Eagle Harbor Technologies, Inc.

A nanosecond pulser system is disclosed. In some embodiments, the nanosecond pulser system may include a high voltage power supply; a nanosecond pulser electrically coupled with the high voltage power supply and switches voltage from the high voltage power supply at high frequencies; a transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, the nanosecond pulser electrically coupled with the primary side of the transformer; and an output electrically coupled with the transformer producing a waveform. In some embodiments, the waveform includes a plurality of high voltage pulses having a pulse amplitude greater than about 2 kV, a pulse width, and a pulse repetition frequency; and a sinusoidal waveform having a waveform frequency and a waveform amplitude greater than 100 V.

A pulse generator is disclosed. The pulse generator includes a DC source; a plurality of switches, a transformer; and a pulsing output. The pulse generator can be coupled with a plasma chamber. The pulsing output outputs high voltage pulses having a peak-to-peak voltage greater than 1 kV and a voltage portion between consecutive high voltage bipolar pulses that has a negative slope that substantially offsets the voltage reduction on a wafer within a plasma chamber due to an ion current. The resulting voltage at the wafer may be substantially flat between consecutive pulses.

A matchless RF generator is disclosed that does not require a matching network (or the like) between the RF generator and the plasma. Plasmas have variable inductance or capacitance value during the plasma life cycle. For example, prior to ignition, the plasma chamber may have a first inductance and/or a first capacitance; during ignition, the plasma chamber may have a second inductance and/or a second capacitance; while the plasma is active, the plasma chamber with the plasma may have a third inductance and/or a third capacitance; and during a change in the plasma density, plasma chemistry, plasma brightness, constituent flow rate, plasma voltage, and plasma electric field the plasma chamber with the plasma may have a fourth inductance and/or fourth capacitance.

Some embodiments include a high voltage waveform generator comprising: a generator inductor; a high voltage nanosecond pulser having one or more solid state switches electrically and/or inductively coupled with the generator inductor, the high voltage nanosecond pulser configured to produce a pulse burst having a burst period, the pulse burst comprising a plurality of pulses having different pulse widths; and a load electrically and/or inductively coupled with the high voltage nanosecond pulser, the generator inductor, and the generator capacitor, the voltage across the load having an output pulse with a pulse width substantially equal to the burst period and the voltage across the load varying in a manner that is substantially proportional with the pulse widths of the plurality of pulses.

Embodiments of the invention include a plasma system. The plasma system includes a plasma chamber; an RF driver configured to drive bursts into the plasma chamber with an RF frequency; a nanosecond pulser configured to drive pulses into the plasma chamber with a pulse repetition frequency, the pulse repetition frequency being less than the RF frequency; a high pass filter disposed between the RF driver and the plasma chamber; and a low pass filter disposed between the nanosecond pulser and the plasma chamber.

A pulse generator is disclosed. The pulse generator includes a DC source; a plurality of switches, a transformer; and a pulsing output. The pulse generator can be coupled with a plasma chamber. The pulsing output outputs high voltage pulses having a peak-to-peak voltage greater than 1 kV and a voltage portion between consecutive high voltage bipolar pulses that has a negative slope that substantially offsets the voltage reduction on a wafer within a plasma chamber due to an ion current. The resulting voltage at the wafer may be substantially flat between consecutive pulses.

Embodiments of the invention includes various power supplies for plasma systems. These power supplies, for example, closes a switch to connect and disconnect a current pathway to cause an application of an asymmetric periodic voltage waveform. Where each cycle of the asymmetric periodic voltage waveform includes a first portion that begins with a first negative voltage and changes to a positive peak voltage, a second portion that changes from the positive peak voltage to a third voltage level and a fourth portion that includes a negative voltage ramp from the third voltage level to a fourth voltage level.

Embodiments of the invention include a plasma system. The plasma system includes a plasma chamber; an RF driver configured to drive bursts into the plasma chamber with an RF frequency; a nanosecond pulser configured to drive pulses into the plasma chamber with a pulse repetition frequency, the pulse repetition frequency being less than the RF frequency; a high pass filter disposed between the RF driver and the plasma chamber; and a low pass filter disposed between the nanosecond pulser and the plasma chamber.

Various RF plasma systems are disclosed that do not require a matching network. In some embodiments, the RF plasma system includes an energy storage capacitor; a switching circuit coupled with the energy storage capacitor, the switching circuit producing a plurality of pulses with a pulse amplitude and a pulse frequency, the pulse amplitude being greater than 100 volts; a resonant circuit coupled with the switching circuit. In some embodiments, the resonant circuit includes: a transformer having a primary side and a secondary side; and at least one of a capacitor, an inductor, and a resistor. In some embodiments, the resonant circuit having a resonant frequency substantially equal to the pulse frequency, and the resonant circuit increases the pulse amplitude to a voltage greater than 2 kV.

A high voltage pulsing power system is disclosed that include a DC power supply, a switch circuit electrically coupled with the DC power supply, a droop control circuit coupled with the switch circuit, and/or an output. The switch circuit includes a plurality of switch modules and produces a plurality of pulses. The droop control circuit includes a droop diode, a droop inductor, and a droop element. The droop diode may be electrically coupled in series between the switch circuit and the transformer primary that allows the negative pulse portion of the pulses to pass from the switching circuit to the transformer primary. The droop inductor and he droop element may be arranged in series across the droop diode to allow the negative pulse portion of the pulses to pass from the switching circuit to the transformer primary and/or store energy from the negative pulse portion of the pulses.