Using modeling to determine ion energy associated with a plasma system

• US 9,842,725 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2014
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Valcore, Jr., John C., Lyndaker, Bradford J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Toan
• Application Number:
  US14/184,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32183 Matching circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32926 Software, data control or modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining ion energy are described. One of the methods includes detecting output of a generator to identify a generator output complex voltage and current (V&I). The generator is coupled to an impedance matching circuit and the impedance matching circuit is coupled to an electrostatic chuck (ESC). The method further includes determining from the generator output complex V&I a projected complex V&I at a point along a path between an output of a model of the impedance matching circuit and a model of the ESC. The operation of determining of the projected complex V&I is performed using a model for at least part of the path. The method includes applying the projected complex V&I as an input to a function to map the projected complex V&I to a wafer bias value at the ESC model and determining an ion energy from the wafer bias value.

Claims

1. A method for determining ion energy, the method comprising:

receiving, by a host computer system from a voltage and current probe, a first complex voltage and current measured at an output of a radio frequency (RF) generator by the voltage and current probe, wherein the voltage and current probe is coupled to the output of the RF generator for measuring the first complex voltage and current and is located within the RF generator, wherein the output of the RF generator is coupled via an RF cable to an input of an impedance matching circuit, wherein said receiving of the first complex voltage and current is performed when the RF generator is coupled to a plasma chamber via the impedance matching circuit, the impedance matching circuit having an output coupled to an RF transmission line;

generating, by the host computer system, an impedance matching model based on electrical components defined in the impedance matching circuit, the impedance matching model having an input and an output, the input of the impedance matching model receiving the first complex voltage and current from the voltage and current probe, the impedance matching model having one or more elements;

propagating, by the host computer system, the first complex voltage and current through the elements of the impedance matching model to determine a second complex voltage and current;

obtaining, by the host computer system, a peak voltage from the second complex voltage and current;

determining, by the host computer system, a wafer bias based on the second complex voltage and current;

determining, by the host computer system, the ion energy based on the wafer bias and the peak voltage; and

controlling the RF generator based on the ion energy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wafer bias is based on a voltage magnitude of the second complex voltage and current, a current magnitude of the second complex voltage and current, and a power magnitude of the second complex voltage and current,

wherein determining the wafer bias comprises:

calculating the power magnitude based on the voltage magnitude and the current magnitude; and

calculating a sum of a first product, a second product, a third product, and a constant, wherein the first product is of the voltage magnitude and a first coefficient, the second product is of the current magnitude and a second coefficient, and the third product is of a square root of the power magnitude and a third coefficient.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF generator includes a 2 megahertz RF generator, a 27 megahertz RF generator, or a 60 megahertz RF generator.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an RF transmission model based on circuit components defined in the RF transmission line, the RF transmission model having an input and an output, the input of the RF transmission model coupled to the output of the impedance matching model, the RF transmission model having a portion, wherein the wafer bias is determined at the output of the RF transmission model portion.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an RF transmission model based on electrical components defined in the RF transmission line, the RF transmission model having an input and an output, the input of the RF transmission model coupled to the output of the impedance matching model, wherein the wafer bias is determined at the output of the RF transmission model.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the electrical components of the RF transmission line include capacitors, inductors, or a combination thereof, the RF transmission model including one or more elements, wherein the elements of the RF transmission model have similar characteristics as that of the electrical components of the RF transmission line.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the voltage and current probe is calibrated according to a pre-set formula and is located inside the RF generator.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the pre-set formula is a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standard.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the voltage and current probe is coupled with an open circuit, a short circuit, or a load to calibrate the voltage and current probe to comply with the NIST standard.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second complex voltage and current includes a voltage value, a current value, and a phase between the voltage value and the current value.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the elements of the impedance matching model include capacitors, inductors, or a combination thereof, wherein the electrical components of impedance matching circuit include capacitors, inductors, or a combination thereof, wherein the elements of the impedance matching model have similar characteristics as that of the electrical components of the impedance matching circuit.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the wafer bias is for use in a plasma system, wherein the plasma system includes the RF transmission line and excludes a voltage probe on the RF transmission line.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an RF transmission model based on electrical components defined in the RF transmission line, the RF transmission model having an input and an output, the input of the RF transmission model coupled to the output of the impedance matching model; and

generating an electrostatic chuck (ESC) model based on characteristics of an electrostatic chuck of the plasma chamber, the ESC model having an input, the input of the ESC model coupled to the output of the RF transmission model, wherein the wafer bias is determined at the output of the ESC model.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein propagating the first complex voltage and current through the one or more elements from the input of the impedance matching model to the output of the impedance matching model to determine the second complex voltage and current comprises:

determining an intermediate complex voltage and current within an intermediate node within the impedance matching model based on the first complex voltage and current and characteristics of one or more elements of the impedance matching model coupled between the input of the impedance matching model and the intermediate node; and

determining the second complex voltage and current based on the intermediate complex voltage and current and characteristics of one or more elements of the impedance matching model coupled between the intermediate node and the output of the impedance matching model.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF transmission model includes a model of an RF tunnel and a model of an RF strap, the RF tunnel model coupled with the RF strap model.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the ion energy comprises:

calculating a first product of a coefficient and the wafer bias;

calculating a second product of a coefficient and the peak voltage; and

computing a sum of the first product and the second product.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the peak voltage comprises extracting the peak voltage from the second complex voltage and current.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein obtaining the peak voltage comprises receiving a measurement of the peak voltage.

19. A plasma system for determining an ion energy, comprising:

an RF generator for generating a radio frequency (RF) signal, the RF generator associated with a voltage and current probe, wherein the voltage and current probe is coupled to an output of the RF generator to measure a first complex voltage and current at the output of the RF generator and is located within the RF generator;

an impedance matching circuit coupled to the RF generator, wherein the output of the RF generator is coupled via an RF cable to an input of the impedance matching circuit;

a plasma chamber coupled to the impedance matching circuit via an RF transmission line, the impedance matching circuit having an input coupled to the output of the RF generator and an output coupled to the RF transmission line; and

a processor coupled to the RF generator, the processor configured to;

receive the first complex voltage and current from the voltage and current probe;

generate an impedance matching model based on electrical components defined in the impedance matching circuit, the impedance matching model having an input and an output, the input of the impedance matching model receiving the first complex voltage and current, the impedance matching model having one or more elements;

propagate the first complex voltage and current through the elements of the impedance matching model to determine a second complex voltage and current;

obtain a peak voltage from the second complex voltage and current;

determine a wafer bias based on the second complex voltage and current;

determine the ion energy based on the wafer bias and the peak voltage; and

control the RF generator based on the ion energy.

20. The plasma system of claim 19, wherein the RF generator is configured to operate at a frequency of 2 megahertz, or 27 megahertz, or 60 megahertz.

21. The plasma system of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to:

calculate a first product of a coefficient and the wafer bias;

calculate a second product of a coefficient and the peak voltage; and

compute a sum of the first product and the second product.

22. A computer system for determining an ion energy, the computer system comprising:

a processor configured to receive, from a voltage and current probe, a first complex voltage and current measured at an output of a radio frequency (RF) generator by the voltage and current probe, wherein the output of the RF generator is coupled via an RF cable to an input of an impedance matching circuit, wherein the voltage and current probe is located within the RF generator, wherein the processor is configured to receive the first complex voltage and current when the RF generator is coupled to a plasma chamber via the impedance matching circuit, the impedance matching circuit having an output coupled to an RF transmission line,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

generate an impedance matching model based on electrical components defined in the impedance matching circuit, the impedance matching model having an input and an output, the input of the impedance matching model receiving the first complex voltage and current, the impedance matching model having one or more elements;

propagate the first complex voltage and current through the elements of the impedance matching model to determine a second complex voltage and current;

obtain a peak voltage from the second complex voltage and current;

determine a wafer bias based on the second complex voltage and current;

determine the ion energy based on the wafer bias and the peak voltage; and

control the RF generator based on the ion energy; and

a memory device coupled to the processor, the memory device configured to store the ion energy.

23. The computer system of claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to:

calculate a first product of a coefficient and the wafer bias;

calculate a second product of a coefficient and the peak voltage; and

compute a sum of the first product and the second product.