Examples of a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes, in treatment of a substrate with the use of a plasma, acquiring an RF waveform from a reactor through an Ether CAT in real time, the RF waveform being a waveform relating to an electric power to be applied to an RF plate, and adjusting, by using the RF waveform, the electric power to be applied to the RF plate.

A plasma generating apparatus includes: an electrode pair including a first plasma electrode and a second plasma electrode that are arranged to face each other; an RF power supply that supplies an RF power to the electrode pair; and a matching unit provided between the RF power supply and the electrode pair. The matching unit includes: a first variable capacitor and a second variable capacitor that are connected in parallel with respect to a load between the electrode pair; a coil connected in series with the first plasma electrode; and a capacitor connected in series with the second plasma electrode.

An exemplary plasma processing system includes a plasma processing chamber, an electrode for powering plasma in the plasma processing chamber, a tunable radio frequency (RF) signal generator configured to output a first signal at a first frequency and a second signal at a second frequency. The second frequency is at least 1.1 times the first frequency. The system includes a broadband power amplifier coupled to the tunable RF signal generator, the first frequency and the second frequency being within an operating frequency range of the broadband power amplifier. The output of the broadband power amplifier is coupled to the electrode. The broadband power amplifier is configured to supply, at the output, first power at the first frequency and second power at the second frequency.

A high frequency generator having dual outputs comprises: a high frequency amplifying unit configured to amplify a DC voltage of a predetermined level, and output a first and a second high frequency amplification signal; a combiner configured to combine the first high frequency amplification signal and the second high frequency amplification signal, and output a high frequency power signal; a high frequency sensor disposed on output side of the combiner, configured to detect an electrical signal flowing the output side of the combiner, and output an electrical detection signal; a controller configured to output multiple control signals by using an externally applied control signal and the electrical detection signal; and a switching unit disposed between the combiner and the plasma chamber, and controlled by a switching control signal outputted from the controller to output the high frequency power signal to a first high frequency power output signal through a first output terminal and to output the high frequency power signal to a second high frequency power signal through a second output terminal.

Systems and methods for real-time control of temperature within a plasma chamber are described. One of the methods includes sensing a voltage in real time of a rail that is coupled to a voltage source. The voltage source supplies a voltage to multiple heater elements of the plasma chamber. The voltage that is sensed is used to adjust one or more duty cycles of corresponding one or more of the heater elements. The adjusted one or more duty cycles facilitate achieving and maintaining a temperature value within the plasma chamber over time.

A system, method and software for generating and receiving information about the AC, DC, RF, voltage, and other characteristics and information provided by components in a system. The information can provide insight into the operational characteristics and functionality of the components, as well as the process and system the components are being used within. This information may be used for preventative maintenance of the components, and to detect changes, issues, failures, events, problems, etc. in the process and system.

A controller of a plasma processing apparatus stores a frequency spectrum related to a first timing into a storage unit, controls a microwave generator to generate a microwave in correspondence to a setting frequency, setting power, and a setting bandwidth at a second timing, controls a demodulator to measure travelling wave power and reflected wave power of the microwave for each frequency, calculates the frequency spectrum related to the second timing on the basis of a measurement result from the demodulator, calculates a correction value for correcting a waveform of the travelling wave power for each frequency such that a difference for each frequency between the frequency spectrum related to the second timing and the frequency spectrum related to the first timing, stored in the storage unit, is small, and controls the microwave generator on the basis of the calculated correction value for each frequency.

An exemplary plasma processing system includes a plasma processing chamber, an electrode for powering plasma in the plasma processing chamber, a tunable radio frequency (RF) signal generator configured to output a first signal at a first frequency and a second signal at a second frequency. The second frequency is at least 1.1 times the first frequency. The system includes a broadband power amplifier coupled to the tunable RF signal generator, the first frequency and the second frequency being within an operating frequency range of the broadband power amplifier. The output of the broadband power amplifier is coupled to the electrode. The broadband power amplifier is configured to supply, at the output, first power at the first frequency and second power at the second frequency.

Systems, methods and apparatus for regulating ion energies in a plasma chamber and chucking a substrate to a substrate support are disclosed. An exemplary method includes placing a substrate in a plasma chamber, forming a plasma in the plasma chamber, controllably switching power to the substrate so as to apply a periodic voltage function (or a modified periodic voltage function) to the substrate, and modulating, over multiple cycles of the periodic voltage function, the periodic voltage function responsive to a defined distribution of energies of ions at the surface of the substrate so as to effectuate the defined distribution of ion energies on a time-averaged basis.

This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for generating a control signal for one or more actuators that is adjusted from a control signal dictated by setpoints, where the adjustment accounts for predicted delays and amplitude errors. More specifically, cross correlation between measurements of the actuator(s) outputs and time-shifted setpoints can be optimized for a time-shift that minimizes the cross correlation. The time-shifted setpoints along with the measurements can then be used to determine an amplitude difference and to remove noise from the amplitude difference. Dynamic uncertainty can then be found from this denoised data set and further optionally used to find the noise that was removed. The time delay, noise, and dynamic uncertainty can be used to preemptively adjust the control signal.