Matchless plasma source for semiconductor wafer fabrication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12471202-B2
Application number	US-202519072918-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2025
Priority date	Oct 18, 2017
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A matchless plasma source is described. The matchless plasma source includes a controller that is coupled to a direct current (DC) voltage source of an agile DC rail to control a shape of an amplified square waveform that is generated at an output of a half-bridge transistor circuit. The matchless plasma source further includes the half-bridge transistor circuit used to generate the amplified square waveform to power an electrode, such as an antenna, of a plasma chamber. The matchless plasma source also includes a reactive circuit between the half-bridge transistor circuit and the electrode. The reactive circuit has a high-quality factor to negate a reactance of the electrode. There is no radio frequency (RF) match and an RF cable that couples the matchless plasma source to the electrode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An inductively coupled plasma (ICP) radio frequency (RF) power delivery system comprising:
a plurality of direct current (DC) voltage sources, each of the plurality of DC voltage sources connected to one of a plurality of RF resonance and amplification circuits, each of the plurality of RF resonance and amplification circuits configured to operate according to one of a plurality of different frequency ranges that are coupled to plasma, each of the plurality of RF resonance and amplification circuits including:
a switch network including a switch; and
a resonance circuit configured to operate according to the one of the plurality of different frequency ranges, including:
a reactive circuit including a capacitor; and
an ICP coil connected to the reactive circuit; and

a controller configured to control power provided to each of the ICP coils by:
changing a voltage supplied from a respective one of the plurality of DC voltage sources; and
changing an operating frequency provided to each of the ICP coils, wherein a voltage applied through a respective one of the switches that is open is changed to increase and decrease and then the respective one of the switches is closed for a time period of a cycle.

2 . The ICP RF power delivery system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of DC voltage sources is configured to receive values to change magnitudes of a voltage signal.

3 . The ICP RF power delivery system of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of DC voltage sources is configured to increase one of the magnitudes of the voltage signal, decrease the one of the magnitudes, or increase and decrease the one of the magnitudes.

4 . The ICP RF power delivery system of claim 3 , wherein a current in each of the ICP coils is controlled by a current measured into said each of the ICP coils.

5 . The ICP RF power delivery system of claim 3 , wherein a power into each of the ICP coils is controlled by RF power measured into said each of the ICP coils.

6 . The ICP RF power delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the switch network in each of the RF resonance and amplification circuits includes the switch or a plurality of switches that operate together.

7 . The ICP RF power delivery system of claim 1 , wherein each of the reactive circuits includes the capacitor or a plurality of capacitors coupled in series or in parallel.

8 . The ICP RF power delivery system of claim 1 , wherein a power into each of the ICP coils is controlled by a voltage output from one of the plurality of DC voltage sources.

9 . An inductively coupled plasma (ICP) radio frequency (RF) power delivery system comprising:
a first direct current (DC) voltage source and a first resonance and amplification circuit configured to couple to a first ICP coil; a second DC voltage source and a second resonance and amplification circuit configured to couple to a second ICP coil; and a controller configured to control switching of the first and second resonance and amplification circuits and apply a zero voltage to the first and second resonance and amplification circuits, control power supplied to the first ICP coil by changing voltage output from the first DC voltage source, and control power supplied to the second ICP coil by changing voltage output from the second DC voltage source.

10 . The ICP RF power delivery system of claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second DC voltage sources is configured to receive values to change magnitudes of a voltage signal.

11 . The ICP RF power delivery system of claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second DC voltage sources is configured to increase one of the magnitudes of the voltage signal, decrease the one of the magnitudes, or increase and decrease the one of the magnitudes.

12 . The ICP RF power delivery system of claim 11 , wherein a current in each of the first and second ICP coils is controlled by a current measured into said each of the first and second ICP coils.

13 . The ICP RF power delivery system of claim 12 , wherein a power into each of the first and second ICP coils is controlled by RF power measured into said each of the first and second ICP coils.

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Long Maolin
• Wang Yuhou
• Marsh Ricky
• Paterson Alex

Classifications

• H05H2242/24

  Radiofrequency or microwave generators · CPC title

• H05H1/4652

  using inductive coupling means, e.g. coils · CPC title

• H05H1/466

  using capacitive coupling means, e.g. electrodes · CPC title

• H03F3/2173

  of the bridge type · CPC title

• H01J37/32174 Primary

  Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge · CPC title