RF IMPEDANCE MATCHING WITH CONTINUOUS WAVE AND PULSING SOURCES

1 . A system comprising:

a continuous wave (CW) radio frequency (RF) source configured to provide a CW RF signal to a load;

a pulsing RF source configured to provide a pulsing RF signal to the load, the pulsing RF signal comprising (a) a first pulse level having a first pulse level time duration, and (b) a second pulse level having a second pulse level time duration;

a matching network operably coupled between the CW RF source and the load, the matching network comprising at least one electronically variable reactance element (EVRE); and

a control circuit operably coupled to (a) the matching network and (b) at least one of the pulsing RF source or a sensor positioned between the pulsing RF source and the load, wherein the control circuit is configured to:

receive one or more signals indicative of values of a parameter of the pulsing RF signal;

for the first pulse level, cause the matching network to impedance match between the CW RF source and the load by altering the at least one EVRE based on a value of the parameter during the first pulse level time duration; and

for the second pulse level, cause the matching network to impedance match between the CW RF source and the load by altering the at least one EVRE based on a value of the parameter during the second pulse level time duration.

2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to repeat the impedance matching for each of the first and second pulse levels as the pulsing RF source alternates between the first pulse level and the second pulse level.

3 . The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second pulse levels of the pulsing RF source are non-zero pulse levels.

4 . The system of claim 1 :

further comprising a second matching network operably coupled between the pulsing RF source and the load, the second matching network comprising at least one EVRE; and

wherein the second matching network is configured to impedance match between the pulsing RF source and the load by:

for the first pulse level, altering the at least one EVRE of the second matching network based on the value of the parameter during the first pulse level time duration; and

for the first second pulse level, altering the at least one EVRE of the second matching network based on the value of the parameter during the second pulse level time duration.

5 . The system of claim 1 wherein the load is a plasma chamber and the parameter comprises a voltage, a current, or a phase between the CW RF source and the matching network.

6 . The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one EVRE of the matching network is an electronically variable capacitor comprising fixed capacitors coupled in parallel and configured to be switched in and out.

7 . The system of claim 1 wherein the impedance matching between the CW RF source and the load is further enabled by altering a frequency of the CW RF signal.

8 . The system of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to:

repeat the impedance matching for each of the first and second pulse levels as the pulsing RF source alternates between the first pulse level and the second pulse level;

using machine learning, learn a pattern for the altering of the at least on EVRE; and

alter the at least one EVRE based on the learned pattern.

9 . A method of impedance matching comprising:

providing, from a CW RF source, a CW RF signal to a load;

providing, from a pulsing RF source, a pulsing RF signal to the load, the pulsing RF signal comprising (a) a first pulse level having a first pulse level time duration, and (b) a second pulse level having a second pulse level time duration;

operably coupling a matching network between the CW RF source and the load, the matching network comprising at least one electronically variable reactance element (EVRE);

operably coupling a control circuit to (a) the matching network and (b) at least one of the pulsing RF source or a sensor positioned between the pulsing RF source and the load;

receiving one or more signals indicative of values of a parameter of the pulsing RF signal;

for the first pulse level, causing the matching network to impedance match between the CW RF source and the load by altering the at least one EVRE based on a value of the parameter during the first pulse level time duration; and

for the second pulse level, causing the matching network to impedance match between the CW RF source and the load by altering the at least one EVRE based on a value of the parameter during the second pulse level time duration.

10 . The method of claim 9 wherein the control circuit repeats the impedance matching for each of the first and second pulse levels as the pulsing RF source alternates between the first pulse level and the second pulse level.

11 . The method of claim 9 wherein the first and second pulse levels of the pulsing RF source are non-zero pulse levels.

12 . The method of claim 9 :

further comprising operably coupling a second matching network between the pulsing RF source and the load, the second matching network comprising at least one EVRE;

wherein the second matching network impedance matches between the pulsing RF source and the load by:

for the first pulse level, altering the at least one EVRE of the second matching network based on the value of the parameter during the first pulse level time duration; and

for the first second pulse level, altering the at least one EVRE of the second matching network based on the value of the parameter during the second pulse level time duration.

13 . The method of claim 9 wherein the load is a plasma chamber and the parameter is a parameter related to the plasma chamber.

14 . The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one EVRE of the matching network is an electronically variable capacitor comprising fixed capacitors coupled in parallel and configured to be switched in and out.

15 . The method of claim 9 wherein the impedance matching between the CW RF source and the load is further enabled by altering a frequency of the CW RF signal.

16 . The method of claim 9 further comprising:

repeating the impedance matching for each of the first and second pulse levels as the pulsing RF source alternates between the first pulse level and the second pulse level;

using machine learning, learning a pattern for the altering of the at least on EVRE; and

altering the at least one EVRE based on the learned pattern.

17 . A semiconductor processing tool comprising:

a plasma chamber configured to deposit a material onto a substrate or etch a material from the substrate; and

a first impedance matching network operably coupled to the plasma chamber and configured to be operably coupled to a CW RF source configured to provide a CW RF signal to the plasma chamber, the first impedance matching network comprising at least one electronically variable reactance element (EVRE); and

a second impedance matching network operably coupled to the plasma chamber and configured to be operably coupled to a pulsing RF source configured to provide a pulsing RF signal to the load, the pulsing RF signal comprising (a) a first pulse level having a first pulse level time duration, and (b) a second pulse level having a second pulse level time duration; and

a control circuit operably coupled to (a) the first impedance matching network and (b) at least one of the pulsing RF source or a sensor positioned between the pulsing RF source and the load, wherein the control circuit is configured to:

receive one or more signals indicative of values of a parameter of the pulsing RF signal;

for the first pulse level, cause the matching network to impedance match between the CW RF source and the load by altering the at least one EVRE based on a value of the parameter during the first pulse level time duration; and

for the second pulse level, cause the matching network to impedance match between the CW RF source and the load by altering the at least one EVRE based on a value of the parameter during the second pulse level time duration.

18 . The semiconductor processing tool of claim 17 wherein the control circuit is configured to repeat the impedance matching for each of the first and second pulse levels as the pulsing RF source alternates between the first pulse level and the second pulse level.

19 . The semiconductor processing tool of claim 17 wherein the first and second pulse levels of the pulsing RF source are non-zero pulse levels.

20 . The semiconductor processing tool of claim 17 wherein the load is a plasma chamber and the parameter comprises a voltage, a current, or a phase between the CW RF source and the matching network.