Radio frequency power supply and semiconductor process device

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a radio frequency power supply and a semiconductor process device, the radio frequency power supply comprising: a power supply voltage control sub-module, connected to a switching power supply module and used for controlling a direct current output voltage of the switching power supply module; a radio frequency control sub-module, connected to a radio frequency module and used for controlling the power and frequency of a radio frequency signal output by the radio frequency module; a power sampling sub-module, connected to the radio frequency module and used for acquiring a power feedback value of the radio frequency signal output by the radio frequency module; and a processor sub-module, connected to the power supply voltage control sub-module, the radio frequency control sub-module and the power sampling sub-module and used for, on the basis of the power feedback value and the frequency of the radio frequency signal, outputting a control signal to the power supply voltage control sub-module and the radio frequency control sub-module, so that the radio frequency module outputs a required radio frequency signal. The embodiments of the present application can improve the output efficiency of the radio frequency module.

Description

A radio frequency power supply and semiconductor process equipment Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a radio frequency power supply and a semiconductor process equipment. Background Technology

[0002] An RF power supply is an energy conversion device that converts AC input power into RF power. Its hardware mainly consists of three parts: an RF module, a control module, and a switching power supply module. The RF module outputs the 13.56MHz drive signal after filtering, amplification, and power combining. The control module is responsible for RF power closed-loop control, RF drive signal control, and switching power supply voltage control. The switching power supply module is responsible for converting AC input power into DC power required by the RF module and the control module.

[0003] Traditional RF power supply control modules use analog control schemes, but this approach suffers from slow response and cannot achieve pulse output of RF power. Furthermore, it cannot set the frequency to achieve rapid frequency sweeping. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, embodiments of this application are proposed to provide an RF power supply and a semiconductor process apparatus that overcome or at least partially solve the above problems.

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, in a first aspect of this application, an embodiment discloses a radio frequency (RF) power supply, comprising: a control module, a switching power supply module, and an RF module. The switching power supply module provides a DC output voltage to the RF module, and the RF module outputs a desired RF signal. The control module includes:

[0006] A power supply voltage control submodule is connected to the switching power supply module and is used to control the DC output voltage of the switching power supply module.

[0007] A radio frequency control submodule, connected to the radio frequency module, is used to control the power and frequency of the radio frequency signal output by the radio frequency module;

[0008] A power sampling submodule, connected to the radio frequency module, is used to collect the power feedback value of the radio frequency signal output by the radio frequency module;

[0009] The processor submodule, connected to the power supply voltage control submodule, the radio frequency control submodule, and the power sampling submodule, is used to output control signals to the power supply voltage control submodule and the radio frequency control submodule based on the power feedback value and the frequency of the radio frequency signal, so that the radio frequency module outputs the required radio frequency signal.

[0010] In some embodiments, the radio frequency module includes: a radio frequency circuit, a sampling circuit, and a radio frequency output circuit connected in sequence;

[0011] The radio frequency circuit is connected to the switching power supply module and the radio frequency control submodule;

[0012] The sampling circuit is used to collect the feedback values ​​of the forward power and reflected power output by the radio frequency circuit and send them to the power sampling submodule;

[0013] The radio frequency output circuit is used to output the radio frequency signal.

[0014] In some embodiments, the radio frequency control submodule includes:

[0015] A bias control submodule, connected to the radio frequency module, is used to control the bias voltage of the radio frequency module in order to control the power of the radio frequency signal;

[0016] A frequency control submodule, connected to the radio frequency module, is used to control the frequency of the radio frequency signal.

[0017] In some embodiments, the radio frequency signal is a sine wave signal, and the frequency control submodule includes:

[0018] A direct digital synthesis circuit, connected to the radio frequency module and the processor submodule, is used to generate the sine wave signal;

[0019] A comparator circuit, connected to the direct digital synthesis circuit, is used to convert the sine wave signal into a square wave signal, which is used to control the output frequency of the radio frequency module.

[0020] In some embodiments, the power sampling submodule includes:

[0021] An input filtering circuit, connected to the sampling circuit, is used to filter the power feedback value;

[0022] An analog-to-digital converter circuit, connected to the input filtering circuit and the processor submodule, is used to perform analog-to-digital conversion on the filtered power feedback value to generate a digital power feedback value, and input the digital power feedback value to the processor submodule.

[0023] In some embodiments, the input filtering module includes:

[0024] A filtering circuit, connected to the sampling circuit, is used to filter the power feedback value;

[0025] The multiplier circuit, connected to the filter circuit, is used to adjust the filtered power feedback value to a positive value.

[0026] In some embodiments, the input filtering module further includes:

[0027] A follower circuit, located between the multiplier circuit and the analog-to-digital converter circuit, is used to impedance match the signals of the multiplier circuit and the analog-to-digital converter circuit.

[0028] In some embodiments, the input filtering module further includes:

[0029] A voltage divider circuit, located between the filter circuit and the multiplier circuit, is used to divide the voltage of the multiplier circuit.

[0030] In some embodiments, the processor submodule is further configured to receive a control mode signal.

[0031] When the control mode signal is efficiency-first, the control signal is output to the power supply voltage control submodule to control the radio frequency signal output by the radio frequency module through the DC output voltage; or

[0032] When the control mode signal is response time priority, the control signal is output to the bias control submodule to control the radio frequency signal output by the radio frequency module through the bias voltage.

[0033] In a second aspect of this application, embodiments of this application disclose a semiconductor process apparatus, including a radio frequency power supply, a radio frequency matching unit, and a process chamber as described above, wherein the radio frequency power supply is connected to the radio frequency electrodes of the process chamber through the radio frequency matching unit.

[0034] The embodiments of this application have the following advantages:

[0035] This embodiment of the application uses a power supply voltage control submodule connected to the switching power supply module to control the DC output voltage of the switching power supply module; an RF control submodule connected to the RF module to control the power and frequency of the RF signal output by the RF module; a power sampling submodule connected to the RF module to collect the power feedback value of the RF signal output by the RF module; and a processor submodule connected to the power supply voltage control submodule, the RF control submodule, and the power sampling submodule to output control signals to the power supply voltage control submodule and the RF control submodule based on the power feedback value and the frequency of the RF signal, so that the RF module outputs the required RF signal. By controlling the voltage of the RF module through the RF control submodule, the power and frequency of the RF module can be quickly controlled, thereby reducing the response time. By controlling the DC output voltage of the switching power supply module through the power supply voltage control submodule, and using a large voltage to control the RF output, the switching power supply module can efficiently output voltage, making the RF power output of the RF module more stable, thereby improving output efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of the radio frequency power supply of this application;

[0037] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an RF power supply according to this application;

[0038] Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram of the power supply voltage control submodule of this application;

[0039] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the power supply voltage control submodule of this application;

[0040] Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram of the bias control submodule of this application;

[0041] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the bias control submodule of this application;

[0042] Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram of the frequency control submodule of this application;

[0043] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the frequency control submodule of this application;

[0044] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram of the power sampling submodule of this application;

[0045] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the power sampling submodule of this application;

[0046] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor process equipment embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0047] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0048] Referring to FIG1, a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of the radio frequency power supply of this application is shown, which may specifically include a control module 100, a switching power supply module 200, and a radio frequency module 300. The switching power supply module 200 is used to provide a controllable DC output voltage to the radio frequency module 300, and the radio frequency module 300 is used to output an adjustable radio frequency signal based on the DC output voltage.

[0049] The control module 100 includes:

[0050] The power supply voltage control submodule 110 is connected to the switching power supply module 200 and is used to control the DC output voltage of the switching power supply module 200.

[0051] The radio frequency control submodule 120 is connected to the radio frequency module 300 and is used to control the power and frequency of the radio frequency signal output by the radio frequency module 300.

[0052] The power sampling submodule 130 is connected to the radio frequency module 300 and is used to collect the power feedback value of the radio frequency signal output by the radio frequency module 300.

[0053] The processor submodule 140 is connected to the power supply voltage control submodule 110, the radio frequency control submodule 120 and the power sampling submodule 130, and is used to output control signals to the power supply voltage control submodule 110 and the radio frequency control submodule 120 based on the power feedback value and the frequency of the radio frequency signal, so that the radio frequency module 300 outputs the required radio frequency signal.

[0054] The power supply voltage control submodule 110 controls the DC output voltage of the switching power supply module 200 through an output voltage control signal. The radio frequency control submodule 120 can directly output a small voltage control signal to control the power and frequency of the radio frequency signal output by the radio frequency module 300. The power sampling submodule 130 can collect the forward power and reflected power as power feedback values, which are used for closed-loop control of the radio frequency.

[0055] In this embodiment, a power supply voltage control submodule 110 is connected to a switching power supply module 200 to control the DC output voltage of the switching power supply module 200; an RF control submodule 120 is connected to an RF module 300 to control the power and frequency of the RF signal output by the RF module 300; a power sampling submodule 130 is connected to the RF module 300 to collect the power feedback value of the RF signal output by the RF module 300; and a processor submodule 140 is connected to the power supply voltage control submodule 110, the RF control submodule 120, and the power sampling submodule 130 to output control signals to the power supply voltage control submodule 110 and the RF control submodule 120 based on the power feedback value and the frequency of the RF signal, so that the RF module 300 outputs the required RF signal. The RF module 300 can be quickly controlled by the RF control submodule 120 to control its power and frequency, thereby reducing the response time. The DC output voltage of the switching power supply module 200 can be controlled by the power supply voltage control submodule 110. By using a large voltage to control the RF output, the switching power supply module 200 can output voltage efficiently, so that the RF power output of the RF module 300 is more stable, thereby improving the output efficiency.

[0056] Specifically, the radio frequency control submodule 120 includes:

[0057] Referring to Figure 2, the bias control submodule 121 is connected to the RF module 300 and is used to control the bias voltage of the RF module 300. The bias control submodule 121 is used to control the bias voltage of the RF module 300 to control the power of the RF signal.

[0058] The frequency control submodule 122 is connected to the radio frequency module 300 and is used to control the frequency of the radio frequency signal.

[0059] The RF control submodule 120 specifically includes a bias control submodule 121 and a frequency control submodule 122. The bias control submodule 121 controls the bias voltage of the RF module 300 via a bias voltage control signal to control the power of the RF signal. The frequency control submodule 122 controls the frequency of the RF output power based on the output DDS (Direct Digital Synthesis) frequency signal. By setting the frequency of the RF output power, impedance matching can be achieved in as little as 5ms. The control module 100 can generate the RF frequency through the output of the frequency control submodule 120.

[0060] For example, when the control module 100 receives the DDS frequency signal, it generates a square wave signal with a frequency of 13.56MHz and an amplitude of ±5V. The 13.56MHz square wave signal is filtered into a sine wave signal of ±5V by the internal filter circuit of the RF circuit. The sine wave signal is then amplified by the internal amplifier circuit of the RF circuit to generate an RF power signal. The amplification factor of the output load and the amplifier circuit varies according to the set power.

[0061] Specifically, the control module 100 may include a processor submodule 140, which, together with the power supply voltage control submodule 110, bias control submodule 121, frequency control submodule 122, and power sampling submodule 130, may also include an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc., and this embodiment does not impose specific limitations.

[0062] The specific connection relationships are as follows: processor submodule 140 is connected to power supply voltage control submodule 110 to generate power supply voltage control signals for controlling the switching power supply voltage; processor submodule 140 is connected to bias control submodule 121 to generate bias control signals for controlling RF output power; processor submodule 140 is connected to frequency control submodule 122 to generate digital frequency signals for controlling the frequency of RF output power; and processor submodule 140 is connected to power sampling submodule 130 to collect feedback values ​​of forward power and reflected power output by RF circuit 310.

[0063] In one embodiment of this application, referring to FIG2, the radio frequency module 300 includes: a radio frequency circuit 310, a sampling circuit 320 and a radio frequency output circuit 330 connected in sequence; the radio frequency circuit 310 is connected to the switching power supply module 200 and the radio frequency control submodule 121; the sampling circuit 320 is used to collect the feedback values ​​of the forward power and reflected power output by the radio frequency circuit 310 and send them to the power sampling submodule 130; the radio frequency output circuit 330 is used to output radio frequency signals.

[0064] The RF power output can be generated using the DC output voltage provided by the switching power supply module 200, the bias voltage provided by the bias control submodule 121, and the DDS frequency signal provided by the frequency control submodule 122. The RF circuit 310 can generate an initial RF signal based on the DC output voltage of the switching power supply module 200 or the bias voltage output by the bias control submodule 121. The RF circuit 310 determines the RF frequency based on the output of the frequency control submodule 122.

[0065] The output of the RF circuit 310 is connected to the input of the sampling circuit 320, thereby sampling the forward and reflected power feedback values ​​of the RF circuit 310 and providing them to the control module 100 to achieve closed-loop control. The output of the sampling circuit 320 is connected to the RF output circuit 330 to achieve RF power output. The closed-loop control can be any closed-loop control method used in practical applications, such as PID (proportional, integral, derivative) closed-loop control. Through PID closed-loop control, the shortest RF control cycle can be as short as 10µs, shortening the control cycle, increasing the control frequency, and thus improving the dynamic response performance of the power supply.

[0066] Specifically, the processor submodule 140 is also used to receive control mode signals. When the control mode signal is efficiency priority, it outputs a control signal to the power supply voltage control submodule 110 to control the radio frequency signal output by the radio frequency module 300 through the DC output voltage. When the control mode signal is response time priority, it outputs a control signal to the bias control submodule 121 to control the radio frequency signal output by the radio frequency module 300 through the bias voltage.

[0067] In one embodiment of this application, the power supply voltage control submodule 110 can convert the target power supply output voltage into a digital target power supply output voltage. The power supply voltage control submodule 110 is used to convert the digital target power supply output voltage into an analog power supply output voltage signal to control the power supply output voltage.

[0068] Specifically, referring to Figure 2, the control module 100 is connected to the switching power supply module 200 via the VBUS signal to control its DC output voltage. The switching power supply module 200 provides the DC output voltage to the radio frequency module 300. The control module 100 is connected to the radio frequency circuit 310 via the Bias signal and the DDS frequency signal to control its power and frequency. The forward power and reflected power feedback values ​​provided by the radio frequency circuit 310 are fed back to the control module 100 to realize the PID closed-loop control of the control module 100.

[0069] Referring to FIG3, an exemplary embodiment of the power supply voltage control submodule 110 of this application is shown. The power supply voltage control submodule 110 includes a first digital-to-analog converter circuit 111, a first digital-to-analog converter output filter circuit 112, and a first digital-to-analog converter output interface 113. The processor submodule 140 controls the digital-to-analog converter circuit 1111 of the first digital-to-analog converter circuit 1111 to output a variable voltage value through the SPI interface. The voltage value range is 0 to 2V. This voltage is then filtered by the first digital-to-analog converter output filter circuit 1111. The voltage value after being amplified 2.5 times by the follower circuit 1121 and amplifier circuit 1122 is in the range of 0-5V. After high-frequency noise is filtered out by the low-pass filter circuit 1123 of the first digital-to-analog converter output filter circuit 112, it is output to the first digital-to-analog converter output interface 113, and then to the control interface of the switching power supply module 200. The 0-5V control voltage corresponds to the output voltage of the switching power supply module 200 being 0-100V. The voltage reference circuit 1112 provides a high-precision, low-temperature-drift voltage reference for the digital-to-analog converter circuit 1111. The power supply voltage control submodule 110 can quickly generate a high-power radio frequency signal, thus enabling power output control when power control priority is required.

[0070] More specifically, as shown in Figure 4, an exemplary embodiment of the power supply voltage control submodule 110 of this application is illustrated, comprising a digital-to-analog converter circuit 1111, a voltage reference circuit 1112, a follower circuit 1121, an amplifier circuit 1122, a low-pass filter circuit 1123, and a first digital-to-analog converter output interface 130. The digital-to-analog converter circuit 1111 includes a U3 chip, which converts digital signals into analog voltage values. The output voltage range is set to 0–2V. Its control terminal is connected to the processor submodule 140, its voltage reference input terminal is connected to the voltage reference circuit 1112, and its output terminal is connected to the follower circuit 1121. Pins 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the U3 chip are SPI control pins. Do not connect to the I / O pins of processor submodule 140. Pin 6 of chip U3 is the input pin for voltage reference, connected to the voltage reference output pin 2 of chip U4 (voltage reference source). Pin 7 of U3 is the output pin for analog voltage, connected to the non-inverting input pin 3 of chip U2. Pin 8 of chip U3 is the ground pin for power supply, connected to GND. Pin 9 of chip U3 is the power supply pin, connected to VCC power supply. Voltage reference circuit 1112 includes chip U4, whose function is to provide a high-precision voltage reference source for DAC chip. The output voltage reference is 2.5V, and its output is connected to digital-to-analog converter circuit 1111. Pin 1 of chip U4 is the power supply pin, connected to VCC power supply. Pin 3 of U4 is the power supply ground pin, connected to GND. Pin 2 of chip U4 is the reference voltage output pin, with an output voltage of 2.5V, and is connected to pin 6 of U3. The follower circuit 1121 includes operational amplifier chip U2 to implement the follower function, ensuring that the output voltage range is consistent with the input range of 0-2V. The output terminal of chip U2 is connected to amplifier circuit 1122. Pin 3 of the non-inverting input terminal of chip U2 is connected to the output terminal of digital-to-analog converter circuit 1111. Pin 4 of chip U2 is the power supply pin, connected to VCC. Pin 8 of chip U2 is the power supply ground pin, connected to GND. Pin 2 of the inverting input terminal of chip U2 is connected to output pin 1 of chip U2. Output pin 1 of chip U2 is connected to the subsequent stage. Amplifier circuit 1122 includes a U1 chip, resistors R1, R2, and R4. It amplifies the input voltage by 2.5 times and has an output range of 0–5V. It is connected to the subsequent low-pass filter circuit 1123. The non-inverting input pin 3 of the U1 chip is connected to one end of resistor R4, and the other end of resistor R4 is connected to the output of the follower circuit 1121. The inverting input pin 2 of the U1 chip is connected to the common terminal of resistors R2 and R1. The other end of resistor R2 is connected to GND, and the other end of resistor R1 is connected to the output pin 1 of the U1 chip. The ratio of resistors R2 and R1 determines the amplification factor of the amplifier. In one example of this embodiment, the amplification factor is 2.The amplifier circuit 1122 has a voltage range of 0-5V and a high-frequency noise reduction capability. The low-pass filter circuit 1123 includes a resistor R3, a capacitor C1, and an inductor L1. Its output is connected to the switching power supply module 200 via a first digital-to-analog converter output interface 113. The output of the amplifier circuit 1122 is connected to one end of the resistor R3. The other end of the resistor R3 is connected to one end of the capacitor C1 and one end of the inductor L1. The other end of the capacitor C1 is connected to GND, and the other end of the inductor L1 is connected to the first digital-to-analog converter output interface 113.

[0071] Furthermore, the bias control submodule 121 is used to convert the digital target bias voltage into an analog bias voltage signal to control the bias voltage. Referring to FIG5, an exemplary embodiment of the bias control submodule 121 of this application is shown. The bias control submodule 121 includes a second digital-to-analog converter circuit 1211, a second digital-to-analog converter output filter circuit 1212, and a second digital-to-analog converter output interface 1213. The processor submodule 140 controls the analog-to-digital converter circuit 12111 of the second digital-to-analog converter circuit 1211 to output a variable voltage value via an SPI interface. The voltage range is 0 to 2V. After the voltage is amplified 10 times inversely by the follower circuit 12121 and the amplifier circuit 12122 of the second digital-to-analog converter output filter circuit 1212, the output voltage range is 11V to -9V. Then, this voltage is output to the second digital-to-analog converter output interface 1213. Rapid, small-range power regulation can be achieved by fine-tuning the bias voltage. Switching directly to -11V by lowering the bias voltage allows for rapid shutdown of RF power. Switching between the target bias voltage and -11V enables stable output of high-frequency, low-duty-cycle pulse power in pulse mode.

[0072] More specifically, referring to FIG6, an exemplary embodiment of the bias control submodule 121 of this application is shown. The bias control submodule 121 includes a digital-to-analog converter circuit 12111 of the second digital-to-analog converter circuit 12111, a voltage reference circuit 12112, a follower circuit 12121 of the second digital-to-analog converter output filter circuit 1212, an amplifier circuit 12122, and an output interface 1213. The digital-to-analog converter circuit 12111 of the second digital-to-analog converter circuit 1211 includes a U7 chip, which converts digital signals into analog voltage values. The output voltage range is set to 0–2V. Its control terminal is connected to the processor submodule 140, its voltage reference input terminal is connected to the voltage reference circuit 12112, and its output terminal is connected to the follower circuit 12121. Pins 2, 3, 4, and 5 of U7 are SPI control pins, respectively connected to the processor... The IO pins of submodule 140 are connected. Pin 6 of chip U7 is the input pin for power reference and is connected to pin 2 of the voltage reference output of chip U8 (voltage reference source). Pin 7 of chip U7 is the output pin for analog voltage and is connected to pin 3 of the inverting input of chip U6. Pin 8 of chip U7 is the ground pin for power supply and is connected to GND. Pin 9 of chip U7 is the power supply pin for power supply and is connected to VCC power supply. Voltage reference circuit 12112 includes chip U8, which provides a high-precision voltage reference source for DAC chip. The output voltage reference is 2.5V, and its output is connected to DAC circuit. Pin 1 of chip U8 is the power supply pin for power supply and is connected to VCC power supply. Pin 3 of chip U8 is the ground input pin for power supply and is connected to GND. Pin 2 of chip U8 is the output pin for reference voltage, which is 2.5V and is connected to pin 6 of U7. The follower circuit 12121 includes a U6 chip (operational amplifier) ​​to implement the follower function. The output voltage range is consistent with the input range of 0-2V. Its output terminal is connected to the amplifier circuit 12122. The amplifier circuit 12122 consists of a U5 chip, resistors R5, R6, R8, and R16. The inverting input pin 2 of the U5 chip is connected to the output terminal of the follower circuit 12121 through resistor R6, and is connected to the output pin 1 of the U5 chip through resistor R5. Resistors R5 and R6 determine the amplification factor of the amplifier circuit 12122. The bias voltage is divided by resistors R8 and R6 and then connected to the non-inverting input pin 3 of the U5 chip. Pin 4 of the U5 chip is the power supply pin connected to VCC, and pin 8 of the U5 chip is the ground pin connected to GND. The output voltage range of the amplifier circuit 12122 is 11 to -9V, and it is connected to the output interface 1213 through resistor R7.

[0073] In one embodiment of this application, the radio frequency signal is a sine wave signal, and the frequency control submodule 122 includes:

[0074] Direct digital synthesis circuit 1221, connected to RF module 300 and processor submodule 140, is used to generate sine wave signals;

[0075] The comparator circuit 1222, connected to the direct digital synthesis circuit 1221, is used to convert a sine wave signal into a square wave signal, which is used to control the output frequency of the radio frequency module 300.

[0076] The frequency control submodule 120 includes a direct digital synthesis circuit 1221 and a comparator circuit 1222. The direct digital synthesis circuit 1221 generates a sine wave signal using its own clock. The comparator circuit 1222 compares the reference signal with the sine wave signal to generate a square wave signal. The square wave signal is used as a digital quantity to control the output frequency of the RF module 300. By setting different frequencies through the frequency control submodule, a rapid frequency sweep function can be achieved.

[0077] Referring to FIG7, an exemplary embodiment of the frequency control submodule 120 of this application is shown, comprising a direct digital synthesis circuit 1221, a comparator circuit 1222, and a direct digital synthesis output interface 1223. The processor submodule 140 controls the direct digital synthesis circuit 1221 to output sine waves of different frequencies and phases via an SPI interface, with a frequency range of 20–30 MHz and a phase range of 0–360 degrees. A filter circuit 1224 can also be included in the frequency control submodule 120. The signal passes through the filter circuit 1224 to remove high-frequency noise, and the comparator circuit 1222 outputs a square wave signal. Finally, the direct digital synthesis output interface 1223 outputs a square wave signal with a frequency range of 20–30 MHz, an adjustable phase of 0–360 degrees, and a duty cycle of 50%.

[0078] More specifically, referring to FIG8, an exemplary embodiment of the frequency control submodule 120 of this application is shown. The direct digital synthesis circuit 1221 includes a chip U12, a crystal oscillator Y1, resistors R12 and R13. It realizes the output of sine waves with different frequencies and phases through digital control. The output frequency range is 25.764 to 28.476 MHz, and the output phase range is 0 to 360 degrees. Its control terminal is connected to the processor submodule 140, and its output terminal is connected to the filter circuit 1224. Pins 39, 40, 41, and 36 of the chip U12 are the control pins of SPI. These pins are connected to the I / O pins of processor submodule 140, respectively. Pin 9 of chip U12 is the input pin for the crystal clock and is connected to pin 3 of crystal oscillator Y1. Pin 4 of crystal oscillator Y1 is the power supply pin connected to VCC power supply. Pin 1 of crystal oscillator Y1 has no electrical connection. Pin 2 of crystal oscillator Y1 is the ground pin for power supply connected to GND. Pin 43 of chip U12 is the power supply pin for the control interface connected to VCC power supply. Pin 42 of chip U12 is the ground pin for the control interface connected to GND. Pin 21 of chip U12 outputs the positive terminal signal of the differential signal through resistor R12. Pin 20 of the frequency control submodule 12 outputs the negative terminal of the differential signal through resistor R13. The positive and negative terminals of the differential signal are respectively connected to the filter circuit 1224 of the frequency control submodule 120. The filter circuit 1224 includes inductor L4, capacitors C5 and C6, inductor L3, and inductor L5. Its main function is to filter out high-frequency noise signals. Inductor L4 is connected in parallel to the positive and negative terminals of the differential signal, and in parallel with the terminals of capacitors C5 and C6. After being connected in series with inductors L3 and L5, the output is sent to pins 3 and 4 of chip U13. The comparator circuit 1222 includes chip U13, and its main function is to realize the input of sine wave signal to the square. The conversion of the wave signal output involves connecting the positive input pin 3 of chip U13 to the positive terminal of the differential signal output by filter circuit 1224, and the negative input pin 4 of chip U13 to the negative terminal of the differential signal output by filter circuit 1224. Pin 5 of chip U13 is the power supply pin, connected to VCC power supply, and pin 2 of chip U13 is the ground pin, connected to GND. The output pin 1 of chip U13 is connected to the direct digital synthesis output interface 1223 through resistor R14, realizing the output of a square wave signal with a frequency range of 20-30MHz, an adjustable phase of 0-360 degrees, and a duty cycle of 50%.

[0079] In one embodiment of this application, the power sampling submodule 130 includes:

[0080] The input filter circuit 132 is connected to the sampling circuit 320 and is used to filter the power feedback value;

[0081] The analog-to-digital conversion circuit 131 is connected to the input filter circuit 132 and the processor submodule 140. It is used to perform analog-to-digital conversion on the filtered power feedback value to generate a digital power feedback value, and input the digital power feedback value to the processor submodule 140.

[0082] Referring to FIG9, an exemplary embodiment of the power sampling submodule 130 of this application is shown. The signal acquisition input interface 133 is connected to the AC voltage signal coupled out by the directional coupler. After the input filter circuit 132 filters out high-frequency noise and DC components, the voltage is controlled within a reasonable range by the voltage divider circuit 134, and the voltage square signal is obtained by the multiplier circuit 135, which is proportional to the power. After the low-pass filter circuit 136 rectifies it into a DC signal, and after the follower circuit 137 increases its driving capability, the analog voltage is converted into a digital quantity by the analog-to-digital converter circuit 131 and input to the processor submodule 140 through a differential SPI signal to realize real-time power sampling.

[0083] More specifically, referring to FIG10, an exemplary embodiment of the power sampling submodule 130 of this application is shown, comprising a signal acquisition input interface 133, a filter circuit 132, a voltage divider circuit 134, a multiplier circuit 135, a low-pass filter circuit 136, a follower circuit 137, and an analog-to-digital converter circuit 131. The filter circuit 132 includes an inductor L2 and a capacitor C3, and its function is to filter out high-frequency noise and low-frequency DC components. The capacitor C2 of the signal acquisition input interface 133 is connected in series with the inductor L2. The AC signal coupled out by the directional coupler is connected to the inductor L2 through the capacitor C2. One end of the inductor L2 is connected to one end of the capacitor C3, and the other end of the capacitor C3 is connected to GND. The output terminal of the filter circuit 132 is connected to the input terminal of the voltage divider circuit 134. The voltage divider circuit 134 is composed of resistors R9 and R10, which controls its output voltage within a reasonable range. The sampling signal is input through one end of resistor R9, and the other end of resistor R9 is connected to one end of resistor R10 and then output to pin 5 of chip U9. The other end of resistor R10 is connected to GND. Multiplier circuit 135 is composed of chip U9. The function of multiplier circuit 135 is that the output signal is proportional to the square of the input signal. Since the square of the AC voltage coupled by the directional coupler is proportional to the power, it can be concluded that the output signal of multiplier circuit 135 is proportional to the power. Pin 11 of chip U9 is the positive power supply pin, connected to VCC power supply; pin 7 of chip U9 is the negative power supply pin, connected to -VCC power supply; pin 1 of chip U9 is... The power supply ground pin is connected to GND. Pins 2, 3, 4, 14, 15, and 16 of chip U9 have no electrical connection. The output signal of multiplier circuit 135 is connected to low-pass filter circuit 136. Low-pass filter circuit 136 consists of resistor R11 and capacitor C4. One end of resistor R11 is connected to output pin 9 of chip U9. The other end of resistor R11 and one end of capacitor C4 are connected and output to the non-inverting input pin 3 of chip U10 of follower circuit 137. The other end of capacitor C4 is connected to GND.The follower circuit 137 is composed of chip U10, whose main function is to achieve impedance matching between input and output and increase driving capability. Pin 2 of the inverting input of chip U10 is connected to pin 1 of chip U10, and the output is then connected to the voltage input of chip U11 (ADC) in analog-to-digital converter circuit 131. Pin 4 of chip U10 is the positive power supply pin, connected to VCC power supply, and pin 8 of chip U10 is the ground pin, connected to GND. The analog-to-digital converter circuit 131 is composed of chip U11, whose main function is to acquire the voltage signals of forward power and reflected power, convert them into digital signals, and output them to... In processor submodule 140, pin 2 of chip U11 is connected to the voltage signal coupled out from the forward power; pin 3 of chip U11 is connected to GND; pin 4 of chip U11 is connected to the voltage signal coupled out from the reflected power; pin 5 of chip U11 is connected to GND; pins 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, and 22 of chip U11 are SPI interfaces connected to the I / O ports of processor submodule 140; pin 28 of chip U11 is the input of the reference voltage and connected to the VCC power supply; pins 9, 13, 17, 18, 24, and 25 of chip U11 have no electrical connection.

[0084] It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, the method embodiments are all described as a series of actions. However, those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of this application are not limited to the described order of actions, because according to the embodiments of this application, some steps can be performed in other orders or simultaneously. Secondly, those skilled in the art should also understand that the embodiments described in the specification are all preferred embodiments, and the actions involved are not necessarily required by the embodiments of this application.

[0085] Referring to FIG11, a schematic diagram of a semiconductor process equipment embodiment of this application is shown. The semiconductor process equipment specifically includes: an RF power supply 1, an RF matching unit 2, and a process chamber 3 as described above. The RF power supply 1 is connected to the RF electrodes of the process chamber 3 through the RF matching unit 2.

[0086] When the RF power supply 1 is powered on, an RF signal is emitted. The RF signal passes through the RF matching unit 2, where impedance matching is performed. The matched RF signal is then applied to the RF electrodes of the process chamber 3, thereby exciting ionized plasma in the process chamber 3 to process the wafer to be processed.

[0087] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0088] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, apparatus, or computer program products. Therefore, embodiments of this application can take the form of entirely hardware embodiments, entirely software embodiments, or embodiments combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, embodiments of this application can take the form of computer program products implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0089] This application describes embodiments with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, terminal devices (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing terminal device to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing terminal device, create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart illustrations and / or one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

[0090] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing terminal device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0091] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing terminal equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable terminal equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable terminal equipment, provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0092] Although preferred embodiments of the present application have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0093] Finally, it should be noted that in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or terminal device that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or terminal device. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or terminal device that includes said element.

[0094] The above provides a detailed description of the radio frequency power supply and semiconductor process equipment provided in this application. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A radio frequency power supply characterized by, The application relates to a radio frequency (RF) signal generator, which comprises a control module, a switching power supply module and an RF module, wherein the switching power supply module is used for providing a direct current (DC) output voltage to the RF module, and the RF module is used for outputting a required RF signal; the control module comprises a power voltage control sub-module connected with the switching power supply module and used for controlling the DC output voltage of the switching power supply module, an RF control sub-module connected with the RF module and used for controlling the power and frequency of the RF signal output by the RF module, and a power sampling sub-module connected with the RF module and used for collecting a power feedback value of the RF signal output by the RF module; a processor sub-module is connected with the power voltage control sub-module, the RF control sub-module and the power sampling sub-module, and is used for outputting control signals to the power voltage control sub-module and the RF control sub-module based on the power feedback value and the frequency of the RF signal, so that the RF module can output the required RF signal. The RF module comprises an RF circuit, a sampling circuit and an RF output circuit connected in sequence; the RF circuit is connected with the switching power supply module and the RF control sub-module; the sampling circuit is used for collecting feedback values of forward power and reflected power output by the RF circuit and sending the feedback values to the power sampling sub-module; and the RF output circuit is used for outputting the RF signal. The RF control sub-module comprises a bias voltage control sub-module connected with the RF module and used for controlling the bias voltage of the RF module to control the power of the RF signal, and a frequency control sub-module connected with the RF module and used for controlling the frequency of the RF signal. The RF signal is a sine wave signal, and the frequency control sub-module comprises a direct digital synthesis circuit connected with the RF module and the processor sub-module and used for emitting the sine wave signal, and a comparison circuit connected with the direct digital synthesis circuit and used for converting the sine wave signal into a square wave signal used for controlling the output frequency of the RF module. The power sampling sub-module comprises an input filter circuit connected with the sampling circuit and used for filtering the power feedback value, and an analog-digital conversion circuit connected with the input filter circuit and the processor sub-module and used for analog-digital converting the filtered power feedback value to generate a digitalized power feedback value and inputting the digitalized power feedback value into the processor sub-module. The input filter module comprises a filter circuit connected with the sampling circuit and used for filtering the power feedback value, and a multiplier circuit connected with the filter circuit and used for adjusting the filtered power feedback value into a positive value. The input filter module further comprises a follower circuit located between the multiplier circuit and the analog-digital conversion circuit and used for impedance matching the signals of the multiplier circuit and the analog-digital conversion circuit.

2. The radio frequency power source of claim 1, wherein, The input filter module further comprises a voltage division circuit located between the filter circuit and the multiplier circuit and used for voltage dividing the multiplier circuit. The processor sub-module is further used for receiving a control mode signal. ​ ​ 3. The radio frequency power source of claim 1 or 2, wherein, ​ ​ ​ 4. The radio frequency power supply of claim 3, wherein, ​ ​ ​ 5. The radio frequency power source of claim 1 or 2, wherein, ​ ​ ​ 6. The radio frequency power supply of claim 5, wherein, ​ ​ ​ 7. The radio frequency power supply of claim 6, wherein, ​ ​ 8. The radio frequency power source of claim 6 or 7, wherein, ​ ​ 9. The RF power supply of any of claims 3-8, wherein, ​ When the control mode signal is efficiency priority, the control signal is output to the power voltage control sub-module to control the RF signal output by the RF module through the DC output voltage; or When the control mode signal is response time priority, the control signal is output to the bias control sub-module to control the RF signal output by the RF module through the bias voltage.

10. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized by, A RF power supply, a RF matcher and a process chamber are provided, wherein the RF power supply is connected to a RF electrode of the process chamber through the RF matcher.

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