Method of and apparatus for independently controlling electric parameters of an impedance matching network

• US 5,889,252 A
• Filed: 12/19/1996
• Issued: 03/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Jewett, Russell F. Jr., Williams, Norman
• Primary Examiner(s): Paschall, Mark H.
• Application Number:
  US08/770,622
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 219/121.54, 219/121.57, 219/121.43, 219/121.41, 156/345, 156/643.1, 156/646.1, 156/627.1, 204/298.34, 204/298.37, 204/298.38, 204/298.31, 204/298.32, 216/59-67
• US Class Current: 219/121.54
• 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 37/32183 Matching circuits

Abstract

An arrangement and method for matching a load and a power source, such as an r.f. power source for a vacuum plasma processing chamber, includes a match network coupled between the power source and the load. The match network has at least two controllably variable electrical characteristics. A sensor is provided that senses at least two parameters of the load. A drive controller responds to the sensed parameters of the load to independently control varying a first one of the electrical characteristics of the match network as a function of only one of the parameters of the load, and a second one of the electrical characteristics of the match network as a function of another one of the parameters of the load. This is done until the power source and the load are in a matched condition. The separation of the match variables to establish a nearly one-to-one correspondence with the load parameters allows independent adjustment of the match variables to provide fast and unambiguous reaching of the matched condition.

Claims

1. Apparatus for matching a load to a power source, comprising:

a match network coupled between a power source and a load, the match network having at least two controllable variable electrical characteristics;

a sensor for sensing at least two electric parameters determined by impedances of the load and match network,

a drive controller responsive to the sensed parameters of the load for independently controlling a first one of the electrical characteristics of the match network as a function of only one of the parameters of the load and a second one of the electrical characteristics of the match network as a function of only another one of the parameters of the load until the power source and the load are matched.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the match network includes a primary circuit and a secondary circuit, the primary circuit being in a resonant condition at an operating frequency of the power source.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the match network includes a first inductor in the primary circuit and a second inductor in the secondary circuit, a mutual inductance being between the first and second inductors, and the first and second electrical characteristics respectively including (a) the mutual inductance between the first and second inductors and (b) the inductance of the second inductor.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the parameters include magnitude of the impedance seen looking from the source into the match network and phase angle between the voltage current coupled between the source and match network, and the drive controller includes means for determining a measure of deviation of the mutual inductance solely as a function of the magnitude of the impedance and a measure of deviation of the secondary inductance solely as a function of the phase angle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the match network includes a primary circuit and a secondary circuit, the primary circuit including a first inductor, the secondary circuit including a second inductor, and the controllable variable electrical characteristics include the inductance of the second inductor and mutual inductance between the first and second inductors.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the parameters include magnitude of the impedance looking from the source into the match network and phase angle between the voltage and current coupled between the source and match network, and the drive controller includes means for transforming the parameters into first and second control variables, the first control variable having a one-to-one correspondence with the mutual inductance and the second control variable having a one-to-one correspondence with the inductance of the second inductor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the match network includes a primary circuit and a secondary circuit, the primary circuit including a first inductor, the secondary circuit including a second inductor and a capacitors, the controllable variable electrical characteristics including the capacitance of the second capacitor and mutual inductance between the first and second inductors.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the parameters of the load include magnitude of the impedance seen looking from the source into the match network and phase angle between the voltage and current coupled between the source and match network, the drive controller including means for transforming the parameters into first and second control variables, the first control variable having a one-to-one correspondence with the mutual inductance and the second control variable having a one-to-one correspondence with the capacitance of the second capacitor.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the match network includes a load capacitor and a tune capacitor, and the controllable variable electrical characteristics include the capacitance of the load capacitor and the capacitance of the tune capacitor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further including an encoder for measuring parameters of the load including magnitude and phase, and the drive controller including means for transforming the parameters into first and second control variables, the first control variable having a nearly one-to-one correspondence with the mutual inductance and the second control variable having a one-to-one correspondence with the capacitance of the second capacitor.

11. A method of matching a load to a power source with a match network having a primary circuit and a secondary circuit, comprising the steps of:

establishing a resonant condition in the primary circuit;

measuring at least two parameters of the load;

calculating a control variable from at least one of the parameters;

determining whether a first one of the load parameters is equal to a first specified value based on the value of the control variable;

adjusting a first match variable of the match network to drive the control variable such that the first load parameter is equal to the first specified value;

determining whether a second one of the load parameters is equal to a second specified value; and

adjusting a second match variable of the match network to drive the match variable such that the second load parameter is equal to the second specified value, wherein the first match variable has a one-to-one correspondence with the first load parameter and the second match variable has a one-to-one correspondence with the second load parameter.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first load parameter is the reactive impedance of the load, the second load parameter is the resistive impedance of the load, the first match variable is a secondary inductance in the match network, and the second match variable is a mutual inductance in the match network.

13. A method of matching a load to a power source with a match network having a primary circuit and a secondary circuit, comprising the steps of:

measuring at least two parameters of the load;

transforming the two parameters of the load into first and second nearly orthogonal functions; and

simultaneously and independently adjusting a first match variable of the match network to drive the value of the first orthogonal function to a first specified value, and a second match variable of the match network to drive the value of the second orthogonal function to a second specified value.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first load parameter is the resistive impedance of the load, the second load parameter is the reactive impedance of the load, the first match variable is mutual inductance in the match network, and the second match variable is secondary inductance in the match network.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first load parameter is the resistive impedance of the load, the second load parameter is the reactive impedance of the load, the first match variable is mutual inductance in the match network, and the second match variable is a capacitance of a capacitor in the match network.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising measuring a value of a first capacitor in the match network, wherein determinations of whether (a) the value of a first one of the functions is equal to a first specified value and (b) the value of a second one of the functions is equal to a second specified value by incorporating the measured value of the first capacitor in the match network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first load parameter is the resistive impedance of the load, the second load parameter is the reactive impedance of the load, the first match variable is the capacitance of the first capacitor in the match network, and the second match variable is the capacitance of a second capacitor in the match network.

18. A method of impedance matching a load to a source with a matching network having first and second variable electric characteristics, the matching network being connected between the source and load, the method comprising

monitoring first and second electric parameters determined by impedances of the load and matching network,

manipulating the first and second electric parameters to derive first and second control functions for the first and second variable electric characteristics, the first control function being only for the first variable electric characteristic, the second control function being only for the second variable electric characteristic,

and obtaining an impedance match between the load and source by controlling (a) the first variable characteristic in response to the first control function independently of the second variable characteristic, and (b) the second variable characteristic in response to the second control function independently of the first variable characteristic, the manipulations of the manipulating step enabling the match to be obtained by the controlling step.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first and second electric parameters are respectively (a) the magnitude of impedance seen looking from the source into the matching network and (b) the phase angle between voltage and current supplied by the source to the matching network.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the matching network includes a transformer having a variable mutual inductance and a variable reactance, the variable reactance being the first variable electric characteristic, the variable mutual inductance being the second variable electric characteristic.

21. The method of claim 20 further including establishing a resonant condition in a circuit including a primary winding connected to be responsive to the source prior to performing the first and second control functions, performing the first control function by adjusting the variable reactance so the current and voltage supplied by the source to the primary winding are substantially in phase, and

performing the second control function by varying the mutual inductance until the impedance magnitude seen looking from the source into a circuit including the transformer primary winding has a predetermined value, the first and second control functions being performed sequentially and in such a manner that the source and load are matched after the first and second control functions are sequentially performed, without repeating either of the control functions.

22. The method of claim 20 further including adjusting the values of resistance and reactance seen looking into a circuit including a primary winding of the transformer driven by the source to predetermined values, and adjusting the magnitude to a predetermined value, then measuring the magnitude of impedance seen looking from the source into the circuit including the transformer primary winding and the phase angle between current and voltage applied by the source to the circuit including the transformer primary winding, then transforming the measured values of impedance magnitude and phase angle into first and second nearly orthogonal functions the first control function being performed by adjusting the value of the mutual inductance until the first function has a predetermined value, second control function being performed by adjusting the variable reactance until the second function has a predetermined value.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the first and second control functions are performed simultaneously.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the first and second nearly orthogonal functions F and G are respectively different functions of (1) the desired value for the magnitude of impedance seen looking from the source into the matching network, (|Z_o |), (2) the values of the reactance (X_p) and resistance (R₁) seen looking from the source into the matching network, (3) the real component of impedance seen looking from the source into the matching network (Re(Z_in)) minus the resistance of the primary winding circuit (R₁) and (4) the imaginary component of impedance seen looking from the source into the matching network (Im(Z_in)) minus the reactance of the primary winding circuit (X_p).

25. The method of claim 24 wherein ##EQU17## where:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">γ

=Re(Z.sub.in)-R.sub.1

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">β

=X.sub.p -Im(Z.sub.in).

26. The method of claim 19 wherein the matching network includes first and second variable reactances respectively comprising the first and second variable electric characteristics, the first and second variable reactances being respectively connected in different legs of the matching network, the first reactance primarily controlling loading of the source, the second reactance primarily controlling timing the load to the source, the method further comprising determining values of (a) at least one of the reactances, (b) the magnitude of the impedance seen looking from the source into the matching network and (c) the phase angle between the voltage and current supplied by the source to the matching network, deriving the first and second control functions in response to the determined values, the first and second control functions being at least nearly orthogonal, the first and second control functions respectively controlling the values of the first and second reactances.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the first and second control functions are performed simultaneously.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the first and second orthogonal control functions are different functions of the real component of impedance seen looking into the matching network, the imaginary component of impedance seen looking into the matching network, the desired impedance magnitude seen looking into the matching network, and the impedance values of the first and second reactances.