State-based adjustment of power and frequency

• US 10,231,321 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2015
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Valcore, Jr., John C., Lyndaker, Bradford J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Yuechuan
• Application Number:
  US14/918,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20160044775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 7/00 Automatic frequency control; Automatic scanning over a band of frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/46 using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy H05H1/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/4645 Radiofrequency discharges
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 2242/26 Matching networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for state-based adjustment of power and frequency are described. A primary generator of a system includes a primary power supply for supplying a primary radio frequency (RF) signal to an electrode. The primary generator further includes an automatic frequency control (AFC) to provide a first frequency input to the primary power supply when a pulsed signal is in a first state. A secondary generator of the system includes a secondary power supply for supplying a secondary RF signal to the electrode. The secondary generator also includes an AFC to provide a second frequency input to the secondary power supply when the pulsed signal is in the first state. The secondary generator includes an AFC to provide a third frequency input to the secondary power supply when the pulsed signal is in a second state. The system includes a digital pulsing source for generating the pulsed signal.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a primary generator for coupling to an electrode, wherein the primary generator includes a primary power supply for supplying a primary radio frequency (RF) signal to the electrode, wherein the primary generator further includes a primary automatic frequency control (AFC) to provide a primary frequency input to the primary power supply when a pulsed signal is in a first state, wherein the primary AFC of is coupled to the primary power supply;

a secondary generator for coupling to the electrode, wherein the secondary generator includes a secondary power supply for supplying a secondary RF signal to the electrode, wherein the secondary generator includes a first secondary AFC to provide a first secondary frequency input to the secondary power supply when the pulsed signal is in the first state, wherein the secondary generator includes a second secondary AFC to provide a second secondary frequency input to the secondary power supply when the pulsed signal is in a second state, wherein the first and second secondary AFCs are coupled to the secondary power supply, wherein the first secondary and second secondary frequency inputs are provided to the secondary power supply to generate the secondary RF signal that is pulsed between a first secondary frequency level and a second secondary frequency level, wherein the secondary power supply pulses the secondary RF signal between the first secondary and the second secondary frequency levels without waiting for a change in the primary frequency input, wherein the first secondary frequency level is different from the second secondary frequency level; and

a digital pulsing source for generating the pulsed signal, wherein the digital pulsing source is coupled to the primary generator and the secondary generator.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary generator includes a selector coupled between the digital pulsing source and the first and second secondary AFCs to select between the first secondary AFC and the second secondary AFC for providing the first secondary frequency input or the second secondary frequency input to the secondary power supply, wherein the selector is configured to select between the first secondary AFC and the second secondary AFC based on the first and second states of the pulsed signal, wherein the selector is coupled to the digital pulsing source and to the first and second secondary AFCs.

3. The system of claim 1,

wherein the primary RF signal is at a first power level when the pulsed signal is in the first state and is at a second power level when the pulsed signal is in the second state, wherein the first power level is greater than the second power level,

wherein the secondary RF signal is at a third power level when the pulsed signal is in the first state and at a fourth power level when the pulsed signal is in the second state, wherein the third power level is greater than the fourth power level.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein during a cycle of repetition of the pulsed signal, the secondary RF signal has the first secondary frequency level for a predetermined duty cycle of the cycle of repetition and has the second secondary frequency for a remaining time period of the cycle of repetition.

5. A system comprising:

a plasma chamber including a lower electrode with a surface for supporting a substrate and an upper electrode disposed over the lower electrode, wherein the upper electrode is electrically grounded;

a primary generator for coupling to the lower electrode, wherein the primary generator includes a primary power supply for supplying a primary radio frequency (RF) signal to the lower electrode;

a secondary generator for coupling to the lower electrode, wherein the secondary generator includes a secondary power supply for supplying a secondary RF signal to the lower electrode; and

a digital pulsing source configured to generate a pulsed signal, wherein the digital pulsing source is coupled to the primary generator and the secondary generator, wherein the pulsed signal transitions between two states including a first state and a second state,

wherein the primary generator includes a primary automatic frequency control (AFC) to provide a primary frequency input to the primary power supply when the pulsed signal is in the first state, wherein the primary AFC is coupled to the primary power supply,

wherein the secondary generator includes a first secondary AFC to provide a first secondary frequency input to the secondary power supply when the pulsed signal is in the first state, wherein the first secondary AFC is coupled to the secondary power supply,

wherein the secondary generator includes a second secondary AFC to provide a second secondary frequency input to the secondary power supply when the pulsed signal is in the second state, wherein the second secondary AFC is coupled to the secondary power supply, wherein the first secondary and second secondary frequency inputs are provided to the secondary power supply to generate the secondary RF signal that is pulsed between a first secondary frequency level and a second secondary frequency level, wherein the secondary power supply pulses the secondary RF signal between the first secondary and the second secondary frequency levels without waiting for a change in the primary frequency input, wherein the first secondary frequency level is different from the second secondary frequency level.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a selector coupled between the digital pulsing source and the first secondary and second secondary AFCs to select between the first secondary AFC and the second secondary AFC for providing the first secondary frequency input or the second secondary frequency input to the secondary power supply, wherein the selector is configured to select between the first secondary AFC and the second secondary AFC based on the states of the pulsed signal, wherein the selector is coupled to the digital pulsing source and to the first secondary and second secondary AFCs.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the selector includes a multiplexer.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the first state is an on state and the second state is an off state.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the primary RF signal has a lower frequency than the secondary RF signal.

10. The system of claim 5,

wherein the primary RF signal is at a first power level when the pulsed signal is in the first state and is at a second power level when the pulsed signal is in the second state, wherein the first power level is greater than the second power level,

wherein the secondary RF signal is at a third power level when the pulsed signal is in the first state and at a fourth power level when the pulsed signal is in the second state, wherein the third power level is greater than the fourth power level.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the digital pulsing source includes a clock oscillator or a transistor-transistor logic (TTL), wherein the primary frequency input is different from the first secondary frequency input and the second secondary frequency input.

12. A system comprising:

a digital pulsing source for generating a pulsed signal;

a primary generator including;

a primary power supply for coupling to an electrode for supplying a primary radio frequency (RF) signal to the electrode;

a primary processor coupled to the digital pulsing source for receiving the pulsed signal, wherein the primary processor is configured to identify a first state of two states of the pulsed signal and a second state of the two states;

a primary power controller coupled to the primary processor to provide a primary power value to the primary power supply when the pulsed signal is in the first state; and

a primary automatic frequency control (AFC) coupled to the primary processor to receive the state identification from the primary processor, wherein the primary AFC is configured to provide a primary frequency input of the primary RF signal to the primary power supply when the pulsed signal is in the first state; and

a secondary generator including;

a secondary power supply for coupling to the electrode to supply a secondary RF signal to the electrode;

a secondary processor coupled to the digital pulsing source for receiving the pulsed signal to identify whether the pulsed signal is in the first state or the second state;

a first secondary power controller coupled to the secondary processor to provide a first secondary power value to the secondary power supply when the pulsed signal is in the first state;

a second secondary power controller coupled to the secondary processor to provide a second secondary power value to the secondary power supply when the pulsed signal is in the second state;

a first secondary AFC coupled to the secondary processor to receive the state identification from the secondary processor, wherein the first secondary AFC is configured to provide a first secondary frequency input of the secondary RF signal to the secondary power supply when the pulsed signal is in the first state; and

a second secondary AFC coupled to the secondary processor to receive the state identification from the secondary processor, wherein the second secondary AFC is configured to provide a second secondary frequency input of the secondary RF signal to the secondary power supply when the pulsed signal is in the second state, wherein the first and second secondary frequency inputs are provided to the secondary power supply to generate the secondary RF signal that is pulsed between a first secondary frequency level and a secondary second frequency level, wherein the secondary power supply pulses the secondary RF signal between the first secondary and the second secondary frequency levels without waiting for a change in the primary frequency input, wherein the first secondary frequency level is different from the second secondary frequency level.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the secondary generator includes a selector coupled between the digital pulsing source and the first and second secondary AFCs to select between the first secondary AFC and the second secondary AFC for providing the first secondary frequency input or the second secondary frequency input to the secondary power supply, wherein the selector is configured to select between the first secondary AFC and the second secondary AFC based on the states of the pulsed signal, wherein the selector is coupled to the digital pulsing source and to the first and second secondary AFCs.

14. A system comprising:

a plasma chamber including a lower electrode with a surface for supporting a substrate and an upper electrode disposed over the lower electrode, wherein the upper electrode is electrically grounded;

a digital pulsing source for generating a pulsed signal, wherein the pulsed signal transitions between two states;

a primary generator including;

a primary power supply for coupling to the lower electrode to supply a primary radio frequency (RF) signal to the lower electrode;

a primary processor coupled to the digital pulsing source for receiving the pulsed signal, wherein the primary processor is configured to identify a first state of the two states and a second state of the two states of the pulsed signal;

a primary power controller coupled to the primary processor to provide a primary power value to the primary power supply when the pulsed signal is in the first state; and

a primary automatic frequency control (AFC) coupled to the primary processor to receive the state identification from the primary processor, wherein the primary AFC is configured to provide a primary frequency input of the primary RF signal to the primary power supply when the pulsed signal is in the first state; and

a secondary generator including;

a secondary power supply for coupling to the lower electrode to supply a secondary RF signal to the lower electrode;

a secondary processor coupled to the digital pulsing source for receiving the pulsed signal to identify whether the pulsed signal is in the first state or the second state;

a first secondary power controller coupled to the secondary processor to provide a first secondary power value to the secondary power supply when the pulsed signal is in the first state;

a second secondary power controller coupled to the secondary processor to provide a second secondary power value to the secondary power supply when the pulsed signal is in the second state;

a first secondary AFC coupled to the secondary processor to receive the state identification from the secondary processor, wherein the first secondary AFC is configured to provide a first secondary frequency of the secondary RF signal to the secondary power supply when the pulsed signal is in the first state; and

a second secondary AFC coupled to the secondary processor to receive the state identification from the secondary processor, wherein the second secondary AFC is configured to provide a second secondary frequency of the secondary RF signal to the secondary power supply when the pulsed signal is in the second state, wherein the first and second secondary frequencies are provided to the secondary power supply to generate the secondary RF signal that is pulsed between a first secondary frequency level and a second secondary frequency level, wherein the secondary power supply pulses the secondary RF signal between the first secondary and the second secondary frequency levels without waiting for a change in the primary frequency input, wherein the first secondary frequency level is different from the second secondary frequency level.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first state is an on state and the second state is an off state.

16. The system of claim 14,

wherein the primary RF signal is at a first primary power level when the pulsed signal is in the first state and is at a second primary power level when the pulsed signal is in the second state, wherein the first primary power level is greater than the second primary power level,

wherein the first secondary power value is greater than the second secondary power value.