Adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, radio frequency power supply, and semiconductor process device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, a radio frequency power supply, and a semiconductor process device. The adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit comprises a step-down power module, a voltage stabilizing power module, a first acquisition module, and a control module. The step-down power module is used for stepping down an input voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit; the voltage stabilizing power module is used for stepping down and stabilizing an output voltage of the step-down power module; and the control module can determine, on the basis of an input signal of the voltage stabilizing power module acquired by the first acquisition module and a set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, set output voltages of the step-down power module and the voltage stabilizing power module, and control output voltages of the step-down power module and the voltage stabilizing power module to be the set output voltages thereof. Therefore, compared with an adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit comprising only one step-down power module, the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit in the present application has higher stability, wider range, and higher control precision for an output voltage.

Description

Adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, radio frequency power supply and semiconductor process equipment TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor technology, in particular to an adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, a radio frequency power supply and a semiconductor process equipment. BACKGROUND

[0002] The radio frequency power supply as the radio frequency source of the plasma generator is one of the key components of the semiconductor process equipment. As shown in FIG. 1, which is a structural schematic diagram of a conventional radio frequency power supply, the radio frequency power supply comprises an alternating current-direct current (AC-DC) conversion module 10, a direct current-direct current (DC-DC) conversion module 11 and a radio frequency module 12. The DC-DC conversion module 11 further comprises an adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit 110, and the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit 110 further comprises a step-down power module 1100 and a step-down control module 1101. The radio frequency module 12 further comprises a radio frequency power module 120 and a radio frequency control module 121. The AC-DC conversion module 10 is configured to rectify and filter the input alternating current into a first direct current V DC1 . The step-down control module 1101 controls the step-down power module 1100 to step down the first direct current V DC1 into a corresponding second direct current V DC2 according to the instructions received from the radio frequency control module 121. The radio frequency control module 121 controls the radio frequency power module 120 to convert the second direct current V DC2 into a corresponding alternating current and transmit the alternating current to the process chamber of the semiconductor process equipment, so as to excite the process gas in the process chamber into plasma. Although the step-down power module 1100 can play a role in step-down and voltage stabilization to a certain extent, the output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit 110 is still unstable, which affects the stability of the output power of the radio frequency power supply and further affects the process effect of the semiconductor process equipment. SUMMARY

[0003] The present application discloses an adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, a radio frequency power supply and a semiconductor process equipment to improve the stability of the output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit.

[0004] The application discloses an adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, comprising a voltage reduction power module, a voltage stabilizing power module, a first acquisition module and a control module; the voltage reduction power module and the voltage stabilizing power module are connected in sequence, the voltage reduction power module is used for reducing the input voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, and the voltage stabilizing power module is used for reducing and stabilizing the output voltage of the voltage reduction power module; the first acquisition module is used for acquiring the input signal of the voltage stabilizing power module and transmitting the input signal of the voltage stabilizing power module to the control module; the control module is used for determining the set output voltage of the voltage reduction power module and the voltage stabilizing power module according to the input signal of the voltage stabilizing power module and the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, and controlling the actual output voltage of the voltage reduction power module and the voltage stabilizing power module to be the set output voltage thereof respectively.

[0005] In some embodiments, the control module is used for determining the actual voltage reduction amount of the voltage stabilizing power module corresponding to the acquired input signal of the voltage stabilizing power module according to the corresponding relationship between the input signal of the voltage stabilizing power module and the voltage reduction amount of the voltage stabilizing power module, and determining the set output voltage of the voltage reduction power module according to the actual voltage reduction amount of the voltage stabilizing power module and the set output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module; the set output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module is the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit; wherein the voltage reduction amount of the voltage stabilizing power module is inversely proportional to the input signal of the voltage stabilizing power module, the voltage reduction amount of the voltage stabilizing power module is within a preset range, and the set output voltage of the voltage reduction power module is equal to the sum of the set output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module and the voltage reduction amount of the voltage stabilizing power module.

[0006] In some embodiments, the control module comprises a first control module and a second control module; the second control module is used for determining the set output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module according to the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, controlling the actual output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module to be the set output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module, and transmitting the set output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module to the first control module; the first control module is used for determining the actual voltage reduction amount corresponding to the acquired input signal of the voltage stabilizing power module according to the corresponding relationship between the input signal of the voltage stabilizing power module and the voltage reduction amount of the voltage stabilizing power module, and determining the set output voltage of the voltage reduction power module according to the actual voltage reduction amount of the voltage stabilizing power module and the set output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module, and controlling the actual output voltage of the voltage reduction power module to be the set output voltage of the voltage reduction power module.

[0007] In some embodiments, the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit further comprises a second acquisition module; the first acquisition module is further configured to acquire the output voltage of the voltage reducing power module and transmit the output voltage of the voltage reducing power module to the first control module; the second acquisition module is further configured to acquire the output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module and transmit the output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module to the second control module; the first control module is further configured to generate a first control signal according to the set output voltage of the voltage reducing power module and the acquired output voltage of the voltage reducing power module; the first control signal is configured to control the actual output voltage of the voltage reducing power module to be the set output voltage of the voltage reducing power module; and the second control module is further configured to generate a second control signal according to the set output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module and the acquired output voltage; the second control signal is configured to control the actual output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module to be the set output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module.

[0008] In some embodiments, the voltage reducing power module comprises a first power switch tube, a first inductor, a first capacitor and a first diode, and the voltage stabilizing power module comprises the second power switch tube and a second capacitor; the control end of the first power switch tube is connected to the output end of the first input end of the first control module; the first end of the first power switch tube is configured to receive the input voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit; the second end of the first power switch tube is connected to the first end of the first inductor; the second end of the first inductor is connected to the first end of the first capacitor; the second end of the first capacitor is connected to the second input end of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit; the input voltage of the second input end is less than the input voltage of the first input end; the negative electrode of the first diode is connected to the first end of the first inductor; the positive electrode of the first diode is connected to the second input end; the second end of the first inductor is connected to the output end of the voltage reducing power module; the first control signal controls the output voltage of the voltage reducing power module by controlling the on-time or off-time of the first power switch tube; the control end of the second power switch tube is connected to the output end of the second control module; the first end of the second power switch tube is connected to the output end of the voltage reducing power module; the second end of the second power switch tube is connected to the first end of the second capacitor; the second end of the second capacitor is connected to the second input end; the second end of the second power switch tube is connected to the output end of the voltage stabilizing power module; and the second control signal controls the output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module by controlling the on-voltage of the second power switch tube.

[0009] In some embodiments, the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit further comprises a discharging module; the discharging module is connected with the voltage reducing power module and the control module; the control module is further configured to control the discharging module to discharge the voltage reducing power module and transfer the electrical energy released by the voltage reducing power module to the input end of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit when the output voltage of the voltage reducing power module is greater than the set output voltage thereof.

[0010] In some embodiments, the discharging module comprises a third power switch tube and a second diode; the control end of the third power switch tube is connected with the output end of the control module; the first end of the third power switch tube is connected with the second end of the first power switch tube of the voltage reducing power module; the second end of the third power switch tube is connected with the anode of the second diode; and the cathode of the second diode is connected with the second input end of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit.

[0011] In some embodiments, the control module is further configured to generate a third control signal according to the output voltage of the voltage reducing power module; and the third control signal is used to control the third power switch tube to be turned on when the output voltage of the voltage reducing power module is greater than the set output voltage thereof.

[0012] In some embodiments, the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit further comprises a communication module; the communication module is configured to receive a voltage setting instruction, obtain the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit according to the voltage setting instruction, and transmit the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit to the control module; and the communication module is further configured to receive the state information fed back by the control module.

[0013] In a second aspect, the present application discloses a radio frequency power supply, comprising an alternating current-direct current conversion module, a direct current-direct current conversion module and a radio frequency module; the alternating current-direct current conversion module is configured to convert input alternating current into first direct current; the direct current-direct current conversion module comprises the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit according to any one of the above, the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit is configured to convert the first direct current into third direct current and make the voltage of the third direct current be the set output voltage thereof; and the radio frequency module is configured to convert the third direct current into alternating current.

[0014] In some embodiments, the radio frequency module is further configured to receive a voltage setting instruction sent by a host computer and send the voltage setting instruction to the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, so that the output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit is the set output voltage; and the radio frequency module is further configured to receive the state information fed back by the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit and send the state information to the host computer.

[0015] In a third aspect, the application discloses a semiconductor process equipment, comprising the radio frequency power supply, the matching device and the process chamber as described above, the radio frequency power supply is used to provide power supply for the process chamber, and the matching device is used to realize impedance matching between the radio frequency power supply and the process chamber.

[0016] The adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, the radio frequency power supply and the semiconductor process equipment disclosed by the application comprise a step-down power module, a voltage stabilizing power module, a first acquisition module and a control module. Since the step-down power module is used to step down the input voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, and the voltage stabilizing power module is used to stabilize the output voltage of the step-down power module, the output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit in the application has higher stability, a wider range and higher control precision compared with the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit comprising only one step-down power module.

[0017] In addition, the control module can determine the set output voltages of the step-down power module and the voltage stabilizing power module according to the input signal of the voltage stabilizing power module and the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit acquired by the first acquisition module, and control the output voltages of the step-down power module and the voltage stabilizing power module to be the set output voltages, so that the set output voltages of the step-down power module and the voltage stabilizing power module can be reasonably allocated according to the acquired input signal of the voltage stabilizing power module, to avoid excessive power consumption of the voltage stabilizing power module, excessive power consumption of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit and influence on the performance of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the application or the background art, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments of the application or the background art will be described below.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a conventional radio frequency power supply.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of an adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit disclosed by an embodiment of the application.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the corresponding relationship between the input current of a power switch tube and the step-down amount of the power switch tube.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a structural schematic diagram of another adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit disclosed by an embodiment of the application.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a structural schematic diagram of another adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit disclosed by an embodiment of the application.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a structural schematic diagram of another adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit disclosed by an embodiment of the application.

[0025] FIG. 7 is a structural schematic diagram of another adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit disclosed by an embodiment of the application.

[0026] Fig. 8 is a structural schematic diagram of a discharge module disclosed by the embodiment of the present application.

[0027] Fig. 9 is a waveform diagram of the radio frequency output of a traditional radio frequency power supply and the voltage output of an adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit.

[0028] Fig. 10 is a waveform diagram of the radio frequency output of a radio frequency power supply and the voltage output of an adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit disclosed by the embodiment of the present application.

[0029] Fig. 11 is a structural schematic diagram of another adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit disclosed by the embodiment of the present application.

[0030] Fig. 12 is a structural schematic diagram of a radio frequency power supply disclosed by the embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Fig. 13 is a structural schematic diagram of a semiconductor process equipment disclosed by the embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0033] As an implementation of the disclosure of the present application, the embodiment of the present application discloses an adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, as shown in Fig. 2, which is a structural schematic diagram of an adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit disclosed by the embodiment of the present application. The adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit comprises a step-down power module 20, a voltage stabilizing power module 21, a first acquisition module 22 and a control module 23.

[0034] Specifically, the input end of the step-down power module 20 is used to receive the input voltage V DC1 of the first input end of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, the output end of the step-down power module 20 is connected with the input end of the voltage stabilizing power module 21, and the output end of the voltage stabilizing power module 21 is used to output the output voltage V DC3 of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit. The step-down power module 20 is used to step down the input voltage V DC1 of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, and the voltage stabilizing power module 21 is used to step down and stabilize the output voltage V DC2 of the step-down power module 20.

[0035] The input end of the first acquisition module 22 is connected with the input end of the voltage stabilizing power module 21, and the first acquisition module 22 is used to acquire the input signal of the voltage stabilizing power module 21 and transmit the input signal of the voltage stabilizing power module 21 to the control module 23.

[0036] The input end of the control module 23 is connected with the output end of the first acquisition module 22, the output end of the control module 23 is connected with the control end of the voltage reduction power module 20 and the voltage stabilization power module 21 respectively, and the control module 23 is used for determining the set output voltage of the voltage reduction power module 20 and the voltage stabilization power module 21 respectively according to the input signal of the voltage stabilization power module 21 and the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit, and controlling the actual output voltage of the voltage reduction power module 20 and the voltage stabilization power module 21 to be the set output voltage respectively.

[0037] Because the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit in the embodiment of the application includes the voltage reduction power module 20, the voltage stabilization power module 21, the first acquisition module 22 and the control module 23, because the voltage reduction power module 20 is used for reducing the input voltage V DC1 of the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit, the voltage stabilization power module 21 is used for reducing and stabilizing the output voltage V DC2 of the voltage reduction power module 20, therefore, compared with the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit including only one voltage reduction power module, the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit in the application can output lower voltage or power, that is, the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit in the application has wider output voltage range, higher stability and higher control precision.

[0038] Because the control module 23 can determine the set output voltage of the voltage reduction power module 20 and the voltage stabilization power module 21 respectively according to the input signal of the voltage stabilization power module 21 and the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit collected by the first acquisition module 22, and control the output voltage of the voltage reduction power module 20 and the voltage stabilization power module 21 to be the set output voltage respectively, therefore, the set output voltage of the voltage reduction power module 20 and the voltage stabilization power module 21 can be reasonably allocated according to the collected input signal of the voltage stabilization power module 21, so as to avoid that the power consumption of the voltage stabilization power module 21 is too large, the power consumption of the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit is too large, and the performance of the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit is affected.

[0039] In some embodiments of the application, the voltage reduction amount of the voltage stabilization power module 21 is less than the voltage reduction amount of the voltage reduction power module 20. Based on this, the output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit can be coarsely adjusted by controlling the voltage reduction amount of the voltage reduction power module 20, and the output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit can be finely adjusted by adjusting the voltage reduction amount of the voltage stabilization power module 21, so as to further improve the control precision of the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit.

[0040] In some embodiments of the present application, the control module 23 is configured to determine the actual voltage drop of the voltage stabilization power module 21 corresponding to the input signal of the voltage stabilization power module 21 according to the correspondence between the input signal of the voltage stabilization power module 21 and the voltage drop of the voltage stabilization power module 21, and determine the set output voltage of the voltage reduction power module 20 according to the actual voltage drop of the voltage stabilization power module 21 and the set output voltage of the voltage stabilization power module 21. The set output voltage of the voltage stabilization power module 21 is the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit.

[0041] The voltage drop of the voltage stabilization power module 21 is inversely proportional to the input signal of the voltage stabilization power module 21, the voltage drop of the voltage stabilization power module 21 is within a preset range, and the set output voltage of the voltage reduction power module 20 is equal to the sum of the set output voltage of the voltage stabilization power module 21 and the voltage drop of the voltage stabilization power module 21. It can be understood that the voltage drop of the voltage stabilization power module 21 within the preset range means that the voltage drop of the power switch tube is between the preset maximum voltage drop and the minimum voltage drop.

[0042] The input signal can include an input current and / or an input voltage. The following is an example of an input signal including an input current. It is assumed that the voltage stabilization power module 21 includes a power switch tube. Since the greater the input current of the power switch tube, the greater the power consumption of the power switch tube under the condition that the voltage drop of the power switch tube is the same, in order to avoid excessive power consumption of the power switch tube, the greater the input current of the power switch tube, the smaller the voltage drop of the power switch tube, that is, the input current of the power switch tube is inversely proportional to the voltage drop of the power switch tube.

[0043] It is assumed that the maximum power consumption of the power switch tube is 100W, the set output voltage of the voltage stabilization power module 21 is 50V, the preset maximum voltage drop of the power switch tube is 20V, and the minimum voltage drop is 3V. The correspondence between the input current of the power switch tube and the voltage drop of the power switch tube can be as shown in FIG. 3. The input current of the power switch tube is inversely proportional to the voltage drop of the power switch tube, and the voltage drop of the power switch tube is between 20V and 3V. After determining the actual voltage drop corresponding to the input current of the voltage stabilization power module 21 collected by the voltage stabilization power module 21 according to the correspondence shown in FIG. 3, the set output voltage of the voltage reduction power module 20 can be determined according to the actual voltage drop of the voltage stabilization power module 21 and the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit, i.e., the set output voltage of the voltage stabilization power module 21.

[0044] For example, when the input current of the power switch tube collected is 5A, the voltage drop of the power switch tube is 20V, and the set output voltage of the voltage reduction power module 20 is 70V; when the input current of the power switch tube collected is 25A, the voltage drop of the power switch tube is 4V, and the set output voltage of the voltage reduction power module 20 is 54V.

[0045] It should be noted that, by adjusting the voltage reduction amount of the power switch tube, i.e. the voltage reduction amount of the voltage stabilization power module 21, the output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit can be adjusted, and at the same time, the power consumption of the power switch tube, i.e. the voltage stabilization power module 21, can be set within a reasonable range, so that the voltage reduction amount of the power switch tube is within the preset range, i.e. between the maximum voltage reduction amount 20V and the minimum voltage reduction amount 3V.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present application, the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit can include only one control module 23, and the set output voltage of the voltage reduction power module 20 and the voltage stabilization power module 21 can be determined by the one control module 23, and the voltage reduction power module 20 and the voltage stabilization power module 21 can be controlled by the one control module 23. However, the present application is not limited thereto, and in other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, which is a structural schematic diagram of another adjustable voltage stabilization circuit disclosed in an embodiment of the present application, the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit can include two control modules, which are a first control module 231 and a second control module 232, and the first control module 231 and the second control module 232 are connected in sequence.

[0047] The output end of the second control module 232 is connected to the control end of the voltage stabilization power module 21, and the second control module 232 is configured to determine the set output voltage of the voltage stabilization power module 21 according to the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit, control the output voltage of the voltage stabilization power module 21 to be the set output voltage thereof, and transmit the set output voltage of the voltage stabilization power module 21 to the first control module 231.

[0048] The output end of the first control module 231 is connected to the control end of the voltage reduction power module 20, and the first control module 231 is configured to determine the actual voltage reduction amount of the voltage stabilization power module 21 corresponding to the collected input signal of the voltage stabilization power module 21 according to the corresponding relationship between the input signal of the voltage stabilization power module 21 and the voltage reduction amount of the voltage stabilization power module 21, and determine the set output voltage of the voltage reduction power module 20 according to the actual voltage reduction amount of the voltage stabilization power module 21 and the set output voltage of the voltage stabilization power module 21, and control the output voltage of the voltage reduction power module 20 to be the set output voltage thereof.

[0049] The first control module 231 or the second control module 232 can be a DSP (Digital Signal Processing), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a CPU (Central Processing Unit), or other processors, etc.

[0050] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG. 5, the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit further comprises a second acquisition module 24.

[0051] The first acquisition module 22 is configured to acquire the output voltage of the voltage reducing power module 20 and transmit the output voltage of the voltage reducing power module 20 to the first control module 231. The second acquisition module 24 is further configured to acquire the output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module 21 and transmit the output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module 21 to the second control module 232. The first control module 231 is further configured to generate a first control signal according to the set output voltage of the voltage reducing power module 20 and the acquired output voltage of the voltage reducing power module 20. The first control signal is configured to control the actual output voltage of the voltage reducing power module 20 to be the set output voltage of the voltage reducing power module 20. The second control module 232 is further configured to generate a second control signal according to the set output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module 21 and the acquired output voltage. The second control signal is configured to control the actual output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module 21 to be the set output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module 21. In this way, the stable output of the voltage reducing power module 20 and the voltage stabilizing power module 21 can be ensured, so as to avoid the problem of unstable voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit.

[0052] It should be noted that the first acquisition module 22 can acquire current or voltage. However, the present application is not limited thereto. In some other embodiments, the first acquisition module 22 can only acquire current. The adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit can comprise two acquisition modules, which are configured to acquire the output voltage of the voltage reducing power module 20 and the voltage stabilizing power module 21 respectively and transmit the output voltage of the voltage reducing power module 20 and the voltage stabilizing power module 21 to the first control module 231 and the second control module 232 respectively. The first acquisition module 22 or the second acquisition module 24 can be a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a resistance voltage divider or a resistance current divider.

[0053] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG. 6, the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit further comprises a second acquisition module 24.

[0054] The control end of the first power switch tube Q1 is connected with the output end of the first control module 231. The first end of the first power switch tube Q1 is configured to receive the input voltage V DC1, the second end of the first power switch tube Q1 is connected with the first end of the first inductor L1. The second end of the first inductor L1 is connected with the first end of the first capacitor C1, and the second end of the first capacitor C1 is connected with the second input end of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit. Wherein, V DC0 represents the input voltage of the second input end of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, V DC1 may be a positive voltage, V DC0 may be a negative voltage. The first inductor L1 and the first capacitor C1 are used to constitute an LC oscillation circuit, so as to realize mutual conversion of electric energy and magnetic energy by electromagnetic coupling between the first inductor L1 and the first capacitor C1, and realize the effect of stabilizing voltage and reducing ripple. The first power switch tube Q1 is used to control the input voltage V DC1 of the first input end of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit. The energy storage path of the LC oscillation circuit constituted by the first inductor L1 and the first capacitor C1 is controlled, so that the LC oscillation circuit constituted by the first inductor L1 and the first capacitor C1 stores electric energy when the first power switch tube Q1 is turned on, and releases electric energy when the first power switch tube Q1 is turned off.

[0055] The negative electrode of the first diode D1 is connected with the first end of the first inductor L1, and the positive electrode of the first diode D1 is connected with the second input end of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit. The first diode D1 is used to provide a discharge circuit for the first inductor L1 and the first capacitor C1 when the first power switch tube Q1 is turned off. The second end of the first inductor L1 is connected with the output end of the step-down power module 20.

[0056] The control end of the second power switch tube Q2 is connected with the output end of the second control module 232, the first end of the second power switch tube Q2 is connected with the output end of the step-down power module 20, and the second end of the second power switch tube Q2 is connected with the first end of the second capacitor C2. The second end of the second capacitor C2 is connected with the second input end of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit. The second end of the second power switch tube Q2 is connected with the output end of the voltage stabilizing power module 21.

[0057] In the working process of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, the second control module 232 determines the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit as the set output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module 21, compares the set output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module 21 with the output voltage of the voltage stabilizing power module 21 to obtain an error signal, and performs closed loop operation of voltage or current, i.e. PID operation, on the error signal to obtain a second control signal. The second control module 232 converts the second control signal into a second driving voltage, and transmits the second driving voltage to the control end, such as the gate, of the second power switch tube Q2. Wherein, by controlling the size of the second driving voltage, i.e. the on voltage of the second power switch tube Q2, the step-down amount of the second power switch tube Q2 can be controlled, and then the size of the output voltage V DC3 of the second power switch tube Q2 can be controlled.

[0058] The first control module 231 determines the set output voltage of the buck power module 20 according to the set output voltage of the voltage stabilization power module 21 and the voltage reduction amount of the voltage stabilization power module 21. Then, the first control module 231 compares the set output voltage of the buck power module 20 with the output voltage of the buck power module 20 to obtain an error signal, and performs a closed-loop operation of voltage or current, i.e. a PID operation, on the error signal to obtain a first control signal. After that, the first control module 231 converts the first control signal into a first driving voltage, and transmits the first driving voltage to the control end, such as the gate, of the first power switch Q1 to control the first power switch Q1 to be turned on or turned off.

[0059] When the first power switch Q1 is turned on, the first inductor L1 and the first capacitor C1 store electric energy. When the first power switch Q1 is turned off, the first inductor L1 and the first capacitor C1 release electric energy through the loop in which the first diode D1 is located. When the first inductor L1 and the first capacitor C1 continuously work, V VDC2 = V VDC1 × D, where D is the duty cycle of the first control signal. Thus, by controlling the duty cycle of the first control signal, the on-time or off-time of the first power switch Q1 can be controlled, and thus the size of the output voltage V DC2 of the buck power module 20 can be controlled.

[0060] When the second power switch Q2 is turned off, the voltage stabilization power module 21 does not output voltage; when the second power switch Q2 is turned on, the voltage stabilization power module 21 outputs voltage, and the size of the output voltage is related to the self-voltage drop of the second power switch Q2. Because the voltage stabilization power module 21 reduces voltage by changing the self-voltage drop of the second power switch Q2, as shown in FIG. 3, the voltage reduction amount of the second power switch Q2 corresponding to the collected input current of the second power switch Q2 needs to be determined according to the corresponding relationship between the input current of the second power switch Q2 and the voltage reduction amount of the second power switch Q2, and the set output voltage of the buck power module 20 needs to be determined according to the voltage reduction amount of the second power switch Q2 and the set output voltage of the second power switch Q2. The set output voltage of the second power switch Q2 is the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilization circuit. Moreover, the set output voltage of the buck power module 20 is equal to the sum of the set output voltage of the second power switch Q2 and the voltage reduction amount of the second power switch Q2.

[0061] Because the maximum power of the selected second power switch tube Q2 is certain, that is, in the case that the voltage reduction of the second power switch tube Q2 is the same, the greater the input current of the second power switch tube Q2, the greater the power consumption of the second power switch tube Q2, therefore, in order to avoid the power consumption of the second power switch tube Q2 being too large, the greater the input current of the second power switch tube Q2, the smaller the voltage reduction of the second power switch tube Q2, that is, the input current of the second power switch tube Q2 needs to be inversely proportional to the voltage reduction of the second power switch tube Q2.

[0062] In addition, the voltage reduction of the second power switch tube Q2 is in a preset range, which means that the voltage reduction of the power switch tube is between the preset maximum voltage reduction and minimum voltage reduction, so that the second power switch tube Q2 works in the variable resistance region and has sufficient adjustment space when the load fluctuates. Based on this, the maximum voltage reduction and minimum voltage reduction of the second power switch tube Q2 can be set by setting the maximum voltage difference and minimum voltage difference of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, so as to realize fine adjustment of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit in the preset range, so that the output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit has higher stability, wider range and higher control precision.

[0063] It can be understood that the voltage stabilizing power module 21 in the embodiments of the present application can also include a plurality of parallel power switch tubes or power modules, etc. In addition, the power switch tube in the embodiments of the present application can be a MOS transistor, or a field effect tube, a triode and an insulated gate bipolar transistor, etc.

[0064] It should be noted that in some embodiments of the present application, the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit can only include one voltage reduction power module 20 and one voltage stabilizing power module 21, but the present application is not limited thereto, in other embodiments, the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit can also include a plurality of voltage reduction power modules 20 and a plurality of voltage stabilizing power modules 21, the plurality of voltage reduction power modules 20 and the plurality of voltage stabilizing power modules 21 are connected in sequence, and the set output voltage of the last voltage stabilizing power module 21 is the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit. As described before, according to the set output voltage of the last voltage stabilizing power module 21 and its input signal, the set output voltage of the previous voltage stabilizing power module 21 can be determined, according to the set output voltage of the previous voltage stabilizing power module 21 and its input signal, the set output voltage of the previous voltage stabilizing power module 21 or voltage reduction power module 20 can be determined, and so on, so that the set output voltages of the plurality of voltage reduction power modules 20 and the plurality of voltage stabilizing power modules 21 can be obtained, and then the accurate control of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit can be realized.

[0065] In some embodiments of any of the above-mentioned embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit further comprises a discharging module 25 connected to the voltage reducing power module 20 and the control module 23. The control module 23 is further configured to control the discharging module 24 to discharge the voltage reducing power module 20 when the output voltage of the voltage reducing power module 20 is greater than the set output voltage, and transfer the discharged energy of the voltage reducing power module 20 to the input terminal of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, such as the first input terminal. In this way, the direct current higher than the set output voltage is fed back to the input terminal of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, such as the first input terminal, through the discharging module 25, so as to enhance the dynamic response capability of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit.

[0066] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG. 8, the discharging module 25 comprises a third power switch Q3 and a second diode D2.

[0067] The control terminal of the third power switch Q3 is connected to the output terminal of the control module 23, such as the first control module 231. The first terminal of the third power switch Q3 is connected to the second terminal of the first power switch Q1 of the voltage reducing power module 20. The third power switch Q3 is configured to control the output voltage V DC2 The energy storage path of the first inductor L1 is configured to make the first capacitor C1 release energy when the third power switch Q3 is turned on, make the first inductor L1 store energy when the third power switch Q3 is turned on, and make the first inductor L1 release energy when the third power switch Q3 is turned off, and feed back the energy to the input terminal of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit through the body diode of the first power switch Q1.

[0068] The second terminal of the third power switch Q3 is connected to the anode of the second diode D2, and the cathode of the second diode D2 is connected to the second input terminal of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit. The second diode D2 is configured to make the energy storage path provided by the third power switch Q3 a single path, so as to reduce the power consumption of the third power switch Q3.

[0069] In some embodiments, the control module 23 is further configured to generate a third control signal according to the output voltage of the voltage reducing power module 20. The third control signal is configured to control the third power switch Q3 to be turned on when the output voltage of the voltage reducing power module 20 is greater than the set output voltage.

[0070] In the working process of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, the control module 23, such as the first control module 231, compares the output voltage of the step-down power module 20 with the set output voltage of the step-down power module 20 to generate a fourth control signal. If the output voltage of the step-down power module 20 is greater than the set output voltage of the step-down power module 20, the value of the fourth control signal is 1. If the output voltage of the step-down power module 20 is less than or equal to the set output voltage of the step-down power module 20, the value of the fourth control signal is 0. Then, the fourth control signal is ANDed with the complementary signal of the first control signal to obtain a third control signal, and the third control signal is transmitted to the control end, such as the gate, of the third power switch Q3.

[0071] Taking the first power switch Q1 and the third power switch Q3 as NMOS transistors as an example, when the first control signal is 1, the first power switch Q1 is turned on, the complementary signal of the first control signal is 0, and the value of the third control signal is 0 regardless of the value of the fourth control signal, so that the third power switch Q3 is turned off. The first inductor L1 feeds back the electric energy to the input end of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit through the body diode of the first power switch Q1. When the first control signal is 0, the first power switch Q1 is turned off, the complementary signal of the first control signal is 1, and the value of the third control signal is 1 regardless of the value of the fourth control signal, so that the third power switch Q3 is turned on. The first capacitor C1 releases the electric energy, and the first inductor L1 stores the electric energy. When the output voltage of the step-down power module 20 is less than or equal to the set output voltage of the step-down power module 20, the value of the fourth control signal is 0, and the value of the third control signal is 0 regardless of the value of the first control signal, so that the third power switch Q3 is turned off.

[0072] Suppose that the radio frequency output of the radio frequency power supply is in pulse mode, the frequency of the pulse is 1 kHz, and the duty cycle is 60%. At the pulse-off moment, the output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit rises, as shown in FIG. 9. The output voltage V DC2 of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit has a protrusion. Without the discharging module 25, the protrusion is maintained until the next pulse-on moment. At the next pulse-on moment, the output voltage V DC2 of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit drops, forming a large concave. The concave causes the radio frequency output V RC1 of the radio frequency power supply to drop, and finally causes the radio frequency output V RC1 of the radio frequency power supply to have a poor waveform quality, which seriously affects the process effect of the semiconductor process equipment.

[0073] With the discharging module 25, as shown in FIG. 10, the output voltage V DC3 of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit rapidly drops, so that the protrusion becomes flat. At the next pulse-on moment, the output voltage V DC3substantially unaffected, thereby allowing the RF output VRF of the RF power supply to be RC2 substantially unaffected, thereby allowing the RF output VRF of the RF power supply to be RC2 substantially unaffected, thereby allowing the RF output VRF of the RF power supply to be

[0074] On the basis of any of the above embodiments, some embodiments of the present application further comprise a communication module 26, as shown in FIG. 11, which is a structural schematic diagram of another adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication module 26 can be connected with the RF module. The communication module 26 is configured to receive a voltage setting instruction sent by the RF module, obtain a set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit according to the voltage setting instruction, and transmit the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit to the control module 23. The communication module 26 is further configured to receive state information fed back by the control module 23 and send the state information to the RF module. The state information can include output voltages of the power modules and the like. Of course, the present application is not limited thereto. In some other embodiments, the control module can directly receive the voltage setting instruction and the feedback state information and the like.

[0075] As another implementation of the present application, an embodiment of the present application discloses a RF power supply, as shown in FIG. 12, which is a structural schematic diagram of a RF power supply according to an embodiment of the present application. The RF power supply comprises an AC-DC conversion module, a DC-DC conversion module and an RF module. The DC-DC conversion module comprises the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit according to any of the above embodiments. The RF module comprises an RF power module and an RF control module.

[0076] The AC-DC conversion module is configured to convert an input AC power into a first DC power V DC1 The communication module 25 of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit receives an instruction of the RF control module, obtains a set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit according to the instruction, and transmits the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit to the control module 23. The control module 23 determines set output voltages of the step-down power module and the voltage stabilizing power module according to the input signal of the voltage stabilizing power module and the received set output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit, and controls the output voltages of the step-down power module and the voltage stabilizing power module to be the set output voltages thereof, so that the output voltage of the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit is the set output voltage thereof. That is, the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit is configured to convert the first DC power V DC1 into a third DC power V DC3 , and make the voltage of the third DC power V DC3 be the set output voltage thereof. The RF control module controls the RF power module to convert the third DC power V DC3converts the AC power to transmit the AC power to a process chamber of a semiconductor process equipment and excite a process gas in the process chamber into a plasma.

[0077] In some embodiments of the present application, the radio frequency module, such as the radio frequency control module, is further configured to receive a voltage setting instruction sent by the host computer and send the voltage setting instruction to the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit. The radio frequency module, such as the radio frequency control module, is further configured to receive state information fed back by the adjustable voltage stabilizing circuit and send the state information to the host computer. The host computer can be a host computer of a semiconductor process equipment where the radio frequency power supply is located.

[0078] As another implementation of the present application, a semiconductor process equipment is disclosed in the present application. As shown in FIG. 13, the semiconductor process equipment includes an upper radio frequency power supply 31, a lower radio frequency power supply 41, a first matching device 32, a second matching device 42, a process chamber 1, a gas inlet assembly 2, a gas extraction assembly (not shown in the figure), an upper electrode assembly, a lower electrode assembly, and a controller (not shown in the figure), etc.

[0079] The upper radio frequency power supply 31 and / or the lower radio frequency power supply 41 is the radio frequency power supply disclosed in any of the above embodiments. The upper radio frequency power supply 31 provides radio frequency power to the upper electrode assembly through the first matching device 32, and the first matching device 32 is configured to achieve impedance matching between the upper radio frequency power supply 31 and the process chamber 1. The lower radio frequency power supply 41 provides radio frequency power to the lower electrode assembly through the second matching device 42, and the second matching device 42 is configured to achieve impedance matching between the lower radio frequency power supply 41 and the process chamber 1.

[0080] The gas inlet assembly 2 is configured to introduce gas into the process chamber 1, and the gas includes etching gas, etc. The controller is configured to control opening or closing of an electronic valve of the gas inlet assembly 2 to control the gas inlet assembly 2 to start or stop introducing gas into the process chamber 1.

[0081] The gas extraction assembly is configured to extract gas in the process chamber 1, and the gas includes byproduct gas generated after etching reaction, etc. The controller is further configured to control opening or closing of an electronic valve of the gas extraction assembly to control the gas extraction assembly to start or stop extracting gas in the process chamber 1. In addition, the controller is further configured to control the size of the valve of the electronic valve of the gas inlet assembly 2 and the size of the valve of the electronic valve of the gas extraction assembly to control the chamber pressure of the process chamber 1.

[0082] The upper electrode assembly includes a radio frequency coil 33. The upper radio frequency power source 31 can be electrically connected to the radio frequency coil 33 above the process chamber 1 through the first matching device 32, for loading radio frequency power to the radio frequency coil 33, so that the radio frequency coil 33 couples radio frequency power into the process chamber 1 through the dielectric window 5, and ionizes the gas in the process chamber 1 into plasma 6. The controller can also be used to control the amount of radio frequency power loaded by the upper radio frequency power source 31 to the radio frequency coil 33 through the first matching device 32.

[0083] The lower electrode assembly includes a support device 43, which includes an electrostatic chuck and the like. The lower radio frequency power source 41 is electrically connected to the support device 43 through the second matching device 42, for applying bias power to the support device 43. The support device 43 is used to support the device to be prepared 7, such as a wafer, and to heat or cool the device to be prepared 7 according to the bias power.

[0084] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described, but as long as the combinations of the technical features do not exist contradictions, they should be considered as the scope of the present disclosure.

[0085] The above embodiments only express several implementation manners of the present disclosure, and the description is specific and detailed, but it should not be understood as a limitation on the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that for ordinary skilled persons in the art, without departing from the concept of the present disclosure, a number of modifications and improvements can be made, which are all within the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present disclosure should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. An adjustable voltage regulator circuit, characterized in that, It includes a step-down power module, a regulated power module, a first acquisition module, and a control module; The step-down power module and the voltage-regulating power module are connected in sequence. The step-down power module is used to step down the input voltage of the adjustable voltage regulator circuit, and the voltage-regulating power module is used to step down and regulate the output voltage of the step-down power module. The first acquisition module is used to acquire the input signal of the voltage-regulated power module and transmit the input signal of the voltage-regulated power module to the control module; The control module is used to determine the set output voltage of the buck power module and the regulated power module respectively based on the input signal of the regulated power module and the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage regulator circuit, and to control the actual output voltage of the buck power module and the regulated power module to be respectively their set output voltage.

2. The adjustable voltage regulator circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control module is used to determine the actual voltage drop of the voltage regulator module corresponding to the acquired input signal of the voltage regulator module based on the correspondence between the input signal of the voltage regulator module and the voltage drop of the voltage regulator module, and to determine the set output voltage of the buck power module based on the actual voltage drop of the voltage regulator module and the set output voltage of the voltage regulator module; the set output voltage of the voltage regulator module is the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage regulator circuit; The voltage drop of the voltage regulator module is inversely proportional to the input signal of the voltage regulator module. The voltage drop of the voltage regulator module is within a preset range. Furthermore, the set output voltage of the voltage regulator module is equal to the sum of the set output voltage of the voltage regulator module and the voltage drop of the voltage regulator module.

3. The adjustable voltage regulator circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control module includes a first control module and a second control module; The second control module is used to determine the set output voltage of the voltage regulator module based on the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage regulator circuit, control the actual output voltage of the voltage regulator module to be the set output voltage of the voltage regulator module, and transmit the set output voltage of the voltage regulator module to the first control module. The first control module is used to determine the actual step-down amount corresponding to the collected input signal of the voltage regulator module based on the correspondence between the input signal of the voltage regulator module and the step-down amount of the voltage regulator module, and to determine the set output voltage of the step-down power module based on the actual step-down amount of the voltage regulator module and the set output voltage of the voltage regulator module, and to control the actual output voltage of the step-down power module to be the set output voltage of the step-down power module.

4. The adjustable voltage regulator circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that, The adjustable voltage regulator circuit also includes a second acquisition module; The first acquisition module is used to acquire the output voltage of the buck power module and transmit the output voltage of the buck power module to the first control module; The second acquisition module is also used to acquire the output voltage of the voltage-regulated power module and transmit the output voltage of the voltage-regulated power module to the second control module; The first control module is further configured to generate a first control signal based on the set output voltage of the buck power module and the acquired output voltage of the buck power module; the first control signal is used to control the actual output voltage of the buck power module to be the set output voltage of the buck power module; The second control module is further configured to generate a second control signal based on the set output voltage of the voltage regulator module and the acquired output voltage; the second control signal is used to control the actual output voltage of the voltage regulator module to be the set output voltage of the voltage regulator module.

5. The adjustable voltage regulator circuit according to claim 4, characterized in that, The step-down power module includes a first power switch, a first inductor, a first capacitor, and a first diode; the voltage-regulated power module includes a second power switch and a second capacitor. The control terminal of the first power switch is connected to the output terminal of the first control module. The first terminal of the first power switch is used to receive the input voltage of the first input terminal of the adjustable voltage regulator circuit. The second terminal of the first power switch is connected to the first terminal of the first inductor. The second terminal of the first inductor is connected to the first terminal of the first capacitor. The second terminal of the first capacitor is connected to the second input terminal of the adjustable voltage regulator circuit. The input voltage of the second input terminal is less than the input voltage of the first input terminal. The cathode of the first diode is connected to the first terminal of the first inductor, and the anode of the first diode is connected to the second input terminal. The second terminal of the first inductor is connected to the output terminal of the buck power module. The first control signal controls the output voltage of the buck power module by controlling the on-time or off-time of the first power switch. The control terminal of the second power switch is connected to the output terminal of the second control module, the first terminal of the second power switch is connected to the output terminal of the buck power module, the second terminal of the second power switch is connected to the first terminal of the second capacitor, the second terminal of the second capacitor is connected to the second input terminal, and the second terminal of the second power switch is connected to the output terminal of the voltage regulator module. The second control signal controls the output voltage of the voltage regulator module by controlling the on-state voltage of the second power switch.

6. The adjustable voltage regulator circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The adjustable voltage regulator circuit also includes a discharge module; the discharge module is connected to the step-down power module and the control module. The control module is also used to control the discharge module to discharge the buck power module when the output voltage of the buck power module is greater than its set output voltage, and to transfer the electrical energy released by the buck power module to the input terminal of the adjustable voltage regulator circuit.

7. The adjustable voltage regulator circuit according to claim 6, characterized in that, The discharge module includes a third power switch and a second diode; the control terminal of the third power switch is connected to the output terminal of the control module, the first terminal of the third power switch is connected to the second terminal of the first power switch of the step-down power module, the second terminal of the third power switch is connected to the positive terminal of the second diode, and the negative terminal of the second diode is connected to the second input terminal of the adjustable voltage regulator circuit.

8. The adjustable voltage regulator circuit according to claim 7, characterized in that, The control module is also used to generate a third control signal based on the output voltage of the buck power module; the third control signal is used to control the third power switch to turn on when the output voltage of the buck power module is greater than its set output voltage.

9. The adjustable voltage regulator circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustable voltage regulator circuit also includes a communication module; the communication module is used to receive a voltage setting command, obtain the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage regulator circuit according to the voltage setting command, and transmit the set output voltage of the adjustable voltage regulator circuit to the control module; the communication module is also used to receive status information fed back by the control module.

10. A radio frequency power supply, characterized in that, include: An AC-DC converter module, a DC-DC converter module, and an RF module are provided. The AC-DC converter module is used to convert input AC power into a first DC power. The DC-DC converter module includes an adjustable voltage regulator circuit as described in any one of claims 1 to 9. The adjustable voltage regulator circuit is used to convert the first DC power into a third DC power and set the voltage of the third DC power as its set output voltage. The RF module is used to convert the third DC power into AC power.

11. The radio frequency power supply according to claim 10, characterized in that, The radio frequency module is also used to receive a voltage setting command sent by the host computer and send the voltage setting command to the adjustable voltage regulator circuit so that the output voltage of the adjustable voltage regulator circuit is the set output voltage; the radio frequency module is also used to receive the status information fed back by the adjustable voltage regulator circuit and send the status information to the host computer.

12. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, The device includes the radio frequency power supply, matching unit, and process chamber as described in claim 10 or 11, wherein the radio frequency power supply is used to provide power to the process chamber, and the matching unit is used to achieve impedance matching between the radio frequency power supply and the process chamber.

Images