Inductive plasma processor including current sensor for plasma excitation coil

• US 6,583,572 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Jian J., Veltrop, Robert G., Wicker, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, THUY V
• Application Number:
  US09/820,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20020179250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 315/111.51, 315/111.21, 118/723.R, 118/723.T, 118/723.IR, 118/728, 156/345.35, 156/345.48, 204/298.08
• US Class Current: 315/111.51
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32174 Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge

Abstract

An inductive plasma processor includes an RF plasma excitation coil having plural windings, each having a first end connected in parallel to be driven by a single RF source via a single matching network. Second ends of the windings are connected to ground by termination capacitors, in turn connected by a lead to ground. A current sensor including a winding around a toroidal core is coupled to the lead between each termination capacitor and ground. The current sensor is surrounded by a grounded shield. There is minimum electromagnetic interference from an ambient RF environment to the current sensor, to provide an accurate current sensor.

Claims

1. An inductive plasma processor comprising an RF plasma excitation coil including a winding having an input terminal and an output terminal, the winding having one end connected in a branch in series with a matching network and an RF source and a second end having a lead to ground so the same current which flows through the winding output terminal flows through the lead, a current sensor coupled to the lead, and a grounded shield coupled with the current sensor for shielding electromagnetic interference from an ambient RF environment.

2. The processor of claim 1 further including a capacitor connected in series between the coil output terminal and the lead for coupling current from the winding through the lead to ground.

3. The processor of claim 2 wherein the sensor includes a toroidal structure and is between the capacitor and ground, the sensor having an RF voltage and RF fields substantially at zero.

4. The processor of claim 3 wherein the toroidal structure includes a toroidal core.

5. The processor of claim 2 wherein the sensor includes a toroidal structure surrounding the lead, the grounded shield substantially surrounding the toroidal structure.

6. The processor of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes a toroidal structure surrounding the lead, and the grounded shield substantially surrounds the toroidal structure.

7. The processor of claim 6 wherein the toroidal structure includes a toroidal core.

8. The processor of claim 1 wherein the coil includes plural windings, each of the plural windings being in a separate branch and including an input terminal and an output terminal, each of the input terminals being connected to be driven in parallel by the RF source, each of the output terminals being connected by a separate lead to ground, a separate current sensor coupled to each of the separate leads, and a grounded shield arrangement coupled with each current sensor for decoupling RF fields from the current sensors.

9. The processor claim 8 wherein each branch includes a capacitor connected between the output terminal of the winding of the respective branch and the lead of the respective branch for coupling current from the winding of the respective branch to the lead of the respective branch.

10. The processor of claim 9 wherein the sensor includes a toroidal structure and is between the capacitor and the lead, the sensor having an RF voltage and RF fields substantially at zero.

11. The processor of claim 10 wherein each of the toroidal structures includes a toroidal coil.

12. The processor of claim 8 wherein each of the sensors includes a toroidal structure surrounding the lead, and each of the grounded shields substantially surrounds its associated toroidal structure.

13. The processor of claim 12 wherein each of the toroidal structures includes a toroidal coil.

14. The processor of claim 9 wherein each of the sensors includes a toroidal structure surrounding the lead, and each of the grounded shields substantially surrounds its associated toroidal structure.