Chamber matching using voltage control mode

• US 9,107,284 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Albarede, Luc
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, THAI N
• Application Number:
  US13/800,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20140265833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 315/39, 315/111.21, 315/111.71
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32183 Matching circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/46 using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy H05H1/26 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods for compensating for harmonics produced during plasma processing in a plasma chamber are described. One of the methods includes retrieving a measurement of a combined waveform. The combined waveform includes a fundamental waveform and a harmonic waveform. The combined waveform defines a voltage proximate to a surface of a chuck, which is coupled to a radio frequency (RF) transmission line. The RF transmission line is coupled to an impedance matching circuit. The impedance matching circuit is coupled to an RF generator. The method further includes extracting the fundamental waveform from the combined waveform, determining a difference between a magnitude of the combined waveform and a magnitude of the fundamental waveform, and controlling the RF generator to compensate for the difference.

Claims

1. A method for compensating for harmonics produced during plasma processing in a plasma chamber, the method comprising:

retrieving a measurement of a combined waveform, the combined waveform including a fundamental waveform and a harmonic waveform, the combined waveform defining a voltage proximate to a surface of a chuck, the chuck coupled to a radio frequency (RF) transmission line, the RF transmission line coupled to an impedance matching circuit, the impedance matching circuit coupled to an RF generator;

extracting the fundamental waveform from the combined waveform;

determining a difference between a magnitude of the combined waveform and a magnitude of the fundamental waveform; and

controlling the RF generator to compensate for the difference,

wherein the method is executed by one or more processors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the RF generator comprises changing power supplied by the RF generator so that the magnitude of the combined waveform substantially matches the magnitude of the fundamental waveform.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the magnitude of the combined waveform substantially matches the magnitude of the fundamental waveform when the magnitude of the combined waveform is within a threshold of the magnitude of the fundamental waveform.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the magnitude of the combined waveform is a maximum magnitude of the combined waveform and the magnitude of the fundamental waveform is a maximum magnitude of the fundamental waveform.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the maximum magnitude is a peak magnitude.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the voltage is present on top of the surface of the chuck.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement includes a measurement of a voltage.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting the fundamental waveform from the combined waveform comprises:

filtering in multiple ranges of frequencies, wherein each range extends from a pre-determined frequency;

determining a lowest one of the frequency ranges at which a waveform is output by the filtering; and

determining the lowest frequency range to include a frequency of the fundamental waveform.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement is made by a probe coupled to the chuck.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the measurement based on a measurement at a point between the RF generator and the chuck and based on a computer-generated model of elements between the point and the chuck.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the elements include:

at least a portion of an RF strap of the RF transmission line, the RF strap coupled to the chuck;

at least a portion of an RF tunnel of the RF transmission line, the RF tunnel coupled to the RF strap;

at least a portion of an RF cable of the RF transmission line, the RF cable coupled to the RF tunnel and the impedance matching circuit;

at least a portion of the impedance matching circuit;

at least a portion of an RF cable coupling the impedance matching circuit to the RF generator;

or

a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the measurement comprises reading the measurement from a storage device.

13. A method for compensating for harmonics produced during plasma processing in a plasma chamber, the method comprising:

retrieving a measurement of a combined waveform, the combined waveform including a fundamental waveform and a harmonic waveform, the combined waveform defining a variable proximate to a surface of a chuck, the chuck coupled to a radio frequency (RF) transmission line, the RF transmission line coupled to an impedance matching circuit, the impedance matching circuit coupled to an RF generator;

extracting the fundamental waveform from the combined waveform;

determining a difference between a phase of the combined waveform and a phase of the fundamental waveform; and

receiving an indication of a change to a plasma system, the change made to compensate for the difference, the plasma system including the RF transmission line, an RF cable coupling the impedance matching circuit to the RF generator, the impedance matching circuit, or a combination thereof,

wherein the method is executed by one or more processors.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the change to the plasma system comprises:

a replacement of the RF transmission line with another RF transmission line;

a replacement of the RF cable with another RF cable;

a replacement of the impedance matching circuit with another matching circuit;

or

a combination thereof.

15. A method for performing chamber-to-chamber matching, the method comprising:

retrieving a measurement of a combined waveform, the combined waveform including a fundamental waveform and a harmonic waveform, the combined waveform defining a voltage proximate to a surface of a chuck, the chuck coupled to a radio frequency (RF) transmission line, the RF transmission line coupled to an impedance matching circuit, the impedance matching circuit coupled to an RF generator;

extracting the fundamental waveform from the combined waveform;

receiving an indication of coupling another chuck to the RF transmission line;

retrieving a measurement of another combined waveform, the other combined waveform defining a voltage proximate to a surface of the other chuck;

determining a difference between a magnitude of the other combined waveform and a magnitude of the fundamental waveform; and

controlling the RF generator to compensate for the difference,

wherein the method is executed by one or more processors.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the chuck is located within a plasma chamber, the other chuck is located with another plasma chamber, wherein the plasma chamber provides a higher yield than the other plasma chamber.

17. A method for performing chamber-to-chamber matching, the method comprising:

retrieving a measurement of a combined waveform, the combined waveform including a fundamental waveform and a harmonic waveform, the combined waveform defining a voltage proximate to a surface of a chuck, the chuck coupled to a radio frequency (RF) transmission line, the RF transmission line coupled to an impedance matching circuit, the impedance matching circuit coupled to an RF generator;

extracting the fundamental waveform from the combined waveform;

receiving an indication of coupling another chuck to the RF transmission line;

retrieving a measurement of another combined waveform, the other combined waveform defining a voltage proximate to a surface of the other chuck;

determining a difference between a phase of the other combined waveform and a phase of the fundamental waveform; and

receiving an indication of a change to a plasma system, the change made to compensate for the difference, the plasma system including the RF transmission line, an RF cable coupling the impedance matching circuit to the RF generator, the impedance matching circuit, the other chuck, or a combination thereof,

wherein the method is executed by one or more processors.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the chuck is located within a plasma chamber, the other chuck is located with another plasma chamber, wherein the plasma chamber provides a higher yield than the other plasma chamber.

19. A method for performing intra-chamber matching, the method comprising:

retrieving a measurement of a combined waveform, the combined waveform including a fundamental waveform and a harmonic waveform, the combined waveform defining a voltage proximate to a surface of a chuck of a plasma chamber in a first condition, the chuck coupled to a radio frequency (RF) transmission line, the RF transmission line coupled to an impedance matching circuit, the impedance matching circuit coupled to an RF generator;

extracting the fundamental waveform from the combined waveform;

receiving an indication of a change in the plasma chamber from the first condition to a second condition;

retrieving a measurement of another combined waveform generated within the plasma chamber, the other combined waveform generated when the plasma chamber is in the second condition;

determining a difference between a magnitude of the other combined waveform and a magnitude of the fundamental waveform; and

controlling the RF generator to compensate for the difference,

wherein the method is executed by one or more processors.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second condition occurs after occurrence of the first condition.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the second condition occurs after using the plasma chamber for processing a wafer.

22. A method for performing intra-chamber matching, the method comprising:

retrieving a measurement of a combined waveform, the combined waveform including a fundamental waveform and a harmonic waveform, the combined waveform defining a voltage proximate to a surface of a chuck of a plasma chamber in a first condition, the chuck coupled to a radio frequency (RF) transmission line, the RF transmission line coupled to an impedance matching circuit, the impedance matching circuit coupled to an RF generator;

extracting the fundamental waveform from the combined waveform;

receiving an indication of a change the plasma chamber from the first condition to a second condition;

retrieving a measurement of another combined waveform, the other combined waveform generated when the plasma chamber is in the second condition;

determining a difference between a phase of the other combined waveform and a phase of the fundamental waveform; and

receiving an indication of a change to a plasma system, the change made to compensate for the difference, the plasma system including the RF transmission line, an RF cable coupling the impedance matching circuit to the RF generator, the impedance matching circuit, the chuck, or a combination thereof,

wherein the method is executed by one or more processors.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second condition occurs after using the plasma chamber for processing a wafer.