Granted Patent B2

US 12,444,573 · App. 17/722,598 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Inventor: Michael Gilliam Ulrich (Delran, NJ)

H01J37/32183C23C16/50C23C16/52H01L22/26H03H7/40H03H11/30H01J2237/24564H01J2237/332H01J2237/334

Abstract

Claims (83)

1. An impedance matching network comprising:

an RF input configured to operably couple to an RF source;

an RF output configured to operably couple to a plasma chamber; and

variable capacitors comprising:

a first variable capacitor, a terminal of the first variable capacitor being electrically connected to the RF input; and

a second variable capacitor separate and distinct from the first variable capacitor, a terminal of the second variable capacitor being electrically connected to the RF output;

wherein at least one of the variable capacitors is an electrically variable capacitor that comprises:

a plurality of capacitors operably coupled in parallel, the plurality of capacitors comprising:

fine capacitors increasing in capacitance; and

coarse capacitors having one or more capacitances, wherein each of the one or more capacitances of the coarse capacitors is greater than a greatest individual capacitance of the fine capacitors; and

a plurality of switches, wherein each switch of the plurality of switches is operably coupled with a corresponding capacitor of the plurality of capacitors to switch in or out the corresponding capacitor;

wherein each capacitor of the plurality of capacitors provides a change to a total capacitance of the electronically variable capacitor when the capacitor's corresponding switch switches in or out the capacitor;

wherein a capacitor position for the electronically variable capacitor for enabling an impedance match is determined by a processor using software, the capacitor position indicative of which of the fine capacitors and which of the coarse capacitors to have switched in; and

wherein an impedance match is enabled by directly switching the electronically variable capacitor to the determined capacitor position.

2. The matching network of claim 1 wherein the second shunt further comprises a third capacitor separate and distinct from the second variable capacitor.

3. The matching network of claim 2 wherein the third capacitor is electrically connected in series with the second variable capacitor.

4. The matching network of claim 1 :

wherein the first variable capacitor forms part of a first shunt, the first shunt having a first terminal electrically coupled to the common ground and a second terminal electrically coupled between the RF input and the RF output;

wherein the second variable capacitor forms part of a second shunt, the second shunt having a first terminal electrically coupled to the common ground and a second terminal electrically coupled between the RF input and the RF output; and

wherein the second shunt is separate and distinct from the first shunt.

5. The matching network of claim 1 wherein the second variable capacitor is the electronically variable capacitor.

6. The matching network of claim 1 wherein for each fine capacitor increasing in capacitance, the change to the total capacitance that is provided by the fine capacitor when switched in increases by a factor of about two.

7. The matching network of claim 1 wherein the coarse capacitors each have a substantially similar capacitance.

8. A method of matching impedance comprising:

operably coupling a matching network between an RF source and a plasma chamber, the matching network comprising:

an RF input configured to operably couple to the RF source;

an RF output configured to operably couple to the plasma chamber; and

variable capacitors comprising:

a first variable capacitor, a terminal of the first variable capacitor being electrically connected to the RF input; and

a second variable capacitor separate and distinct from the first variable capacitor, a terminal of the second variable capacitor being electrically connected to the RF output;

wherein at least one of the variable capacitors is an electrically variable capacitor that comprises:

a plurality of capacitors operably coupled in parallel, the plurality of capacitors comprising (a) fine capacitors increasing in capacitance; and (b) coarse capacitors having one or more capacitances, wherein each of the one or more capacitances of the coarse capacitors is greater than a greatest individual capacitance of the fine capacitors; and

a plurality of switches, wherein each switch of the plurality of switches is operably coupled with a corresponding capacitor of the plurality of capacitors to switch in or out the corresponding capacitor; and

wherein each capacitor of the plurality of capacitors provides a change to a total capacitance of the electronically variable capacitor when the capacitor's corresponding switch switches in or out the capacitor;

determining, using software, a capacitor position for the electronically variable capacitor for enabling an impedance match, the capacitor position indicative of which of the fine capacitors and which of the coarse capacitors to have switched in; and

varying the total capacitance of the electronically variable capacitor to enable an impedance match by directly switching the electronically variable capacitor to the determined capacitor position.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the second shunt further comprises a third capacitor separate and distinct from the second variable capacitor.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the third capacitor is electrically connected in series with the second variable capacitor.

11. The method of claim 8 :

wherein the first variable capacitor forms part of a first shunt, the first shunt having a first terminal electrically coupled to the common ground and a second terminal electrically coupled between the RF input and the RF output;

wherein the second variable capacitor forms part of a second shunt, the second shunt having a first terminal electrically coupled to the common ground and a second terminal electrically coupled between the RF input and the RF output; and

wherein the second shunt is separate and distinct from the first shunt.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the second variable capacitor is the electronically variable capacitor.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein for each fine capacitor increasing in capacitance, the change to the total capacitance that is provided by the fine capacitor when switched in increases by a factor of about two.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the coarse capacitors each have a substantially similar capacitance.

15. A processing tool comprising:

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

an impedance matching circuit operably coupled to the plasma chamber, matching circuit comprising:

an RF input configured to operably couple to an RF source;

an RF output configured to operably couple to a plasma chamber; and

variable capacitors comprising:

a first variable capacitor, a terminal of the first variable capacitor being electrically connected to the RF input; and

a second variable capacitor separate and distinct from the first variable capacitor, a terminal of the second variable capacitor being electrically connected to the RF output;

wherein at least one of the variable capacitors is an electrically variable capacitor that comprises:

a plurality of capacitors operably coupled in parallel, the plurality of capacitors comprising:

fine capacitors increasing in capacitance; and

coarse capacitors having one or more capacitances, wherein each of the one or more capacitances of the coarse capacitors is greater than a greatest individual capacitance of the fine capacitors; and

a plurality of switches, wherein each switch of the plurality of switches is operably coupled with a corresponding capacitor of the plurality of capacitors to switch in or out the corresponding capacitor;

wherein each capacitor of the plurality of capacitors provides a change to a total capacitance of the electronically variable capacitor when the capacitor's corresponding switch switches in or out the capacitor;

wherein a capacitor position for the electronically variable capacitor for enabling an impedance match is determined by a processor using software, the capacitor position indicative of which of the fine capacitors and which of the coarse capacitors to have switched in; and

wherein an impedance match is enabled by directly switching the electronically variable capacitor to the determined capacitor position.

16. The tool of claim 15 wherein the second shunt further comprises a third capacitor separate and distinct from the second variable capacitor.

17. The tool of claim 16 wherein the third capacitor is electrically connected in series with the second variable capacitor.

18. The tool of claim 15 :

wherein the first variable capacitor forms part of a first shunt, the first shunt having a first terminal electrically coupled to the common ground and a second terminal electrically coupled between the RF input and the RF output; and

wherein the second variable capacitor forms part of a second shunt, the second shunt having a first terminal electrically coupled to the common ground and a second terminal electrically coupled between the RF input and the RF output

wherein the second shunt is separate and distinct from the first shunt.

19. The tool of claim 15 wherein the second variable capacitor is the electronically variable capacitor.

20. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor, the method comprising:

operably coupling a matching network between an RF source and a plasma chamber, the plasma chamber configured to deposit a material layer onto a substrate or etch a material layer from the substrate, and the matching network comprising:

an RF input configured to operably couple to the RF source;

an RF output configured to operably couple to the plasma chamber; and

variable capacitors comprising:

a first variable capacitor, a terminal of the first variable capacitor being electrically connected to the RF input; and

a second variable capacitor separate and distinct from the first variable capacitor, a terminal of the second variable capacitor being electrically connected to the RF output;

wherein at least one of the variable capacitors is an electrically variable capacitor that comprises:

a plurality of capacitors operably coupled in parallel, the plurality of capacitors comprising (a) fine capacitors increasing in capacitance; and (b) coarse capacitors having one or more capacitances, wherein each of the one or more capacitances of the coarse capacitors is greater than a greatest individual capacitance of the fine capacitors; and

a plurality of switches, wherein each switch of the plurality of switches is operably coupled with a corresponding capacitor of the plurality of capacitors to switch in or out the corresponding capacitor; and

wherein each capacitor of the plurality of capacitors provides a change to a total capacitance of the electronically variable capacitor when the capacitor's corresponding switch switches in or out the capacitor;

placing a substrate in the plasma chamber;

energizing plasma within the plasma chamber by coupling RF power from the RF source into the plasma chamber to perform a deposition or etching;

determining, using software, a capacitor position for the electronically variable capacitor for enabling an impedance match, the capacitor position indicative of which of the fine capacitors and which of the coarse capacitors to have switched in; and

varying the total capacitance of the electronically variable capacitor to enable an impedance match by directly switching the electronically variable capacitor to the determined capacitor position.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (24)

References Cited (253)