Cable power loss determination for virtual metrology

• US 9,594,105 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2014
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Howald, Arthur M., Valcore, John C. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Toan
• Application Number:
  US14/152,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20150198639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/07 in circuits having distributed constants G01R21/09 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/06 Measuring reflection coefficients; Measuring standing-wave ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/58 Testing of lines, cables or conductors testing of electric windings G01R31/72

Abstract

A method for modeling cable loss is described. The method includes receiving a measurement of reverse power and forward power at a radio frequency (RF) generator. The method further includes computing theoretical power delivered to a matching network as a difference between the forward power and the reverse power and calculating a ratio of the reverse power to the forward power to generate an RF power reflection ratio. The method further includes identifying a cable power attenuation fraction based on a frequency of the RF generator and calculating a cable power loss as a function of the RF power reflection ratio, the cable power attenuation fraction, and the theoretical power. The method includes calculating actual power to be delivered to the impedance matching network based on the theoretical power and the cable power loss and sending the calculated actual power to the RF generator to generate an RF signal.

Claims

1. A method for modeling cable loss, comprising:

receiving a measurement of reverse power at a radio frequency (RF) generator, the RF generator coupled via an RF cable to an input of an impedance matching network, the impedance matching network coupled via an RF transmission line to a plasma chamber, the RF generator having a frequency of operation;

receiving a measurement of forward power at the RF generator;

computing a theoretical power delivered to the impedance matching network as a difference between the forward power and the reverse power;

calculating a ratio of the reverse power to the forward power to generate an RF power reflection ratio;

identifying a cable power attenuation fraction of the RF cable based on the frequency of operation of the RF generator and a length of the RF cable;

calculating a cable power loss as a function of the RF power reflection ratio, the cable power attenuation fraction, and the theoretical power;

calculating an actual power to be delivered to the input of the impedance matching network based on the theoretical power and the cable power loss; and

sending the calculated actual power to the RF generator to generate an RF signal,

wherein the method is executed by a processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurements of the forward and reverse powers are received from a complex voltage and current sensor, the complex voltage and current sensor coupled to an output of the RF generator to measure the reverse power at the RF generator and to measure the forward power at the RF generator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reverse power includes reflected power, wherein the reflected power includes power reflected towards the RF generator from the plasma chamber.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF generator includes an RF power supply and a digital signal processor (DSP) coupled to the RF power supply, the DSP used for providing a value of power of the RF signal to the RF power supply.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the impedance matching network is used for matching an impedance of a load with that of a source, the load coupled to the impedance matching network at one end of the matching network and the source coupled to the matching network at another end of the matching network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF transmission line includes an RF rod that is coupled to an RF strap and includes an additional RF rod, the additional RF rod coupled to the RF strap at one end of the additional RF rod and coupled to a chuck of the plasma chamber at another end of the additional RF rod.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma chamber includes a chuck and an upper electrode, the upper electrode facing the chuck.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the forward power includes power supplied by the RF generator.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the frequency of operation from a list of frequencies, wherein identifying the cable power attenuation fraction comprises determining the cable power attenuation fraction as corresponding to the frequency of operation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the cable power loss as the function of the RF power reflection ratio, the cable power attenuation fraction, and the theoretical power comprises:

calculating a sum of one and the RF power reflection ratio to generate a first result;

calculating a difference between one and the RF power reflection ratio to generate a second result;

computing a ratio of the first result to the second result to generate a third result;

computing a product of the theoretical power, the cable power attenuation fraction, and the third result to generate the cable power loss.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the actual power to be delivered to the impedance matching network based on the theoretical power and the cable power loss comprises calculating the actual power as a difference between the theoretical power and the cable power loss.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF signal has power that is generated based on the calculated actual power.

13. A method comprising:

receiving a measurement of reverse power at a radio frequency (RF) generator, the RF generator coupled via an RF cable to an input of an impedance matching network, the impedance matching network coupled via an RF transmission line to a plasma chamber, the RF generator having a frequency of operation;

receiving a measurement of forward power at the RF generator;

computing a theoretical power delivered to the impedance matching network as a difference between the forward power and the reverse power;

calculating a ratio of the reverse power to the forward power to generate an RF power reflection ratio;

identifying a cable power attenuation fraction of the RF cable based on the frequency of operation of the RF generator and a length of the RF cable;

calculating a cable power loss as a function of the RF power reflection ratio, the cable power attenuation fraction, and the theoretical delivered power;

calculating an actual power to be delivered to the input of the impedance matching network based on the theoretical delivered power and the cable power loss;

determining an actual power at a node associated with a computer-generated model based on the actual power to be delivered to the input of the impedance matching network; and

sending the actual power at the node to the RF generator to control the RF generator, wherein sending the actual power at the node to the RF generator to control the RF generator comprises sending a value of the actual power at the node for generating an RF signal to achieve a threshold,

wherein the method is executed by a processor.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the measurements of the forward and reverse powers are received from a complex voltage and current sensor, the complex voltage and current sensor coupled to an output of the RF generator to measure the reverse power at the RF generator and to measure the forward power at the RF generator.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the actual power at the node based on the actual power to be delivered to the input of the impedance matching network comprises propagating the actual power to be delivered to the input of the impedance matching network via the computer-generated model to calculate a value of the actual power at the node.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein propagating the actual power to be delivered to the input of the impedance matching network comprises calculating a directional sum of the actual power to be delivered to the input of the impedance matching network and one or more power values associated with one or more electrical circuit components of the computer-generated model.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the node includes an input node at an input of the computer-generated model, or an output node at an output of the computer-generated model, or an intermediate node within the computer-generated model.

18. A plasma system comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) generator for supplying forward power, the RF generator having a frequency of operation;

an impedance matching circuit having an input coupled to the RF generator for receiving the forward power and to generate a modified RF signal based on the forward power;

an RF cable coupling the RF generator to the impedance matching circuit to facilitate a transfer of the forward power to the impedance matching circuit;

a plasma chamber coupled to the impedance matching circuit via an RF transmission line, the plasma chamber for generating plasma based on the modified RF signal;

a sensor coupled to the RF generator to measure the forward power and to measure reverse power, the reverse power reflected from the plasma towards the RF generator via the RF cable;

a host system coupled to the sensor for receiving the measurement of the forward power and the reverse power,

wherein the host system is configured to;

compute a theoretical power delivered to the impedance matching circuit as a difference between the forward power and the reverse power;

calculate a ratio of the reverse power to the forward power to generate an RF power reflection ratio;

identify a cable power attenuation fraction of the RF cable based on the frequency of operation of the RF generator and a length of the RF cable;

calculate a cable power loss as a function of the RF power reflection ratio, the cable power attenuation fraction, and the theoretical delivered power;

calculate an actual power to be delivered to the input of the impedance matching circuit based on the theoretical delivered power and the cable power loss; and

send the calculated actual power to the RF generator to control the RF generator.

19. The plasma system of claim 18, wherein the impedance matching circuit lacks a connection to a sensor used to measure forward power at the impedance matching circuit and reverse power reflected at the impedance matching circuit.