Patent · US Active

System and method for selective coil excitation in inductively coupled plasma processing reactors

US9659751B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
5References
19Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateJul 25, 2014
Grant dateMay 23, 2017
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 27, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J37/32174
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Spatial distribution of RF power delivered to plasma in a processing chamber is controlled using an arrangement of primary and secondary inductors, wherein the current through the secondary inductors affects the spatial distribution of the plasma. The secondary inductors are configured to resonate at respectively different frequencies. A first secondary inductor is selectively excited to resonance, during a first time period within a duty cycle, by delivering power to a primary inductor at the resonant frequency of the first secondary inductor. A second secondary inductor is selectively excited to resonance, during a second time period within a duty cycle, by delivering power to a primary inductor at the resonant frequency of the second secondary inductor. The secondary inductors are isolated from one another and terminated such that substantially all current that passes through them and into the plasma results from mutual inductance with a primary inductor.

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