Impedance matching apparatus for a plasma chamber comprising two separate storage units and three separate calculators

• US 7,332,981 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daihen Corporation
• Original Assignee: Daihen Corporation
• Inventors: Matsuno, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOPEZ ESQUERRA, ANDRES
• Application Number:
  US11/701,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20070170997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: 333/17.3, 333/32, 455 91-129, 315/58, 315/70
• US Class Current: 333/17.3
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance

Abstract

An impedance matching apparatus 3 calculates a forward wave voltage Vfo and a reflected wave voltage Vro at an output terminal 3b, based on a forward wave voltage Vfi and a reflected wave voltage Vri at an input terminal 3a, on information on variable values of variable capacitors VC1, VC2 acquired in advance through measurement, and on a T parameter of the impedance matching apparatus 3 corresponding to the information on the variable values of variable capacitors VC1, VC2. The impedance matching apparatus 3 calculates an input reflection coefficient Γi at the input terminal 3a corresponding to the information on the variable values of the variable capacitors VC1, VC2, based on the forward wave voltage Vfo, the reflected wave voltage Vro and the T parameter. The impedance matching apparatus 3 selects the lowest absolute value out of absolute values |Γi| of the input reflection coefficients corresponding to the variable values of the variable capacitors VC1, VC2, and adjusts the impedance of the variable capacitors VC1, VC2 based on the lowest value.

Claims

1. An impedance matching apparatus to be interposed between a high-frequency power source and a load, for changing an impedance of an impedance variable device so as to match an impedance of the high-frequency power source and an impedance of the load, comprising:

a high-frequency wave information detector to detect information on a forward wave advancing from the high-frequency power source toward the load and information on a reflected wave advancing from the load toward the high-frequency power source, at an input terminal of the impedance matching apparatus;

a variable device information detector to detect information on a variable value of the impedance variable device;

a first storage unit to store therein a characteristic parameter of the impedance matching apparatus acquired through a preceding measurement, with respect to the information on a variable value of a plurality of the impedance variable devices, in correlation with the information on the variable value of the impedance variable device;

a first calculator to calculate the information on the forward wave and the information on the reflected wave at an output terminal of the impedance matching apparatus, based on the information on the variable value of the impedance variable device detected by the variable device information detector, on the characteristic parameter stored in the first storage unit, and on the information on the forward wave and the information on the reflected wave detected by the high-frequency wave information detector;

a third calculator to calculate a reflection coefficient at the output terminal of the impedance matching apparatus, based on the information on the forward wave and the information on the reflected wave at the output terminal of the impedance matching apparatus calculated by the first calculator;

a fourth calculator to calculate a reflection coefficient at the output terminal of the impedance matching apparatus with respect to the information on the variable value of the plurality of impedance variable devices, based on a predetermined target input reflection coefficient and a plurality of the characteristic parameters stored in the first storage unit;

a third storage unit to store therein a plurality of the reflection coefficients calculated by the fourth calculator in correlation with the information on the variable value of the impedance variable device;

a second identifier to select a reflection coefficient closest to the reflection coefficient at the output terminal of the impedance matching apparatus calculated by the third calculator out of the plurality of reflection coefficients stored in the third storage unit, and to identify the information on the variable value of the impedance variable device corresponding to the selected reflection coefficient; and

an adjustment unit to adjust an impedance of the impedance variable device, based on the information on the variable value of the impedance variable device identified by the second identifier.

2. The impedance matching apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a setting unit to set the target input reflection coefficient.

3. The impedance matching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic parameter is an S parameter, or a T parameter acquired through conversion from the S parameter.