Microwave power delivery system for plasma reactors

• US 9,142,389 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2011
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Element Six Technologies US Corporation (Anglo American PLC)
• Original Assignee: Element Six Technologies US Corporation (Anglo American PLC)
• Inventors: Wort, Christopher John Howard, Brandon, John Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): POOS, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US13/994,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20130334964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 315/111.21, 438/772
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/274 using microwave discharges
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/511 using microwave discharges
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/54 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3321 CVD [Chemical Vapor Deposition]
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32229 Waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32256 Tuning means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32266 Means for controlling power transmitted to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/20 Magic-T junctions
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/222 180° rat race hybrid rings

Abstract

A microwave power delivery system for supplying microwave power to a plurality of microwave plasma reactors (8), the microwave power delivery system comprising: a tuner (14) configured to be coupled to a microwave source (4) and configured to match impedance of the plurality of microwave plasma reactors to that of the microwave source; and a waveguide junction (18) coupled to the tuner and configured to guide microwaves to and from the plurality of microwave plasma reactors, wherein the waveguide junction comprises four waveguide ports including a first port coupled to the tuner, second and third ports configured to be coupled to respective microwave plasma reactors, and a fourth port coupled to a microwave sink (20), wherein the waveguide junction is configured to evenly split microwave power input from the tuner through the first port between the second and third ports for providing microwave power to respective microwave plasma reactors, wherein the waveguide junction is configured to decouple the second and third ports thereby preventing any reflected microwaves from one of the microwave plasma reactors from feeding across the waveguide junction directly into another microwave plasma reactor causing an imbalance, wherein the waveguide junction is further configured to feed reflected microwaves received back through the second and third ports which are balanced in terms of magnitude and phase to the tuner such that they can be reflected by the tuner and re-used, and wherein the waveguide junction is further configured to feed excess reflected power which is not balanced through the fourth port into the microwave sink.

Claims

1. A microwave power delivery system for supplying microwave power to a plurality of microwave plasma reactors, the microwave power delivery system comprising:

a tuner configured to be coupled to a microwave source and configured to match impedance of the plurality of microwave plasma reactors to that of the microwave source; and

a waveguide junction coupled to the tuner and configured to guide microwaves to and from the plurality of microwave plasma reactors,

wherein the waveguide junction comprises four waveguide ports including a first port coupled to the tuner, second and third ports configured to be coupled to respective microwave plasma reactors, and a fourth port coupled to a microwave sink,

wherein the waveguide junction is configured to evenly split microwave power input from the tuner through the first port between the second and third ports for providing microwave power to respective microwave plasma reactors,

wherein the waveguide junction is configured to decouple the second and third ports thereby preventing any reflected microwaves from one of the microwave plasma reactors from feeding across the waveguide junction directly into another microwave plasma reactor causing an imbalance,

wherein the waveguide junction is further configured to feed reflected microwaves received back through the second and third ports which are balanced in terms of magnitude and phase to the tuner such that they can be reflected by the tuner and re-used, and

wherein the waveguide junction is further configured to feed excess reflected power which is not balanced through the fourth port into the microwave sink.

2. A microwave power delivery system according to claim 1, further comprising a microwave isolator for coupling the tuner to the microwave source.

3. A microwave power delivery system according to claim 1, wherein the tuner is a stub tuner.

4. A microwave power delivery system according to claim 3, wherein the stub tuner comprises a plurality of stubs.

5. A microwave power delivery system according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of stubs are separated by a quarter guided wavelength.

6. A microwave power delivery system according to claim 1, wherein the waveguide junction is one of a hybrid tee junction, a hybrid ring junction, and a two-hole directional coupler.

7. A microwave power delivery system according to claim 1, wherein the first, second, third and fourth ports are formed by rectangular waveguides.

8. A microwave power delivery system according to claim 1, wherein the waveguide junction is a hybrid tee junction in which the first, second and third ports lie in a plane with the first port disposed at a 90°

angle relative to the second and third ports which are disposed in a straight line, and wherein the fourth port is coupled at a junction between the first, second and third ports and lies in a plane perpendicular to the first, second and third ports.

9. A microwave power delivery system according to claim 1, wherein the waveguide junction is configured to decouple the second and third ports when operating within a frequency band width in the range 400 MHz to 500 MHz, 800 MHz to 1000 MHz, or 2300 MHz to 2600 MHz.

10. A microwave power delivery system according to claim 1, wherein the second and third ports are equal in length or have a difference in length which is a multiple of ½

λ

_g, where λ

_g is an operating guided wavelength for the waveguide junction.

11. A microwave power delivery system according to claim 10, wherein the lengths of the second and third ports are configured to a design tolerance within 10 mm, 5 mm, 3 mm, 1 mm, 0.5 mm, or 0.1 mm and/or within 4%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.2%, 0.1% or 0.06% of a target port length.

12. A microwave power delivery system according to claim 1, further comprising a power measuring device configured to measure the magnitude of reflected power back to the microwave source.

13. A microwave power delivery system according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises a plurality of said waveguide junctions.

14. A microwave power delivery system according to claim 1, wherein the second and third ports are coupled to respective coaxial waveguides for providing microwave power to respective microwave plasma reactors.