US 12,080,520 B2
Plasma generation systems with multi-dimensional impedance matching networks
Anthony Oliveti, San Jose, CA (US); Dean Maw, San Jose, CA (US); Keith Rouse, San Jose, CA (US); Gary Russell, San Jose, CA (US); and Tigran Poghosyan, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to COMET TECHNOLOGIES USA, INC., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by COMET TECHNOLOGIES USA, INC., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 13, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/080,547.
Application 18/080,547 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/458,764, filed on Aug. 27, 2021, granted, now 11,574,799.
Application 18/080,547 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/244,193, filed on Apr. 29, 2021, granted, now 11,527,385.
Application 17/458,764 is a continuation of application No. 16/456,598, filed on Jun. 28, 2019, granted, now 11,114,279, issued on Sep. 7, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0104096 A1, Apr. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. H01J 37/32 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/32183 (2013.01) [H01J 2237/3322 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A plasma generation system comprising:
a radio frequency generator characterized by a source impedance;
a plasma chamber characterized by a load impedance; and
a matching network coupled to the radio frequency generator and the plasma chamber characterized by a matching network impedance, wherein the matching network together with the plasma chamber is characterized by a combined load impedance;
the matching network further comprising a plurality of impedance control components and a tuning controller, wherein the tuning controller performs a method comprising:
driving the matching network to define a multi-dimensional tuning range for the matching network;
defining a plurality of target impedance values spaced apart throughout the multi-dimensional tuning range;
driving the matching network to produce a plurality of tuning values for the impedance control components for driving the impedance of the matching network proximate to the plurality of target impedance values;
driving the matching network to generate closest measured frame tuning values proximate to the target impedance values; and
computing interpolated tuning values between the measured frame tuning values, including performing an n-dimensional interpolation calculating the proximity of the interpolated impedances using the sum of reflection coefficient and normalized cartesian distance;
storing the tuning values mapped to corresponding matching network impedance values in a tuning database; and
operating the matching network by:
(a) measuring one or more of the matching network impedance, the load impedance, or the combined load impedance;
(b) computing a desired matching network impedance based on the matching network impedance, the load impedance, or the combined load impedance to match the combined load impedance with the source impedance;
(c) looking up a closest matching network impedance value proximate to the desired matching network impedance in the tuning database;
(d) looking up a set of tuning values corresponding to the closest matching network impedance value in the tuning database; and
(e) setting each impedance control component to its respective tuning value.