US 12,020,902 B2
Plasma processing with broadband RF waveforms
Jianping Zhao, Austin, TX (US); John Carroll, Austin, TX (US); Charles Schlechte, Austin, TX (US); and Peter Lowell George Ventzek, Austin, TX (US)
Assigned to Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jul. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/865,225.
Prior Publication US 2024/0021410 A1, Jan. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. H01J 37/32 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/32183 (2013.01) [H01J 37/32128 (2013.01); H01J 37/32146 (2013.01); H01J 37/32541 (2013.01); H01J 37/3299 (2013.01); H01J 2237/24564 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A plasma system comprising:
a plasma apparatus comprising:
a plasma chamber;
a pedestal configured to hold a substrate in the chamber; and
a radio frequency (RF) electrode configured to excite plasma in the chamber;
an electromagnetic (EM) circuit block coupled to the RF electrode, the EM circuit block comprising:
a function generator configured to output a broadband RF waveform, the waveform having EM power distributed over a range of frequencies;
a broadband amplifier coupled to an output of the function generator, an operating frequency range of the amplifier including the range of frequencies; and
a broadband impedance matching network having an input coupled to an output of the broadband amplifier and an output coupled to a terminal of the RF electrode, an operating frequency range of the broadband impedance matching network including the range of frequencies; and
a controller configured to adjust an input parameter of the EM circuit block.