RF Assembly for Substrate Processing Systems

Abstract

An inductor strap for a radio frequency matching circuit of a substrate processing system having first and second ends, each end having a connector tab configured to connect to a terminal of a respective capacitor, an inductor coil disposed between the first and second ends, and an intermediate portion disposed between the inductor coil and one of the first and second ends, the intermediate portion including a planar connection plate configured to couple the inductor strap to a surface of a radio frequency enclosure housing the radio frequency matching circuit.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] [CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 313,295, filed February 24, 2022. The above applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a radio frequency (RF) assembly for a substrate processing system. [Background technology]

[0003] The background description provided herein is intended to provide a general overview of the contents of the present disclosure. Work by the currently named inventors within the scope of what is described in this Background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise be regarded as prior art at the time of filing, are not admitted, expressly or impliedly, as prior art against the present disclosure.

[0004] Substrate processing systems or tools are used to perform processes such as deposition and etching of films on substrates, such as semiconductor wafers. For example, deposition may be performed using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD), and / or other deposition processes to deposit conductive films, insulating films, or other types of films. During deposition, a substrate may be placed on a substrate support, and one or more precursor gases may be supplied to a processing chamber during one or more steps. In a PECVD or PEALD process, a plasma is used to activate chemical reactions in the processing chamber during deposition.

[0005] Some processing chambers include multiple stations, each of which may include a substrate support and a showerhead, and a robot configured to transfer the substrate from one station to another. Summary of the Invention

[0006] An inductor strap for a radio frequency matching circuit of a substrate processing system includes a first end and a second end, each including a connector tab configured to connect to a terminal of a respective capacitor, an inductor coil disposed between the first end and the second end, and an intermediate portion disposed between the inductor coil and one of the first end and the second end, the intermediate portion including a planar connection plate configured to couple the inductor strap to a surface of a radio frequency enclosure housing the radio frequency matching circuit.

[0007] In another feature, the inductor strap comprises copper. The first end, the second end, the inductor coil and the intermediate portion are formed from a single piece of conductive material. The inductor strap has at least one change in direction between the first end and the second end. The inductor strap comprises a horizontal portion and a vertical portion. The inductor coil and the intermediate portion are located on the horizontal portion of the inductor strap. The inductor coil is located substantially below a plane defined by the intermediate portion. The intermediate portion includes at least one opening defined in the connecting plate. The at least one opening is two elongated slots.

[0008] In other features, the radio frequency matching circuit includes an inductor strap and further includes a first capacitor and a second capacitor. The inductor strap is coupled between the first capacitor and the second capacitor. The first capacitor has a first orientation and the second capacitor has a second orientation different from the first orientation. The second orientation is perpendicular to the first orientation. A horizontal portion of the inductor strap is coupled to the first capacitor and a vertical portion of the inductor strap is coupled to the second capacitor. A support rod is coupled between the middle portion and the surface. At least one of an inductance element, a resistive element, a capacitive element, and an insulating element is coupled to the middle portion at the support rod. The surface is a lower surface of a top plate of the radio frequency enclosure.

[0009] The radio frequency enclosure includes a radio frequency matching circuit and a top plate. An intermediate portion of the inductor strap is coupled to a lower surface of the top plate via a support rod. The radio frequency enclosure includes a plurality of radio frequency matching circuits each configured to output a radio frequency signal to a respective radio frequency connector assembly mounted to the upper surface of the top plate. The radio frequency connector assembly includes a right angle connector and a connector bracket configured to partially surround the right angle connector. The connector bracket has a mounting base coupled to the upper surface of the top plate and a connector housing configured to hold the right angle connector within the connector bracket.

[0010] A radio frequency enclosure for a substrate processing system includes a top plate and a plurality of radio frequency matching circuits mounted on a lower surface of the top plate. Each of the plurality of radio frequency matching circuits includes first and second capacitors and an inductor strap coupled between respective terminals of the first and second capacitors. The inductor strap has an inductor coil and a middle portion. The middle portion includes a planar connecting plate configured to couple the inductor strap to the lower surface of the top plate. An insulating support bar couples the middle portion of the inductor strap to the lower surface of the top plate. A plurality of radio frequency connector assemblies are mounted on the upper surface of the top plate and coupled to respective radio frequency matching circuits. Each radio frequency connector assembly has a right angle connector and a connector bracket partially surrounding the right angle connector.

[0011] Further scope of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a substrate processing tool having multiple stations for processing substrates with pedestals and an RF enclosure for housing RF assemblies for the multiple stations.

[0014] [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A shows an isometric view of the RF enclosure of FIG.

[0015] [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B shows a plan view of the top plate of the RF enclosure.

[0016] [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A shows a connector bracket for an exemplary right angle RF output connector. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B shows a connector bracket for an exemplary right angle RF output connector.

[0017] [Figure 3C] FIG. 3C illustrates an exemplary RF connector assembly having a connector bracket and a right angle RF output connector.

[0018] [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A illustrates a functional block diagram of an exemplary RF generator assembly.

[0019] [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B illustrates an example matching network of the RF matching circuit.

[0020] [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A illustrates an example inductor strap for an RF matching circuit. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B illustrates an example inductor strap for an RF matching circuit.

[0021] [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C illustrates an example mid-section of the inductor strap of FIGS. 5A and 5B.

[0022] In the drawings, reference numbers may be reused to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] A substrate processing system may have one or more radio frequency (RF) assemblies having an RF generator and associated components such as a tuning and / or matching circuit or assembly, an RF filter, a filter module (e.g., a filter box) enclosing the matching and / or tuning circuit, etc. In some examples, the components of the RF assembly may be located on or adjacent to a wall of the processing tool and / or may be integrated into the wall of the processing tool. For example, the components of the RF assembly may be located adjacent a first surface (e.g., a top surface or upper surface) or a second surface (e.g., a bottom surface or lower surface) of the processing tool.

[0024] In some examples, the components of the RF assembly for multiple processing stations (e.g., four processing stations in a quad-station processing tool) are housed in an RF enclosure below the processing tool, and connections between the components of the RF assembly (e.g., cables for RF output connections) pass through a top plate or cover of the RF enclosure for connection to corresponding inputs of the processing stations.

[0025] In the disclosed substrate processing system and method, an RF connector assembly for an RF assembly is configured to provide a secure interface between an RF generator and an RF cable coupled to a respective processing station. For example, the RF connector assembly has a connector bracket mounted on a top plate of an RF enclosure. The connector bracket is configured to receive a right-angle connector that couples the RF cable to the RF generator. The connector may include one or more cutouts configured to accommodate the right-angle connector and / or the RF cable connector. In this manner, the connector bracket relieves stress on the RF cable and improves the layout of the connector.

[0026] In some examples, the RF connector assembly is coupled to an RF matching circuit in an RF enclosure. The RF matching circuit includes an inductor strap coupled between capacitors of the RF matching circuit. The inductor strap includes a planar intermediate section located between the inductor (e.g., an inductor coil of the inductor strap) and one of the capacitors. The intermediate section is configured to provide a rigid attachment point for fixedly attaching the inductor strap to the RF enclosure (e.g., to a top plate of the RF enclosure). In one example, the intermediate section is attached to the top plate of the RF enclosure using a rigid insulating structure, such as an insulator bar including an amorphous thermoplastic polyetherimide (PEI) material.

[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of a substrate processing system or tool 100 having multiple stations 102-1, 102-2, 102-3, and 102-4 (collectively referred to as stations 102). Although only four stations 102 are shown for illustrative purposes, the processing chamber 100 may include any number of stations. The stations 102 include pedestals 104-1, 104-2, 104-3, and 104-4 (collectively referred to as pedestals 104), respectively. In some examples, the pedestals 104 are configured to be moved (e.g., raised and lowered) by respective pedestal lift assemblies. A robot 106 is disposed on a spindle 108 and transports substrates between the stations 102. A controller 110 is typically located outside the processing chamber 100 (and thus shown with a dotted line) and controls the robot 106 and the pedestal lift assemblies.

[0028] An RF enclosure 114 is disposed below the substrate processing tool 100. The RF enclosure 114 houses the components of the RF assembly for each station 102 (e.g., a radio frequency (HF) power supply and associated components, not shown in FIG. 1 ). Connections between the components of the RF assembly (e.g., cables for RF output connections) pass through a top plate 118 of the RF enclosure 114 for connection to corresponding inputs (e.g., RF inputs) of the stations 102. The RF enclosure 114 of the present disclosure includes an RF connector assembly and a connector bracket mounted to the top plate 118, as described in more detail below.

[0029] 2A and 2B show a simplified example of an RF enclosure 200 and a top plate 204. By way of example only, the RF enclosure 200 is octagonal. Alternatively, the RF enclosure 200 may be any shape. The RF enclosure 200 houses an RF assembly 208 (shown diagrammatically, by way of example) and associated components such as an RF generator, a tuning or matching circuit, and a filter circuit. For example, the RF assembly 208 may implement a matching circuit configured to control the RF voltage supplied to the station 102. The matching circuit may have a variable or fixed impedance, a capacitance, or the like.

[0030] In some examples, the RF assemblies 208 output RF signals to the stations 102 via respective connector assemblies 212 mounted to the top plate 204. For example, the signals are transmitted from the RF assemblies 208 through the top plate 204 (e.g., using respective cables) to the connector assemblies 212. The connector assemblies 212 are further connected to RF inputs of the stations 102. For example, in a quad-station processing tool, four connector assemblies 212 (212-1, 212-2, 212-3, and 212-4) are mounted to the top plate 204 as shown.

[0031] The connector assemblies 212 of the present disclosure are oriented for optimized cable routing, reduced cable length between the connector assemblies 212 and the station 102, and stress relief at the cable connection points. One or more connector assemblies 212 are rotated approximately 45° (e.g., between 40° and 50°) from the central y-axis of the RF enclosure 200, with the connector ends facing in an outward direction relative to the center of the RF enclosure 200. As shown, three of the connector assemblies 212 (e.g., 212-1, 212-2, and 212-3) have the same orientation (e.g., 45°) relative to the y-axis and face outward (i.e., outward toward the nearest outer end of the RF enclosure 200), while connector assembly 212-4 has a different orientation (e.g., 15°) relative to the y-axis. Additionally, connector assembly 212-4 faces inward (i.e., inward away from the nearest outer end of the RF enclosure 200).

[0032] An exemplary RF connector assembly 300 of the present disclosure is shown in more detail in Figures 3A, 3B, and 3C. For example, the RF connector assembly 300 includes a connector bracket 304 mounted to the top plate 204 of the RF enclosure 200. The connector bracket 304 may be made of welded sheet metal. As an example, the connector bracket 304 has a mounting base 308 with a tab 312. The connector bracket 304 is secured to the top plate 204 with a screw 316 (e.g., a self-clinching sheet metal screw) inserted into the tab 312.

[0033] The connector bracket 304 further includes a connector housing 320 that is coupled (e.g., welded) or integrally formed with the mounting base 308. The connector housing 320 is configured to hold, align, and support a right-angle connector 324 (e.g., an RF output connector) within the connector bracket 304. For example, the right-angle connector 324 includes a vertical portion 328 that extends upward from the top plate 204 and a horizontal portion 332 that extends outward from the vertical portion 328. The vertical portion 328 is perpendicular to the top plate 204. The horizontal portion 332 is perpendicular to the vertical portion 328 and parallel to the top plate 204. By way of example only, the vertical portion 328 has a mounting flange 336 for securing the right-angle connector to the top plate 204.

[0034] The connector housing 320 may include a support plate 340 disposed below the horizontal portion 332 of the right-angle connector 324. For example, the support plate 340 has a convex end 344 (e.g., a notch) configured to receive the horizontal portion 332. In some examples, the support plate 340 is removable (i.e., detachable from the body of the connector housing 320). In this manner, removal of the support plate 340 allows removal and / or replacement of the connector bracket 304 without removing and disconnecting the corresponding RF cable 346. However, with the support plate 340 installed, the connector bracket 304 is held over the right-angle connector 324 and the RF cable 346.

[0035] The connector bracket 304 may include one or more cutouts configured to accommodate the right-angle connector 324 and / or facilitate access to the right-angle connector 324 (e.g., for connecting and disconnecting an RF cable). For example, the top surface or wall of the connector housing 320 may include a first cutout 348 (e.g., a convex cutout) configured to allow access to the horizontal portion 332 of the right-angle connector 324. Meanwhile, in the rear sidewall of the connector bracket 304, a second cutout 352 (e.g., a rectangular cutout) defined between the connector housing 320 and the mounting base 308 is configured to accommodate an outer corner 356 of the right-angle connector 324. The outer corner 356 corresponds to the boundary or junction between the vertical portion 328 and the horizontal portion 332. In other words, the outer corner 356 of the right-angle connector 324 may extend partially through the second cutout 352. The notches 348 and 352 facilitate easy installation and removal of the connector bracket 304 with the right angle connector 324 already installed.

[0036] In some examples, the connector bracket 304 includes a connection sensor 360. For example, the connection sensor 360 is a rectangular magnetic sensor and is disposed on the mounting base 308. The connection sensor 360 is configured to interact (e.g., magnetically communicate) with a corresponding sensor 364 in the RF enclosure 200 on the opposite side of the top plate 204. For example, the sensor 364 is configured to detect the presence or absence of the connection sensor 360. In this manner, the sensor 364 may generate a signal indicative of whether the connector bracket 304 is installed.

[0037] 4A and 4B, an exemplary RF assembly 400 (e.g., an RF assembly housed within RF enclosure 200) includes one or more RF generators 404 and an RF matching circuit 408. Although only one RF generator 404 is shown, RF assembly 400 may include multiple RF generators (e.g., each corresponding to a different station 102). RF generators 404 are configured to generate and output an RF voltage to each station 102 via RF matching circuit 408.

[0038] 4B, each RF matching circuit 408 includes a corresponding matching network 412 configured to tune the RF voltage received from the RF generator 404. The matching network 412 is configured to have an impedance tailored to a particular station, process, etc. The matching network 412 may be configured to have a fixed and / or variable impedance. For example, the matching network 412 may include multiple components configured to provide a desired impedance.

[0039] In one example, matching network 412 includes an RF input node 416 (i.e., for receiving an RF voltage from a corresponding RF generator 404), an inductor-capacitor network including capacitors 420 and 424 and an inductor 428 disposed between capacitors 420 and 424, and an RF output node 432. For example, RF output node 432 is coupled to right-angle connector 324. One or both of capacitors 420 and 424 may be variable capacitors.

[0040] As described in more detail below, the matching network 412 of the present disclosure includes an inductor strap 436 coupled between the capacitors 420 and 424. The inductor strap 436 has an inductor 428 and an intermediate portion 440 disposed between the inductor 428 and one of the capacitors 420 and 424. The intermediate portion 440 is attached to the top plate 204 of the RF enclosure 200 (shown, by way of example, as a ground terminal) using a rigid structure such as an insulator bar, shown diagrammatically as 444, comprising an amorphous thermoplastic polyetherimide (PEI) material.

[0041] 5A and 5B show an example inductor strap 500 coupled between a capacitor 504 and a capacitor 508 of an RF matching circuit. One or both of the capacitors 504 and 508 may be adjustable. The inductor strap 500 includes an inductor coil 512 and a planar intermediate portion 516 disposed between the inductor coil 512 and one of the capacitors 504 and 508. The planar intermediate portion 516 is at least partially planar. For example, although shown between the inductor coil 512 and the capacitor 508, in other embodiments, the intermediate portion 516 may be disposed between the inductor coil 512 and the capacitor 504. The inductor strap 500 is coupled to the capacitors 504 and 508 via respective terminals 520. For example, the inductor strap 500 includes connector tabs 522 (e.g., at first and second ends of the inductor strap 500, respectively) configured to connect to the terminals 520. In one example, the terminals 520 extend through openings in the connector tabs 522.

[0042] The inductor strap 500 is rigid (i.e., the inductor strap 500 is not a flexible cable). For example, the inductor strap 500 is a single, integral piece formed of a rigid conductive plate (e.g., copper plate). The middle portion 516 comprises a connection plate to provide a rigid attachment point for fixedly attaching the inductor strap 500 to the RF enclosure 200 (e.g., the underside 524 of the top plate 204 shown upside down in FIGS. 5A and 5B). Although illustrated as generally rectangular, the middle portion 516 may have other suitable shapes (e.g., trapezoidal, polygonal, triangular, diamond, circular, etc.). As illustrated, the inductor coil 512 is substantially (e.g., 80% or more) below a plane defined by the middle portion 516.

[0043] In one example, the middle section 516 is attached to the bottom surface 524 of the top plate 204 using a rigid support structure (e.g., an insulating support rod 528, such as an insulating rod comprising an amorphous thermoplastic polyetherimide (PEI) material). The middle section 516 may be wider than the inductor coil 512, the connection section 530, etc., to provide sufficient surface area for connection to the support rod 528. For example, the inductor strap 500 flares outward from the inductor coil 512 and the connection section 530 to define the middle section 516. The support rod 528 is coupled to the middle section 516 and to the bottom surface 524 of the top plate 204 using fasteners 532 (e.g., brass standoffs). The support rod 528 prevents movement of the inductor strap 500 during operation (e.g., movement caused by unintentional contact with the inductor strap 500, movement caused by fluctuations in temperature of the inductor strap 500, and / or movement caused by thermal expansion of other components, etc.).

[0044] While shown connected only to the support bar 528, in other examples, the middle section 516 may be coupled to one or more other components within the RF enclosure 200. Because the support bar 528 provides a rigid structural support for the inductor strap 500, the middle section 516 may be configured to support multiple other mechanical and / or electromechanical connections. As an example, another (i.e., a second) inductor strap may be coupled to the inductor strap 500 at the middle section 516. For example, one end of the second inductor strap may be coupled to the same fastener 532 or a different fastener. Other example components that may be coupled to the middle section 516 include, but are not limited to, an inductance element, a resistance element, a capacitance element, and an isolation element.

[0045] 5A, the inductor strap 500 is generally straight (e.g., in a horizontal direction). For example, the capacitors 504 and 508 may have the same vertical orientation (e.g., perpendicular to the top plate 204) and height, and the inductor strap 500 may be directly coupled between the respective terminals 520. In other configurations, the capacitors 504 and 508 may not have the same orientation and / or height. For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, the inductor strap 500 may be configured to couple to a vertically configured capacitor 504 and a horizontally configured capacitor 508 (i.e., perpendicular to capacitor 504).

[0046] In this example, the inductor strap 500 has at least one bend or change of direction and includes a horizontal section 536 and a vertical section 540. The horizontal section 536 includes the inductor coil 512 and the middle section 516. In other examples, the inductor strap 500 has more than one change of direction. For example, while shown generally straight in FIG. 5B, in other examples the horizontal section 536 may have at least one change of direction. In one example, the horizontal section 536 has a first change of direction between the capacitor 504 and the inductor coil 512 and a second change of direction between the inductor coil 512 and the middle section 516. In different configurations, for example, both the inductor coil 512 and the middle section 516 may be located on the vertical section 540, or one of the inductor coil 512 and the middle section 516 may be located on the horizontal section 536 and the other on the vertical section 540. In any configuration, the inductor strap 500 includes a middle section 516 configured to provide a fixed connection point to the support rod 528.

[0047] 5C, intermediate portion 516 includes an opening, such as a slot 544 (e.g., an elongated slot), configured to receive fastener 532. The length of slot 544 is greater than the diameter of fastener 532. Thus, slot 544 is configured to accommodate some movement of inductor strap 500 relative to support rod 528. In other words, if any of capacitors 504 and 508, inductor strap 500, support rod 528, etc., shift slightly in position due to thermal expansion or other displacement, slot 544 accommodates that movement without transmitting it to the other components.

[0048] The above description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. The broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in various forms. Thus, although the present application includes specific examples, the true scope of the disclosure is not limited thereto, since other variations will become apparent upon studying the drawings, the specification, and the following claims. It should be understood that one or more steps in a method may be performed in different orders (or simultaneously) without altering the principles of the disclosure. Furthermore, although each of the embodiments is described as having certain features, any one or more of the features described with respect to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented with any feature of any other embodiment and / or can be combined with any feature of any other embodiment, even if the combination is not expressly described. In other words, the above-described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and it is within the scope of the present disclosure to substitute one or more embodiments for one another.

[0049] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, between circuit elements, between semiconductor layers) are described using various terms such as "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "next to," "on," "above," "below," and "disposed." When a relationship between a first and second element is described in the above disclosure, unless expressly described as "direct," the relationship may be a direct relationship where there are no other intervening elements between the first and second elements, but it may also be an indirect relationship where one or more intervening elements (spatially or functionally) exist between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be interpreted to mean the logic (A or B or C) with a non-exclusive logical OR, and not to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0050] In some implementations, the controller is part of a system, which may be part of the examples described above. Such systems may include semiconductor processing equipment, such as one or more processing tools, one or more chambers, one or more processing platforms, and / or specific processing components (wafer pedestals, gas flow systems, etc.). These systems may be integrated with electronics for controlling the operation of the system before, during, and after processing of the semiconductor wafer or substrate. The electronics may be referred to as a "controller" that may control various parts or subparts of one or more systems. Depending on the processing requirements and / or type of system, the controller may be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, such as delivery of process gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow settings, fluid supply settings, position and operation settings, wafer loading and unloading to and from the tool, and wafer loading and unloading to and from other transport tools and / or load locks connected or interlocked with the particular system.

[0051] Broadly speaking, a controller may be defined as electronic equipment having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that, for example, receive instructions, issue instructions, control operations, enable cleaning operations, enable end-point metrology, and the like. Integrated circuits may include chips in the form of firmware that store program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute the program instructions (e.g., software). Program instructions may be instructions communicated to the controller in the form of various personalizations (or program files) that define operational parameters for performing a particular process on or for a semiconductor wafer or for a system. The operational parameters may, in some embodiments, be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to accomplish one or more processing steps in the manufacture of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or dies of a wafer.

[0052] The controller, in some implementations, may be part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with, coupled to, or otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller may be all or part of a host computer system in the "cloud" or at a fab that allows remote access to wafer processing. The computer may allow remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of a manufacturing operation, review the history of past manufacturing operations, review trends or performance metrics from multiple manufacturing operations, modify parameters of a current process, set up a process step following a current process, or initiate a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) may provide a process recipe to the system over a network that may include a local network or the Internet. The remote computer may include a user interface that allows for input or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then communicated from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data that defines parameters for each process step that is performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process being performed or the type of tool that the controller is configured to interface with or control. Thus, as discussed above, the controller may be distributed, such as by including one or more separate controllers networked together and working toward a common purpose, such as the process and control described herein. An example of a controller distributed for such a purpose includes one or more integrated circuits on the chamber that are combined to control a process on the chamber and communicate with one or more integrated circuits located remotely (e.g., at the platform level or as part of a remote computer).

[0053] Without being limited thereto, exemplary systems may include a plasma etch chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a clean chamber or module, a bevel edge etch chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an atomic layer etch (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a track chamber or module, and any other semiconductor processing system that may be associated with or used in the manufacturing and / or production of semiconductor wafers.

[0054] As described above, depending on the process step or steps being performed by the tool, the controller may communicate with one or more other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, nearby tools, tools located throughout the factory, a main computer, other controllers, or tools used in material transport to and from containers of wafers to and from tool locations and / or load ports within a semiconductor manufacturing factory.

Claims

1. 1. An inductor strap for a radio frequency matching circuit of a substrate processing system, comprising: a first end and a second end, each including a connector tab configured to connect to a terminal of a respective capacitor; an inductor coil disposed between the first end and the second end; 11. An inductor strap comprising: (i) the inductor coil; and (ii) an intermediate portion disposed between one of the first end and the second end, the intermediate portion including a planar connecting plate configured to couple the inductor strap to a surface of a radio frequency enclosure housing the radio frequency matching circuit.

2. 10. The inductor strap of claim 1, comprising copper.

3. 2. The inductor strap of claim 1, wherein the first end, the second end, the inductor coil, and the intermediate portion are formed from a single piece of conductive material.

4. 10. The inductor strap of claim 1, having at least one change in direction between the first end and the second end.

5. 5. The inductor strap of claim 4, comprising a horizontal portion and a vertical portion.

6. 6. The inductor strap of claim 5, wherein the inductor coil and the intermediate portion are located on the horizontal portion of the inductor strap.

7. 7. The inductor strap of claim 6, wherein the inductor coil lies substantially below a plane defined by the middle portion.

8. The inductor strap of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate portion includes at least one opening defined in the connecting plate.

9. The inductor strap of claim 8 , wherein the at least one opening is two elongated slots.

10. 10. A radio frequency matching circuit including the inductor strap of claim 1, further comprising a first capacitor and a second capacitor, the inductor strap being coupled between the first capacitor and the second capacitor.

11. 11. The radio frequency matching circuit of claim 10, wherein the first capacitor has a first orientation and the second capacitor has a second orientation different from the first orientation.

12. 12. The radio frequency matching circuit of claim 11, wherein the second orientation is perpendicular to the first orientation.

13. 13. The radio frequency matching circuit of claim 12, wherein a horizontal portion of the inductor strap is coupled to the first capacitor and a vertical portion of the inductor strap is coupled to the second capacitor.

14. 11. The radio frequency matching circuit of claim 10, further comprising a support bar coupled to the intermediate portion and to the surface.

15. 15. The radio frequency matching circuit of claim 14, wherein the surface is an underside of a top plate of the radio frequency enclosure.

16. 15. The radio frequency matching circuit of claim 14, further comprising at least one of an inductance element, a resistance element, a capacitance element, and an isolation element coupled to the intermediate portion at the support rod.

17. 11. A radio frequency enclosure including the radio frequency matching circuit of claim 10 and a top plate, wherein the middle portion of the inductor strap is coupled to a bottom surface of the top plate via a support rod.

18. 18. The radio frequency enclosure of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of said radio frequency matching circuits, each of said radio frequency matching circuits configured to output a radio frequency signal to a respective radio frequency connector assembly mounted to an upper surface of said top plate.

19. 20. The radio frequency enclosure of claim 18, wherein the radio frequency connector assembly includes a right angle connector and a connector bracket configured to partially surround the right angle connector.

20. 20. The radio frequency enclosure of claim 19, wherein the connector bracket includes a mounting base coupled to the upper surface of the top plate and a connector housing configured to retain the right angle connector within the connector bracket.

21. 1. A radio frequency enclosure for a substrate processing system, comprising: The top plate and a plurality of radio frequency matching circuits mounted on the underside of the top plate, each of which first and second capacitors; a plurality of radio frequency matching circuits including: an inductor strap coupled between terminals of each of the first and second capacitors, the inductor strap including an inductor coil and an intermediate portion, the intermediate portion including a planar connection plate configured to couple the inductor strap to an underside of the top plate; an insulating support rod that connects the middle portion of the inductor strap to the lower surface of the top plate; a radio frequency enclosure including: a plurality of radio frequency connector assemblies mounted on an upper surface of the top plate and coupled to respective said radio frequency matching circuits, each of said radio frequency connector assemblies including a right angle connector and a connector bracket partially surrounding said right angle connector;

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