Plasma processing apparatus and system
A plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber; a substrate support disposed in the chamber and including a lower electrode; an upper electrode disposed above the substrate support; an RF source that supplies an RF power to the lower electrode or the upper electrode, the RF power having a plurality of power levels during a first sequence in a repeating time period, the plurality of power levels including a first power level during a first state and a second state, and a second power level during a third state and a fourth state; and a DC source that applies a DC voltage to the lower electrode, the DC voltage having a plurality of voltage levels during the first sequence in the repeating time period.
1. A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:
a chamber;
a substrate support disposed in the chamber and including a lower electrode;
an upper electrode disposed above the substrate support;
an RF source configured to supply an RF power to the lower electrode or the upper electrode;
a DC source configured to apply a DC voltage to the lower electrode; and
a controller configured to control the RF source and the DC source, wherein
the RF power has an ON power level and an OFF power level during a first sequence in a repeating time period including time period P 1 , time period P 2 immediately following the time period P 1 , time period P 3 immediately following the time period P 2 , and time period P 4 immediately following the time period P 3 ,
the DC voltage has a positive voltage level, a zero voltage level and a negative voltage level during the first sequence in the repeating time period, and
the controller is configured to control the RF source and the DC source such that:
the DC voltage is zero in the time period P 1 , the DC voltage is negative in the time period P 2 , and the RF power is ON for both the time periods P 1 and P 2 ; and
the DC voltage is zero for the time period P 3 , the DC voltage is positive for the time period P 4 , and the RF power is OFF for the time periods P 3 and P 4 .
2. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first sequence is repeated during the repeating time period.
3. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the repeating time period includes an exhausting phase after the repeated first sequences.
4. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the exhausting phase is executed for 10 μsec or more.
5. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the repeating time period includes an exhausting phase after the first sequence.
6. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the exhausting phase is executed for 10 μsec or more.
7. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the DC voltage transitions from negative to zero just before a transition of the RF power from ON to OFF.
8. A system, comprising:
an RF generator configured to generate an RF power having a plurality of power levels during a first sequence in a repeating time period including time period P 1 , time period P 2 immediately following the time period P 1 , time period P 3 immediately following the time period P 2 , and time period P 4 immediately following the time period P 3 ;
a DC generator configured to generate a DC voltage having a plurality of voltage levels during the first sequence in the repeating time period; and
a controller configured to control the RF generator and the DC generator such that:
the DC voltage is zero in the time period P 1 , the DC voltage is negative in the time period P 2 , and the RF power is ON for both the time periods P 1 and P 2 ; and
the DC voltage is zero for the time period P 3 , the DC voltage is positive for the time period P 4 , and the RF power is OFF for the time periods P 3 and P 4 .
9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the first sequence is repeated during the repeating time period.
10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the repeating time period includes an exhausting phase after the repeated first sequences.
11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the exhausting phase is executed for 10 μsec or more.
12. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the repeating time period includes an exhausting phase after the first sequence.
13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the exhausting phase is executed for 10 μsec or more.
14. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the DC voltage transitions from negative to zero before a transition of the RF power from ON to OFF.
15. A system comprising:
an RF generator configured to generate an RF power having a plurality of power levels during a repeating time period including time period P 1 , time period P 2 immediately following the time period P 1 , time period P 3 immediately following the time period P 2 , and time period P 4 immediately following the time period P 3 ;
a DC generator configured to generate a DC voltage having a plurality of voltage levels during the repeating time period; and
a controller configured to control the RF generator and the DC generator such that:
the DC voltage is zero in the time period P 1 , the DC voltage is negative in the time period P 2 , and the RF power is ON for both the time periods P 1 and P 2 ; and
the DC voltage is zero for the time period P 3 , the DC voltage is positive for the time period P 4 , and the RF power is OFF for the time periods P 3 and P 4 .
16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the repeating time period includes a time period P 5 immediately following the time period P 4 .
17. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the time period P 5 has a length of 10 μsec or more.
18. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the DC voltage transitions from negative to zero before a transition of the RF power from ON to OFF.