A method for controlling a plasma tool is described. The method includes receiving, by a processor, a first set of metric data from a plasma tool. The method further includes analyzing the first set of metric data to determine a first location and a first time window for capturing of a second set of metric data. The method includes providing, by the processor, the first location and the first time window to a data processing system of the plasma tool. The method also includes receiving the second set of metric data captured at the first location and for the first time window. The method includes analyzing the second set of metric data to generate variable data and controlling the plasma tool according to the variable data.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber with a processing zone for processing a substrate using plasma and at least one magnetic field source configured to generate one or more active magnetic fields through the processing zone. The apparatus also includes a magnetic field sensor configured to detect a signal representing the one or more active magnetic fields, and a controller coupled to the magnetic field sensor, and the at least one magnetic field source. The controller is configured to detect a target value corresponding to at least one characteristic of the one or more active magnetic fields, set an initial current through the at least one magnetic field source, the initial current corresponding to the target value; and adjust a subsequent current through the at least one magnetic field source based on the detected signal representing the one or more active magnetic fields.

This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for adjusting at least one actuator using at least one control output value to control a plasma processing system. More specifically, the controlling is based on receiving a reference signal defining target values for a parameter that is controlled at an output within the plasma processing system; obtaining a measure of the parameter, where the parameter is measured at a first sampling frequency; calculating one or more internal control signal values at a second sampling frequency; predicting, using an internal model, one or more internal measurements of the controlled parameter at the second sampling frequency; and adjusting, based upon the one or more control output values, at least one actuator at the first sampling frequency, where the control output values are based on the internal control signal values and the predicted internal measurements.

This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for a plasma processing system. A method comprises receiving a reference signal defining target values for a parameter that is controlled at an output within the plasma processing system, obtaining a measure of the parameter that is controlled at the output, and calculating a delay between the target values of the setpoint signal and corresponding actual parameter values achieved at the output. The method also comprises providing, based upon the delay, a time-shifted amplitude error indicative of an error between the target values and the actual parameter values and adjusting at least one actuator, based upon the delay and the time-shifted amplitude error, in advance of when an actual parameter value is desired at an actuator output of the at least one actuator while maintaining the output within a threshold range.

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.

Several designs of a gas distribution device for a substrate processing system are provided. The gas distribution device includes a dual plenum showerhead. Additionally, designs for a light blocking structure used with the showerheads are also provided.

A system and method for optimizing maintenance of a remote plasma source comprises recording data from a remote plasma source. The data comprises measurements of one or more operating characteristics of the remote plasma source over a period of time and a plurality of indications of system fault event. The method may include receiving the data; analyzing the data; and determining, based on correlations between the measurements of the one or more operating characteristics and the plurality of system fault events, a threshold of an operating point. The operating point may comprise the measurements of the one or more operating characteristics at a particular time. The threshold signifies a pending system fault event is probable to a defined degree of confidence within a specified window of time. The system provides a notification to perform preventative maintenance on the remote plasma source.

An method for detecting excursion in plasma processing and controlling plasma processing is disclosed. The method includes the steps of tracking harmonics that are produced due to nonlinearity of an impedance of a plasma environment. The method includes the steps of creating a fingerprint of energy distribution in frequency space based on the tracked harmonics and comparing the created fingerprint with reference spectra of an ideal plasma processing to detect deviation of the fingerprint with the reference spectra. The method includes the steps of detecting an excursion in the plasma processing based on the detected deviation. The method includes the steps of generating recommendations to control the detected excursion. Such recommendations are generated based on the detected deviation and the associated historical data related to corrective action stored in a corrective action database.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber, a substrate support, a radio-frequency power supply, and a bias power supply controller. The radio-frequency power supply generates source radio-frequency power to generate plasma in the chamber. The bias power supply periodically provides bias energy having a waveform cycle to a bias electrode on the substrate support. The radio-frequency power supply adjusts a source frequency of the source radio-frequency power in an n-th phase period in an m-th waveform cycle of a plurality of waveform cycles based on a change in a degree of reflection of the source radio-frequency power. The change in the degree of reflection is identified with the source frequency being set differently in the n-th phase period in each of two or more waveform cycles preceding the m-th waveform cycle.

An apparatus for feedback control in plasma processing systems using radical sensing, and a method for feedback control in plasma processing systems using radical sensing, the apparatus comprising at least one process gas supply system configured to output at least one process gas, at least one plasma source configured to receive the at least one process gas and generate at least one radical flow, at least one process chamber in communication with the at least one plasma source, wherein the process chamber receives the at least one radical flow and directs at least a portion of the at least one radical flow to one or more devices, the process chamber configured to output at least one process chamber output, at least one gas analyzer in communication with and configured to sample at least one of the at least one process gas, at least one radical flow, at least one radical flow within the at least one process chamber, and the at least one process chamber output, and at least one controller in communication with at least one of the process gas supply system, at least one plasma source, and at least one process chamber, the controller configured to generate at least one control signal based on data from the at least one gas analyzer and selectively control at least one of the process gas supply system, at least one plasma source, and at least one process chamber.