Plasma generating apparatus using microwave

• US 20040070347A1
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Science And Technology Corpration
• Original Assignee: Japan Science And Technology Corpration
• Inventors: Yumagi, Noboru, Ito, Hiroaki, Nishida, Yasushi
• Granted Patent: US 6,881,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/111.21
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32266 Means for controlling power transmitted to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32311 Circuits specially adapted for controlling the microwave discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/46 using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy H05H1/26 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention uses as a detector for adjustment measurement, monodyne interference between a microwave for plasma generation and the reflected wave. Analysis of the interference wave that is obtained using monodyne interference allows finding of the phase difference between the incident and the reflected wave and the amplitude of that reflected wave; and controlling of an excited microwave generation/control system based on them allows impedance matching between the excited microwave and the plasma. This method allows very high precision phase detection, and calculation of the characteristics of the plasma based on the detected phase shift. Therefore, it is possible to distinguish noises even in the vicinity of the matched region.

Claims

1. A plasma generator, which controls for impedance matching between a microwave and plasma that occurs due to the said microwave, comprising:

a microwave generator;

an impedance adjustment unit, which changes the impedance for a microwave given from said microwave generator,

a plasma generation unit, which receives the impedance adjusted microwave, generating plasma;

a monodyne interference unit, which obtains an interference wave due to the monodyne interference between the microwave given from said microwave generator and a microwave that has reflected by said plasma; and

a control unit, which processes a signal from the monodyne interference unit and provides a matching control signal;

wherein impedance matching between the microwave and plasma is taken by giving the matching control signal from said control unit to said impedance adjustment unit and controlling that impedance.

2. The plasma generator according to claim 1, wherein said control unit provides said matching control signal by detecting the phase of the signal from the monodyne interference unit.

3. The plasma generator according to either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said monodyne interference unit comprises:

a ninty degree coupler, which obtains the sine and the cosine components of the reflected microwave;

two mixers, which mix said sine and said cosine components with the microwave from the microwave generator, respectively; and

a low-pass filter, which removes the high frequency components of the mixed sine and the mixed cosine components.

4. The plasma generator according to any one of claims 1 through 3, wherein said impedance adjustment unit performes an impedance adjustment by selecting from plural stubs.