公开(公告)号：US20240055244A1

公开(公告)日：2024-02-15

申请号：US17885277

申请日：2022-08-10

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Shreeram Jyoti DASH ,  Michael Thomas NICHOLS

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/3299 ,  H01J2237/24564 ,  H01J2237/3341

Abstract: Embodiments provided herein generally include apparatus, e.g., plasma processing systems, and methods for the plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. Some embodiments are directed to a method for waveform generation, which generally includes delivering a first waveform with an associated setpoint from an energy source; detecting at least one characteristic of the first waveform; estimating a voltage decay during a portion of a pulse during the first waveform; calculating a compensation factor; and adjusting the at least one characteristic using the compensation factor to adjust a voltage decay.

公开(公告)号：US20240162007A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-16

申请号：US17984772

申请日：2022-11-10

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Deyang LI ,  Sunil SRINIVASAN ,  Yi-Chuan CHOU ,  Shahid RAUF ,  Kuan-Ting LIU ,  Jason A. KENNEY ,  Chung LIU ,  Olivier P. JOUBERT ,  Shreeram Jyoti DASH ,  Aaron EPPLER ,  Michael Thomas NICHOLS

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32174 ,  H01J37/32128 ,  H01J37/32146 ,  H01J2237/3341 ,  H01J2237/3346

Abstract: 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 signal and a pulsed voltage waveform to one or more electrodes within a plasma processing chamber. The apparatus and methods disclosed herein can be useful to at least minimize or eliminate a microloading effect created while processing small dimension features that have differing densities across various regions of a substrate. The plasma processing methods and apparatus described herein are configured to improve the control of various characteristics of the generated plasma and control an ion energy distribution (IED) of the plasma generated ions that interact with a surface of a substrate during plasma processing. The ability to synchronize and control waveform characteristics of a voltage waveform bias established on a substrate during processing allows for an improved control of the generated plasma and process of forming, for example, high-aspect ratio features in the surface of the substrate by a reactive ion etching process. As a result, greater precision for plasma processing can be achieved, which is described herein in more detail.

公开(公告)号：US20250087461A1

公开(公告)日：2025-03-13

申请号：US18827924

申请日：2024-09-09

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Shreeram Jyoti DASH ,  Michael T. NICHOLS

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: Embodiments provided herein generally include apparatus, plasma processing systems and methods for controlling plasma initiation and maintenance. Some embodiments are directed to an apparatus for processing a substrate in a plasma processing system. The apparatus generally includes: a pulsed voltage (PV) signal generator configured to provide a bias signal to a plasma load to initiate a plasma in a plasma chamber, wherein the bias signal comprises a first burst having a first duration, the first burst including a series of pulses; and a radio frequency (RF) signal generator configured to provide an RF signal to the plasma load for a second duration, wherein the first duration is less than 10% of the second duration, and wherein the first burst occurs at a beginning of the second duration.

公开(公告)号：US20240145215A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-02

申请号：US17976578

申请日：2022-10-28

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Shreeram Jyoti DASH

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32146 ,  H01J37/32091 ,  H01J37/321 ,  H01J37/32128 ,  H01J2237/3341

Abstract: Embodiments provided herein generally include apparatus, plasma processing systems and methods for generation of a waveform for plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber that configured to adjust the timing and characteristics of the asymmetric voltage waveforms that are each provided to one or more electrodes or coils in a plasma processing chamber in an effort to improve the control of various characteristics of the generated plasma and control an ion energy distribution (IED) for the plasma generated ions that interact with a surface of a substrate during plasma processing. The methods and apparatus disclosed herein are configured to control and sustain a plasma formed in a processing region of the plasma processing chamber without the need for the delivery of a radio frequency (RF) waveform during processing. The ability to synchronize and control waveform characteristics, such as frequency, slope of the portions of the voltage waveform, waveform shape and applied voltage on-time during a pulse period, of the voltage pulses provided in each of the pulsed voltage waveforms applied to different electrodes and/or coils allows for an improved control of the generated plasma.