Method of plasma load impedance tuning for engineered transients by synchronized modulation of a source power or bias power RF generator

• US 8,324,525 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Shannon, Steven C., Ramaswamy, Kartik, Hoffman, Daniel J., Miller, Matthew L., Collins, Kenneth S.
• Primary Examiner(s): PASCHALL, MARK H
• Application Number:
  US12/129,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20090294414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 219/121.4, 219/121.41, 219/121.43, 219/121.44, 118/723.R, 118/723.MW, 118/723.MP, 204/298.38, 204/298.34, 204/298.39, 156/345.44, 156/345.41, 156/345.48, 315/111.21
• US Class Current: 219/121.54
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32091 the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32174 Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/46 using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy H05H1/26 takes precedence

Abstract

A method processing a workpiece in a plasma reactor chamber in which a first one of plural applied RF plasma powers is modulated in accordance with a time-varying modulation control signal corresponding to a desired process transient cycle. The method achieves a reduction in reflected power by modulating a second one of the plural plasma powers in response to the time-varying modulation control signal.

Claims

1. A method for processing a workpiece in a plasma reactor chamber, comprising:

delivering RF power of respective frequencies through respective impedance match elements into the chamber;

generating in a controller a time-varying modulation control signal corresponding to a desired process transient cycle;

modulating the RF power of a first one of said respective frequencies in accordance with said time-varying modulation control signal;

reducing reflected power at an RF generator furnishing the RF power of any of said respective frequencies, said reducing comprises modulating the RF power of a second one of said respective frequencies in response to said time-varying modulation control signal; and

monitoring reflected RF power at an RF generator furnishing the RF power of one said respective frequencies, and controlling the degree of modulation of the RE power of said second one of said respective frequencies in response to said reflected RF power.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the RF power of said first one of said respective frequencies comprises RF plasma source power contributing to plasma electron density, and wherein said second one of said respective frequencies is a frequency at which over 80% of RF power contributes to plasma sheath thickness.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the RF power of said first one of said respective frequencies comprises RF plasma source power contributing to plasma electron density, and wherein said second one of said respective frequencies is a frequency in or below an LF frequency range.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said RF power of said first one of said respective frequencies comprises RF plasma bias power contributing to plasma sheath voltage, and wherein said second one of said respective frequencies is a frequency at which over 80% of RF power contributes to plasma electron density.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said RF power of said first one of said respective frequencies comprises RF plasma bias power contributing to plasma sheath voltage, and wherein said second RF plasma power has a frequency in a VHF frequency range.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said RF power of said respective frequencies comprise, respectively, RF plasma source power and RF plasma bias power;

said delivering RF power of said respective frequencies comprises coupling said RF power of said first one of said respective frequencies to one of;

(a) an electrode at a ceiling of said chamber, (b) an electrode in a workpiece support in said chamber, (c) a coil antenna overlying a ceiling of said chamber; and

said delivering RF power of said respective frequencies into said chamber further comprises coupling the RF power of said second one of said respective frequencies to one of;

(a) an electrode of a wafer support in said chamber, (b) an electrode in a workpiece support in said chamber, (c) a coil antenna overlying a ceiling of said chamber.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said the modulation of said RF power of a second one of said respective frequencies corresponds to a power level that is proportional to a fraction of the peak power level of said RF power of said second one of said respective frequencies.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein modulating said RF power of said second one of said respective frequencies comprises imposing an R-C delay and exponential response relative to said control signal in the modulation of said RF power of said second one of said respective frequencies.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said control signal corresponds to a transient that is one of (a) rectangular wave pulsing, (b) triangular wave.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said RF power of said second one of said respective frequencies comprises a first RF bias power, said method further comprising;

RF power of a third one of said respective frequencies comprises a second RF bias power, said method further comprising modulating said second RF bias power in response to said time-varying modulation control signal.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein:

said first RF bias power has a frequency in or below an LF frequency range; and

said second RF bias power has a frequency in or above an HF frequency range.

12. The reactor of claim 10 wherein the modulation of said first RF bias power is out of phase with respect to the modulation of said second RF bias power.

13. A method for processing a workpiece in a plasma reactor chamber, comprising:

delivering RF power of respective frequencies through respective plural impedance matches into said reactor chamber;

generating in a controller a time-varying modulation control signal corresponding to a desired process cycle transient;

first modulating the RF power of a first one of said respective frequencies in accordance with said time-varying modulation control signal;

reducing fluctuations in plasma impedance due to said first modulating by stability modulating the RF power of a second one of said respective frequencies in response to said time-varying modulation control signal.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

second modulating the RF power of a second one of said respective frequencies in accordance with a second time-varying modulation control signal;

second reducing fluctuations in plasma impedance due to said second modulating, said second reducing comprising stability modulating the RF power of said first one of said respective frequencies in response to said second time-varying modulation control signal; and

monitoring reflected RF power at an RF generator furnishing the RF power of one of said respective frequencies, and controlling the degree of modulation of said stability modulation of the RF power of said second one of said respective frequencies in response to said reflected RF power.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said first and second time-varying modulation signals are the same signal.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the RF power of said first one of said respective frequencies comprises plasma RF source power and the RF power of said second one of said respective frequencies comprises plasma RF bias power, said plasma RF bias power having a frequency at or below an LF frequency range, said plasma RF source power having a frequency at or above an HF frequency range.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein stability modulating comprises imposing an R-C delay and exponential response relative to the respective time-varying modulation control signal.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein said time-varying modulation control signal corresponds to a transient that is one of (a) rectangular wave pulsing, (b) triangular wave.