Systems and methods for tailoring ion energy distribution function by odd harmonic mixing

• US 10,026,592 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Zhigang, Marakhtanov, Alexei, Holland, John Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sathiraju, Srinivas
• Application Number:
  US15/201,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20180005802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/327 Arrangements for generating the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32082 Radio frequency generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32146 Amplitude modulation, includes pulsing
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32165 Plural frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32174 Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32183 Matching circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32678 Electron cyclotron resonance

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling a process applied to a substrate within a plasma chamber are described. The systems and methods include generating and supplying odd harmonic signals and summing the odd harmonic signals to generate an added signal. The added signal is supplied to an electrode within the plasma chamber for processing the substrate. The use of odd harmonic signals facilitates high aspect ratio etching of the substrate.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a radiofrequency (RF) generator including;

an odd harmonic power supply configured to generate an n^th harmonic RF signal, wherein n is an odd number;

an impedance matching circuit coupled to the odd harmonic power supply, wherein the impedance matching circuit is configured to output an n^th modified harmonic RF signal upon receiving the n^th harmonic RF signal;

a frequency multiplier coupled to the impedance matching circuit, wherein the frequency multiplier is configured to receive the n^th modified harmonic RF signal to output an (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal;

a variable adjuster coupled to the frequency multiplier, wherein the variable adjuster is configured to modify a variable of the (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal to output an adjusted (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal;

an adder coupled to the variable adjuster and the impedance matching circuit, wherein the adder is configured to add the n^th modified harmonic RF signal and the adjusted (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal to provide an added RF signal; and

a plasma chamber coupled to the RF generator, wherein the plasma chamber is configured to receive the added RF signal from the adder to provide power to an electrode within the plasma chamber.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the adder is configured to add the n^th modified harmonic RF signal and the adjusted (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal to generate an approximation of a square wave pulse, wherein the square wave pulse is a digital pulse that is a root mean square of an RF signal generated by the RF generator.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the square wave pulse is an amplitude of a sum of odd harmonic waveforms including the n^th modified harmonic RF signal and the adjusted (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller coupled to the variable adjuster,

wherein the controller is configured to determine measured ion flux of ions within the plasma chamber, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the measured ion flux matches a predetermined ion flux,

wherein the controller includes a processor and a memory device,

wherein the processor is configured to access a predetermined variable value from the memory device based on a correspondence between the predetermined variable value and the predetermined ion flux,

wherein the controller is configured to provide the predetermined variable value to the variable adjuster,

wherein the variable adjuster is configured to adjust the variable of the (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal to achieve the predetermined variable value to further achieve the predetermined ion flux.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the n^th harmonic RF signal is a first harmonic signal, wherein the (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal is a third harmonic signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the impedance matching circuit is configured to match an impedance of a load coupled to the impedance matching circuit with that of a source coupled to the impedance matching circuit to output the n^th modified harmonic RF signal, wherein the plasma chamber is coupled to the adder via an RF transmission line.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the variable is an amplitude of the (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal.

8. A system comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) generator including;

a first odd harmonic RF power supply configured to generate an n^th harmonic RF signal, wherein n is an odd number;

a second odd harmonic RF power supply configured to generate an (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal;

a first impedance matching circuit coupled to the first odd harmonic RF power supply, wherein the first impedance matching circuit is configured to receive the n^th harmonic RF signal to output an n^th modified harmonic RF signal;

a second impedance matching circuit coupled to the second odd harmonic RF power supply, wherein the second impedance matching circuit is configured to receive the (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal to output an (n+2)^th modified harmonic RF signal;

an adder coupled to the first impedance matching circuit and the second impedance matching circuit, wherein the adder is configured to add the n^th modified harmonic RF signal and the (n+2)^th modified harmonic RF signal to output an added RF signal; and

a plasma chamber coupled to the RF generator, wherein the plasma chamber is configured to receive the added RF signal from the adder for changing an impedance of plasma within the plasma chamber.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the adder is configured to add the n^th modified harmonic RF signal and the (n+2)^th modified harmonic RF signal to generate an approximation of a square wave pulse, wherein the square wave pulse is a digital pulse that is a root mean square of an RF signal generated by the RF generator.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the square wave pulse is an amplitude of a sum of odd harmonic waveforms including the n^th modified harmonic RF signal and the (n+2)^th modified harmonic RF signal.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising a controller coupled to the first odd harmonic RF power supply and the second odd harmonic RF power supply,

wherein the controller is configured to determine measured ion flux of ions within the plasma chamber, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the measured ion flux matches a predetermined ion flux,

wherein the controller includes a processor and a memory device,

wherein the processor is configured to access a predetermined variable value from the memory device based on a correspondence between the predetermined variable value and the predetermined ion flux,

wherein the controller is configured to supply a signal to the second odd harmonic RF power supply indicating the predetermined variable value,

wherein the second odd harmonic RF power supply is configured to adjust a variable of the (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal to achieve the predetermined variable value to further achieve the predetermined ion flux.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the n^th harmonic RF signal is a first harmonic signal, wherein the (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal is a third harmonic signal.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the first impedance matching circuit is configured to match an impedance of a load coupled to the first impedance matching circuit with that of a source coupled to the first impedance matching circuit to output the n^th modified harmonic RF signal, wherein the plasma chamber is coupled to the adder via an RF transmission line.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the second impedance matching circuit is configured to match an impedance of a load coupled to the second impedance matching circuit with that of a source coupled to the second impedance matching circuit to output the (n+2)^th modified harmonic RF signal.

15. A system comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) generator including;

a first odd harmonic RF power supply configured to generate an n^th harmonic RF signal, wherein n is an odd number;

a second odd harmonic RF power supply configured to generate an (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal;

a variable adjuster coupled to the second odd harmonic RF power supply, wherein the variable adjuster is configured to adjust a variable of the (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal to output an adjusted (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal;

a first impedance matching circuit coupled to the first odd harmonic RF power supply, wherein the first impedance matching circuit is configured to receive the n^th harmonic RF signal for outputting an n^th modified harmonic RF signal;

a second impedance matching circuit coupled to the variable adjuster, wherein the second impedance matching circuit is configured to receive the adjusted (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal to output an (n+2)^th modified harmonic RF signal;

an adder coupled to the first impedance matching circuit and the second impedance matching circuit, wherein the adder is configured to add the n^th modified harmonic RF signal with the (n+2)^th modified harmonic RF signal to output an added RF signal; and

a plasma chamber coupled to the RF generator, wherein the plasma chamber is configured to receive the added RF signal to modify an impedance of plasma within the plasma chamber.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the adder is configured to add the n^th modified harmonic RF signal with the (n+2)^th modified harmonic RF signal to generate an approximation of a square wave pulse, wherein the square wave pulse is a digital pulse that is a root mean square of an RF signal generated by the RF generator.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the square wave pulse is an amplitude of a sum of odd harmonic waveforms including the n^th modified odd harmonic RF signal and the (n+2)^th modified harmonic RF signal.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a controller coupled to the variable adjuster,

wherein the controller is configured to determine measured ion flux of ions within the plasma chamber, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the measured ion flux matches a predetermined ion flux,

wherein the controller includes a processor and a memory device,

wherein the processor is configured to access a predetermined variable value from the memory device based on a correspondence between the predetermined variable value and the predetermined ion flux,

wherein the controller is configured to provide the predetermined variable value to the variable adjuster,

wherein the variable adjuster is configured to adjust the variable of the (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal to achieve the predetermined variable value to further achieve the predetermined ion flux.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the (n+2)^th harmonic RF signal is a third harmonic signal, wherein the variable is an amplitude of the third harmonic signal.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the first impedance matching circuit is configured to match an impedance of a load coupled to the first impedance matching circuit with that of a source coupled to the first impedance matching circuit to output the n^th modified harmonic RF signal, wherein the second impedance matching circuit is configured to match an impedance of a load coupled to the second impedance matching circuit with that of a source coupled to the second impedance matching circuit to output the (n+2)^th modified harmonic RF signal, wherein the plasma chamber is coupled to the adder via an RF transmission line.