Modular recipe controlled calibration (MRCC) apparatus used to balance plasma in multiple station system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12586757-B2
Application number	US-202318174585-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2023
Priority date	Sep 4, 2018
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

A circuit tuning radio frequency (RF) power. The circuit includes a low to mid frequency (LF/HF) tuning circuit including a variable LF/MF capacitor coupled in series with an LF/MF inductor. The LF/MF tuning circuit is coupled between ground and a common node configured to receive an RF input. The circuit includes a high frequency (HF) tuning circuit coupled in parallel to the LF/MF tuning circuit between ground and the common node. The HF tuning circuit includes a variable HF capacitor coupled in series with an HF inductor. Cross parallel isolation occurs between the LF/MF inductor of the LF/MF tuning circuit and the HF inductor of the HF tuning circuit when adjusting the variable LF/MF capacitor or variable HF capacitor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A tuning system, comprising:
a chassis; a face attached to the chassis and configured to rise up from the chassis; a bracket attached to the face configured to extend away from the face in parallel to the chassis; a floating motor mount coupled to the bracket and having a surface that is exposed to the face and in parallel to the face; a tuning circuit coupled to the floating motor mount, the tuning circuit including a variable capacitor; and an actuator mounted to the face and coupled to the tuning circuit via the floating motor mount, wherein the actuator is configured to adjust a value of the variable capacitor, wherein the floating motor mount is configured to counter axial misalignment between the actuator and the tuning circuit.

2 . The tuning system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an encoder coupled to the actuator, wherein the encoder is configured to measure the value of the variable capacitor.

3 . The tuning system of claim 2 , wherein the encoder is an absolute encoder configured to create an accurate profile of the variable capacitor.

4 . The tuning system of claim 1 ,
wherein the floating motor mount is loosely coupled to the chassis, wherein a tab of the floating motor mount is inserted into a slot in the chassis.

5 . The tuning system of claim 1 , wherein the tuning circuit includes:
a low to mid frequency (LF/HF) tuning circuit including a variable LF/MF capacitor coupled in series with an LF/MF inductor, wherein the variable LF/MF capacitor is the variable capacitor, wherein the LF/MF tuning circuit is coupled between ground and a common node.

6 . The tuning system of claim 1 , wherein the turning circuit includes:
a high frequency (HF) tuning circuit including a variable HF capacitor coupled in series with an HF inductor, wherein the variable HF capacitor is the variable capacitor, wherein the HF tuning circuit is coupled between ground and a common node.

7 . The tuning system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a clamshell exterior including a top, a first sidewall attached to the top and extending downwards to a first bottom from the top, a second sidewall attached to the top and extending downwards to a second bottom from the top, and a third sidewall attached to the top and extending downwards to a third bottom from the top, wherein a first opening opposite the first sidewall is defined by the top, the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the third sidewall, wherein the clamshell exterior is removably coupled to the face at the opening and removably coupled to the chassis at the first bottom of the first sidewall, the second bottom of the second sidewall, and the third bottom of the third sidewall.

8 . A tuning system, comprising:
a chassis; a face attached to the chassis and configured to rise up from the chassis; a bracket attached to the face configured to extend away from the face in parallel to the chassis; a first floating motor mount coupled to the bracket and having a surface that is exposed to the face and in parallel to the face; a first tuning circuit coupled to the first floating motor mount, the first tuning circuit including a first variable capacitor; a first actuator mounted to the face and coupled to the first tuning circuit via the first floating motor mount, wherein the first actuator is configured to adjust a first value of the first variable capacitor, wherein the first floating motor mount is configured to counter axial misalignment between the first actuator and the first variable capacitor; a second floating motor mount coupled to the bracket and having a second surface that is exposed to the face and in parallel to the face; a second tuning circuit coupled to the second floating motor mount, the second tuning circuit including a second variable capacitor; and a second actuator mounted to the face and coupled to the second tuning circuit via the second floating motor mount, wherein the second actuator is configured to adjust a second value of the first variable capacitor, wherein the second floating motor mount is configured to counter axial misalignment between the second actuator and the second variable capacitor.

9 . The tuning system of claim 8 ,
wherein the first tuning circuit is coupled in parallel with the second tuning circuit between ground and a common node, wherein the first tuning circuit includes a low to mid frequency (LF/HF) tuning circuit including a variable LF/MF capacitor coupled in series with an LF/MF inductor, wherein the variable LF/MF capacitor is the first variable capacitor, wherein the LF/MF tuning circuit is coupled between the ground and the common node, wherein the second tuning circuit includes a high frequency (HF) tuning circuit including a variable HF capacitor coupled in series with an HF inductor, wherein the variable HF capacitor is the second variable capacitor, wherein the HF tuning circuit is coupled between the ground and the common node.

10 . The tuning system of claim 9 ,
wherein the first tuning circuit and the second tuning circuit are configured to receive an RF input including one or more of an LF/MF power component and an HF power component, wherein when the RF input has a low to mid frequency component, the HF inductor presents a high impedance to the RF input effectively isolating the HF tuning circuit from the LF/MF tuning circuit when adjusting the variable LF/MF capacitor, wherein the RF input has a high frequency component, the LF/MF inductor presents a high impedance to the RF input effectively isolating the LF/MF tuning circuit from the HF tuning circuit when adjusting the variable HF capacitor.

11 . The tuning system of claim 10 ,
wherein the common node is configured to provide an RF output to a pedestal.

12 . The tuning system of claim 10 ,
wherein the common node is configured to provide an RF output to a showerhead.

13 . The tuning system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a first encoder coupled to the first actuator, wherein the first encoder is configured to measure the first value of the first variable capacitor; and a second encoder coupled to the second actuator, wherein the second encoder is configured to measure the second value of the second variable capacitor.

14 . The tuning system of claim 13 ,
wherein the first encoder is an absolute encoder configured to create an accurate profile of the first variable capacitor.

15 . The tuning system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a clamshell exterior including a top, a first sidewall attached to the top and extending downwards to a first bottom from the top, a second sidewall attached to the top and extending downwards to a second bottom from the top, and a third sidewall attached to the top and extending downwards to a third bottom from the top, wherein a first opening opposite the first sidewall is defined by the top, the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the third sidewall, wherein the clamshell exterior is removably coupled to the face at the opening and removably coupled to the chassis at the first bottom of the first sidewall, the second bottom of the second sidewall, and the third bottom of the third sidewall.

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Juco Eller Y
• Leeser Karl Frederick
• French David
• Kapoor Sunil
• Bingham Aaron
• Metz David Alan
• Herzig Brett
• Hiester Jacob L
• Knight Brian

Classifications

• H10P72/7624

  characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support · CPC title

• H01J37/321

  the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma · CPC title

• H01J37/32183 Primary

  Matching circuits · CPC title

• H01J37/32091 Primary

  the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma · CPC title

• H10P72/0402

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title