Systems and methods for controlling a voltage waveform at a substrate during plasma processing include applying a shaped pulse bias waveform to a substrate support, the substrate support including an electrostatic chuck, a chucking pole, a substrate support surface and an electrode separated from the substrate support surface by a layer of dielectric material. The systems and methods further include capturing a voltage representative of a voltage at a substrate positioned on the substrate support surface and iteratively adjusting the shaped pulse bias waveform based on the captured signal. In a plasma processing system a thickness and a composition of a layer of dielectric material separating the electrode and the substrate support surface can be selected such that a capacitance between the electrode and the substrate support surface is at least an order of magnitude greater than a capacitance between the substrate support surface and a plasma surface.

A method is for etching a semiconductor substrate to reveal one or more features buried in the substrate. The method includes performing a first etch step using a plasma in which a bias power is applied to the substrate to produce an electrical bias, performing a second etch step without a bias power or with a bias power which is lower than the bias power applied during the first etch step, and alternately repeating the first and second etch steps.

A workpiece carrier suitable for high power processes is described. It may include a puck to carry the workpiece, a plate bonded to the puck by an adhesive, a mounting ring surrounding the puck and the cooling plate, and a gasket between the mounting ring and the plate, the gasket configured to protect the adhesive.

An electrostatic chuck is described to carry a workpiece for processing such as high power plasma processing. In embodiments, the chuck includes a top plate to carry the workpiece, the top plate having an electrode to grip the workpiece, a cooling plate under the top plate to cool the top plate, a gas hole through the cooling plate and the top plate to feed a gas to the workpiece through the top plate, and an aperture-reducing plug in the cooling plate gas hole to conduct gas flow through the hole.

A method of etching a substrate that includes: generating a first plasma from a first gas flowing into a first chamber by applying a first power pulse to a first electrode located in the first chamber over a first time duration; and forming a recess in a substrate located in a second chamber, the forming including: providing radicals from the first chamber into the second chamber; applying a plurality of second power pulses to a second electrode located in the second chamber during a second time duration to generate a second plasma in the second chamber from a second gas flowing into the second chamber, the first chamber being pressurized higher than the second chamber; and applying a plurality of third power pulses to a third electrode located in the second chamber during a third time duration to accelerate ions of the second plasma.

A plasma processing apparatus includes: a chamber; a bias power supply that generates an electric bias; a substrate support that supports a substrate and an edge ring in the chamber, and including a first region configured to hold the substrate, a second region provided to surround the first region and hold the edge ring, a first bias electrode provided in the first region to receive the electric bias, a first impedance adjusting electrode provided in the first region to be grounded, a second bias electrode provided in the second region to receive the electric bias, and a second impedance adjusting electrode provided in the second region to be grounded; an impedance adjusting mechanism connected to at least one of the first impedance adjusting electrode and the second impedance adjusting electrode; and an electric path connecting the bias power supply, the first bias electrode, and the second bias electrode.

A plasma processing apparatus includes: a process chamber configured to accommodate a substrate such that a plasma process is performed in the process chamber; a pedestal on which the substrate is disposed; an opposite electrode opposite to the pedestal; a first radio-frequency power source configured to supply a first radio-frequency power for generating plasma on one of the pedestal and the opposite electrode; a second radio-frequency power source configured to supply a second radio-frequency power for generating a bias voltage on the pedestal, the second radio-frequency power being lower in frequency than the first radio-frequency power; a direct-current power source configured to supply a direct-current voltage to the opposite electrode; and a controller configured to control the first radio-frequency power source, the second radio-frequency power source, and the direct-current power source.

A substrate processing apparatus includes an electrostatic chuck that includes a chuck electrode and electrostatically attracts a substrate; a direct voltage source that is connected to the chuck electrode and applies a voltage to the chuck electrode; and an evacuation unit that includes a rotor and discharges, via a heat transfer gas discharge pipe, a heat transfer gas supplied to a back surface of the substrate electrostatically-attracted by the electrostatic chuck. The evacuation unit is connected via a power supply line to the direct voltage source, generates regenerative power, and supplies the regenerative power to the direct voltage source.

Provided is a plasma processing apparatus capable of obtaining desired etch profiles and preventing the degradation of yield rates due to the adhesion of particles, and equipped with a processing chamber in which a sample is plasma-treated; a radio-frequency power source for supplying radio-frequency power used to generate plasma; a sample stage which is provided with electrodes for electrostatically adsorbing the sample and on which the sample is mounted; and a DC power supply for applying DC voltages to the electrodes, the apparatus being further equipped with a control apparatus for controlling the DC power supply so as to apply such DC voltages as to decrease the absolute value of the potential of the sample in the absence of the plasma.

An isolation system includes an input junction coupled to one or more RF power supplies via a match network for receiving radio frequency (RF) power. The isolation system further includes a plurality of channel paths connected to the input junction for distributing the RF power among the channel paths. The isolation system includes an output junction connected between each of the channel paths and to an electrode of a plasma chamber for receiving portions of the distributed RF power to output combined power and providing the combined RF power to the electrode. Each of the channel paths includes bottom and top capacitors for blocking a signal of the different type than that of the RF power. The isolation system avoids a risk of electrical arcing created by a voltage difference between an RF terminal and a non-RF terminal when the terminals are placed proximate to each other.