A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes providing a wafer on a lower electrode inside a plasma processing apparatus. A first power having a first and second frequency is provided to the lower electrode. A second power is provided to an RF induction electrode through the lower electrode. A third power having the second frequency is released outside of a chamber. A plasma process is performed on the wafer while the third power is released. The RF induction electrode is disposed inside an insulating plate surrounding a sidewall of the lower electrode. The RF induction electrode is spaced apart front the lower electrode. The RF induction electrode has an annular shape surrounding the sidewall of the lower electrode. The first power is controlled by a first controller, and the third power is controlled by a second controller different from the first controller.

In one embodiment, an RF impedance matching network for a plasma chamber is disclosed. The matching network includes an electronically variable capacitor (EVC) comprising discrete capacitors, each discrete capacitor having a corresponding switching circuit for switching in and out the discrete capacitor to alter a total capacitance of the EVC. Each switching circuit includes a diode operably coupled to the discrete capacitor to cause the switching in and out of the discrete capacitor, and a filter circuit parallel to the diode, the filter comprising a filtering capacitor in series with an inductor.

A deposition method performed by a deposition apparatus is provided. The deposition apparatus includes an antenna that forms an inductive magnetic field in a plasma processing region; and a rotary table that revolves a substrate around a rotational center of the rotary table. The method includes: supplying an ignition gas containing a noble gas and an additive gas to the plasma processing region; setting electric power supplied to the antenna to a first predetermined value to form a plasma of the ignition gas; increasing the electric power to a second predetermined value; stopping the supply of the additive gas; switching a gas supplied to the plasma processing region from the ignition gas to a gas for forming the film; and lifting an end of the antenna on a side closer to the rotational center while maintaining a height of another end of the antenna.

Disclosed is a plasma processing apparatus including a processing chamber configured to perform a processing on a wafer by plasma, a VF power supply configured to change a frequency of a high frequency power to be supplied into the chamber, a susceptor configured to mount the wafer thereon, and a focus ring disposed to surround the wafer. A first route, which passes through the plasma starting from the VF power supply, passes through the susceptor, the wafer and the plasma, and a second route, which passes through the plasma starting from the VF power supply, passes through the susceptor, the focus ring and the plasma. The reflection minimum frequency of the first route is different from the reflection minimum frequency of the second route, and the frequency range changeable by the VF power supply includes the reflection minimum frequencies of the first and second routes.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a system used in a semiconductor device manufacturing process. More specifically, embodiments provided herein generally include apparatus and methods for synchronizing and controlling the delivery of an RF bias voltage signal and a pulsed voltage waveform to one or more electrodes within a plasma processing chamber. Embodiments of the disclosure include a method and apparatus for synchronizing a pulsed radio frequency (RF) waveform to a pulsed voltage (PV) waveform, such that the pulsed RF waveform is on during a first stage of the PV waveform and off during a second stage. The first stage of the PV waveform includes a sheath collapse stage. The second stage of the PV waveform includes an ion current stage.

Apparatus and methods to control the phase of power sources for plasma process regions in a batch process chamber. A master exciter controls the phase of the power sources during the process sequence based on feedback from the match circuits of the respective plasma sources.

Differences in ion mass of lighter ions (having a higher mobility) and heavier ions are utilized in conjunction with bias voltage modulation of an atomic layer etch (ALE) to provide a fast ALE process. The difference in ion mobility achieves surface modification with reactive neutral species in the absence of a bias voltage, and ion bombardment with lighter ions (e.g., inert or less reactive ions) in the presence of a bias voltage. By modulating the bias voltage, preferential ion bombardment is achieved with lighter ions without the need to physically separate or purge the reactive precursors and inert gases supplied to the process chamber for a given ALE cycle. A “fast” plasma ALE process is provided which improves etch rate, throughput and cost-efficiency by enabling the same gas chemistry composition (e.g., reactive precursor and inert gas combination) to be kept in the process chamber during a given ALE cycle.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma processing chamber, a substrate support, a source RF generator, and a bias RF generator. The substrate support is disposed within the plasma processing chamber. The source RF generator is configured to generate a source RF signal. The source RF signal includes source cycles, and each of the source cycles includes a source ON state and a source OFF state. The source ON state has at least two source power levels. The bias RF generator is coupled to the substrate support and configured to generate a bias RF signal. The bias RF signal includes bias cycles corresponding to the source cycles, respectively. Each of the bias cycles includes a bias ON state and a bias OFF state. The bias ON state has at least two bias power levels.

Systems, methods and apparatus for regulating ion energies in a plasma chamber and avoiding excessive and damaging charge buildup on the substrate surface and within capacitive structures being built on the surface. 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, and to maintain surface charge buildup below a threshold.

Some embodiments may include a nanosecond pulser comprising a plurality of solid state switches; a transformer having a stray inductance, L.sub.s, a stray capacitance, C.sub.s, and a turn ratio n; and a resistor with a resistance, R, in series between the transformer and the switches. In some embodiments, the resonant circuit produces a Q factor according to $Q=\frac{1}{R}\sqrt{\frac{L_s}{C_s}};$
and the nanosecond pulser produces an output voltage V.sub.out from an input voltage V.sub.in, according to V.sub.out=QnV.sub.in.