Power Combiner and Microwave Introduction Mechanism

• US 20160358750A1
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Published: 12/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: IKEDA, Taro, MIYASHITA, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,704,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3222 Antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32266 Means for controlling power transmitted to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/18 Phase-shifters H01P1/165 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/12 Coupling devices having more than two ports H01P5/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance

Abstract

A power combiner includes a main body composed of outer and inner conductors, a plurality of power introduction ports configured to introduce electromagnetic wave powers supplied through power supply lines into the main body, a power combining antenna configured to radiate electromagnetic waves to a space between the outer and inner conductors such that the powers are combined, and an output port through which the combined electromagnetic wave is outputted from the main body. The power combining antenna includes a plurality of antenna members, each of which has a first pole and a second pole that is in contact with the inner conductor, and a reflection part configured to reflect the electromagnetic waves.

Claims

1. A power combiner, comprising:

a main body having a coaxial structure composed of an outer conductor and an inner conductor;

a plurality of power introduction ports installed in a lateral side of the outer conductor and configured to introduce electromagnetic wave powers supplied through power supply lines into the main body;

a power combining antenna configured to radiate electromagnetic waves which are supplied through the plurality of power introduction ports via the power supply lines, to a space between the outer conductor and the inner conductor of the main body such that the powers are combined; and

an output port through which the combined electromagnetic wave is outputted from the main body,

wherein the power combining antenna includes;

a plurality of antenna members, each of which has a first pole to which the electromagnetic waves are supplied from the power supply line in each of the plurality of power introduction ports and a second pole that is in contact with the inner conductor; and

a reflection part installed in a ring shape along an outer side of the inner conductor from both sides of each of the plurality of antenna members and configured to reflect the electromagnetic waves,

wherein a standing wave is formed by the electromagnetic waves incident onto the plurality of antenna members and the electromagnetic waves reflected at the reflection part, and the electromagnetic wave powers are combined by a linked behavior between an induced magnetic field and an induced electric field, which are generated inside the main body by the standing wave so that the combined power propagates through the interior of the main body, followed by being outputted through the output port.

2. The power combiner of claim 1, wherein the number of the plurality of power introduction ports is two such that they are installed to face each other.

3. The power combiner of claim 2, wherein the number of the plurality of antenna members is two such that they are installed in a line to correspond to the two power introduction ports, respectively.

4. The power combiner of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic wave powers having the same phase and power are supplied through the plurality of power introduction ports.

5. The power combiner of claim 1, further comprising:

a reflection plate installed in an end portion of the main body to face the output port,

wherein the electromagnetic wave powers supplied from the power combining antenna reflect at the reflection plate and subsequently propagate through the main body.

6. The power combiner of claim 5, further comprising:

a wave retardation member installed between the reflection plate and the power combining antenna.

7. A microwave introduction mechanism for introducing microwaves into a chamber in a microwave plasma source which forms a surface wave plasma inside the chamber by the microwaves, comprising:

a power combiner configured to combine microwave powers supplied from a plurality of power supply lines;

an antenna part including a microwave radiating antenna configured to radiate the microwave power combined by the power combiner into the chamber; and

a tuner configured to transmit the microwave power combined by the power combiner and configured to match an impedance of a load that includes plasma inside the chamber with a characteristic impedance of a microwave power supply,

wherein the power combiner includes;

a main body having a coaxial structure composed of an outer conductor and an inner conductor;

a plurality of power introduction ports installed in a lateral side of the outer conductor and configured to introduce the microwave powers supplied through the plurality of power supply lines into the main body;

a power combining antenna configured to radiate the microwave powers which are introduced through the plurality of power introduction ports via the plurality of power supply lines, to a space between the outer conductor and the inner conductor of the main body such that the microwave powers are combined; and

an output port through which the combined microwave is outputted from the main body,

wherein the power combining antenna includes;

a plurality of antenna members, each of which has a first pole to which the microwaves are supplied from the power supply line in each of the plurality of power introduction ports and a second pole that is in contact with the inner conductor; and

a reflection part installed in a ring shape along an outer side of the inner conductor from both sides of each of the plurality of antenna members and configured to reflect the microwaves,

wherein a standing wave is formed by the microwaves incident onto the plurality of antenna members and the microwaves reflected at the reflection part, and the microwave powers are combined by a linked behavior between an induced magnetic field and an induced electric field, which are generated inside the main body by the standing wave so that the combined power propagates through the interior of the main body, followed by being outputted through the output port.

8. The microwave introduction mechanism of claim 7, wherein the number of the plurality of power introduction ports in the power combiner is two such that they are installed to face each other.

9. The microwave introduction mechanism of claim 8, wherein the number of the plurality of antenna members in the power combiner is two such that they are installed in a line to correspond to the two power introduction ports, respectively.

10. The microwave introduction mechanism of claim 7, wherein the electromagnetic wave powers having the same phase and power are supplied through the plurality of power introduction ports in the power combiner.

11. The microwave introduction mechanism of claim 7, wherein the power combiner further includes:

a reflection plate installed in an end portion of the main body to face the output port,

wherein the microwave powers supplied from the power combining antenna reflect at the reflection plate and subsequently propagate through the main body.

12. The microwave introduction mechanism of claim 11, further comprising:

a wave retardation member installed between the reflection plate and the power combining antenna.

13. The microwave introduction mechanism of claim 7, wherein the tuner is a slug tuner including two slugs made of a dielectric material.

14. The microwave introduction mechanism of claim 7, wherein the antenna part includes a planar slot antenna having slots through which the microwaves are radiated.

15. The microwave introduction mechanism of claim 7, wherein the antenna part includes a wave retardation member made of a dielectric material and configured to shorten a wavelength of the microwave that reaches the microwave radiating antenna,

wherein a phase of the microwave is adjusted by adjusting a thickness of the wave retardation member.