Sub-pulsing during a state

• US 9,390,893 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2014
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Valcore, John C. Jr., Singh, Harmeet, Lyndaker, Bradford J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Norton, Nadine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dahimene, Mahmoud
• Application Number:
  US14/466,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20150048740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/327 Arrangements for generating the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32082 Radio frequency generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32146 Amplitude modulation, includes pulsing
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32174 Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32183 Matching circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3255 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/01 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/00 Automatic control of frequency or phase; Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/06 using a reference signal applied to a frequency- or phase-locked loop
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 2242/26 Matching networks

Abstract

A method for achieving sub-pulsing during a state is described. The method includes receiving a clock signal from a clock source, the clock signal having two states and generating a pulsed signal from the clock signal. The pulsed signal has sub-states within one of the states. The sub-states alternate with respect to each other at a frequency greater than a frequency of the states. The method includes providing the pulsed signal to control power of a radio frequency (RF) signal that is generated by an RF generator. The power is controlled to be synchronous with the pulsed signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a clock signal from a clock source, the clock signal having two states including a first state and a second state;

generating a pulsed signal from the clock signal, the pulsed signal having sub-states within the first state, the sub-states alternating with respect to each other at a frequency greater than a frequency of the states;

providing the pulsed signal to control power of a first radio frequency (RF) signal that is generated by a first RF generator, the power controlled to be synchronous with the pulsed signal;

supplying the first RF signal having the sub-states and having the second state to an impedance matching circuit connected to an electrode of a plasma chamber; and

supplying from a second RF generator a second RF signal having the first state without the sub-states and having the second state to the impedance matching circuit that is connected to the electrode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the power controlled to be synchronous with the pulsed signal has the same frequency as that of the pulsed signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the clock source includes a crystal oscillator or a crystal oscillator coupled with a phase-locked loop.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first RF generator is a 2 megahertz RF generator and the second RF generator is a 60 megahertz generator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first state is a high state and the second state is a low state, the high state having a higher logic level than the low state.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pulsed signal transitions from the second state to a first one of the two sub-states, then transitions from the first sub-state to a second one of the two sub-states, then transitions from the second sub-state to the first sub-state, then transitions from the first sub-state to the second sub-state, and then transitions from the second sub-state to the second state.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the power of the first RF signal includes multiple power levels, wherein one of the power levels during a low one of the sub-states is the same as or higher than another one of the power levels during the second state.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the clock signal to the second RF generator for generating the second RF signal that is synchronous with the clock signal.

9. The method of claim 8,

wherein the impedance matching circuit generates a modified RF signal based on the first RF signal and the second RF signal, wherein the impedance matching circuit generates the modified RF signal by matching an impedance of the plasma chamber and an RF transmission line with an impedance of the first RF generator, the second RF generator, a first RF cable, and a second RF cable,

wherein the RF transmission line couples the plasma chamber to the impedance matching circuit,

wherein the first RF cable couples the first RF generator to the impedance matching circuit, and

wherein the second RF cable couples the second RF generator to the impedance matching circuit.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein the sub-states include a first sub-state, a second sub-state, a third sub-state, and a fourth sub-state,

wherein the power of the first RF signal has multiple power levels,

wherein a first one of the power levels transitions from the first sub-state to a second one of the power levels in the second sub-state,

wherein the second power level then transitions to the first power level in the first sub-state,

wherein the first power level then transitions to the second power level in the second sub-state,

wherein the second power level then transitions to a third one of the power levels in the third sub-state,

wherein the third power level then transitions to a fourth one of the power levels to achieve the fourth sub-state,

wherein the fourth power level then transitions to the third power level to achieve the third sub-state,

wherein the third power level then transitions to the fourth power level.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second power level is the same as, or lower than, or greater than the fourth power level, wherein the first power level is lower than the third power level.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second power level is the same as, or lower than, or greater than the fourth power level, wherein the first power level is greater than the third power level.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the clock source is located within a digital signal processor of the first RF generator.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the clock source is located outside the first RF generator.

15. A method comprising:

generating, by a digital signal processor of a first radio frequency (RF) generator, a pulsed signal having sub-states within a first state of a plurality of states, the sub-states alternating with respect to each other at a frequency greater than a frequency of the states;

generating, by an RF power supply of the first RF generator, a first RF signal that is synchronous with the pulsed signal, wherein the first RF signal has the sub-states of the first state during a first period of time of a cycle of the pulsed signal and has the second state during a remaining period of time of the cycle of the pulsed signal;

providing the first RF signal to an impedance matching circuit connected to an electrode of a plasma chamber; and

providing by a second RF generator a second RF signal having the first state without the sub-states and having the second state to the impedance matching circuit that is connected to the electrode, wherein the first state of the second RF signal is generated during the first period of time and the second state of the second RF signal is generated during the remaining period of time.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the pulsed signal transitions from the second state to a first one of the sub-states, then transitions from the first sub-state to a second one of the sub-states, then periodically transitions between the first sub-state and the second sub-state, and then transitions from the second sub-state to the second state.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing the pulsed signal to the second RF generator for generating the second RF signal that is synchronous with the pulsed signal.

18. The method of claim 15,

wherein the impedance matching circuit generates a modified RF signal based on the first RF signal and the second RF signal, wherein the impedance matching circuit generates the modified RF signal by matching an impedance of a plasma chamber and an RF transmission line with an impedance of the first RF generator, the second RF generator, a first RF cable, and a second RF cable,

wherein the RF transmission line couples the plasma chamber to the impedance matching circuit,

wherein the first RF cable couples the first RF generator to the impedance matching circuit,

wherein the second RF cable couples the second RF generator to the impedance matching circuit.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein a power level of the first RF signal during one of the sub-states is the same as a power level of the first RF signal during the second state.