Retuning for impedance matching network control
US12288673B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 3, 2022 |
| Grant date | Apr 29, 2025 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 19, 2043 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2237/332
- WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A physical vapor deposition system may include an RF generator configured to transmit an AC process signal to a physical vapor deposition chamber via an RF matching network. A controller of the RF matching network receives the DC magnitude and phase error signals and varies an impedance of the RF matching network in response to the DC magnitude and phase error signals. The matching network operates in a first mode until a tuning dead-zone is determined. Once a tuning dead-zone is determined, the matching network operates in additional modes until the network is tuned. The controller uses a composite value of magnitude and phase error to drive the variable tuning and load capacitors. In some cases, a blended mode (representing multiple tuning algorithms concurrently) may be implemented as a single mode that weights across what would have been multiple modes and thereby tunes the network using a weighted blended mode.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.