NANOSECOND PULSER ADC SYSTEM

• US 20200036367A1
• Filed: 07/29/2019
• Published: 01/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eagle Harbor Technolologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Eagle Harbor Technolologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Slobodov, Ilia, Carscadden, John, Miller, Kenneth, Ziemba, Timothy, Yeager, Huatsern, Hanson, Eric, Yeager, TaiSheng, Muggli, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 10,659,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 37/32091 the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32128 using particular waveforms, e.g. polarised waves
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32146 Amplitude modulation, includes pulsing
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32174 Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32541 Shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32568 Relative arrangement or disposition of electrodes; moving means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32715 Workpiece holder
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6833 Details of electrostatic chucks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68757 characterised by a coating or a hardness or a material
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0048 Circuits or arrangements for reducing losses using snubbers H02M1/34
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0064 Magnetic structures combining different functions, e.g. storage, filtering or transformation
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/327 against abnormal temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/335 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33507 with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33523 with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/53 by the use of an energy-accumulating element discharged through the load by a switching device controlled by an external signal and not incorporating positive feedback H03K3/335 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/57 the switching device being a semiconductor device
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/12 Analogue/digital converters H03M1/001 – H03M1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20154 : Heat dissipaters coupled to components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20172 : Fan mounting or fan specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20254 : Cold plates transferring heat from heat source to coolant
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20272 : Accessories for moving fluid, for expanding fluid, for connecting fluid conduits, for distributing fluid, for removing gas or for preventing leakage, e.g. pumps, tanks or manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20281 : Thermal management, e.g. liquid flow control
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20509 : Multiple-component heat spreaders; Multi-component heat-conducting support plates; Multi-component non-closed heat-conducting structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 : Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A nanosecond pulser system is disclosed. In some embodiments, the nanosecond pulser system may include a nanosecond pulser having a nanosecond pulser input; a plurality of switches coupled with the nanosecond pulser input; one or more transformers coupled with the plurality of switches; and an output coupled with the one or more transformers and providing a high voltage waveform with a amplitude greater than 2 kV and a frequency greater than 1 kHz based on the nanosecond pulser input. The nanosecond pulser system may also include a control module coupled with the nanosecond pulser input; and an control system coupled with the nanosecond pulser at a point between the transformer and the output, the control system providing waveform data regarding an high voltage waveform produced at the point between the transformer and the output.

Claims

1. A nanosecond pulser system comprising:

a nanosecond pulser comprising;

a pulser input;

a high voltage DC power supply;

one or more solid-state switches coupled with the high voltage DC power supply and the pulser input, the one or more solid-state switches switching the high voltage DC power supply based on input pulses provided by the pulser input;

one or more transformers coupled with the one or more switches; and

a pulser output coupled with the one or more transformers that outputs a high voltage waveform with an amplitude greater than about 2 kV and a pulse repetition frequency greater than about 1 kHz based on the pulser input; and

a control system coupled with the nanosecond pulser at a measurement point, the control system providing the input pulses to the pulser input.

2. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement point comprises a point between the transformer and the pulser output.

3. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 1, wherein:

the nanosecond pulser system further comprises an electrode coupled with the pulser output; and

the measurement point is at the electrode.

4. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 1, wherein the control system measures the voltage at the measurement point, and adjusts the voltage, pulse repetition frequency, or duty cycle of the input pulses based on the measured voltage.

5. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 1, wherein the control system measures the pulse repetition frequency at the measurement point, and adjusts the pulse repetition frequency of the input pulses based on the measured pulsed repetition frequency.

6. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 1,

wherein the input pulses include a first burst comprising a first plurality of low voltage pulses, each of the first plurality of low voltage pulses having a first pulse width;

wherein the input pulses include a second burst comprising a second plurality of low voltage pulses each of the second plurality of low voltage pulses having a second pulse width; and

wherein the second pulse width is greater than the first pulse width.

7. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 1, wherein the control system:

receives input data specifying a voltage and a pulse repetition frequency corresponding to an desired high voltage waveform;

compares an output pulser waveform measured at the measurement point with the desired high voltage waveform; and

determines adjustments to the pulser input to produce the desired high voltage waveform.

8. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 1, wherein the control system comprises a voltage divider that reduces the high voltage waveform by a factor of 1000.

9. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 1, wherein the control system includes an analog to digital converter that converts the measured high voltage waveform into a digital signal.

10. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 1, further comprising metal shielding disposed between the nanosecond pulser and the control system.

11. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 1, wherein the nanosecond pulser comprises a resistive output stage, and wherein the measurement point is across a resistor in the resistive output stage.

12. A nanosecond pulser system comprising:

a nanosecond pulser having a pulser output that outputs a high voltage waveform that includes a plurality of bursts where each burst comprises a plurality of pulses with an amplitude greater than 2 kV and a pulse repetition frequency greater than 1 kHz; and

a control system that controls a number of characteristics of the high voltage waveform in real-time including the number of pulses in each burst, a pulse repetition frequency, a pulse width, and a pulse voltage.

13. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 12, wherein the pulser system controls at least one characteristics of the high voltage waveform with a resolution of less than about 1 μ

s.

14. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 12, wherein the pulser system controls at the period between pulses with an accuracy less than about 10 μ

s.

15. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 12, wherein control system controls the number of characteristics of the high voltage waveform in response to a plasma processing recipe.

16. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 15, wherein the plasma processing recipe comprises a plurality of stages and each stage is associated with an ion current, a chamber pressure, and a gas mixture.

17. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 15, wherein the plasma processing recipe corresponds with an electric field or voltage at a wafer surface.

18. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 12,

wherein the high voltage waveform includes a first burst comprising a first plurality of pulses, each of the first plurality of pulses having a first pulse width;

wherein the high voltage waveform includes a second burst comprising a second plurality of pulses each of the second plurality of pulses having a second pulse width; and

wherein the second pulse width is greater than the first pulse width.

19. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 12,

wherein the nanosecond pulser comprises a transformer and the output that outputs the high voltage waveform;

and

wherein the control system is coupled with the nanosecond pulser at a point between the transformer and the pulser output.

20. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 12, wherein the control system comprises a voltage divider and a fast analog to digital converter.

21. A nanosecond pulser system comprising:

a nanosecond pulser having a pulser output that outputs pulses with an amplitude greater than 2 kV and a pulse repetition frequency greater than 1 kHz;

a plurality of sensors that measure an environmental characteristic of the nanosecond pulser system and each of the plurality of sensors provide a sensor signal representing a respective environmental characteristic;

a sensor that provides an electronic sensor signal representing a physical characteristic of the nanosecond pulser system; and

an interlock electrically coupled with the sensor and the nanosecond pulser that stops operation of the nanosecond pulser in the event the electronic sensor signal is above a first threshold.

22. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 21, further comprising a control module electrically coupled with the sensor that stops operation of the nanosecond pulser in the event the electronic sensor signal is above a second threshold, the second threshold being different than the first threshold.

23. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 22,

further comprising a liquid cooling subsystem;

wherein the sensors comprises a liquid flow sensor disposed within the liquid cooling subsystem;

wherein the first threshold comprises a first flow rate; and

wherein the second threshold comprises a second flow rate that is greater than the first flow rate.

24. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 22,

further comprising a cooling subsystem;

wherein one of the sensor comprises a temperature sensor disposed within the cooling subsystem;

wherein the first threshold comprises a first temperature; and

wherein the second threshold comprises a second temperature that is less than the first temperature.

25. The nanosecond pulser system according to claim 21,

further comprising a cooling subsystem that includes a liquid coolant;

and

a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the liquid coolant.