An apparatus for plasma processing is configured to generate plasma in a chamber and periodically apply a pulsed negative DC voltage to an upper electrode from a DC power supply in the plasma processing on a substrate and in plasma cleaning. A duty ratio of the pulsed negative DC voltage used for the plasma processing is smaller than a duty ratio of the pulsed negative DC voltage used for the plasma cleaning. An absolute value of an average value of an output voltage of the DC power supply used for the plasma processing is smaller than an absolute value of an average value of the output voltage of the DC power supply used for the plasma cleaning.

A plasma processing apparatus 100 is equipped with a shower head 16 and a placing table 2 facing each other. A first RF power supply 10a is configured to apply a RF power to any one of the shower head 16 or the placing table 2 without igniting plasma. A measuring device 204 is configured to measure a physical quantity of the RF power applied by the first RF power supply 10a. A process controller 91 is configured to acquire an inter-electrode distance by using the measured physical quantity of the RF power in a correlation function of the inter-electrode distance and the physical quantity of the RF power.

A fixed outer support flange (flange 1) is formed to circumscribe an electrode within a plasma processing system. Flange 1 has a vertical portion and a horizontal portion extending radially outward from a lower end of the vertical portion. An articulating outer support flange (flange 2) is formed to circumscribe flange 1. Flange 2 has a vertical portion and a horizontal portion extending radially outward from a lower end of the vertical portion. The vertical portion of flange 2 is positioned concentrically outside of the vertical portion of flange 1. Flange 2 is spaced apart from flange 1 and moveable along the vertical portion of flange 1. Each of a plurality of electrically conductive straps has a first end portion connected to flange 2 and a second end portion connected to flange 1.

At a time of a wafer processing by a plasma processing apparatus, in order to prevent first radio frequency power from being diverted into an output line of a second radio frequency power supply via plasma, the plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing chamber in which a sample is plasma-processed; a sample stage that includes a first electrode and a second electrode disposed outside the first electrode and on which the sample is placed; a first radio frequency power supply configured to supply first radio frequency power to the first electrode via a first matching device and a first transmission path; and a second radio frequency power supply configured to supply second radio frequency power to the second electrode via a second matching device and a second transmission path. The plasma processing apparatus further includes a control device configured to control the first radio frequency power supply to supply the first radio frequency power to the sample stage when a preset value of the second matching device is a predetermined value. The predetermined value is a value that makes an impedance of the second transmission path an impedance at which the radio frequency power is not detected by the second matching device.

The disclosure pertains to a capacitively coupled plasma source in which VHF power is applied through an impedance-matching coaxial resonator having a symmetrical power distribution.

Semiconductor devices, methods of manufacturing the semiconductor device and tools are disclosed herein. Some methods include providing an electrostatic chuck and placing an edge ring adjacent to the electrostatic chuck. The electrostatic chuck includes a first electrode to generate a sheath at a first distance over the electrostatic chuck. The edge ring includes a coil and a second electrode to generate an electric field control to maintain a portion of the sheath over the edge ring in a coplanar orientation with the portion of the sheath over the electrostatic chuck.

Some embodiments include a thermal management system for a nanosecond pulser. In some embodiments, the thermal management system may include a switch cold plates coupled with switches, a core cold plate coupled with one or more transformers, resistor cold plates coupled with resistors, or tubing coupled with the switch cold plates, the core cold plates, and the resistor cold plates. The thermal management system may include a heat exchanger coupled with the resistor cold plates, the core cold plate, the switch cold plate, and the tubing. The heat exchanger may also be coupled with a facility fluid supply.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a system for pulsed direct-current (DC) biasing and clamping a substrate. In one embodiment, the system includes a plasma chamber having an electrostatic chuck (ESC) for supporting a substrate. An electrode is embedded in the ESC and is electrically coupled to a biasing and clamping network. The biasing and clamping network includes at least a shaped DC pulse voltage source and a clamping network. The clamping network includes a DC source and a diode, and a resistor. The shaped DC pulse voltage source and the clamping network are connected in parallel. The biasing and clamping network automatically maintains a substantially constant clamping voltage, which is a voltage drop across the electrode and the substrate when the substrate is biased with pulsed DC voltage, leading to improved clamping of the substrate.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a system for pulsed direct-current (DC) biasing and clamping a substrate. In one embodiment, the system includes a plasma chamber having an electrostatic chuck (ESC) for supporting a substrate. An electrode is embedded in the ESC and is electrically coupled to a biasing and clamping network. The biasing and clamping network includes at least a shaped DC pulse voltage source and a clamping network. The clamping network includes a DC source and a diode, and a resistor. The shaped DC pulse voltage source and the clamping network are connected in parallel. The biasing and clamping network automatically maintains a substantially constant clamping voltage, which is a voltage drop across the electrode and the substrate when the substrate is biased with pulsed DC voltage, leading to improved clamping of the substrate.

A method and apparatus for processing a surface of a substrate with a cluster apparatus including a transport chamber and two or more process reactors connected to the transport chamber. The method further includes subjecting the surface of the substrate to a surface preparation step for providing a prepared substrate surface, providing an interface layer on the prepared substrate surface of the substrate for forming an interfaced substrate surface, and providing a functional layer on the interfaced substrate surface of the substrate. The process steps are carried out in at least two different process reactors connected to transport chamber the substrate is transported between the at least two process reactors via the transport chamber under vacuum atmosphere.