Impedance Matching Tube with Extended RF Strap
The impedance matching circuit system with elongated RF straps addresses the space constraint issue by reducing the footprint of plasma tools, allowing for more efficient use of manufacturing facilities.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024138360
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2020-01-30
- Filing Date
- 2024-08-20
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-06
- Estimated Expiration
- 2041-01-12
AI Technical Summary
Existing impedance matching systems in plasma reactors occupy excessive clean room floor space, necessitating wider housings that hinder efficient use of manufacturing facilities.
An impedance matching circuit system featuring elongated RF straps and a housing design that allows for narrower occupancy, accommodating additional components within the same footprint, thereby reducing the overall space requirement.
The use of elongated RF straps in the impedance matching circuit system conserves clean room floor space, enabling more compact installation of plasma tools and facilitating the integration of other essential components, thus optimizing manufacturing facility layout.
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Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The embodiments described in this disclosure relate to an impedance matching circuit system having an elongated radio frequency (RF) strap. [Background technology]
[0002] The Background Art set forth herein is intended to present the contents of the present disclosure generally, and the inventions of the presently named inventors are not admitted expressly or impliedly as prior art to the present disclosure to the extent that they are described in this Background Art section and in a descriptive manner that does not constitute prior art at the time of filing.
[0003] A radio frequency (RF) generator generates an RF signal and supplies the RF signal through a matcher to a plasma reactor, which contains a semiconductor wafer that is etched when the RF signal is supplied to the plasma reactor and an etching gas is supplied to the plasma reactor. However, it is desirable for the matcher to meet certain preset constraints.
[0004] It is against this background that the embodiments described in this disclosure arise. Summary of the Invention
[0005]
[0006] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an impedance matching circuit system having an elongated radio frequency (RF) strap. It should be appreciated that the embodiment can be implemented in several ways (e.g., as a process, an apparatus, a system, a piece of hardware, or a method in a computer-readable medium). Several embodiments are described below.
[0006] In one embodiment, an impedance matcher for transmitting RF power to an electrode of a plasma chamber is provided. A housing is provided having a bottom portion and an upper portion. The bottom portion has a matching element, and the upper portion has an extension body. An extension strap extends between the bottom and upper portions of the housing, and a lower portion of the extension strap is coupled to the matching element. The upper portion of the extension strap is connected to the RF rod at an end of the extension body. A middle strap is coupled at a first end to the extension strap at an intermediate connection between the lower and upper portions. The middle strap is connected at a second end to an auxiliary capacitor.
[0007] In one embodiment, an impedance matcher for transmitting RF power to an electrode of a plasma chamber is described. The impedance matcher includes a housing having a bottom portion and an upper portion. The bottom portion has a matching element, and the upper portion has an extension body. A low-frequency input is connected through the bottom portion of the housing and interconnected to a first set of capacitors and inductors. A high-frequency input is connected through the bottom portion of the housing and interconnected to a second set of capacitors and inductors. An extension strap extends between the bottom and upper portions of the housing. A lower portion of the extension strap is coupled to the second set of capacitors and inductors, and an upper portion of the extension strap is connected to an RF rod at an end of the extension body. A middle strap is coupled to the extension strap at a first end at an intermediate connection between the lower and upper portions. The middle strap is connected to an auxiliary capacitor at a second end.
[0008] Some advantages of the impedance matching circuit system with elongated RF straps described herein include saving clean room floor space in manufacturing facilities. Because the RF straps are elongated, the housing of the impedance matching circuit system with the RF straps is narrower. This housing occupies less floor space than the housing of an alternative matching system.
[0009] A further advantage of the impedance matching circuit system described herein includes an impedance matching box housing. The impedance matching box housing is within the impedance matching circuit system housing and is elongated for securing components such as a chuck power supply and filter, a tunable end sheath (TES) matcher, and the like within the impedance matching circuit system housing. The impedance matching box elongated housing also accommodates an elongated RF strap.
[0010] Other aspects will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0011] The embodiments are understood with reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0012] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1C is a diagram of an embodiment of a system showing multiple plasma tools consuming more floor space than is consumed by other plasma tools described herein with respect to FIG. 1B.
[0013] [Figure 1B] 1B is a diagram of an embodiment of a system showing multiple plasma tools consuming less floor space than the plasma tool of FIG. 1A.
[0014] [Figure 2] FIG. 1C is a diagram of an embodiment of a system showing stacked components of one of the plasma tools of FIG. 1B.
[0015] [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram of an embodiment of an impedance matching circuit showing the inductance associated with a radio frequency (RF) strap of the impedance matching circuit.
[0016] [Figure 4A] An internal view of the impedance matching circuit housing showing the placement of the RF straps of the impedance matching circuit.
[0017] [Figure 4B] 1 illustrates an embodiment of a front view of a housing of an impedance matching circuit.
[0018] [Figure 4C] 1 illustrates an embodiment of a side view of a housing of an impedance matching circuit.
[0019] [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram of an embodiment of a system illustrating the use of an impedance matching circuit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] The following embodiments describe an impedance matching circuit having an elongated radio frequency (RF) strap. It will be apparent that the embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known process operations have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments.
[0021] 1A is a diagram of a top view embodiment of system 100 to illustrate multiple plasma tools consuming more floor space than is consumed by other plasma tools described herein with respect to FIG. 1B. System 100 includes multiple plasma tools 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, 102F, 102G, and 102H.
[0022] Each plasma tool described herein has a length, width, and depth. For example, plasma tool 102A has width 105A, and plasma tool 102B has width 105B. Width 105A is measured along the X-axis. Plasma tool 102A has depth 107A measured along the Z-axis. Plasma tools 102A-102H are installed on floor 104 of the manufacturing facility to form an octagonal arrangement that occupies more space on floor 104 than the plasma tools described below with respect to FIG. 1B. Each plasma tool 102A-102H has the same dimensions (e.g., width, depth, and height) as the other plasma tools.
[0023] Note that there is a space between any two adjacent plasma tools 102A-102H. For example, side 103A of plasma tool 102A is not adjacent to side 103B of plasma tool 102B, and there is a space between the two sides 103A and 103B, forming an acute angle between sides 103A and 103B. This space is sufficient for a person to enter and open plasma tool 102A or 102B.
[0024] In embodiments, the terms floor area and footprint are used interchangeably herein.
[0025] 1B is a diagram of an embodiment of system 110 to illustrate multiple plasma tools consuming less floor space than that consumed by plasma tools 102A-102H. System 110 includes multiple plasma tools 110A, 110B, 110C, 110D, 110E, 110F, 110G, and 110H. Each of plasma tools 110A-110H has the same dimensions (e.g., width, depth, and height).
[0026] Plasma tool 110A has a width 113A, and plasma tool 110B has a width 113B. Width 113A is measured along the Z-axis. Plasma tool 110A also has a depth 115A. Depth 115A is less than depth 107A of plasma tool 102A (FIG. 1A). Depth 115A is measured along the X-axis.
[0027] Plasma tools 110A-110H are installed on floor 104 to form a rectangular arrangement that occupies less space than the space occupied by the octagonal arrangement described above with respect to FIG. 1A. For example, no personnel are permitted between any two adjacent plasma tools 110A-110H. As another example, side 111A of plasma tool 110A is adjacent to side 111B of plasma tool 110B such that there is little or no space between them. As yet another example, depth 115A is less than depth 107A, and width 113A is less than width 105A.
[0028] In an embodiment, instead of eight plasma tools, any other number of tools may be placed on the floor 104, such as four, five, or six.
[0029] In an embodiment, the depth of the plasma tool 110A is greater than the depth of the plasma tool 102A. In one embodiment, the width of the plasma tool 110A is greater than the width of the plasma tool 102A.
[0030] 2 is a diagram of an embodiment of a system 200 to illustrate the stacking arrangement of components of a plasma tool (such as any of plasma tools 110A-110H of FIG. 1B). System 200 includes a system 202 and an impedance matching circuit system (IMCS) 203. System 200 is an example of any of plasma tools 110A-110H (FIG. 1B).
[0031] The IMCS 203 is a housing that includes a housing 211. Examples of a housing used herein include a compartment, an enclosure, a box, a container, and the like. The housing 211 encloses an impedance matching circuit (IMC) 204. The IMCS 203 further includes a tunable end sheath (TES) matching enclosure 205, a chuck power supply (PS) and filter enclosure 207, and a set of helium radio frequency (RF) components 209. The set 209 is sometimes referred to herein as a set of equipment and RF components. Examples of an enclosure used herein include a compartment, a housing, a box, a container, and the like. The chuck PS and filter enclosure 207 includes a chuck power supply that provides direct current (DC) power to an electrode such as a chuck. The chuck PS and filter enclosure 207 further includes a filter that prevents RF power from coupling into DC power to reduce the possibility of RF power interfering with the DC power. The TES match housing 205 includes a TES matcher coupled to a tunable edge ring (TER) surrounding the electrode. The TES matcher includes electrical components, such as one or more inductors, one or more resistors, one or more capacitors, or a combination thereof, that are coupled to one another. The electrical components of the TES matcher have an impedance that matches the impedance of a load, such as a TER, coupled to the output of the TES matcher and a source coupled to the input of the TES matcher. Examples of sources coupled to the input of the TES matcher include an RF generator and an RF cable that couples the RF generator to the input of the TES matcher.
[0032] Housing 211 has a top portion 211A and a bottom portion 211B. Top portion 211A has an elongated shape. For example, top portion 211A has a substantially narrower shape than bottom portion 211B so that TES-matching housing 205 can easily fit within IMCS 203. Additionally, the elongated shape of top portion 211A allows chuck PS / filter housing 207 and TES-matching housing 205 to fit within IMCS 203. TES-matching housing 205 is located above bottom portion 211B, and chuck PS / filter housing 207 is located above TES-matching housing 205. Helium component set 209 is located on the side of housing 211 of IMC 204 opposite the side where TES-matching housing 205 is located.
[0033] The helium RF component set 209 includes multiple conduits (e.g., helium flow channels) for the passage of cooling gas to control the temperature of electrodes (e.g., a lower electrode) of the plasma chamber. The multiple conduits extend to the electrodes to cool different compartments in the gap between the upper and lower electrodes of the plasma chamber. The temperature is controlled by increasing or decreasing the flow of cooling gas to the electrodes. For example, when the flow of cooling gas to the electrodes is increased, the temperature increases, and when the flow of cooling gas to the electrodes is decreased, the temperature decreases. Examples of cooling gases include helium, and examples of electrodes include a chuck and a substrate support.
[0034] The set of helium RF components 209 also includes an alternating current (AC) power supply for providing power to an electric motor that can be connected to the electrode to rotate the electrode and process a substrate placed on top of the electrode. The set of helium RF components 209 also includes a gap drive mechanism that includes a motor and a pair of transistors to control (increase or decrease) the gap amount between the lower electrode and the upper electrode of the plasma chamber. The set of helium RF components 209 further includes sensors (complex current-voltage sensor, voltage sensor, power sensor, etc.) for sensing variables at the output of the IMC 204 or the input of the IMC 204. Examples of variables include complex voltage current, impedance, voltage, power, reflected power, and supplied power.
[0035] In one embodiment, a dielectric ring is located between the electrode (such as a chuck) and the tunable edge ring.
[0036] System 202 includes a low-frequency (LF) RF generator and a high-frequency RF generator and is located above IMCS 203. An example of a low-frequency RF generator is an RF generator with a low operating frequency of 400 kilohertz (kHz), and an example of a high-frequency RF generator is an RF generator with a high operating frequency of 27 megahertz (MHz) or 60 MHz. Another example of a low-frequency RF generator is an RF generator with a low operating frequency of 2 MHz. System 202 is installed above IMCS 203 to conserve space on floor 104 (FIGS. 1A and 1B).
[0037] The housing 211 of the IMC 204 has a bottom wall 206B. A low-frequency RF generator of the system 202 is connected to the circuit elements of the impedance matching circuit 204 through an opening in the bottom wall 206B. For example, the low-frequency RF generator is coupled via RF cable 208A that passes through the opening in the bottom wall 206B and is coupled to the circuit elements of the impedance matching circuit 204. Similarly, a high-frequency RF generator of the system 202 is connected to the circuit elements of the impedance matching circuit 204 through an opening in the bottom wall 206B. For example, the low-frequency RF generator is coupled via RF cable 208B that passes through the opening in the bottom wall 206B and is coupled to the circuit elements of the impedance matching circuit 204.
[0038] In one embodiment, the terms impedance matching circuit, impedance matching network, matcher, impedance matcher, matching network, matching circuit, and matching network are used interchangeably herein.
[0039] In one embodiment, system 202 is installed above, rather than on, IMCS 203. For example, a carrier such as a support rod network is provided above IMCS 203, and system 202 is supported by the carrier.
[0040] In an embodiment, the system 202 is located within the IMCS 203 .
[0041] In an embodiment, the RF transmission line 502 includes a substrate support 506 , which is surrounded by an RF sheath of the RF transmission line 502 .
[0042] In one embodiment, the terms substrate support and powered electrode are used interchangeably herein.
[0043] 3 is a diagram of an embodiment of an impedance matching circuit 300 to illustrate the inductance associated with the RF straps of the impedance matching circuit 300. The impedance matching circuit 300 is an example of the impedance matching circuit 204 (FIG. 2).
[0044] The impedance matching circuit 300 includes a first branch 302A and a second branch 302B. The branch 302A includes circuit elements such as inductor L1, inductor L2, capacitor C1, capacitor C4, capacitor C5, capacitor C6, and inductor L3. Capacitors C5 and C6 are direct current (DC) blocking capacitors, which will be described further below. The branch 302B includes circuit elements such as inductor L4, capacitor C2, capacitor C7, and capacitor C3. Capacitors C1, C2, and C3 are variable capacitors. C1 and C2 are primary capacitors, and C3 is an auxiliary capacitor. Inductors L1-L4 are coils wound to form inductors and are not RF straps.
[0045] Branch 302B further includes RF strap portion 304A, RF strap portion 304B, RF strap 304C, RF strap 304D, and RF strap 304E. Portions 304A and 304B are part of a single RF strap. As an example, an RF strap, as used herein, is a flat, elongated piece of metal made from a conductor such as copper or a copper alloy. For example, an RF strap has a length, width, and thickness. The length of an RF strap is greater than its width, and the width of an RF strap is greater than its thickness. As another example, an RF strap occupies approximately a rectangular prism or a rectangular parallelepiped, and is easily bent or reshaped. An example of a rectangular prism is the volume occupied by a square bar.
[0046] Inductor L1 is coupled to input I1 of impedance matching circuit 300 via a connection and to inductor L2 via a connection. An example of input I1 is the end of the connection between input I1 and inductor L1. Examples of a connection used herein include a conductive wire, a cable, an RF strap, a series of RF straps, a connector, or a combination thereof. Additionally, capacitor C1 is coupled to a point on the connection between inductors L1 and L2 and is coupled to ground potential. Examples of a point used herein include a connector (such as a metal bolt and nut, a conductive bolt and nut, or a weld point) that connects one connection to another.
[0047] Inductor L2 is coupled to capacitor C6 via a junction, and capacitor C4 is coupled to a point at the junction between inductor L2 and capacitor C6. Capacitor C4 is also coupled to ground potential. Capacitor C5 is coupled in parallel with capacitor C5. Capacitor C6 is coupled to inductor L3 via a junction, and inductor L3 is coupled to output O1 of impedance matching circuit 300 via a junction.
[0048] Inductor L4 is coupled to input I2 of impedance matching circuit 300 via a connection and is coupled to a ground connection. An example of input I2 is the end of the connection between input I2 and inductor L4. Inductor L4 is coupled to a point on RF strap 304D. An example of input I2 is the end of RF strap 304D. Capacitor C2 is coupled to point P2 between RF straps 304D and 304E. RF straps 304D and 304E are connected to each other at point P2. Capacitor C2 is also coupled to a ground connection. Capacitor C7 is coupled to RF strap 304E and RF strap portion 304A.
[0049] Capacitor C3 is coupled to RF strap 304C, which is coupled to point P1 of branch 302B. Capacitor C3 is also coupled to a ground connection. RF strap portion 304A is coupled to RF strap portion 304B at point P1. RF strap portion 304B is coupled to output O1 of impedance matching circuit 300.
[0050] Each of RF strap portions 304A and 304B, and each of RF straps 304C-304E, has a respective inductance. For example, RF strap portion 304A has an inductance L A, RF strap portion 304B has another inductance L B, RF strap 304C has yet another inductance L C, RF strap 304D has an inductance L D, and RF strap 304E has an inductance L E. Any of the RF straps described herein (such as any of RF straps 304A-304E) are not coiled to form an inductor, but are flat, elongated pieces of metal.
[0051] For example, inductor L1 has an inductance of 45 microhenries (μH) to 55 microhenries. For example, inductor L1 has an inductance of 40 microhenries. For another example, inductor L2 has an inductance of 35 microhenries to 41 microhenries. For example, inductor L2 has an inductance of 38 microhenries. For yet another example, capacitor C1 has a capacitance of 60 picofarads (pF) to 2000 picofarads. For another example, capacitor C4 has a capacitance of 110 picofarads to 120 picofarads. For another example, capacitor C5 has a capacitance of 2700 picofarads to 2900 picofarads. For example, capacitor C5 has a capacitance of 2800 picofarads. For another example, inductor L3 has an inductance of 2.1 microhenries to 2.3 microhenries. For example, inductor L3 has an inductance of 2.2 microhenries.
[0052] As yet another example, inductor L4 has an inductance of 0.44 microhenries to 0.46 microhenries. For example, inductor L4 has an inductance of 0.45 microhenries. Also by way of example, capacitor C2 has a capacitance of 25 picofarads to 250 picofarads. As another example, capacitor C7 has a capacitance of 7 picofarads to 17 picofarads. As yet another example, capacitor C3 has a capacitance of 3 picofarads to 30 picofarads.
[0053] An RF signal generated by a low-frequency RF generator is received at input I1 and transmitted through inductor L1, inductor L2, capacitors C5 and C6, and inductor L3 to output O1. Capacitors C1 and C4 modify the impedance of the RF signal received at input I1.
[0054] Additionally, an RF signal generated by a high frequency RF generator is received at input I2 and transmitted to output O1 through RF strap 304D, point p2, RF strap 304E, capacitor C7, RF strap portion 304A, and RF strap portion 304B. Inductor L4, capacitor C2, RF strap 304C, and capacitor C3 modify the impedance of the RF signal received at input I2.
[0055] Sub-circuit 302A modifies the impedance of the low-frequency RF signal received at input I1 to reduce power reflected from the plasma chamber through impedance matching circuit 300 toward the low-frequency RF generator. The impedance is modified so that the impedance of the load coupled to output O1 matches the impedance of the source coupled to input I1, resulting in a modified RF signal 310A at the output of inductor L3. Examples of loads include a plasma chamber and an RF transmission line coupling impedance matching circuit 300 to the plasma chamber. Examples of sources coupled to input I1 include a low-frequency RF generator and an RF cable 208A (FIG. 2) coupling the low-frequency RF generator to input I1.
[0056] Similarly, branch circuit 302B modifies the impedance of the high frequency RF signal received at input I2 to reduce power reflected from the plasma chamber through impedance matching circuit 300 toward the high frequency RF generator. The impedance is modified so that the impedance of the load coupled to output O1 matches the impedance of the source coupled to input I2, resulting in a modified RF signal 310B output from the output of RF strap portion 304B. Examples of sources coupled to input I2 include a high frequency RF generator and RF cable 208B (FIG. 2) coupling the high frequency RF generator to input I2. Modified signals 310A and 310B output from inductor L3 and RF strap portion 304B are combined (e.g., added) at output O1 to output a combined RF signal 312 at output O1.
[0057] In one embodiment, any of the capacitors or inductors shown in Figure 3 may be fixed or variable. For example, one or more of capacitors C4-C7 may be fixed capacitors. As another example, one or more of inductors L1-L4 may be variable inductors, meaning that their inductances may be changed.
[0058] In an embodiment, two RF straps are used instead of RF strap portions 304A and 304B. For example, a first RF strap having the inductance of RF strap portion 304A is connected via a connector to a second RF strap having the inductance of RF strap portion 304B. An example connector is provided below.
[0059] In an embodiment, the impedance matching circuit 300 includes a different number of capacitors than those shown in Figure 3. For example, one capacitor replaces capacitors C5 and C6. In one embodiment, the impedance matching circuit 300 includes a different number of inductors than those shown in Figure 3.
[0060] 4A is an internal view of housing 413 of impedance matching circuit 400 to illustrate the placement of RF straps of impedance matching circuit 400. Impedance matching circuit 400 is an example of impedance matching circuit 300 (FIG. 3), and housing 413 is an example of housing 211 (FIG. 2) of impedance matching circuit 204 (FIG. 2).
[0061] Impedance matching circuit 400 includes RF strap portion 404A, RF strap portion 404B, and RF strap 404C, sometimes referred to herein as a middle strap. RF strap portion 404A is an example of RF strap portion 304A (FIG. 3), RF strap portion 404B is an example of RF strap portion 304B (FIG. 3), and RF strap 404C is an example of RF strap 304C (FIG. 3). RF strap portion 404A is sometimes referred to herein as a lower portion, and RF strap portion 404B is sometimes referred to herein as an upper portion. RF strap portions 404A and 404B are part of RF strap 404, sometimes referred to herein as an elongated strap. For example, RF strap portions 404A and 404B are made from a single elongated piece of metal. RF strap 404C has a shorter length than RF strap 404.
[0062] RF strap 404 extends between top 424A of housing 413 and bottom 424B of housing 413. For example, RF strap 404 extends from bottom 424B to top 424A via imaginary baseline 428. Top 424A is an example of top portion 211A (FIG. 2), and bottom 424B is an example of bottom portion 211B (FIG. 2). Imaginary baseline 428 is further described below with reference to FIG. 4B.
[0063] Impedance matching circuit 400 further includes a port 408A for receiving RF cable 208A (FIG. 2) coupled to the output of a low-frequency RF generator and a port 408B for receiving RF cable 208B (FIG. 2) coupled to the output of a high-frequency RF generator. Port 408A includes a communication endpoint (e.g., a connector) of RF cable 208A for communicating a low-frequency RF signal generated by the low-frequency RF generator to impedance matching circuit 400, and port 408B includes a communication endpoint (e.g., a connector) of RF cable 208B for communicating a high-frequency RF signal generated by the high-frequency RF generator to impedance matching circuit 400. Impedance matching circuit 400 includes capacitors C1-C3 and further includes DC blocking capacitors 406A and 406B that prevent DC power from adversely affecting the circuit elements of impedance matching circuit 400. DC blocking capacitors 406A and 406B are examples of DC blocking capacitors C5 and C6 (FIG. 3). The impedance matching circuit 400 comprises a filter 411 for filtering high frequencies of the RF signal received at the input I2 in order to protect circuit elements operating at low frequencies (such as the capacitor C1).
[0064] A first end 432 of RF strap 404C is coupled to RF strap portions 404A and 404B via a connector 410 (e.g., a screw or bolt). Connector 410, sometimes referred to herein as an intermediate connection, is located between RF strap portion 404A and RF strap portion 404B. A second end 434 of RF strap 404C is connected to capacitor C3. First end 432 is located opposite second end 434, and the body of RF strap 404C is located between the two ends 432 and 434. Portion 415 of RF strap 404C overlaps a portion of RF strap portion 404B in the direction along the Z axis but does not physically contact that portion of RF strap portion 404B. As an example, RF strap portion 404A and RF strap 404C are connected to each other via connector 410, and RF strap portion 404A is not connected to RF strap 404C at any other point along RF strap portion 404A.
[0065] Connector 410 is an example of point P1 in Figure 3. Output O1 of impedance matching circuit 400 is coupled to an electrode of a plasma chamber via an RF transmission line. RF strap portion 404B is also elongated so as to be coupled to output O1, and is also elongated so as to be coupled to RF strap 404C via connector 410. RF strap portion 404A is also elongated so as to be coupled to RF strap 404C via connector 410.
[0066] In one embodiment, the elongated RF straps have lengths that are substantially greater than their widths. For example, the length of RF strap 404C is 10 to 20 times the width of RF strap 404C. As another example, the total length of RF strap portions 404A and 404B is 10 to 30 times the width of RF strap portions 404A and 404B. The elongated RF strap portions 404A and 404B and RF strap 404C facilitate a narrow structure of housing 413 of impedance matching circuit 400, conserving floor space. The narrow structure of housing 413 also facilitates the fitting of components (such as helium RF component set 209 (FIG. 2)) and compartments (such as chuck PS filter compartment 207 (FIG. 2) and TES matching compartment 205 (FIG. 2)) within IMCS 203 (FIG. 2).
[0067] FIG. 4B is a diagram of an embodiment of the housing 413 of the impedance matching circuit 400 (FIG. 4A). The housing 413 includes RF strap portions 404A and 404B connected to an RF strap 404C via a connector 410. An end 430A of the RF strap portion 404B is connected to an RF rod 422 of an RF transmission line via an output O1, and the opposite end 430B of the RF strap portion 404B is connected to capacitors C2 and C7 as shown with reference to FIG. 3. The RF rod connects to a plasma chamber facing the back surface 426G of the housing 413. The RF transmission line includes the RF rod 422 and an RF sheath surrounding the RF rod 422. The RF sheath is separated from the RF rod 422 by an insulating material surrounding the RF rod 422. The insulating material is located between the RF rod 422 and the RF sheath.
[0068] The housing 413 has a top portion 424A and a bottom portion 424B. The top portion 424A may be referred to herein as the top portion, and the bottom portion 424B may be referred to herein as the bottom portion. The top portion 424A is more elongated along the X-axis than the bottom portion 424B. For example, the top portion 424A has a narrower width than the bottom portion 424B. The top portion 424A also has a constant length along the Y-axis. For example, the length of the top portion 424A is 6 to 12 inches (15.24 to 30.48 centimeters). For example, the length of the top portion 424A is 8 to 10 inches (20.32 to 25.4 centimeters). The top portion 424A provides a housing for or accommodates the RF strap portion 404B, and the bottom portion 424B provides a housing for or accommodates the RF strap portion 404A. For example, top portion 424A provides a cover for RF strap portion 404B, and bottom portion 424B provides a cover for RF strap portion 404A. The X axis is perpendicular to the Y axis, and both the X and Y axes are perpendicular to the Z axis.
[0069] The bottom portion 424B has a side surface 426A, a bottom surface 426B, a side portion 426C1, a front portion 426F1, and a back portion 426G1. The top portion 424A has a side surface 426E, a top surface 426D, a side portion 426C2, a front portion 426F2, and a back portion 426G2.
[0070] The side portions 426C1 and 426C2 are adjacent to each other and are part of the side 426C of the housing 413. Similarly, the front portions 426F1 and 426F2 are adjacent to each other and are part of the front surface 426F of the housing 413, and the back portions 426G1 and 426G2 are adjacent to each other and are part of the back surface 426G of the housing 413.
[0071] An imaginary baseline 428 of top portion 424A separates top portion 424A from bottom portion 424B. For example, imaginary baseline 428 separates side portion 426C1 from side portion 426C2. Connector 410 is proximate to imaginary baseline 428. For example, connector 410 is located closer to imaginary baseline 428 than top surface 426D.
[0072] The top surface 426D is curved. The top portion 424A, which is narrower than the bottom portion 424B, has a smaller volume than the bottom portion 424B. The top portion 424A is narrower than the top of any of the matchers in the plasma tools 102A-102H (FIG. 1A) so that the RF strap portion 404B fits inside the top portion 424B. The top portion 424A is also longer than the top of any of the matchers in the plasma tools 102A-102H. The narrow top portion 424A facilitates the fitting of components (such as the helium RF component set 209 (FIG. 2)) and compartments (such as the chuck PS and filter compartment 207 (FIG. 2) and the TES matching compartment 205 (FIG. 2)) into the IMCS 203 (FIG. 2).
[0073] In one embodiment, instead of being located within the top 424A, the connector 410 is located within the bottom 424B and closer to the imaginary baseline 428. For example, the connector 410 is located closer to the imaginary baseline 428 than the bottom 426B.
[0074] In one embodiment, a portion of the RF strap portion 404B extends from the top portion 424A to the bottom portion 424B. In an embodiment, a portion of the RF strap portion 404A extends from the bottom portion 424B to the top portion 424A.
[0075] In one embodiment, a portion of the RF strap 404C extends from the bottom 424B to the top 424A.
[0076] FIG. 4C shows a side view from cross section AA of FIG. 4B. This view shows that the upper portion 424A has been stretched to extend the extended RF strap portion 404A to the output O1, which connects to the RF rod 422. For example, the upper portion 424A has been stretched so that its width along the X-axis is shorter or substantially shorter than its length along the Y-axis. For example, the width of the imaginary baseline 428 is half or approximately half the length of the upper portion 424A. This side view of FIG. 4C also shows that the RF rod 422 is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the front view of FIG. 4C. As an advantage for repair, the front view of FIG. 4B allows full access to all circuit elements of the impedance matching circuit 300 (FIG. 3) without having to stretch the housing 413. For example, the housing 413 of the impedance matching circuit 300 allows access from the front side (such as side 426F) of the housing 413. For example, the front side 426 is opposite the processing module (e.g., the plasma chamber).
[0077] Additionally, bottom portion 424B is narrower than the maximum width of any of the matchers in plasma tools 102A-102H (FIG. 1A). The maximum width of any of the matchers in plasma tools 102A-102H is the width of the bottom of the matcher. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 4C, top portion 424A is narrower than bottom portion 424B in the direction along the Z-axis. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 4B, top portion 424A is narrower than bottom portion 424B in the direction along the X-axis. The narrow top portion 424A and bottom portion 424B conserve floor space on floor 104 (FIG. 1B).
[0078] 5 is a diagram of an embodiment of a system 500 to illustrate the use of impedance matching circuit 204. System 500 includes a low frequency RF generator (LF RFG), a high frequency RF generator (HF RFG), RF cables 208A and 208B, impedance matching circuit 204, an RF transmission line 502, and a plasma chamber 504. System 500 further includes another RF generator, such as a TES RF generator. System 500 also includes an RF cable 511, a TES matcher 509, and an RF transmission line 517.
[0079] The TES RF generator may be a low frequency or high frequency RF generator. For example, the TES RF generator may have a low frequency or a high frequency, examples of which are described above. The TES matcher 509 is located inside the TES match housing 205 (FIG. 2).
[0080] RF transmission line 502 includes an RF rod 422 (FIG. 4B) and an RF sheath. RF rod 422 is surrounded by the insulating material of RF transmission line 502, and the insulating material is surrounded by the RF sheath of RF transmission line 502. Similarly, RF transmission line 517 includes an RF rod and an RF sheath surrounding the RF rod. Also, the insulating material surrounds the RF rod of RF transmission line 517, and the RF sheath of RF transmission line 517 surrounds the insulating material.
[0081] The plasma chamber 504 includes a substrate support 506 and an upper electrode 508. An example of the substrate support 506 is a chuck including a lower electrode. The lower electrode is made of a metal, such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The substrate support 506 is made of a metal and a ceramic, such as aluminum oxide (Al2O3). The upper electrode 508 is made of silicon and is coupled to a ground connection. The plasma chamber 504 further includes a TER 507 surrounding the substrate support 506. The TER 507 is made of one or more materials (e.g., crystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, silicon carbide, quartz, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, etc.). The TER 507 performs many functions, including positioning the substrate S on the substrate support 506 and protecting underlying components of the plasma chamber 504 (e.g., a coupling ring) not protected by the substrate S from damage by ions of the plasma formed inside the plasma chamber 504. The TER 507 also confines the plasma to the region above the substrate S, protecting the substrate support 506 from erosion by the plasma.
[0082] The TES RF generator is coupled to the input of the TES matcher 509 via RF cable 511. The output of the TES matcher 519 is coupled to the TER 507 via RF transmission line 517.
[0083] The low frequency RF generator generates a low frequency RF signal 504A and transmits the low frequency RF signal 504A through RF cable 208A to input I1 of impedance matching circuit 204. Similarly, the high frequency RF generator generates a high frequency RF signal 504B and transmits the high frequency RF signal 504B to input I2 of impedance matching circuit 204 through RF cable 208B.
[0084] A branch (such as branch 302A (FIG. 3)) of impedance matching circuit 204 receives low-frequency RF signal 504A from input I1, modifies the impedance of low-frequency RF signal 504A so that the impedance of a load coupled to output O1 matches the impedance of a source coupled to input I1, and outputs a first modified RF signal (such as modified RF signal 310A (FIG. 3)). Examples of loads coupled to output O1 include plasma chamber 504 and RF transmission line 502. Examples of sources coupled to input I1 include a low-frequency RF generator and RF cable 208A.
[0085] Similarly, a branch (such as branch 302B (FIG. 3)) of impedance matching circuit 204 receives high frequency RF signal 504B from input 12, modifies the impedance of high frequency RF signal 504B so that the impedance of a load coupled to output O1 matches the impedance of a source coupled to input 12, and outputs a second modified RF signal (such as modified RF signal 310B (FIG. 3)). The first and second modified RF signals 310A and 310B are combined (e.g., added) at output O1 to output a combined RF signal 510 at output O1. Examples of sources coupled to input 12 include a high frequency RF generator and RF cable 208B. Combined RF signal 312 (FIG. 3) is an example of combined RF signal 510.
[0086] The composite RF signal 510 is supplied to a lower electrode of a plasma chamber 504 through an RF transmission line 502 to generate or sustain a plasma within the plasma chamber. For example, a plasma is generated or sustained within the plasma chamber 504 when one or more process gases (such as an oxygen-containing gas or a fluorine-containing gas) are supplied to a gap between an upper electrode 508 and a substrate support 506 in conjunction with the supply of the composite RF signal 510.
[0087] In addition, the TES RFG generates an RF signal 513 and transmits the RF signal 513 to the input of the TES matcher 509 through an RF cable 511. Upon receiving the RF signal 513, the TES matcher 509 matches the impedance of a load coupled to the output of the TES matcher 509 with a source coupled to the input of the TES matcher 509 to output a modified RF signal 515 at the output of the TES matcher 519. Examples of sources coupled to the input of the TES matcher 519 include the TES RFG and the RF cable 511, and examples of sources coupled to the output of the TES matcher 509 include the TER 507 and the RF transmission line 517. The TER 507 receives the modified RF signal 515 to process the edge region of the substrate S.
[0088] In one embodiment, the coupling ring is located below the TER 507 and surrounds the substrate support 506. The coupling ring is made of an electrically insulating material (e.g., a dielectric material, ceramic, glass, composite polymer, aluminum oxide, etc.).
[0089] The embodiments described herein may be practiced with a variety of computer system configurations including handheld hardware units, microprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, etc. The embodiments described herein may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing hardware units that are linked through a computer network.
[0090] In some embodiments, the controller is part of a system, such as may be part of the examples described above. The system includes a semiconductor processing apparatus including a processing tool, a chamber, a processing platform, and / or specific processing components (such as a wafer pedestal, a gas flow system, etc.). The system is integrated with electronics for controlling operations before, during, and after processing of the semiconductor wafer or substrate. The electronics may be referred to as a "controller" that can control various components or subcomponents of the system. Depending on the processing requirements and / or the type of system, the controller is programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, including supplying process gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, RF generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid supply settings, positional operation settings, and wafer transfer to and from the tool and other transport tools and / or load locks connected or coupled to the system.
[0091] Generally, in various embodiments, a controller is defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receives instructions, issues instructions, controls operations, enables cleaning operations, enables endpoint measurements, etc. Integrated circuits include chips in firmware format that store program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), and one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). Program instructions are instructions communicated to the controller in the form of various personalizations (or program files) that define operational parameters for performing processes on or for semiconductor wafers. In some embodiments, the operational parameters are 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 wafer dies.
[0092] In some embodiments, the controller is 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 in the "cloud" that enables remote access of wafer processing, or may be all or part of a fab host computer system. The controller may enable remote access to the system to monitor the progress of manufacturing operations, examine the history of past manufacturing operations, examine trends or performance metrics from multiple manufacturing operations, and modify parameters of a current process or set up processing steps following a current process or initiate a new process.
[0093] In some embodiments, a remote computer (e.g., a server) provides process recipes to the system over a computer network, including a local network or the Internet. The remote computer includes a user interface that allows entry or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then communicated to the system from the remote computer. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of settings for processing wafers. It should be understood that the settings are specific to the type of process being performed on the wafers and the type of tool the controller connects to or controls. Thus, as described above, a controller is distributed by including, for example, one or more separate controllers networked with each other and cooperating toward a common purpose, such as performing the processes described herein. An example of a controller distributed for such purposes includes one or more integrated circuits on a chamber that communicate with one or more integrated circuits located remotely (e.g., at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) and that cooperate to control a process in the chamber.
[0094] Without limitation, in various embodiments, the plasma systems described herein include plasma etch chambers, deposition chambers, spin rinse chambers, metal plating chambers, cleaning chambers, bevel edge etch chambers, physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers, atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers, atomic layer etch (ALE) chambers, ion implantation chambers, track chambers, or any other semiconductor processing chambers related to or used in the fabrication and / or manufacturing of semiconductor wafers.
[0095] Although the above operations have been described with respect to a parallel-plate plasma chamber (e.g., a capacitively coupled plasma chamber, etc.), in some embodiments, the above operations apply to other types of plasma chambers (e.g., an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reactor, a transformer coupled plasma (ICP) reactor, a plasma chamber with a conductor tool, a dielectric tool, an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) reactor, etc.). For example, an X MHz RF generator, a Y MHz RF generator, and a Z MHz RF generator are coupled to an inductor in an ICP plasma chamber (X, Y, and Z are integers). As another example, a 400 kHz RF generator, a Y MHz RF generator, and a Z MHz RF generator are coupled to an inductor in an ICP plasma chamber.
[0096] As described above, depending on the process operations being performed by the tool, the controller communicates with one or more of other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, nearby tools, tools installed throughout the factory, a main computer, another controller, or tools used to transport materials to and from tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing factory to transport wafer containers.
[0097] With the above embodiments in mind, it should be understood that some embodiments employ various computer-implemented operations involving data stored in computer systems. These computer-implemented operations are operations that manipulate physical quantities.
[0098] Some embodiments also relate to hardware units or apparatus for performing these operations, where the apparatus is specially constructed for a special purpose computer. When a computer is defined as a special purpose computer, it can operate for the special purpose while also performing other processes, program execution, or routines that are not part of the special purpose computer.
[0099] In some embodiments, the operations described herein are performed by a selectively activated computer, configured by one or more computer programs stored in computer memory, or obtained over a computer network. When data is obtained over a computer network, the data may be processed by other computers in the computer network (e.g., a cloud of computing resources).
[0100] One or more embodiments described herein may also be created as computer-readable code on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The non-transitory computer-readable medium is any data storage hardware unit (e.g., a memory device, etc.) that stores data that is subsequently read by a computer system. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include hard drives, network-attached storage (NAS), ROM, RAM, compact disc-ROM (CD-ROM), recordable CD (CD-R), rewritable CD (CD-RW), magnetic tape, and other optical and non-optical data storage hardware units. In some embodiments, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprises computer-readable tangible media distributed in a network-coupled computer system such that the computer-readable code is stored and executed in a distributed manner.
[0101] Although some of the method actions above have been presented in a particular order, in various embodiments, other housekeeping operations are performed between the method actions, or the method actions are timed to occur with small time lags, or are distributed in a system that allows the method actions to occur at various intervals, or are performed in a different order than described above.
[0102] It is further noted that in embodiments, one or more features from the above-described embodiments may be combined with one or more features of other embodiments without departing from the scope of the various embodiments described in this disclosure.
[0103] Although the above embodiments have been described in some detail for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, the present embodiments should be considered illustrative and not restrictive, and the disclosed embodiments should not be limited to the details set forth herein, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. The present disclosure includes the following application examples: [Application example 1] 1. An impedance matcher for transmitting radio frequency (RF) power to an electrode of a plasma chamber, comprising: a housing having a bottom portion and a top portion, the bottom portion having a matching element and the top portion having an extension; a low frequency input connected through the bottom portion of the housing, the low frequency input interconnecting with a first set of capacitors and inductors; a high frequency input connected through the bottom portion of the housing, the high frequency input interconnecting to a second set of capacitors and inductors; an extension strap extending between the bottom and top portions of the housing, the extension strap having a lower portion and an upper portion, the lower portion of the extension strap being coupled to the second set of capacitors and inductors, and the upper portion of the extension strap being connected to an RF rod at an end of the extension body; an intermediate strap coupled at a first end to the elongated strap and connected at a second end to an auxiliary capacitor at an intermediate connection between the lower portion and the upper portion; An impedance matching device comprising: [Application example 2] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 1, The intermediate connection of the intermediate strap to the elongated strap is located proximate to the base of the elongated body of the housing. [Application example 3] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 1, The extension of the housing provides accommodation for the upper portion of the extension strap that extends above the intermediate connection. [Application example 4] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 1, The tension strap extending above the intermediate connection provides additional inductance leading to the RF rod. [Application example 5] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 1, The impedance matcher, wherein each of the elongated straps and the intermediate straps is defined by a flat conductive bar material. [Application Example 6] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 1, The housing has a front side and a back side, the back side being configured to face the plasma chamber, and the RF rod extends from the upper portion of the extension strap and from the back side of the housing. [Application Example 7] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 1, An impedance matching device, wherein the intermediate strap has a portion configured to overlap without contacting the lower portion of the elongated strap so as to provide a location for the intermediate connection to provide the inductance and variable capacitance of the auxiliary capacitor. [Application Example 8] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 1, The impedance matching device, wherein the extension is thinner than the bottom portion of the housing. [Application Example 9] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 1, An impedance matching circuit, wherein the high frequency input is configured to be connected to a high frequency RF generator via an RF cable, and the low frequency input is configured to be connected to a low frequency RF generator via an RF cable, the low frequency RF generator being configured to operate at a frequency lower than the operating frequency of the high frequency RF generator. [Application Example 10] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 1, The bottom portion of the housing has a first port configured to receive a first RF cable that couples the low frequency input to a low frequency RF generator. [Application Example 11] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 10, The bottom portion of the housing has a second port configured to receive a second RF cable that couples the high frequency input to a high frequency RF generator. [Application Example 12] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 1, The extension strap is longer than the intermediate strap. [Application Example 13] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 1, An impedance matching box, wherein the housing is installed within another housing, the other housing having a compartment containing a chuck power supply and a filter, and the other housing further having another compartment containing a matching circuit for a tunable edge ring. [Application Example 14] 1. An impedance matcher for transmitting RF power to an electrode of a plasma chamber, comprising: a housing having a bottom portion and a top portion, the bottom portion having a matching element and the top portion having an extension; an elongation strap extending between the bottom and top portions of the housing, the elongation strap having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion of the elongation strap being coupled to the matching element and the upper portion of the elongation strap being connected to an RF rod at an end of the elongation body; an intermediate strap coupled at a first end to the elongated strap and connected at a second end to an auxiliary capacitor at an intermediate connection between the lower portion and the upper portion; An impedance matching device comprising: [Application Example 15] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 14, The matching element is a first set of capacitors and inductors coupled to the high frequency input; a second set of capacitors and inductors coupled to the low frequency input; An impedance matching device comprising: [Application Example 16] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 14, The impedance matcher, wherein each of the elongated straps and the intermediate straps is defined by a flat conductive bar material. [Application Example 17] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 14, The tension strap extending above the intermediate connection provides additional inductance through the upper portion to the RF rod. [Application Example 18] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 14, An impedance matching box, wherein the housing is installed within another housing, the other housing having a compartment containing a chuck power supply and a filter, and the other housing further having another compartment containing a matching circuit for a tunable edge ring. [Application Example 19] An impedance matching device, a housing having a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion being narrower than the bottom portion; a first branch configured to be coupled to a first radio frequency (RF) generator; a second branch configured to be coupled to a second RF generator; an output; and the second branch comprises a first capacitor, a second capacitor, the output, a first RF strap, and a second RF strap including a first RF strap portion and a second RF strap portion; the first RF strap, the first RF strap portion, and the second RF strap portion are coupled to one another at a point; the first capacitor is coupled to the output of the impedance matching box via the first RF strap portion and the second RF strap portion; an impedance matching box, wherein the second capacitor is coupled to the output of the impedance matching box via the first RF strap and the second RF strap portion, and the top portion is configured to receive the second RF strap portion. [Application Example 20] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 19, The impedance matching device, wherein each of the first RF strap and the second RF strap is defined by a flat conductive rod material. [Application Example 21] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 19, An impedance matcher, wherein the first RF generator is configured to operate at a frequency lower than an operating frequency of the second RF generator. [Application Example 22] The impedance matching device according to Application Example 19, The first RF strap has a portion configured to overlap without contacting the first RF strap portion.
Claims
1. An impedance matching circuit system, a housing containing an impedance matching circuit, the housing having a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion being narrower than the bottom portion; a tunable end sheath (TES) matching housing located above the bottom portion and beside the top portion; a set of helium components located laterally of the housing of the impedance matching circuit; An impedance matching circuit system comprising:
2. An impedance matching circuit system according to claim 1, the top portion has a first width that is smaller than a first width of the bottom portion and has a volume that is smaller than a volume of the bottom portion, the first width of the top portion and the first width of the bottom portion being measured along a first axis.
3. An impedance matching circuit system according to claim 2, the top portion has a second width that is smaller than the second width of the bottom portion, the second width of the top portion and the second width of the bottom portion being measured along a second axis, the second axis being perpendicular to the first axis.
4. An impedance matching circuit system according to claim 1, an impedance matching circuit system, wherein the top portion includes a radio frequency (RF) strap extending from the bottom portion, the RF strap configured to couple a plurality of circuit elements housed within the bottom portion to an RF transmission line coupled to a plasma chamber, the plurality of circuit elements including a plurality of capacitors; 5. The impedance matching circuit system of claim 1, An impedance matching circuit system, wherein the TES matching enclosure includes a TES matcher, the TES matcher including a plurality of electrical components configured to match the impedance of a load coupled to an output of the TES matcher to the impedance of a source coupled to an input of the TES matcher, the output of the TES matcher configured to be coupled to an edge ring in a plasma chamber.
6. The impedance matching circuit system according to claim 1, An impedance matching circuit system, wherein the set of helium components is located on an opposite side of the housing relative to the side on which the TES matching enclosure is located.
7. The impedance matching circuit system of claim 1, an impedance matching circuit system, wherein the set of helium components comprises: a plurality of conduits configured to supply a cooling gas to a plasma chamber; a power supply configured to supply power to an electric motor to rotate a lower electrode in the plasma chamber; a gap drive mechanism configured to change a gap amount between the lower electrode and an upper electrode of the plasma chamber; and a plurality of sensors configured to sense one or more variables associated with the impedance matching circuit.
8. A system comprising: a first housing containing an impedance matching circuit, the first housing having a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion being narrower than the bottom portion; a tunable end sheath (TES) matching housing located above the bottom portion and beside the top portion; a set of helium components located laterally of the first housing of the impedance matching circuit; a radio frequency (RF) generator located above the first housing, the RF generator configured to generate an RF signal and transmit the RF signal to the impedance matching circuit; A system comprising:
9. The system according to claim 8, the top portion has a first width that is smaller than a first width of the bottom portion and has a volume that is smaller than a volume of the bottom portion, the first width of the top portion and the first width of the bottom portion being measured along a first axis.
10. The system of claim 9, the top portion has a second width that is smaller than the second width of the bottom portion, the second width of the top portion and the second width of the bottom portion being measured along a second axis, the second axis being perpendicular to the first axis.
11. The system of claim 8, the top portion includes an RF strap extending from the bottom portion, the RF strap configured to couple a plurality of circuit elements housed within the bottom portion to an RF transmission line coupled to a plasma chamber, the plurality of circuit elements including a plurality of capacitors.
12. The system of claim 8, The TES match enclosure includes a TES matcher, the TES matcher including a plurality of electrical components configured to match the impedance of a load coupled to an output of the TES matcher to the impedance of a source coupled to an input of the TES matcher, the output of the system being configured to be coupled to an edge ring in a plasma chamber.
13. The system of claim 8, The set of helium components is located on an opposite side of the first housing from the side on which the TES matching enclosure is located.
14. The system of claim 8, The set of helium components includes a plurality of conduits configured to supply a cooling gas to a plasma chamber, a power supply configured to supply power to an electric motor to rotate a lower electrode in the plasma chamber, a gap drive mechanism configured to change the amount of a gap between the lower electrode and an upper electrode of the plasma chamber, and a plurality of sensors configured to sense one or more variables associated with the impedance matching circuit.
15. The system of claim 8, The system further comprising a second housing, the RF generator being mounted on the second housing.
16. A system comprising: a first radio frequency (RF) generator; a second RF generator; and a first housing located below the first RF generator and the second RF generator, the first housing having a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion being narrower than the bottom portion, the first housing including an impedance matching circuit; a tunable end sheath (TES) matching housing located above the bottom portion and beside the top portion; a set of helium components located laterally of the first housing of the impedance matching circuit; a plasma chamber coupled to the first housing; A system comprising:
17. The system of claim 16, the top portion has a first width that is smaller than a first width of the bottom portion and has a volume that is smaller than a volume of the bottom portion, the first width of the top portion and the first width of the bottom portion being measured along a first axis.
18. The system of claim 17, the top portion has a second width that is smaller than the second width of the bottom portion, the second width of the top portion and the second width of the bottom portion being measured along a second axis, the second axis being perpendicular to the first axis.
19. The system of claim 16, the top portion includes an RF strap extending from the bottom portion, the RF strap configured to couple a plurality of circuit elements housed within the bottom portion to an RF transmission line coupled to the plasma chamber, the plurality of circuit elements including a plurality of capacitors.
20. The system of claim 16, The plasma chamber includes an edge ring, the TES match enclosure includes a TES matcher, the TES matcher includes a plurality of electrical components configured to match an impedance of a load coupled to an output of the TES matcher to an impedance of a source coupled to an input of the TES matcher, the output of the TES matcher being configured to be coupled to the edge ring in the plasma chamber.
21. The system of claim 16, The set of helium components is located on an opposite side of the first housing from the side on which the TES matching enclosure is located.
22. The system of claim 16, The set of helium components includes a plurality of conduits configured to supply a cooling gas to the plasma chamber, a power supply configured to supply power to an electric motor to rotate a lower electrode in the plasma chamber, a gap drive mechanism configured to change the amount of a gap between the lower electrode and an upper electrode of the plasma chamber, and a plurality of sensors configured to sense one or more variables associated with the impedance matching circuit.
23. The system of claim 16, The system further comprising a second housing, wherein the first RF generator and the second RF generator are mounted on the second housing.
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