Plasma applications are disclosed that operate with argon or helium at atmospheric pressure, and at low temperatures, and with high concentrations of reactive species in the effluent stream. Laminar gas flow is developed prior to forming the plasma and at least one of the electrodes can be heated which enables operation at conditions where the argon or helium plasma would otherwise be unstable and either extinguish, or transition into an arc. The techniques can be employed to clean and activate a metal substrate, including removal of oxidation, thereby enhancing the bonding of at least one other material to the metal.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to a method for impedance matching. A matching network includes a first reactance element and a second reactance element. A sensor detects a value related to the plasma chamber or the matching network, and a system parameter is determined based on the detected value. For the determined system parameter, an error-related value is calculated for each of a plurality of potential first reactance element positions or for each of a plurality of potential second reactance element positions. A new first reactance element position and a new second reactance element position are calculated based on the error-related values calculated in the prior step. The first reactance element and the second reactance element are then altered to their new positions to reduce a reflected power.

A radio frequency plasma processing system including a reaction chamber, a pedestal disposed in the reaction chamber, and a plurality of sector plates disposed azimuthally around the pedestal in an annulus between the pedestal and the reaction chamber.

In one embodiment, a method of matching an impedance is disclosed. An impedance matching network is coupled between a radio frequency (RF) source and a plasma chamber. The matching network includes a variable reactance element (VRE) having different positions for providing different reactances. The RF source has an RF source control circuit carrying out a power control scheme to control a power delivered to the matching network. Based on a determined parameter, a new position for the VRE is determined to reduce a reflected power at the RF input of the matching network. The matching network provides a notice signal to the RF source indicating the VRE will be altered. In response to the notice signal, the RF source control circuit alters the power control scheme. While the power control scheme is altered, the VRE is altered to the new position.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma processing chamber, a substrate support including a bias electrode, an RF power source configured to generate RF power to generate plasma in the plasma processing chamber, an edge ring disposed to surround a substrate on the substrate support, a ring electrode disposed to surround the edge ring, a first bias RF power source and a second bias RF power source. The first bias RF power source is configured to supply a first bias RF power to the bias electrode, the first bias RF power having a first frequency and a first power level. The second bias RF power source is configured to supply a second bias RF power to the ring electrode, the second bias RF power having the first frequency and a second power level and the second bias RF power being synchronized with the first bias RF power.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a matching network for use with a plasma processing chamber comprises an input configured to connect to a power source, an output configured to connect to the plasma processing chamber, a V/I sensor connected between the input of the matching network and an output of the power source, a load capacitor connected in parallel with at least one capacitor connected in series with a load switch, a tuning capacitor connected in series with at least one capacitor connected in parallel with a tuning switch, and a multiple level pulsing phase/magnitude module connected to the V/I sensor and to a multiple level pulsing synchronization switch driver connected to each of the load switch and the tuning switch for activating at least one of the load switch and the tuning switch in response to a control signal, which is based on a V/I sensor measurement, received from the power source.

The present invention provides a plasma processing device including a vacuum container that has controllable internal pressure, gas supply means, an electrode that is provided in the vacuum container and has an upper surface on which a substrate is placed, and an antenna that is arranged to face the electrode to form inductive coupling, in which the antenna that is configured to form the inductive coupling includes one end connected to a high-frequency power source via a matching circuit, and the other end that is an open end, a length of the antenna is less than ½λ of a wavelength (λ) of an RF frequency, an impedance adjustment circuit connected in parallel to the antenna is connected to an RF feeding side of the antenna, and a reactance component of a combined impedance by the impedance adjustment circuit is adjustable from a capacitive load to an inductive load with respect to the RF frequency supplied to the antenna.

This disclosure relates to a plasma processing system for VHF plasma processing using a transmission antenna designed to enable a resonant VHF standing wave inside a plasma process chamber used to manufacture semiconductor devices. The system includes a transmission element capable of being electromagnetically coupled to incoming power lines connected to a power source. The transmission element, power transmission lines, and power source form a resonant circuit capable of enabling a VHF standing wave on the transmission element. The transmission element is folded back on itself to reduce the footprint of the antenna, such that the transmission element(s) can be located inside the plasma process chamber. The transmission antenna has three portions, with the first being electromagnetically coupled to the power transmission line, the second being coupled to plasma, and the third being a folded portion that reduces the transmission element's footprint.

Plasma processing systems and methods are disclosed. The plasma processing system includes a high-frequency generator configured to deliver power to a plasma chamber and a low-frequency generator configured to deliver power to the plasma chamber. A filter is coupled between the plasma chamber and the high-frequency generator, and the filter suppresses mixing products of high frequencies produced by the high-frequency generator and low frequencies produced by the low-frequency generator.

Radio frequency power conveyed to individual process stations of a multi-station integrated circuit fabrication chamber may be adjusted so as to bring the rates at which fabrication processes occur, and/or fabrication process results, into alignment with one another. Such adjustment in radio frequency power, which may be accomplished via adjusting one or more reactive elements of a RF distribution network, may give rise to an imbalance in power delivered to each individual process station.