Patent · US Active

RF impedance matching circuit and systems and methods incorporating same

US10460912B2 · kind B2 · utility

21Cited by
176References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 24, 2018
Grant dateOct 29, 2019
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 24, 2038

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L23/473
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In one embodiment, a semiconductor processing tool includes a plasma chamber and an impedance matching circuit. The matching circuit includes a first electronically variable capacitor having a first variable capacitance, a second electronically variable capacitor having a second variable capacitance, and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to determine a variable impedance of the plasma chamber, determine a first capacitance value for the first electronically variable capacitor and a second capacitance value for the second electronically variable capacitor, and generate a control signal to alter at least one of the first variable capacitance and the second variable capacitance to the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value, respectively. An elapsed time between determining the variable impedance of the plasma chamber to when RF power reflected back to the RF source decreases is less than about 150 μsec.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.