Method of and apparatus for controlling reactive impedances of a matching network connected between an RF source and an RF plasma processor
US5689215A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 23, 1996 |
| Grant date | Nov 18, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 23, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03H7/40
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An r.f. field is supplied by a reactive impedance element to a plasma in a vacuum plasma processing chamber. The element and source are connected via a matching network including first and second variable reactances that control loading of the source and tuning a load, including the reactive impedance element and the plasma, to the source. The values of the first and second variable reactances are changed to determine the amount the first variable reactance is to change for each unit change of the second variable reactance to attain the best match between the impedances seen looking into and out of output terminals of the r.f. source. Then the values of the first and second variable reactances are varied simultaneously based on the determination until the best impedance match between the impedances seen looking into and out of output terminals of the r.f. source is attained.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.