Systems and methods for reverse pulsing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12437966-B2
Application number	US-202318480495-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2023
Priority date	Aug 5, 2015
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

Systems and methods for reverse pulsing are described. One of the methods includes receiving a digital signal having a first state and a second state. The method further includes generating a transformer coupled plasma (TCP) radio frequency (RF) pulsed signal having a high state when the digital signal is in the first state and having a low state when the digital signal is in the second state. The method includes providing the TCP RF pulsed signal to one or more coils of a plasma chamber, generating a bias RF pulsed signal having a low state when the digital signal is in the first state and having a high state when the digital signal is in the second state, and providing the bias RF pulsed signal to a chuck of the plasma chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
generating a plurality of source radio frequency (RF) signals;
generating a plurality of bias RF signals;
supplying the plurality of source RF signals to a first match that is coupled to a top coil of a plasma chamber, wherein the plurality of source RF signals are supplied to the first match to facilitate outputting a modified source signal; and
supplying the plurality of bias RF signals to a second match that is coupled to an electrode of the plasma chamber, wherein the plurality of bias RF signals are supplied to the second match to facilitate outputting a modified bias signal that is reversely synchronized compared to the modified source signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of source RF signals include a first source RF signal and a second source RF signal, the method further comprising reversely synchronizing the second source RF signal with respect to the first source RF signal.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first source RF signal has a first high power level and a first low power level and the second source RF signal has a second high power level and a second low power level, wherein the first high power level of the first source RF signal is greater than the first low power level of the first source RF signal and the second high power level of the second source RF signal is greater than the second low power level of the second source RF signal, wherein the first source RF signal transitions from the first high power level to the first low power level when the second source RF signal transitions from the second low power level to the second high power level and the first source RF signal transitions from the first low power level to the first high power level when the second source RF signal transitions from the second high power level to the second low power level to achieve the reverse synchronization.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bias RF signals include a first bias RF signal and a second bias RF signal, the method further comprising reversely synchronizing the second bias RF signal with respect to the first bias RF signal.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first bias RF signal has a first high power level and a first low power level and the second bias RF signal has a second high power level and a second low power level, wherein the first high power level of the first bias RF signal is greater than the first low power level of the first bias RF signal and the second high power level of the second bias RF signal is greater than the second low power level of the second bias RF signal, wherein the first bias RF signal transitions from the first high power level to the first low power level when the second bias RF signal transitions from the second low power level to the second high power level and the first bias RF signal transitions from the first low power level to the first high power level when the second bias RF signal transitions from the second high power level to the second low power level to achieve the reverse synchronization.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a digital pulsed signal; and
synchronizing the plurality of source RF signals and the plurality of bias RF signals to the digital pulsed signal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified bias signal has a first high power level and a first low power level and the modified source signal has a second high power level and a second low power level, wherein the first high power level of the modified bias signal is greater than the first low power level of the modified bias signal and the second high power level of the modified source signal is greater than the second low power level of the modified source signal, wherein the modified bias signal transitions from the first high power level to the first low power level when the modified source signal transitions from the second low power level to the second high power level and the modified bias signal transitions from the first low power level to the first high power level when the modified source signal transitions from the second high power level to the second low power level to achieve the reverse synchronization.

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Long Maolin
• Tan Zhongkui
• Wu Ying
• Fu Qian
• Paterson Alex
• Drewery John

Classifications

• H10P72/0421

  for drying etching · CPC title

• H10P50/242 Primary

  of Group IV materials · CPC title

• H10P72/00

  Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof · CPC title

• H10P72/04

  Apparatus for manufacture or treatment · CPC title

• H01J37/32183

  Matching circuits · CPC title