Signal generation system

1. A signal generating system comprising a signal generator for generating an electrical signal at a first frequency; an impedance matching circuit arranged to supply the electrical signal from the signal generator to a reactive load; and an impedance matching circuit control system for detecting the electrical signal between the signal generator and the reactive load and for adjusting the impedance matching circuit to achieve a predetermined condition, wherein the impedance matching circuit control system comprises;

a heterodyne frequency generator coupled to the signal generator to generate a second, heterodyne frequency from the first frequency from the signal generator;

a mixer, wherein the heterodyne frequency is mixed with the detected signal at the mixer to generate sum and difference signal;

a filter for passing the difference signal;

and a processor responsive to the difference signal to adjust the impedance matching circuit to achieve the predetermined condition;

the signal generating system being characterized in that the detected electrical signal from the signal generator is fed to both the heterodyne frequency generator which generates said heterodyne frequency, and the mixer.

2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the impedance matching circuit control system is adapted to generate two signals corresponding to the voltage and current respectively of the detected signal, each of the voltage and current representing signals being heterodyne converted by the impedance matching circuit control system.

3. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising a second signal generator for generating an electrical signal at a second frequency different from the first frequency, the signal generated at the first frequency and the signal generated at the second frequency both being as applied to the same reactive load.

4. A system according to claim 3 , wherein the heterodyne frequency (FLO) falls in a range defined as:

0.9 ×FP 1 =<FLO<FP 1+( FP 2/2)

where FP 1 is the frequency of the signal generated by the signal generator and FP 2 is the frequency of the signal generated by the second signal generator, both signals being applied to the same reactive load.

5. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the impedance matching circuit comprises one or more reactances, the processor of the impedance matching circuit control system being adapted to vary the value of the or each reactance according to the difference signal.

6. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the heterodyne frequency generator generates a heterodyne frequency that results in a difference signal below 20 kHz, preferably below 1 kHz.

7. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the heterodyne frequency generator generates a heterodyne frequency that results in a different signal at or below 100 Hz.

8. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined condition is the power reflected from the reactive load being less than 1% of the forward power.

9. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the signal generator generates an electrical signal in the RF frequency range, for example 13.56 MHz.

10. A plasma chamber excitation system comprising a signal generating system according to claim 1 .

11. A plasma chamber system comprising a plasma chamber in which a gas plasma is formed in use, the plasma chamber being coupled with a plasma chamber excitation system according to claim 10 for exciting a plasma within the chamber.

12. A plasma chamber system comprising:

a plasma chamber in which a gas plasma is formed in use, the plasma chamber being coupled with a plasma chamber excitation system for exciting a plasma within the chamber, the plasma chamber excitation system comprising a signal generating system comprising a signal generator for generating an electrical signal at a predetermined frequency; an impedance matching circuit arranged to supply the electrical signal from the signal generator to a reactive load in use; and an impedance matching control system for detecting the electrical signal between the signal generator and the reactive load and for adjusting the impedance matching circuit to achieve a predetermined condition, characterized in that the impedance matching circuit control system comprises a heterodyne circuit, the system further comprising a heterodyne frequency generator coupled to the signal generator to generate a second, heterodyne frequency from the predetermined frequency from the signal generator for mixing with the detected signal to generate sum and difference signals, wherein the electrical signal from the signal generator is fed into the heterodyne frequency generator which generates said heterodyne frequency; a filter for passing the difference signal; and a processor responsive to the difference signal to adjust the impedance matching circuit to achieve the predetermined condition; and

a second plasma chamber excitation system for exposing the plasma chamber to a second excitation frequency different from that generated by the one plasma chamber excitation system.

13. A plasma chamber system according to claim 12 , wherein the second excitation frequency has a lower frequency than the excitation frequency generated by the one plasma chamber excitation system, for example 2 MHz compared with 13.56 MHz.

14. A plasma chamber system according to claim 12 , wherein the second excitation frequency has a higher frequency than the excitation frequency generated by the one plasma chamber excitation system, for example 41 MHz compared with 13.56 MHz.