Radio frequency power generator with multiple output ports

Abstract

To reduce variations in semiconductor processing during the manufacturing of integrated circuit devices. [Solution] A radio frequency (RF) power generator suitable for coupling into a multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber may include one or more preamplifiers, each having an oscillator for providing a periodic signal, an input port for receiving a signal from the oscillator, and an output port for providing an amplified signal. The RF generator may further include one or more constant-gain amplifiers, each having an input port for receiving signals from one or more preamplifiers and an output port configured for coupling the amplified signal to electrodes to generate plasma at an assigned station in the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Incorporation by Reference As part of this application, a PCT application form is filed simultaneously with this specification. Each application specified in the simultaneously filed PCT application form and to which this application claims benefit or priority is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes into this specification.

Background Art

[0002] The manufacture of integrated circuit devices may include processing semiconductor wafers within a semiconductor processing chamber. General processes may include deposition, and semiconductor materials may be deposited in a layer-by-layer fashion, as well as by removal of material (e.g., etching) in specific regions of the semiconductor wafer. In commercial scale manufacturing, each wafer contains multiple copies of the particular semiconductor device being manufactured, and multiple wafers may be utilized to obtain the required quantity of devices. Thus, the commercial realization of semiconductor processing operations may rely, at least in part, on the uniformity within a wafer and the reproducibility of process conditions between wafers. As a result, efforts are made to ensure that each part of a given wafer, as well as each wafer processed within a semiconductor processing chamber, receives the same processing conditions. Variations in processing conditions can lead to undesirable variations in deposition rates and etching rates, which may in turn lead to unacceptable variations in the overall manufacturing process. Such variations can degrade the performance of the circuit and, in turn, cause unacceptable variations in the performance of a higher-level system that utilizes, for example, the integrated circuit device.

[0003] The description of the background art presented herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the content of the present disclosure. Within the scope described in this background art section, the research by the inventors named at the present time, as well as aspects of the description that cannot be separately regarded as prior art at the time of filing, are not admitted as prior art against the present disclosure, whether explicitly or implicitly.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] This specification provides a method and apparatus for generating radio frequency power suitable for coupling to a multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber. One embodiment includes an apparatus for generating radio frequency power suitable for coupling to a multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of variable-gain preamplifiers each having an oscillator configured to generate a periodic signal, an input port for receiving a signal from the oscillator, and an output port for providing a signal of varying amplitude; a plurality of constant-gain amplifiers each having an input port for receiving a signal from one of the plurality of variable-gain preamplifiers, and an output port configured for coupling an amplified signal to an electrode to generate plasma at an assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber; and a plurality of sensors, each of which is coupled to a corresponding output port of the plurality of constant-gain amplifiers.

[0005] In some embodiments, the periodic signal generated by the oscillator includes frequencies between 300.0 kHz and 100.0 MHz.

[0006] In some embodiments, the periodic signal generated by the oscillator includes a frequency selected from the group consisting of 400.0 kHz, 1.0 MHz, 2.0 MHz, 13.56 MHz, 27.12 MHz, 60.0 MHz, or 100.0 MHz.

[0007] In any of the above embodiments, the output port of each of the plurality of sensors may be coupled to the input port of a control module, and the output signal from the control module may be coupled to the input port to adjust the gain of the corresponding variable gain preamplifier among the plurality of variable gain preamplifiers.

[0008] In any of the above embodiments, one or more of the plurality of sensors may be configured to detect out-of-range parameters selected from the group consisting of power transmitted to the assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber that exceeds a threshold, power reflected from the assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber that exceeds a threshold, current coupled to the assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber that exceeds a threshold, and voltage applied to the assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber that exceeds a threshold.

[0009] In any of the above embodiments, the control module may implement a circuit for providing the output signal within 10.0 ns of receiving a signal from one of the plurality of sensors.

[0010] In any of the above embodiments, each of the plurality of constant-gain amplifiers may provide an output power of at least about 1000W.

[0011] Another embodiment includes an apparatus for generating radio frequency power for coupling to a multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, the apparatus comprising: an oscillator configured to generate a periodic signal; a preamplifier having an input port for receiving a signal from the oscillator and an output port for providing a signal having constant gain to the received signal; a plurality of variable gain amplifiers each having an input port for receiving a signal from the preamplifier and an output port configured for coupling an amplified signal to an electrode to generate plasma at an assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber; and a plurality of sensors, each of which provides a control signal to change the output power of a corresponding one of the plurality of variable gain amplifiers.

[0012] In any of the above embodiments, the periodic signal generated by the oscillator may include frequencies between 300.0 kHz and 100.0 MHz.

[0013] In any of the above embodiments, the periodic signal generated by the oscillator may include frequencies selected from the group consisting of 400.0 kHz, 1.0 MHz, 2.0 MHz, 13.56 MHz, 27.12 MHz, 60.0 MHz, and 100.0 MHz.

[0014] In any of the above embodiments, each of the plurality of variable gain amplifiers may be capable of providing an output power of at least about 1000.0W.

[0015] In any of the above embodiments, the apparatus may further include a control module having a circuit for providing the control signal within 10.0 ns of receiving a signal from one of the plurality of sensors.

[0016] Another embodiment includes a multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber comprising a plurality of stations and a plurality of radio frequency power generators configured to couple radio frequency power to assigned stations of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, each radio frequency power generator comprising a variable-gain preamplifier having an input port for receiving a signal from an oscillator and an output port for providing a signal of fluctuating power amplitude, a constant-gain amplifier having an input port for receiving a signal from the variable-gain preamplifier and an output port configured for coupling power to the assigned stations, wherein the coupled power to the assigned stations is supplied to electrodes for generating plasma at the assigned stations of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, and a plurality of radio frequency power generators comprising sensors coupled to the corresponding output ports of the constant-gain amplifiers.

[0017] In any of the above embodiments, the oscillator may generate a periodic signal having a frequency selected from the group consisting of 400.0 kHz, 1.0 MHz, 2.0 MHz, 13.56 MHz, 27.12 MHz, 60.0 MHz, and 100.0 MHz.

[0018] In any of the above embodiments, the constant-gain amplifier may be capable of providing an output power of at least about 1000.0W.

[0019] In any of the above embodiments, each of the plurality of radio frequency power generators may be coupled to a sensor configured to detect out-of-range parameters of the power coupled to the assigned station, wherein the out-of-range parameters correspond to one of the group consisting of output voltage amplitude, output current amplitude, amplitude of power transmitted to the assigned station, and amplitude of power reflected from the assigned station.

[0020] In any of the above embodiments, the sensor may be configured to detect the out-of-range parameter and transmit a signal to the variable gain preamplifier within approximately 10.0 ns after detecting the out-of-range parameter.

[0021] Another embodiment includes a control module comprising one or more input ports for acquiring a signal from a radio frequency power sensor, wherein the signal indicates the detection of an out-of-range parameter in an output signal from a radio frequency power generator; one or more output ports for providing a signal to an amplifier stage of the radio frequency power generator, wherein the signal to the amplifier stage is configured to modify a parameter of the output signal from the radio frequency power generator; and a processor for initiating the generation of the signal from one or more output ports within about 10 ns after acquiring the signal from the radio frequency power sensor.

[0022] In any of the above aspects, the radio frequency power generator may operate at a frequency selected from the group consisting of 400.0 kHz, 1.0 MHz, 2.0 MHz, 13.56 MHz, 27.12 MHz, 60.0 MHz, and 100.0 MHz.

[0023] In any of the above aspects, the out-of-range parameter of the output signal from the radio frequency power generator may include the phase angle between the voltage waveform and the current waveform.

[0024] In any of the above aspects, the out-of-range parameter may include the power supplied from the radio frequency power generator.

[0025] In any of the above aspects, the radio frequency power generator may provide a power of about 1.0 kW.

[0026] Another aspect is a method of generating radio frequency power adapted to be coupled to an assigned station of a multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, the method including generating a periodic signal, coupling the periodic signal to a plurality of variable gain preamplifiers, coupling an output signal from each of the plurality of variable gain preamplifiers to a corresponding one of a plurality of fixed gain amplifiers, and coupling an output signal from each of the plurality of fixed gain amplifiers to the assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber.

[0027] In any of the above aspects, the method may further include sensing an out-of-range parameter in an output signal from one of the plurality of fixed gain amplifiers and, in response to sensing the out-of-range parameter, changing the amplitude of the output signal from a certain variable gain preamplifier among the variable gain preamplifiers.

[0028] In any of the above aspects, the out-of-range parameter may correspond to the power reflected from the assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber.

[0029] In any of the above aspects, the out-of-range parameter may correspond to a current conducted to the assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber.

[0030] In any of the above aspects, the out-of-range parameter may correspond to a voltage applied to the assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber.

[0031] In any of the above aspects, the amplitude of the output signal from the variable gain preamplifier may be changed within 10.0 ns after sensing the out-of-range parameter.

[0032] In any of the above aspects, generating the periodic signal may include generating a signal having a frequency selected from the group consisting of 400.0 kHz, 1.0 MHz, 2.0 MHz, 13.56 MHz, 27.12 MHz, 60.0 MHz, and 100.0 MHz.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0033] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A shows a substrate processing apparatus for depositing a film on or over a semiconductor substrate using any number of processes according to various embodiments.

[0034] [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a multi-station processing tool.

[0035] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a radio frequency (RF) power generator having a plurality of output ports according to one embodiment.

[0036] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an RF power generator having a plurality of output ports according to one embodiment.

[0037] [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a control module suitable for use in an RF generator having multiple output ports, according to one embodiment.

[0038] [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for generating radio frequency power suitable for coupling to an assigned station in a multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0039] In certain embodiments, radio frequency (RF) power generators having multiple output ports may be used in a variety of semiconductor manufacturing processes, such as plasma-based wafer manufacturing. For example, in a multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, which may include individual process stations for performing deposition and / or etching processes, a particular output port may be assigned to a corresponding station in the multi-station manufacturing chamber or otherwise configured to operate. Thus, for example, if the deposition rate in a particular station of the multi-station manufacturing chamber shows an increase or decrease in deposition rate compared to other stations in the multi-station manufacturing chamber, the RF power parameter can be adjusted at that particular station. Such adjustment may result in a correction or equalization of the deposition rate compared to the deposition rates of other chambers, resulting in more uniform deposition across all process stations in the multi-station manufacturing chamber. In some cases, such independent control over RF power coupled to individually assigned stations in the multi-station manufacturing chamber may allow one or more stations to continue performing the manufacturing process while other stations have completed their manufacturing operations. This may allow for maximization of the yield of all wafers and / or devices manufactured through the multi-station manufacturing chamber.

[0040] Certain embodiments may describe improvements to other devices of an RF power generator coupled to a multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber. For example, in some embodiments, the RF power generator may utilize two or more signal amplifiers coupled to a power coupler. The output power from the RF power coupler, which may be coupled to the multi-station manufacturing chamber through a single output port, may be coupled to an RF power divider, thereby enabling coupling of the divided RF power to the input ports of the manufacturing chamber. As a result of the coupling and subsequent splitting of RF power, all stations of the multi-station manufacturing chamber may be controlled as a single component, which may include substantially identical RF power levels supplied to each station. In addition to supplying substantially identical RF power levels to all stations of the multi-station manufacturing chamber, such coupling and splitting of RF power may allow all stations of the multi-station chamber to be equally exposed to any anomalies in the RF power generated by the RF power generator. Thus, anomalies such as overvoltage and / or overcurrent conditions, as well as fluctuations in the RF power supplied by the power coupler that could adversely affect the manufacturing process, may be similarly coupled to all stations of the manufacturing chamber. The coupling of such abnormal voltages, currents, and total power across all stations in a multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber can not only reduce wafer yield but also lead to unpredictable results for the manufactured circuit elements.

[0041] Certain embodiments and configurations may be used in several wafer manufacturing processes, such as various plasma-excited atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes (e.g., ALD1, ALD2), various plasma-excited chemical vapor deposition (CVD1, CVD2, CVD3) processes, or on the fly during a single deposition process. In certain embodiments, an RF power generator having multiple output ports may be used at any signal frequency, such as between 300.0 kHz and 60.0 MHz, and this arbitrary signal frequency may include frequencies of 400.0 kHz, 1.0 MHz, 2.0 MHz, 13.56 MHz, and 27.12 MHz. However, in other embodiments, an RF power generator having multiple output ports may operate at any signal frequency, and this arbitrary signal frequency may include substantially unlimited higher signal frequencies, such as relatively low frequencies between 50.0 kHz and 300.0 kHz, and higher frequencies, such as between 60.0 MHz and 100.0 MHz.

[0042] While certain embodiments described herein may show and / or describe an RF power generator having multiple output ports, where the output ports may be assigned to one of the four process stations of a four-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, it should be noted that the claimed subject matter may also include a multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber having any number of process stations. Thus, in embodiments, individual output ports of an RF power generator having multiple output ports may be assigned to a process station of a multi-station manufacturing chamber having, for example, two or three process stations. In other embodiments, individual output ports of an RF power generator having multiple output ports may be assigned to a process station of a multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber having a more than one number of process stations, such as five, six, eight, or ten process stations, or any other number of process stations, with substantially no limitation.

[0043] The manufacture of semiconductor devices generally requires the deposition of one or more thin films on or on planar or non-planar substrates in an integrated manufacturing process. In some aspects of the integrated process, it may be useful to deposit thin films that conform to the specific substrate topography. One type of reaction useful in such cases is chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In a typical CVD process, vapor-phase reactants introduced into a station in a reaction chamber undergo a simultaneous vapor-phase reaction. The products of the vapor-phase reaction are deposited on the surface of the substrate. This type of reaction may be facilitated or enhanced by the presence of plasma, in which case the process may be called plasma-excited chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) reaction. As used herein, the term CVD is intended to include PECVD unless otherwise noted. The CVD process has certain drawbacks that give it a less appropriate state in some contexts. For example, the limitations of mass transfer in CVD vapor-phase reactions may result in deposition effects that show thicker deposition on top surfaces (e.g., the top surface of the gate stack) and thinner deposition on recessed surfaces (e.g., the bottom corners of the gate stack). Furthermore, depending on the semiconductor die having regions of different device densities, mass transfer effects across the substrate surface can lead to variations in thickness within the die and wafer. Therefore, during the subsequent etching process, these thickness variations can cause some areas to be over-etched and others under-etched, potentially reducing device performance and die yield. Another drawback of CVD processes is that such processes cannot deposit conformal films on nearly high aspect ratio features. This problem can become increasingly significant as device dimensions become smaller. These and other drawbacks of specific embodiments of wafer manufacturing processes are illustrated in relation to Figures 1A and 1B.

[0044] In another example, some deposition processes involve multiple film deposition cycles, each producing a distinct film thickness. For instance, in atomic layer deposition (ALD), the thickness of the deposited layer may be limited by the amount of one or more film precursor reactants that may adsorb onto the substrate surface to form an adsorption limiting layer before the film-forming chemical reaction itself. Thus, ALD features require the formation of thin film layers (such as layers with the width of a single atom or molecule) that are used repeatedly and continuously. As device and feature sizes continue to shrink and three-dimensional devices and structures become more common in integrated circuit (IC) design, the ability to deposit thin conformal films (e.g., films of material with a uniform thickness relative to the shape of the underlying structure) continues to increase in importance. Therefore, given that ALD is a film formation technique in which each deposition cycle operates to deposit a single atomic or molecular layer of material, ALD may be very well suited for the deposition of conformal films. A typical device manufacturing process requiring ALD may involve multiple ALD cycles, which could number in the hundreds or thousands, and then utilize these multiple ALD cycles to form films of substantially any desired thickness. Furthermore, given that each layer is thin and conformal, the film resulting from such a process may conform to the shape of the underlying device structure. In certain embodiments, the ALD cycle may include the following steps:

[0045] Exposing the substrate surface to the first precursor.

[0046] To purify the reaction chamber in which the substrate is located.

[0047] Generally, this involves activating a reaction on the substrate surface using plasma and / or a second precursor.

[0048] To purify the reaction chamber in which the substrate is located.

[0049] The duration of each ALD cycle may generally be less than 25.0 seconds, less than 10.0 seconds, or less than 5.0 seconds. The plasma exposure step (or multiple steps) of the ALD cycle may have a short duration, such as 1.0 second or less.

[0050] Moving on to the figures, Figure 1A shows a substrate processing apparatus 100 for depositing films on a semiconductor substrate using any number of processes according to various embodiments. The processing apparatus 100 in Figure 1A utilizes a single process station 102 in a process chamber having a single substrate holder 108 (e.g., a pedestal) within its internal volume, and this process station 102 may be maintained under vacuum by a vacuum pump 118. A showerhead 106 and a gas supply system 101, which may be fluidically coupled to the process chamber, may enable the supply of, for example, film precursors, as well as carrier gases and / or purge gases and / or process gases, secondary reactants, etc. Equipment used for generating plasma within the process chamber is also shown in Figure 1A. The apparatus schematically shown in Figure 1A may be particularly suitable for performing plasma-excited CVD.

[0051] In Figure 1A, the gas supply system 101 includes a mixing vessel 104 for mixing and / or regulating process gases for supply to a showerhead 106. One or more mixing vessel inlet valves 120 may control the introduction of process gases into the mixing vessel 104. Certain reactants may be stored in liquid form before vaporization and supply to the subsequent process chamber process station 102. The embodiment in Figure 1A includes a vaporization point 103 for vaporizing the liquid reactants supplied to the mixing vessel 104. In some embodiments, the vaporization point 103 may comprise a heated liquid injection module. In some other embodiments, the vaporization point 103 may comprise a heated vaporizer. In yet another embodiment, the vaporization point 103 may be removed from the process station. In some embodiments, a liquid flow control device (LFC) upstream of the vaporization point 103 may be provided to control the mass flow rate of the liquid for vaporization and supply to the process station 102.

[0052] The showerhead 106 may operate at the process station to distribute process gas and / or reactants (e.g., membrane precursors) toward the substrate 112, the flow of which is controlled by one or more valves (e.g., valves 120, 120A, 105) upstream of the showerhead. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1A, the substrate 112 is shown to be located below the showerhead 106 and resting on a base 108. The showerhead 106 may have any suitable shape and may include any suitable number and arrangement of ports for distributing process gas to the substrate 112. In some embodiments with two or more stations, the gas supply system 101 includes valves or other flow control structures upstream of the showerhead, which allow for independent control of the flow of process gas and / or reactants toward each station, such as separating the gas flow to allow gas to flow toward a first station while preventing gas to flow toward a second station. Furthermore, the gas supply system 101 may be configured to independently control the process gas and / or reactants supplied to each station in the multi-station apparatus so that the gas composition supplied to different stations is different, for example, the partial pressure of the gas composition may change simultaneously between stations.

[0053] In Figure 1A, volume 107 is shown positioned below showerhead 106. In some embodiments, pedestal 108 may be raised or lowered to expose substrate 112 to volume 107 and / or to change the size of volume 107. Optionally, pedestal 108 may be lowered and / or raised during parts of the deposition process to adjust process pressure, reactant concentration, etc., within volume 107. The showerhead 106 and pedestal 108 are shown to be electrically coupled to radio frequency power supply 114 and matching network 116 to power the plasma generator. Thus, showerhead 106 may function as an electrode for coupling radio frequency power to process station 102. In some embodiments, plasma energy is controlled (e.g., via a system controller with appropriate machine-readable instructions and / or control logic) by controlling pressure, gas concentration, RF power generator, etc., of one or more process stations. For example, the radio frequency power supply 114 and the matching network 116 may operate at any suitable RF power level and may operate to form a plasma having a desired composition of radical species. Similarly, the RF power supply 114 may supply RF power at any suitable frequency, or group of frequencies, and power level.

[0054] In some embodiments, plasma ignition and maintenance conditions are controlled by appropriate hardware and / or machine-readable instructions within a system controller capable of providing control instructions via a sequence of input / output control (IOC) instructions. In one example, instructions for ignition or plasma maintenance are provided in the form of a plasma activation recipe in a process recipe. In some cases, the process recipes may be arranged sequentially so that at least some of the instructions for the process can be executed simultaneously. In some embodiments, instructions for setting one or more plasma parameters may be included in a recipe preceding the plasma ignition process. For example, a first recipe may include instructions for setting the flow rates of an inert gas (e.g., helium) and / or a reactive gas, instructions for setting the plasma generator to a power setpoint, and a time delay instruction for the first recipe. A second subsequent recipe may include instructions for enabling the plasma generator and a time delay instruction for the second recipe. A third recipe may include instructions for deactivating the plasma generator and a time delay instruction for the third recipe. It will be understood that these recipes may be further subdivided and / or repeated in any suitable manner within the scope of this disclosure. In some deposition processes, the duration of the plasma strike may correspond to a few seconds, such as from 3.0 seconds to 15.0 seconds, or it may require a longer duration, such as up to 30.0 seconds. In certain embodiments described herein, much shorter plasma strikes may be applied during the processing cycle. The duration of such plasma strikes may be less than 50.0 milliseconds, and in certain examples, a plasma strike of 25.0 milliseconds is used.

[0055] For simplicity, the processing unit 100 is shown in Figure 1A as a standalone station (102) of a process chamber for maintaining a low-pressure environment. However, it should be understood that multiple processing stations may be included in the multi-station processing tool environment, as shown in Figure 1B, which shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a multi-station processing tool. The processing tool 150 employs an integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165 that includes multiple manufacturing process stations, and each of the manufacturing process stations may be used to perform processing operations on a substrate held in a wafer holder, such as the pedestal 108 in Figure 1A, at a particular process station. In the embodiment of Figure 1B, the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165 is shown to have four process stations 151, 152, 153, and 154. Other similar multi-station processing units may have more or fewer process stations depending on the embodiment and, for example, the desired level of parallel wafer processing, size / space constraints, cost constraints, etc. Also shown in Figure 1B is a substrate handler robot 175, which may operate under the control of a system controller 190 and is configured to move a substrate from a wafer cassette (not shown in Figure 1B) from the load port 180 into the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165 and onto one of the process stations 151, 152, 153, and 154.

[0056] Figure 1B also shows one embodiment of a system controller 190 employed to control the process conditions and hardware state of the process tool 150. The system controller 190 may include one or more storage devices, one or more mass storage devices, and one or more processors. The one or more processors may include a central processing unit, analog and / or digital input / output connections, a stepping motor controller board, etc. In some embodiments, the system controller 190 controls all operations of the process tool 150. The system controller 190 executes system control software stored in the mass storage device, which may be loaded into the storage device and executed by the system controller's processor. The software executed by the system controller 190's processor may include instructions for controlling the timing of a specific process performed by the process tool 150, the gas mixture, the pressure of the manufacturing chamber and / or station, the temperature of the manufacturing chamber and / or station, the wafer temperature, the position of the substrate base, the chuck and / or susceptor, the number of cycles performed on one or more substrates, and other parameters. These programmed processes may include, but are not limited to, various types of processes, including processes for determining the amount of accumulation on the surface inside the chamber, processes for depositing a film on the substrate including the number of cycles, processes for determining and obtaining the compensated number of cycles, and processes for cleaning the chamber. System control software, which may be executed by one or more processors of the system controller 190, may be configured in any suitable way. For example, various process tool component subroutines or control objects may be described to control the operation of process tool components necessary to execute various tool processes.

[0057] In some embodiments, the software to be executed via the system controller 190's processor may include input / output control (IOC) sequence instructions for controlling the various parameters described above. For example, each phase of substrate deposition and deposition cycle may include one or more instructions for execution by the system controller 190. Instructions for setting process conditions for ALD / CFD deposition process phases may be included in the corresponding ALD / CFD deposition recipe phase. In some embodiments, the recipe phases may be arranged sequentially so that all instructions for process phases are executed concurrently with those process phases.

[0058] Other computer software and / or programs stored in the mass storage device of the system controller 190 and / or in a storage device accessible to the system controller 190 may be employed in some embodiments. Examples of programs or sections of programs for this purpose include a substrate positioning program, a process gas control program, a pressure control program, a heater control program, and a plasma control program. The substrate positioning program may include program code for process tool components used to load the substrate onto the base 108 (in Figure 1A) and to control the spacing between the substrate and other components of the process tool 150. The positioning program may also include instructions for properly loading and unloading the substrate into the reaction chamber as needed to deposit a film on the substrate and clean the chamber.

[0059] The process gas control program may include code for controlling the gas composition and flow rate, and optionally code for flowing gas into one or more process stations before deposition to stabilize the pressure within the process stations. In some embodiments, the process gas control program includes instructions for introducing gas while forming a film on substrates in the reaction chamber. This may include introducing gas for different numbers of cycles to one or more substrates in a batch of substrates. The pressure control program may include code for controlling the pressure within the process stations, for example, by adjusting a throttle valve in the exhaust system of the process station, the gas flow into the process station, etc. The pressure control program may include instructions for maintaining the same pressure during deposition for different numbers of cycles on one or more substrates during batch processing.

[0060] The heater control program may include code for controlling the current to the heating unit 110 used to heat the substrate. Alternatively, the heater control program may control the supply of a heat transfer gas (such as helium) to the substrate.

[0061] In some embodiments, there may be a user interface associated with the system controller 190. The user interface may include a display screen, a graphical software display of the device and / or process conditions, and user input devices such as a pointing device, keyboard, touchscreen, and microphone.

[0062] In some embodiments, the parameters adjusted by the system controller 190 may relate to process conditions. Non-limiting examples include process gas composition and flow rate, temperature, pressure, and plasma conditions. These parameters may be provided to the user in the form of a recipe, which may be entered using a user interface. A recipe for an entire batch of substrates may include a compensated cycle count for one or more substrates in the batch to account for thickness trends during batch processing.

[0063] Signals for monitoring the process may be provided from various process tool sensors through analog and / or digital input connections of the system controller 190. Signals for controlling the process may be output through analog and / or digital output connections of the process tool 150. Non-limiting examples of monitorable process tool sensors include mass flow controllers, pressure sensors (such as manometers), and thermocouples. Sensors may also be included and used to monitor and determine the accumulation on one or more surfaces inside the chamber and / or the thickness of material layers on substrates inside the chamber. Appropriately programmed feedback and control algorithms may use data from these sensors to maintain process conditions.

[0064] The system controller 190 may provide program instructions for implementing the deposition process described above. The program instructions may control various process parameters, such as DC power level, pressure, temperature, number of cycles for the substrate, and amount of deposition on at least one surface inside the chamber. The instructions may also control parameters to operate in situ for the deposition of film stacks according to the various embodiments described herein.

[0065] For example, the system controller may include control logic for performing the techniques described herein. This control logic may include determining the amount of deposit material accumulated at that time on at least an internal region inside the deposit chamber, applying the amount of deposit material determined in (a), or parameters obtained therefrom, to the relationship between (i) the number of ALD cycles required to achieve a target deposit thickness and (ii) a variable representing the amount of deposit material, and performing a compensated number of ALD cycles on one or more substrates in a batch of substrates to obtain a compensated number of ALD cycles to produce a target deposit thickness that takes into account the amount of deposit material accumulated at that time on an internal region inside the deposit chamber. The system may also include control logic for determining when the accumulation in the chamber has reached its accumulation limit, and in response to that determination, stopping the processing of the batch of substrates and cleaning the inside of the chamber.

[0066] In addition to the functions and / or operations specified above performed by the system controller 190 in Figure 1B, the controller may further control and / or manage the operation of the RF power generator 205, which transmits RF power to the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165 via the radio frequency input ports 166, 167, 168, and 169. As further described herein, such operations may relate to, for example, determining upper and lower thresholds for the RF power supplied to the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165, determining the actual (such as real-time) level of the RF power supplied to the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165, activation / deactivation time of the RF power, on / off duration of the RF power, operating frequency, etc. Furthermore, the system controller 190 may determine a set of normal operating parameters for the RF power supplied to the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165 via the input ports 166, 167, 168, and 169. Such parameters may include, for example, the reflection coefficient (e.g., the scattering parameter "S") 11The upper and lower thresholds for the power reflected from one or more of the input ports 166-169, the upper and lower thresholds for the voltage applied to one or more of the input ports 166-169, the upper and lower thresholds for the current conducted through one or more of the input ports 166-169, and the upper threshold for the amplitude of the phase angle between the voltage and the current conducted through one or more of the input ports 166-169 may be used when defining "out-of-range" RF power parameters. For example, reflected power greater than the upper threshold may indicate an out-of-range RF power parameter. Similarly, applied voltage or conducted current having a value lower than the lower threshold or greater than the upper threshold may indicate an out-of-range RF power parameter. Similarly, the phase angle between applied voltage and conducted current greater than the upper threshold may indicate an out-of-range RF power parameter. Furthermore, the system controller 190 may provide settings for the control module of the RF power generator 205, which may include control system response times such as 10.0 ns, 15.0 ns, or 20.0 ns.

[0067] In certain embodiments, the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165 may have input ports (additional input ports not shown in Figure 1B) in addition to input ports 166-169. Thus, the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165 may utilize eight RF input ports. In certain embodiments, process stations 151-154 of the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165 may each utilize first and second input ports, the first input port may transmit a signal having a first frequency, and the second input port may transmit a signal having a second frequency. The use of dual frequencies may result in enhanced plasma characteristics, which may lead to deposition rates within certain limits and / or more easily controlled deposition rates. Dual frequencies may result in other desirable outcomes, and the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect. In certain embodiments, frequencies between 300.0 kHz and 65.0 MHz may be utilized. In some embodiments, signal frequencies below 2.0 MHz may refer to low frequencies (LF), while frequencies above 2.0 MHz may refer to high frequencies (HF).

[0068] Therefore, the system controller 190 may enable independent operation of various signal paths within the RF power generator 205. Such independence between paths may enable independent control of the RF power coupled to individually assigned stations in the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165. Thus, as previously stated herein, if the deposition rate in a particular station of the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165 shows an increase or decrease in deposition rate compared to other process stations of the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165, the RF power parameters of that particular signal path within the RF power generator 205 may be adjusted. Such adjustment may result in a correction or adjustment of the deposition rate compared to the deposition rates of other chambers, which may result in a more constant deposition rate across all process stations of the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165. Furthermore, as also previously stated, such independent control of the RF power coupled via the independent signal paths of the RF power generator 205 may allow one or more stations of the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165 to continue executing the manufacturing process while other stations have completed their manufacturing operations. This may enable maximization of the yield of all wafers and / or all devices manufactured using the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165.

[0069] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an RF power generator having multiple output ports according to one embodiment 200. As described with reference to Figure 1B, the RF power generator 205 may include independent signal paths, which may allow coupling to assigned stations in a multi-station manufacturing chamber. Thus, the RF power generator 205 includes four output ports for coupling to a corresponding number of input ports of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165, such as input ports 166, 167, 168, and 169. In certain embodiments, the RF power generator 205 may be capable of generating RF power in the range of 1.0 to 10.0 kW, such as 5.0 kW, 6.0 kW, or 8.0 kW. However, in certain embodiments, the RF power generator 205 may generate less than 1.0 kW, such as 500 W, 750 W. In other embodiments, the RF power generator 205 may generate power greater than 10.0 kW, such as 12.0 kW, 15.0 kW, or 20.0 kW. Furthermore, although the RF power generator 205 is shown to have four independent signal paths, in other embodiments the RF power generator may have, for example, three independent signal paths, or more than four signal paths, such as five or six signal paths.

[0070] The oscillator 210 of the RF power generator 205 may provide a periodic signal, such as a signal having a substantially fixed frequency between 300.0 kHz and 100.0 MHz. However, in certain embodiments, the oscillator 210 may provide a periodic signal having a fixed frequency between (and including) 400.0 kHz and 100.0 MHz, such as fixed frequencies of 400.0 kHz, 1.0 MHz, 2.0 MHz, 13.56 MHz, 27.12 MHz, 60.0 MHz, and 100.0 MHz. The output signal from the oscillator 210 may be coupled to the input ports of preamplifiers 232, 234, 236, and 238, each of which may operate to controllably increase the amplitude of the signal received from the oscillator 210. In the embodiment of Figure 2, the gain parameter of each of the preamplifiers 232-238 may be controlled via a signal from a control module 275, which may produce an output signal having a variable amplitude. In certain embodiments, each of the preamplifiers 232-238 may amplify the signal from the oscillator 210 by an amount between 0.0 dB and 20.0 dB. However, in other embodiments, the control module 275 may operate so that the preamplifiers 232-238 produce amplification of different values, such as 10.0 dB and 23.0 dB.

[0071] The signal from the output port of preamplifier 232 is coupled to the input port of power amplifier 242, which in the embodiment of Figure 2 may represent a constant-gain amplifier to which a gain of, for example, 30.0 dB can be applied. Thus, in a particular embodiment, a 1-watt signal from preamplifier 232 may be amplified by power amplifier 242 to supply a 1000-watt signal at the output port of amplifier 242. Similarly, power amplifier 244 may apply a similar gain (e.g., 30.0 dB) to the signal from preamplifier 234. Likewise, power amplifier 246 may apply a similar gain (e.g., 30.0 dB) to the signal from preamplifier 236. Likewise, power amplifier 248 may apply a similar gain (e.g., 30.0 dB) to the signal from preamplifier 238. In other embodiments, power amplifiers 242-248 may be fitted with gains of different values, such as gains less than 30.0 dB, such as 25.0 dB and 20.0 dB, or with amplification gains greater than 30.0 dB, such as 33.0 dB, 35.0 dB, or 40.0 dB, and it should be noted that the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect.

[0072] The signal from the output port of the power amplifier 242 may be coupled to a sensor 252, which may monitor or detect the parameters of the power supplied to the input port 166, and which may correspond to the input port of the process station of the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165. Furthermore, the sensor 252 may operate to measure the power reflected from the input port 166 of the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165. Thus, in response to measurable fluctuations detected in the power transmitted to or reflected from the input port 166, the sensor 252 may provide a corresponding display to the control module 275. The control module 275 may then instruct the preamplifier 232 to compensate for the detected fluctuations in the output power generated and coupled to the input port of the power amplifier 242. Such compensation may help maintain a constant power supplied to the input port 166.

[0073] In some embodiments, sensor 252 may measure additional parameters such as the amplitude of the voltage of the output signal from amplifier 242, the current conducted by the output signal from amplifier 242, and the phase angle between the voltage and current of the output signal. Thus, in response to fluctuations in the voltage or current of the signal supplied to input port 166, or in response to a threshold phase angle (θ) between the voltage (V) and current (I) of the output signal that may indicate a decrease in the active power (VIcos(θ)) supplied to input port 166, sensor 252 may provide a display to control module 275. Control module 275 may then instruct preamplifier 232 to increase the output power coupled to the input port of power amplifier 242, and preamplifier 232 may operate to maintain a constant power supplied to input port 166. Sensors 254, 256, and 258 may operate in a similar manner to sensor 252 by monitoring the output voltage, current, and phase of the signals from the corresponding power amplifiers 244, 246, and 248.

[0074] In certain embodiments, the control module 275 may respond to input signals from sensors 252-258 in a manner that allows for rapid adjustment of the parameters of the output signals from power amplifiers 242-248. Such rapid adjustment of the parameters of the output signals from power amplifiers 242-248 may ensure that out-of-range parameters of signals coupled to input ports 166-169 of the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165 do not cause prolonged abnormalities within the process station. For example, in response to a sensor 252 that detects a decrease in power coupled to or transmitted to input port 166 of the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165, which could momentarily reduce the deposition rate of the process station to which the chamber is assigned, the output signal power from power amplifier 242 may be rapidly increased to minimize any impact of such a decrease on deposition in wafer processing operations. In certain embodiments, the control module 275 may respond to out-of-range parameters detected in the output signals from one or more power amplifiers 242-248 within 10.0 ns, such as by changing the gain parameters of one or more of the preamplifiers 232-238. However, in other embodiments, the control module 275 may respond to out-of-range parameters detected in the output signal from the power amplifier within a longer time, for example, within 15.0 ns, 20.0 ns, or 25.0 ns.

[0075] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an RF power generator having multiple output ports according to one embodiment 300. In a similar manner to the RF power generator 205 described with reference to Figure 2, the RF power generator 305 may include independent signal paths, which may allow coupling to, for example, an assigned station in the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165. Thus, the RF power generator 305 includes four output ports for coupling to a corresponding number of input ports in the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165, such as input ports 166, 167, 168, and 169. In certain embodiments, the RF power generator 305 may be capable of generating RF power in the range of 1.0 to 10.0 kW, such as 5.0 kW, 6.0 kW, or 8.0 kW. However, in certain embodiments, the RF power generator 305 may generate less than 1.0 kW, such as 500 W, 750 W. In other embodiments, the RF power generator 305 may generate power greater than 10.0 kW, such as 12.0 kW, 15.0 kW, or 20.0 kW. Furthermore, although the RF power generator 305 is shown to have four independent signal paths, in other embodiments the RF power generator may have, for example, independent signal paths between 1 and 3, or more than four signal paths, such as five or six signal paths.

[0076] The oscillator 310 of the RF power generator 305 may provide a periodic signal, such as a signal having substantially fixed frequencies between 300.0 kHz and 100.0 MHz. However, in certain embodiments, the oscillator 310 may provide a periodic signal having fixed frequencies between 400.0 kHz and 100.0 MHz, such as fixed frequencies of 400.0 kHz, 1.0 MHz, 2.0 MHz, 13.56 MHz, 27.12 MHz, 60.0 MHz, and 100.0 MHz. The output signal from the oscillator 310 may be coupled to the input port of a preamplifier 320, which may operate to apply a constant gain to the signal received from the oscillator 310. In the embodiment of Figure 3, the preamplifier 320 may amplify the signal from the oscillator 310 by an amount between 0.0 dB and 20.0 dB. However, in other embodiments, the control module 375 may be operated by the preamplifiers 232-238 to produce amplification of different values, such as 10.0 dB and 23.0 dB.

[0077] The signal from the output port of preamplifier 320 may be split and coupled to the input ports of power amplifiers 342, 344, 346, and 348, which in the embodiment of Figure 3 may represent variable-gain amplifiers to which gains of, for example, 20.0 dB and 40.0 dB can be applied. Thus, for example, a 1 watt signal from preamplifier 320 may be modified by each of the power amplifiers 342, 344, 346, and 348 to provide a signal with a fluctuating amplitude, such as an amplitude between 100.0 W and 10.0 W at the output port of the power amplifiers. In other embodiments, power amplifiers 342-348 may be applied with gains of different values, such as gains less than 20.0 dB, such as 15.0 dB and 20.0 dB, or with amplification gains greater than 40.0 dB, such as 43.0 dB or 45.0 dB, and it should be noted that the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect.

[0078] The output signals from power amplifiers 342-348 may be coupled to the input ports of sensors 352, 354, 356, and 358, which may operate to monitor or detect parameters of power supplied to or reflected from input ports 166, 167, 168, and 169 of the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165. In the embodiment of Figure 3, sensor 352 may measure power coupled to (or transmitted to) input port 166 of the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165, as well as power reflected from input port 166 of the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165. Thus, in response to measurable fluctuations detected in the power transmitted to input port 166, sensor 352 may provide a corresponding display to control module 375. The control module 375 may then instruct power amplifiers 342, 344, 346, or 348 to compensate for the detected fluctuations by adjusting the output power generated by the corresponding power amplifiers. This may include changing the value of the reactive circuit component in one or more output stages of power amplifiers 342-348. Such compensation may act to maintain a constant power supplied to input ports 166-169. Similar to the method described with reference to Figure 2, sensors 352-358 may further detect a phase angle (θ) between the voltage (V) and current (I) of the output signal that exceeds a threshold, which may indicate a decrease in the active power (VIcos(θ)) supplied to input ports 166-169. In response to the detection of a decrease in the active power supplied to input ports 166-169, the control module 275 may adjust one or more output signals of power amplifiers 342-348, which may help maintain a constant power supplied to input ports 166-169.

[0079] In certain embodiments, the control module 375 may respond to input signals from sensors 352-358 in a manner that allows for rapid adjustment of the parameters of the output signals from power amplifiers 342-348. Such rapid adjustment of the parameters of the output signals from power amplifiers 342-348 may ensure that out-of-range parameters of signals coupled to input ports 166-169 of the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165 do not cause prolonged abnormalities within the chamber's process station. For example, in response to a sensor 352 that detects a decrease in power coupled to or transmitted to input port 166 of the integrated circuit manufacturing chamber 165, which could momentarily reduce the deposition rate of the chamber's assigned process station, the output signal power from power amplifier 342 may be rapidly increased to minimize any impact of such a decrease on deposition in wafer processing operations. In certain embodiments, the control module 375 may respond to an out-of-range parameter detected in the output signal from one or more power amplifiers 342-348 within 10.0 ns, such as by changing the gain parameter of one or more of the power amplifiers 342-348. However, in other embodiments, the control module 375 may respond to out-of-range parameters detected in the output signal from the power amplifier within a longer time, such as within 15.0 ns, 20.0 ns, or 25.0 ns.

[0080] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a control module suitable for use in an RF generator having multiple output ports, according to one embodiment 400. Each control module 405 may include many of the features of control modules 275 or 375, as described with reference to Figures 2 and 3, and may operate to detect out-of-range parameters in the output signal from the RF power generator. In the embodiment of Figure 4, the control module 405 may include four sensor input ports 410, which may be suitable for acquiring input signals from a corresponding number of sensors to compare the output power parameters of the RF generator's amplifier with predetermined thresholds. Thus, sensors 1, 2, 3, and 4 may correspond to sensors 252, 254, 256, and 258 in Figure 2, respectively, or to sensors 352, 354, 356, and 358 in Figure 3, respectively. However, it should be noted that the control module 405 may be usable with a wide variety of other types of RF generators, and the claimed subject matter is not limited to the use of the control module 405 with any particular RF generator. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the control module 405 may include a smaller number of sensor input ports, such as three ports or fewer, or a larger number of sensor input ports, such as five ports or six ports.

[0081] The signal from the sensor input port 410 may be connected to or coupled to a voltage comparator 415, a current comparator 420, a reflected power comparator 425, and a forward power comparator 430. Therefore, the voltage comparator 415 may work with the processor / memory 435 to measure both the amplitude and phase angle of the voltage signal, and may provide a display to the processor / memory 435 in response to a determination that the voltage of the RF generator's output signal has exceeded an upper threshold or fallen below a lower threshold. Similarly, the current comparator 420 may work with the processor / memory 435 to measure both the amplitude and phase angle of the current conducted from the RF generator, and may provide a display to the processor / memory 435 in response to a determination that the RF generator's output current has exceeded an upper threshold or fallen below a lower threshold. Furthermore, both the voltage comparator 415 and the current comparator 420 may work with the processor / memory 435 to provide a display indicating that the phase angle between the measured voltage and the measured current has exceeded a threshold. Furthermore, the control module 405 may include a reflected power comparator 425, which may operate to determine whether the value of power reflected from the input port of the multi-station manufacturing chamber exceeds a threshold. The control module 405 may further include a forward power comparator 430, which may operate to determine whether the value of power supplied to or transmitted to the input port of the multi-station manufacturing chamber exceeds an upper threshold or falls below a lower threshold.

[0082] In response to the detection of one or more out-of-range parameters in the output signal from the RF power generator, the processor / memory 435 may provide a signal to the amplifier stage of the RF power generator. The signal from the processor / memory 435 may also be transmitted through the output signal port 440 and may act to modify the parameters of the output signal from the RF power generator. In certain embodiments, the processor / memory 435 may begin generating a signal from one or more of the output signal ports 440 within about 10.0 ns after acquiring a signal from any sensor input port 410. In certain embodiments, the control module 405 may transmit the output signal to the preamplifier stage of the RF power generator, such as one or more of the preamplifiers 232, 234, 236, and 238 in Figure 2. In certain other embodiments, the control module may transmit the output signal to the amplifier stage of the RF power generator, such as one or more of the power amplifiers 342, 344, 346, and 348 in Figure 3.

[0083] Figure 5 is a flowchart relating to a method 500, according to one embodiment, for generating radio frequency power suitable for coupling to an assigned station in a multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber. Embodiments of the claimed subject matter may include, in addition to the operations described in method 500, fewer operations than those described in method 500, or operations performed in a different order than those described in method 500. Furthermore, while the apparatus of Figures 1B, 2, and 3 may be suitable for performing the method of Figure 5, the claimed subject matter is intended to include performing the method of Figure 5 using alternative systems and / or apparatus.

[0084] The method in Figure 5 may begin at 510, where the periodic signal may be generated by a suitable frequency generator, such as oscillator 210 in Figure 2 or oscillator 310 in Figure 3. In certain embodiments, the frequency generator used in 510 may generate a signal having frequencies between 300.0 kHz and 100.0 MHz. In certain embodiments, the frequency generator used in 510 may generate frequencies of 400.0 kHz, 1.0 MHz, 2.0 MHz, 13.56 MHz, 27.12 MHz, 60.0 MHz, and 100.0 MHz. The method in Figure 5 may continue at 520, where 520 may include coupling the periodic signal to a plurality of variable-gain preamplifiers. In certain embodiments, the plurality of variable-gain preamplifiers may include four preamplifiers, such as preamplifiers 232, 234, 236, and 238. The method may continue at 530, which may include coupling the output signals from each of the multiple variable-gain preamplifiers to a corresponding one of the multiple constant-gain amplifiers. In certain embodiments, four constant-gain preamplifiers may be used.

[0085] In 540, the output signals from each of the multiple constant-gain amplifiers are coupled to an assigned station in the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber. Thus, in some embodiments, each station in the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber is supplied with RF power from an assigned or dedicated signal path. Accordingly, in response to sensing one or more out-of-range parameters in the output signal from one of the multiple constant-gain amplifiers, the amplitude of the output signal from the variable-gain preamplifier or the constant-gain amplifier may be adjusted. By performing such adjustments rapidly (e.g., within about 10.0 ns), one or more out-of-range parameters in the output signal may be brought within the range of normal operating parameters.

[0086] Referring back to Figure 1B, the system controller 190 may comprise part of a system, which may form part of the apparatus in Figures 1A / 1B. Such a system may comprise a semiconductor processing apparatus comprising one or more processing tools, one or more chambers, one or more processing platforms, and / or specific processing components (such as a wafer pedestal, gas flow system, etc.). These systems may be integrated with electronics for controlling pre-processing, processing, and post-processing operations of semiconductor wafers or substrates. The electronics may be referred to as “controllers” and may control various components or sub-parts of one or more systems. Depending on the processing requirements and / or the type of system, the controller may be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein. Such processes include the number of cycles performed on the substrate, the supply of processing 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 rate settings, fluid supply settings, position and operation settings, loading and unloading of wafers to and from the tools, and other transport tools and / or load locks connected to or linked to the specific system.

[0087] In a broad sense, a controller may be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive and issue instructions, control operations, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, etc. Integrated circuits may include chips in the form of firmware that store program instructions, chips defined as digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). Program instructions are instructions that are transmitted to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files) and may define operating parameters for performing a particular process on a semiconductor wafer or on a system. In some embodiments, operating parameters are part of a recipe defined by a process engineer that may achieve one or more processing steps during the manufacturing of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or dies of a wafer.

[0088] In some embodiments, the controller may be integrated with the system, coupled to the system, networked to the system if not, or coupled to a computer that is part of a computer that is a combination of these. For example, the controller may be in the “cloud” or all or part of a fab host computer system, thereby enabling remote access to wafer processing. The computer may enable remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of a manufacturing operation, investigate the history of past manufacturing operations, investigate trends or performance criteria from multiple manufacturing operations, modify parameters of the current operation, set processing steps following the current operation, or start a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) may provide process recipes to the system over a network, which may include a local network or the internet. The remote computer may include a user interface that enables entry 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, which identifies parameters for each of the processing steps performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process being performed and the type of tools that the controller is configured to interact with or control. Therefore, as described above, the controllers may be distributed, for example, by comprising one or more individual controllers that are networked together and cooperate toward common purposes such as processes and control as described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such purposes would be one or more integrated circuits on a chamber that are located remotely (for example, at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) and communicate with one or more integrated circuits coupled to control processes on the chamber.

[0089] The detailed description above includes numerous specific details to provide a complete understanding of the presented embodiments or representations. The disclosed embodiments or representations may be carried out without some or all of these specific details. In other examples, well-known process behaviors are not described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the disclosed embodiments or representations. While the disclosed embodiments or representations are described in relation to specific embodiments or representations, it will be understood that such descriptions are not intended to limit the disclosed embodiments or representations.

[0090] The above-mentioned detailed description is directed to a particular embodiment or representation for the purpose of illustrating the disclosed aspects. However, the teachings herein can be applied and implemented in numerous different ways. Refer to the accompanying drawings in the above-mentioned detailed description. The disclosed embodiments or representations are described in sufficient detail so that those skilled in the art can carry them out, but these examples are not limiting, and other embodiments or representations may be used, and modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments or representations without departing from their spirit and scope. Furthermore, in this specification, the conjunction "or" is intended to be in a comprehensive sense where appropriate, unless otherwise specified, and for example, the expression "A, B, or C" is intended to include the possibilities of "A," "B," "C," "A and B," "B and C," "A and C," and "A, B, and C."

[0091] In this application, the terms “semiconductor wafer,” “wafer,” “substrate,” “wafer substrate,” and “partially manufactured integrated circuit” are used interchangeably. Those skilled in the art will understand that the term “partially manufactured integrated circuit” can refer to a silicon wafer in any of the many stages of integrated circuit manufacturing. Wafers or substrates used in the semiconductor equipment industry typically include diameters of 200 mm, 300 mm, or 450 mm. The above detailed description assumes that the embodiments or designs are implemented on a wafer or in relation to processes related to the formation or manufacture of wafers. However, the claimed subject matter is not limited in this way. Workpieces may vary in shape, size, and material. In addition to semiconductor wafers, other workpieces that may utilize the claimed subject matter may include various articles such as printed circuit boards or the manufacture of printed circuit boards.

[0092] In the context of this disclosure, unless explicitly required otherwise, terms such as “equipped with” and “possessing” throughout this specification and the claims should be interpreted in a comprehensive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense, i.e., “including but not limited to.” Also, terms using singular or plural digits should generally include the plural or singular digits, respectively. When the term “or” is used in relation to a list of two or more items, the term includes all interpretations of the term for any item in the list, all items in the list, and any combination of items in the list. The term “embodiment” refers to embodiments of the techniques and methods described herein, as well as physical objects that embody and / or incorporate the structures described herein.

Claims

1. A device for generating radio frequency power suitable for coupling into a multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, An oscillator configured to generate a periodic signal, A plurality of variable-gain preamplifiers, each having an input port for receiving a signal from the oscillator and an output port for providing a signal with a fluctuating amplitude, A plurality of constant-gain amplifiers, each having an input port for receiving a signal from one of the plurality of variable-gain preamplifiers, and an output port configured for coupling the amplified signal to an electrode to generate plasma at an assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, A plurality of sensors, each of which is coupled to the corresponding output port of the plurality of constant-gain amplifiers. A device equipped with the following features.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, The periodic signal generated by the oscillator includes frequencies between 300.0 kHz and 100.0 MHz.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, The apparatus wherein the periodic signal generated by the oscillator includes frequencies selected from the group consisting of 400.0 kHz, 1.0 MHz, 2.0 MHz, 13.56 MHz, 27.12 MHz, 60.0 MHz, and 100.0 MHz.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, A device in which the output port of each of the plurality of sensors is coupled to the input port of a control module, and the output signal from the control module is coupled to the input port to adjust the gain of the corresponding variable gain preamplifier among the plurality of variable gain preamplifiers.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, An apparatus in which one or more of the plurality of sensors are configured to detect out-of-range parameters selected from the group consisting of power transmitted to the assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber that exceeds a threshold, power reflected from the assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber that exceeds a threshold, current coupled to the assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber that exceeds a threshold, and voltage applied to the assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber that exceeds a threshold.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, The control module is a device that implements a circuit for providing the output signal within 10.0 ns of receiving a signal from one of the plurality of sensors.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, The apparatus wherein each of the plurality of constant-gain amplifiers provides an output power of at least about 1000W.

8. A device for generating radio frequency power to be coupled to a multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, An oscillator configured to generate a periodic signal, A preamplifier having an input port for receiving a signal from the oscillator and an output port for providing a signal having constant gain to the received signal, A plurality of variable gain amplifiers, each having an input port for receiving a signal from the preamplifier and an output port configured for coupling the amplified signal to an electrode to generate plasma at an assigned station in the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, A plurality of sensors, each of which provides a control signal to change the output power of a corresponding one of the plurality of variable gain amplifiers. A device equipped with the following features.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, The periodic signal generated by the oscillator includes frequencies between 300.0 kHz and 100.0 MHz.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, The apparatus wherein the periodic signal generated by the oscillator includes frequencies selected from the group consisting of 400.0 kHz, 1.0 MHz, 2.0 MHz, 13.56 MHz, 27.12 MHz, 60.0 MHz, and 100.0 MHz.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, An apparatus in which each of the plurality of variable gain amplifiers is capable of providing an output power of at least about 1000.0 W.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, The apparatus further comprises a control module having a circuit for providing the control signal within 10.0 ns of receiving a signal from one of the plurality of sensors.

13. A multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, Multiple stations, A plurality of radio frequency power generators configured to couple radio frequency power to assigned stations in the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, wherein each radio frequency power generator is A variable gain preamplifier having an input port for receiving a signal from an oscillator and an output port for providing a signal with fluctuating power amplitude, A constant-gain amplifier having an input port for receiving a signal from the variable-gain preamplifier and an output port configured for coupling power to the assigned station, The coupled power to the assigned station is supplied to electrodes in the assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber to a constant-gain amplifier, which generates plasma in the assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber. A sensor coupled to the corresponding output port of the constant-gain amplifier and Multiple radio frequency power generators equipped with A multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber equipped with the following features.

14. A multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber according to claim 13, A multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, wherein the oscillator generates periodic signals having frequencies selected from the group consisting of 400.0 kHz, 1.0 MHz, 2.0 MHz, 13.56 MHz, 27.12 MHz, 60.0 MHz, and 100.0 MHz.

15. A multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber according to claim 14, The constant-gain amplifier is capable of providing an output power of at least about 1000.0 W in a multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber.

16. A multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber according to claim 13, A multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, each of the plurality of radio frequency power generators, is coupled to a sensor configured to detect out-of-range parameters of the power coupled to the assigned station, wherein the out-of-range parameters correspond to one of the group consisting of output voltage amplitude, output current amplitude, amplitude of power transmitted to the assigned station, and amplitude of power reflected from the assigned station.

17. A multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber according to claim 16, A multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, wherein the sensor configured to detect the out-of-range parameter transmits a signal to the variable-gain preamplifier within approximately 10.0 ns after detecting the out-of-range parameter.

18. A control module, One or more input ports for acquiring a signal from a radio frequency power sensor, wherein the signal indicates the detection of an out-of-range parameter in the output signal from a radio frequency power generator, One or more output ports for providing a signal to the amplifier stage of the radio frequency power generator, wherein the signal to the amplifier stage is configured to change the parameters of the output signal from the radio frequency power generator, A processor for starting the generation of the signal from one or more output ports within approximately 10 ns after acquiring the signal from the radio frequency power sensor. A control module equipped with the following features.

19. A control module according to claim 18, The aforementioned radio frequency power generator is a control module that operates at a frequency selected from the group consisting of 400.0 kHz, 1.0 MHz, 2.0 MHz, 13.56 MHz, 27.12 MHz, 60.0 MHz, and 100.0 MHz.

20. A control module according to claim 18, The out-of-range parameters of the output signal from the radio frequency power generator include the phase angle between the voltage waveform and the current waveform, in a control module.

21. A control module according to claim 18, The out-of-range parameters include the power supplied from the radio frequency power generator, and the control module.

22. A control module according to claim 18, The aforementioned radio frequency power generator is a control module that provides approximately 1.0 kW of power.

23. A method for generating radio frequency power suitable for coupling to an assigned station in a multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber, Generating periodic signals, The periodic signal is coupled to a plurality of variable-gain preamplifiers, The output signals from each of the aforementioned variable-gain preamplifiers are coupled to the corresponding one of the aforementioned constant-gain amplifiers. The output signals from each of the plurality of constant-gain amplifiers are coupled to the assigned stations in the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber. Methods that include...

24. The method according to claim 23, To detect out-of-range parameters in the output signal from one of the aforementioned multiple constant-gain amplifiers, In response to detecting the parameter outside the range, the amplitude of the output signal from one of the variable gain preamplifiers is changed. Methods that further include this.

25. The method according to claim 24, The out-of-range parameter corresponds to the power reflected from the assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber.

26. The method according to claim 24, The out-of-range parameter corresponds to the current conducted to the assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber.

27. The method according to claim 24, The method wherein the out-of-range parameter corresponds to the voltage applied to the assigned station of the multi-station integrated circuit manufacturing chamber.

28. The method according to claim 24, A method wherein the amplitude of the output signal from the variable gain preamplifier is changed within 10.0 ns after sensing the out-of-range parameter.

29. The method according to claim 23, A method for generating the periodic signal, comprising generating a signal having a frequency selected from the group consisting of 400.0 kHz, 1.0 MHz, 2.0 MHz, 13.56 MHz, 27.12 MHz, 60.0 MHz, and 100.0 MHz.

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