A radio frequency (RF) power generation system includes a RF power source that generates a RF output signal delivered to a load. A RF power controller is configured to generate a control signal to vary the RF output signal. The controller adjusts a parameter associated with the RF output signal, and the parameter is controlled in accordance with a trigger signal. The parameter is adjusted in accordance with a cost function, and the cost function is determined by intruding a perturbation into an actuator that affects the cost function. The actuator may control an external RF output signal, and the trigger signal may vary in accordance with the external RF output signal.

A power supply system includes a RF generator, a matching network, and a control module. The matching network includes at least one mechanically variable impedance element and at least one electrically variable impedance element. The control module is coupled to the matching network and configured to generate one or more signals to adjust at least one of an impedance of the mechanically variable impedance element or an impedance of the electrically variable impedance element to vary an impedance match between the generator and a load. In other examples, a hybrid variable impedance module includes at least one mechanically variable impedance element, at least one electrically variable impedance element, and a control module. The control module is configured to generate one or more signals to adjust at least one of an impedance of the mechanically variable impedance element or an impedance of the electrically variable impedance element.

A heater controller controls power supplied to a heater capable of adjusting the temperature of a placement surface such that the heater reaches a set temperature. A temperature monitor measures the power supplied in the non-ignited state where the plasma is not ignited and in the transient state where the power supplied to the heater decreases after the plasma is ignited, while the power is controlled such that the temperature of the heater becomes constant. A parameter calculator calculates a heat input amount and the thermal resistance by using the power supplied in the non-ignited state and in the transient state to perform a fitting on a calculation model for calculating the power supplied in the transient state. A set temperature calculator calculates the set temperature of the heater at which the wafer reaches the target temperature, using the heat input amount and thermal resistance.

To facilitate evaluation of a predicted process shape in process recipe development using machine learning, a process recipe search apparatus that searches for an etching recipe that is a parameter of a plasma processing apparatus set so as to etch a sample into a desired shape displays, on a display device, the predicted process shape of the sample by a candidate etching recipe predicted by using a machine leaning model, by highlighting a difference between the predicted process shape and a target shape.

A system and method for a waferless cleaning method for a capacitive coupled plasma system. The method includes forming a protective layer on a top surface of an electrostatic chuck, volatilizing etch byproducts deposited on one or more inner surfaces of the plasma process chamber, removing volatilized etch byproducts from the plasma process chamber and removing the protective layer from the top surface of the electrostatic chuck. A capacitive coupled plasma system including a waferless cleaning recipe is also described.

Methods for filling gaps with dielectric material involve deposition using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique to fill a gap followed by deposition of a cap layer on the filled gap by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique. The ALD deposition may be a plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD) or thermal ALD (tALD) deposition. The CVD deposition may be plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) or thermal CVD (tCVD) deposition. In some embodiments, the CVD deposition is performed in the same chamber as the ALD deposition without intervening process operations. This in-situ deposition of the cap layer results in a high throughput process with high uniformity. After the process, the wafer is ready for chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) in some embodiments.

A white light illumination source can illuminate a region of a substrate to be plasma etched with an incident light beam. A camera takes successive images of the region being illuminated during a plasma etch process. Image processing techniques can be applied to the images so as to identify a location of at least one feature on the substrate and to measure a reflectivity signal at the location. The plasma etch process can be modified in response to the measured reflectivity signal at the location.

The disclosure relates to microwave cavity plasma reactor (MCPR) apparatus and associated tuning and process control methods that enable the microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (MPACVD) of a component such as diamond. Related methods enable the control of the microwave discharge position, size and shape, and enable efficient matching of the incident microwave power into the reactor prior to and during component deposition. Pre-deposition tuning processes provide a well matched reactor exhibiting a high plasma reactor coupling efficiency over a wide range of operating conditions, thus allowing operational input parameters to be modified during deposition while simultaneously maintaining the reactor in a well-matched state. Additional processes are directed to realtime process control during deposition, in particular based on identified independent process variables which can effectively control desired dependent process variables during deposition while still maintaining a well-matched power coupling reactor state.

An amorphous carbon hard mask is formed having low hydrogen content and low sp3 carbon bonding but high modulus and hardness. The amorphous carbon hard mask is formed by depositing an amorphous carbon layer at a low temperature in a plasma deposition chamber and treating the amorphous carbon layer to a dual plasma-thermal treatment. The dual plasma-thermal treatment includes exposing the amorphous carbon layer to inert gas plasma for implanting an inert gas species in the amorphous carbon layer and exposing the amorphous carbon layer to a high temperature. The amorphous carbon hard mask has high etch selectivity relative to underlying materials.

There is provided a learning method. The method includes performing preprocessing on light emission data in a chamber of a plasma processing apparatus, setting a constraint for generating a regression equation representing a relationship between an etching rate of the plasma processing apparatus and the light emission data, selecting a learning target wavelength from the light emission data subjected to the preprocessing, and receiving selection of other sensor data different from the light emission data. The method further includes generating a regression equation based on the set constraint while using, as learning data, the selected wavelength, the received other sensor data, and the etching rate, and outputting the generated regression equation.