IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,081,317
Granted Patent B2
US 11,081,317 · App. 15/958,470 · Granted Aug 3, 2021

Modular high-frequency source

Inventors: Thai Cheng Chua (Cupertino, CA); Christian Amormino (San Jose, CA); Hanh Nguyen (San Jose, CA); Kallol Bera (San Jose, CA); Philip Allan Kraus (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
H01J37/32201H01J37/32311H01J2237/334H01J2237/335H01J2237/3321H01J2237/3323H03F3/19H03F3/21
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,081,317
App. No.
15/958,470
Filed
Apr 20, 2018
Granted
Aug 3, 2021
Kind
B2
Art Unit
1716
USPC
156/345.38
Abstract

Embodiments include a modular high-frequency emission source. In an embodiment, the modular high-frequency emission source includes a plurality of high-frequency emission modules, where each high-frequency emission module comprises an oscillator module, an amplification module, and an applicator. In an embodiment the oscillator module comprises a voltage control circuit and a voltage controlled oscillator. In an embodiment, the amplification module is coupled to the oscillator module. In an embodiment, the applicator is coupled to the amplification module. In an embodiment, each high-frequency emission module includes a different oscillator module.

Claims (50)

1. A modular high-frequency emission source for a plasma processing apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of high-frequency emission modules, wherein each high-frequency emission module comprises:

an oscillator module comprising:

a voltage control circuit; and a voltage controlled oscillator;

an amplification module, wherein the amplification module is coupled with the oscillator module; and

an applicator, wherein the applicator is coupled to the amplification module, wherein the applicator comprises:

a dielectric resonant cavity that is a dielectric material body;

a monopole antenna extending into a channel in the dielectric material body, wherein an end of the monopole antenna is spaced away from a bottom of the channel;

a housing around the dielectric material body; and

an impedance tuning backshort surrounding the housing and displaceable relative to a top surface of the dielectric material body.

2. The modular high-frequency emission source of claim 1 , wherein each high-frequency emission module includes a different oscillator module.

3. The modular high-frequency emission source of claim 1 , wherein two or more of the high-frequency emission modules share an oscillator module.

4. The modular high-frequency emission source of claim 1 , wherein the high-frequency is a microwave frequency.

5. The modular high-frequency emission source of claim 1 , wherein the oscillator module and the amplification module comprise solid state electronic components.

6. A modular high-frequency emission source for a plasma processing apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of high-frequency emission modules, wherein each high-frequency emission module comprises:

an oscillator module comprising:

a voltage control circuit; and

a voltage controlled oscillator, wherein an output voltage from the voltage control circuit drives oscillation in the voltage controlled oscillator to generate an output high-frequency electromagnetic radiation;

an amplification module, wherein the amplification module is coupled to the oscillator module, wherein the amplification module amplifies the output high-frequency electromagnetic radiation from the voltage controlled oscillator; and

an applicator, wherein the applicator is coupled to the amplification module, wherein the applicator comprises:

a dielectric resonant cavity that is a dielectric material body;

a monopole antenna extending into a channel in the dielectric material body, wherein an end of the monopole antenna is spaced away from a bottom of the channel;

a housing around the dielectric material body; and

an impedance tuning backshort surrounding the housing and displaceable relative to a top surface of the dielectric material body.

7. The modular high-frequency emission source of claim 6 , wherein each high-frequency emission module includes a different oscillator module.

8. The modular high-frequency emission source of claim 7 , wherein the output high-frequency electromagnetic radiation from each of the oscillator modules are at different frequencies.

9. The modular high-frequency emission source of claim 6 , wherein two or more of the high-frequency emission modules share an oscillator module.

10. The modular high-frequency emission source of claim 6 , wherein the high-frequency is a microwave frequency.

11. The modular high-frequency emission source of claim 6 , wherein the output high-frequency electromagnetic radiation excites a plasma.

12. The modular high-frequency emission source of claim 6 , wherein the high-frequency is 0.1 MHz to 300 GHz.

13. The modular high-frequency emission source of claim 6 , wherein the oscillator module and the amplification module comprise solid state electronic components.

14. A processing tool for plasma processing a substrate, comprising:

a processing chamber; and

a modular high-frequency emission source, comprising:

a plurality of high-frequency emission modules, wherein each high-frequency emission module comprises:

an oscillator module, wherein each oscillator module comprises:

a voltage control circuit; and

a voltage controlled oscillator;

an amplification module, wherein the amplification module is coupled to the oscillator module; and

an applicator, wherein the applicator is coupled to the amplification module, and wherein the applicator is positioned opposing a chuck in the processing chamber on which one or more substrates are processed, wherein the applicator comprises:

a dielectric resonant cavity that is a dielectric material body; and

a monopole antenna extending into a channel in the dielectric material body, wherein an end of the monopole antenna is spaced away from a bottom of the channel;

a housing around the dielectric material body; and

an impedance tuning backshort surrounding the housing and displaceable relative to a top surface of the dielectric material body.

15. The processing tool of claim 14 , wherein each high-frequency emission module includes a different oscillator module.

16. The processing tool of claim 14 , wherein two or more of the high-frequency emission modules share an oscillator module.

17. The processing tool of claim 14 , wherein the high-frequency is a microwave frequency.

18. The processing tool of claim 14 , wherein high-frequency electromagnetic radiation emitted from the applicators excites a plasma.

19. The processing tool of claim 14 , wherein the high-frequency is 0.1 MHz to 300 GHz.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2018
From: CHUA, THAI CHENG; AMORMINO, CHRISTIAN; NGUYEN, HANH; BERA, KALLOL; KRAUS, PHILIP ALLAN
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 046850/0750 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190326095A1 · Oct 24, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,324,085