US 12,456,607 B2
Auxiliary plasma source for robust ignition and restrikes in a plasma chamber
Kartik Ramaswamy, San Jose, CA (US); Kostiantyn Achkasov, Lyons (FR); Nicolas J. Bright, Mountain Lakes, NJ (US); Fernando M. Silveira, Livermore, CA (US); Yang Yang, Cupertino, CA (US); and Yue Guo, Redwood City, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 15, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/551,698.
Prior Publication US 2023/0187176 A1, Jun. 15, 2023
Int. Cl. H01J 37/32 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/32247 (2013.01) [H01J 37/32091 (2013.01); H01J 37/321 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for providing plasma to a semiconductor processing chamber, the method comprising:
processing a semiconductor wafer in the semiconductor processing chamber according to a recipe;
operating, by a controller, a first plasma source according to the recipe, wherein the first plasma source provides a plasma to the semiconductor processing chamber and duty cycles the first plasma source during execution of a recipe between a plurality of power levels comprising:
a first power level that results in the first plasma source striking the plasma in the semiconductor processing chamber;
a second power level that results in the plasma in the semiconductor processing chamber being quenched and transitioning to a gaseous state; and
a third power level that restrikes the plasma in the semiconductor processing chamber resulting in the plasma transitioning from the gaseous state to a plasma state, wherein the third power level uses less energy than the first power level; and
operating, by the controller, a second plasma source, wherein the second plasma source is in an ON state while the first plasma source is duty cycled.