitor is configured to receive a radio frequency input signal and provide a radio frequency voltage to the substrate processing chamber based on a position of the motor,
wherein the motor is arranged within a notch on an exterior of the filter module.

2. The filter module of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable capacitor is configured to provide the radio frequency voltage to filter circuitry within the first compartment and the filter circuitry is configured to provide a filtered RF frequency voltage to the substrate processing chamber.

3. The filter module of claim 1 , further comprising an insulative spacer provided between the adjustable capacitor and the first panel.

4. The filter module of claim 1 , further comprising an encoder configured to map a capacitance of the adjustable capacitor to the position of the motor, wherein the position of the motor is an absolute position of the motor.

5. The filter module of claim 1 , wherein a second panel of the plurality of the internal panels separates the first compartment from a second compartment of the plurality of compartments.

6. The filter module of claim 5 , wherein a third panel of the plurality of the internal panels separates the second compartment from a third compartment of the plurality of compartments.

7. The filter module of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the second compartment and the third compartment includes filter circuitry configured to filter a heater power signal and provide the filtered heater power signal to the substrate processing chamber.

8. The filter module of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of exterior panels includes a front panel, a back panel, a top panel, a bottom panel, and first and second side panels.

9. The filter module of claim 8 , wherein the first side panel includes an input connector configured to receive a cable connector, wherein the input connector is configured to receive the radio frequency input signal via the cable connector.

10. A filter module for a substrate processing chamber, the filter module comprising:
a plurality of exterior panels defining an interior;
a plurality of internal panels defining a plurality of compartments within the interior of the filter module; and
an adjustable capacitor arranged on a first panel of the plurality of internal panels within a first compartment of the plurality of compartments, wherein the adjustable capacitor is coupled, through the first panel, to a motor located outside of the first compartment, and wherein the adjustable capacitor is configured to receive a radio frequency input signal and provide a radio frequency voltage to the substrate processing chamber based on a position of the motor,
wherein the plurality of exterior panels includes a front panel, a back panel, a top panel, a bottom panel, and first and second side panels,
wherein the first side panel includes an input connector configured to receive a cable connector, wherein the input connector is configured to receive the radio frequency input signal via the cable connector, and
wherein (i) a leaf spring is arranged on the first side panel between the input connector and the cable connector and (ii) the cable connector connects to the input connector through an opening in the leaf spring.

11. The filter module of claim 10 , wherein a first end of the leaf spring is mounted on the first side panel and a second end of the leaf spring extends past a perimeter of the first side panel.

12. The filter module of claim 11 , wherein the second end of the leaf spring extends over a contact switch arranged on the back panel of the filter module.

13. The filter module of claim 12 , wherein connecting the cable connector to the input connector causes the second end of the leaf spring to engage the contact switch.

14. The filter module of claim 13 , wherein the contact switch is configured to generate a signal indicating whether at least one of (i) the filter module is installed on the substrate processing chamber and (ii) the cable connector is connected to the input connector.

15. The filter module of claim 13 , wherein the first side panel includes a removable access panel, and wherein the first end of the leaf spring is mounted to the first side panel through the removable access panel.

16. A substrate processing tool comprising a plurality of substrate processing chambers and a plurality of the filter modules of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of filter modules is mounted on a respective one of the plurality of substrate processing chambers.

17. The substrate processing tool of claim 16 , wherein each of the filter modules includes a removable side panel, and wherein the removable side panel of each of the filter modules faces an outer perimeter of the substrate processing tool.

18. A filter module for a substrate processing chamber, the filter module comprising:
a plurality of exterior panels defining an interior;
a plurality of internal panels defining a plurality of compartments within the interior of the filter module; and
an adjustable capacitor arranged on a first panel of the plurality of internal panels within a first compartment of the plurality of compartments, wherein the adjustable capacitor is coupled, through the first panel, to a motor located outside of the first compartment, and wherein the adjustable capacitor is configured to receive a radio frequency input signal and provide a radio frequency voltage to the substrate processing chamber based on a position of the motor,
wherein the adjustable capacitor is configured to provide the radio frequency voltage to filter circuitry within the first compartment and the filter circuitry is configured to provide a filtered RF frequency voltage to the substrate processing chamber, and
wherein second and third compartments of the plurality of compartments each include respective circuitry,
wherein the motor is arranged within a notch on an exterior of the filter module.

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Vasquez Miguel Benjamin
• French David

Classifications

• H03H1/0007

  of radio frequency interference filters · CPC title

• H03H7/0153

  Electrical filters; Controlling thereof · CPC title

• H01J2237/3321

  CVD [Chemical Vapor Deposition] · CPC title

• H01J37/32899

  Multiple chambers, e.g. cluster tools · CPC title

• C23C16/505

  using radio frequency discharges · CPC title