Systems and methods for adjusting power and frequency based on three or more states are described. One of the methods includes receiving a pulsed signal having multiple states. The pulsed signal is received by multiple radio frequency (RF) generators. When the pulsed signal having a first state is received, an RF signal having a pre-set power level is generated by a first RF generator and an RF signal having a pre-set power level is generated by a second RF generator. Moreover, when the pulsed signal having a second state is received, RF signals having pre-set power levels are generated by the first and second RF generators. Furthermore, when the pulsed signal having a third state is received, RF signals having pre-set power levels are generated by the first and second RF generators.

Provided are an RF power distribution device and an RF power distribution method. The RF power distribution device includes an impedance matching network for transferring power from an RF power source and a power distribution unit for distributing the output power from the impedance matching network to at least one electrode generating capacitively-coupled plasma. The power distribution unit includes a first reactive element connected in series to a first electrode, a variable capacitor having one end connected in parallel to the first reactive element and the first electrode and the other end grounded, and a second reactive element having one end connected to a first node where the one end of the variable capacitor and one end of the first reactance device are in contact with each other and the other end connected to a second node where a second electrode and an output terminal of the impedance matching network are connected.

A plasma processing apparatus performs a stable and accurate matching operation with high reproducibility in a power modulation process of modulating of a high frequency power to be supplied into a processing vessel in a pulse shape. In the plasma processing apparatus, an impedance sensor 96A provided in a matching device performs a dual sampling averaging process on a RF voltage measurement value and an electric current measurement value respectively obtained from a RF voltage detector 100A of a voltage sensor system and a RF electric current detector 108A of an electric current sensor system by sampling-average-value calculating circuits 104A and 112A and by moving-average-value calculating circuits 106A and 114A. Thus, an update speed of a load impedance measurement value outputted from the impedance sensor 96A can be matched well with a driving control speed of a motor in a matching controller.

In one embodiment, an RF generator includes an RF amplifier comprising an RF input, a DC input, and an RF output, the RF amplifier configured to receive at the RF input an RF signal from an RF source; receive at the DC input a DC voltage from a DC source; and provide an output power at the RF output; and a control unit operably coupled to the DC source and the RF source, the control unit configured to receive a power setpoint indicative of a desired output power at the RF output; determine a power dissipation at the RF generator; alter the DC voltage to decrease the power dissipation at the RF generator; and alter the RF signal to enable the output power at the RF output to be substantially equal to the power setpoint.

A capacitively-coupled plasma processing apparatus includes: at least one chamber body providing chambers separated from each other; upper electrodes respectively installed in upper spaces within the chambers; lower electrodes respectively installed in lower spaces within the chambers; a high frequency power supply; a transformer including a primary coil electrically connected to the high frequency power supply, and secondary coils each of which coils having a first end and a second end; first condensers respectively connected between each of the first ends of the secondary coils and the upper electrodes; and second condensers respectively connected between each of the second ends of the secondary coils and the lower electrodes. The primary coil extends around a central axis. The secondary coils are configured to be coaxially disposed with respect to the primary coil. A self-inductance of each of the secondary coils is smaller than that of the primary coil.

A generator and method for tuning the generator are disclosed. The method includes setting the frequency of power applied by the generator to a current best frequency and sensing a characteristic of the power applied by the generator. A current best error based upon the characteristic of the power is determined, and the frequency of the power at the current best frequency is maintained for a main-time-period. The frequency of the power is then changed to a probe frequency and maintained at the probe frequency for a probe-time-period, which is less than the main-time-period. The current best frequency is set to the probe frequency if the error at the probe frequency is less than the error at the current best frequency.

A method for achieving sub-pulsing during a state is described. The method includes receiving a clock signal from a clock source, the clock signal having two states and generating a pulsed signal from the clock signal. The pulsed signal has sub-states within one of the states. The sub-states alternate with respect to each other at a frequency greater than a frequency of the states. The method includes providing the pulsed signal to control power of a radio frequency (RF) signal that is generated by an RF generator. The power is controlled to be synchronous with the pulsed signal.

In a plasma processing apparatus of an exemplary embodiment, a radio frequency power source generates radio frequency power for plasma generation. A bias power source periodically applies a pulsed negative direct-current voltage to a lower electrode to draw ions into a substrate support. The radio frequency power source supplies the radio frequency power as one or more pulses in a period in which the pulsed negative direct-current voltage is not applied to the lower electrode. The radio frequency power source stops supply of the radio frequency power in a period in which the pulsed negative direct-current voltage is applied to the lower electrode. Each of the one or more pulses has a power level that gradually increases from a point in time of start thereof to a point in time when a peak thereof appears.

An impedance matching device 2A connected between one or more plasma generating electrodes 51, 52 and a RF power supply 1 that selectively supplies RF power of multiple frequencies includes multiple matching devices 31, 32 each of which corresponds to each frequency of the multiple frequencies of the RF power, and matches an impedance of the RF power supply 1 to an impedance of a plasma load, and a demultiplexer 20 that demultiplexes the RF power of multiple frequencies output by the RF power supply 1 and feeds each of the demultiplexed RF power to a corresponding matching device in the multiple matching devices 31, 32.

Systems and methods for adjusting power and frequency based on three or more states are described. One of the methods includes receiving a pulsed signal having multiple states. The pulsed signal is received by multiple radio frequency (RF) generators. When the pulsed signal having a first state is received, an RF signal having a pre-set power level is generated by a first RF generator and an RF signal having a pre-set power level is generated by a second RF generator. Moreover, when the pulsed signal having a second state is received, RF signals having pre-set power levels are generated by the first and second RF generators. Furthermore, when the pulsed signal having a third state is received, RF signals having pre-set power levels are generated by the first and second RF generators.