Arrangements for controlling plasma processing parameters

Abstract

A plasma processing system having a plasma processing chamber configured for processing a substrate is provided. The substrate is disposed above a chuck and is surrounded by an edge ring, the edge ring being electrically isolated from the chuck. The plasma processing system includes a first RF power supply for providing a first RF power to the chuck. The plasma processing system also includes an edge ring RF voltage control arrangement which is coupled to the edge ring to provide second RF power to the edge ring. The plasma processing chamber is configured to strike plasma to process the substrate, the substrate being processed while the edge ring RF voltage control arrangement is configured to control the second RF power to the edge ring such that a predefined potential difference is maintained between the edge ring and the substrate while processing the substrate.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A plasma processing system having a plasma processing chamber configured for processing a substrate, said substrate being disposed above a chuck and surrounded by an edge ring, said edge ring being electrically isolated from said chuck, comprising:
 a first RF power supply for providing a first RF power to said chuck; and   an edge ring RF voltage control arrangement, said edge ring RF voltage control arrangement being coupled to said edge ring to provide second RF power to said edge ring, said second RF power being delivered to said edge ring has a frequency of about 20 KHz to about 10 MHz, resulting in said edge ring having an edge ring potential, said plasma processing chamber is configured to strike plasma to process said substrate, said substrate being processed while said edge ring RF voltage control arrangement is configured to control said second RF power to said edge ring such that a predefined potential difference is maintained between said edge ring and said substrate while processing said substrate.   
     
     
         30 . A processing system of  claim 29  wherein said RF power supply is a multifrequency RF generator. 
     
     
         31 . A processing system of  claim 30  wherein a frequency of said second RF power being delivered to said edge ring is different from a frequency of said first RF power. 
     
     
         32 . A processing system of  claim 29  wherein said edge ring RF voltage control arrangement includes an RF filter arrangement and an RF match arrangement, said RF filter arrangement being disposed between said edge ring and an RF power source. 
     
     
         33 . A processing system of  claim 32  wherein said RF filter arrangement is configured to attenuate at least a portion of unwanted harmonic RF energy from reaching said RF power source. 
     
     
         34 . A processing system of  claim 32  wherein said RF filter arrangement includes vacuum relays. 
     
     
         35 . A processing system of  claim 32  wherein said RF match arrangement is configured to maximize RF power delivery to said edge ring. 
     
     
         36 . A processing system of  claim 29  wherein said second RF power is an RF generator that is different from an RF generator employed to provide said first RF power to said chuck. 
     
     
         37 . A processing system of  claim 29  wherein said second RF power is an RF generator that is also employed to provide said first RF power to said chuck. 
     
     
         38 . A processing system of  claim 29  wherein said plasma processing chamber is part of a capacitively-coupled plasma processing system. 
     
     
         39 . A plasma processing system having a plasma processing chamber configured for processing a substrate, said substrate being disposed above a chuck and surrounded by a multi-segment edge ring, said multi-segment edge ring comprising a plurality of segments electrically isolated from one another, said multi-segment edge ring also being electrically isolated from said chuck, comprising:
 a first RF power supply for providing a first RF power to said chuck; and   an edge ring RF voltage control arrangement, said edge ring RF voltage control arrangement being coupled to said edge ring to provide at least a second RF power to a first segment of said multi-segment edge ring and third RF power to a second segment of said multi-segment edge ring, said second RF power and said third RF power having frequencies in the range of about 20 KHz to about 10 MHz, said edge ring RF voltage control arrangement is configured to control said second RF power and said third RF power to said first segment and said second segment such that a predefined potential difference is maintained between said edge ring and said substrate—while processing said substrate.   
     
     
         40 . A plasma processing system of  claim 39  wherein said RF power supply is a multifrequency RF generator. 
     
     
         41 . A plasma processing system of  claim 40  wherein a frequency of said second RF power being delivered to said edge ring is different from a frequency of said first RF power. 
     
     
         42 . A plasma processing system of  claim 39  wherein said edge ring RF voltage control arrangement includes an RF filter arrangement and an RF match arrangement, said RF filter arrangement being disposed between said edge ring and an RF power source. 
     
     
         43 . A plasma processing system of  claim 42  wherein said RF filter arrangement is configured to attenuate at least a portion of unwanted harmonic RF energy from reaching said RF power source. 
     
     
         44 . A plasma processing system of  claim 42  wherein said RF filter arrangement includes vacuum relays. 
     
     
         45 . A plasma processing system of  claim 42  wherein said RF match arrangement is configured to maximize RF power delivery to said edge ring. 
     
     
         46 . A plasma processing system of  claim 39  wherein said second RF power is an RF generator that is different from an RF generator employed to provide said first RF power to said chuck. 
     
     
         47 . A plasma processing system of  claim 39  wherein said second RF power is an RF generator that is also employed to provide said first RF power to said chuck. 
     
     
         48 . A plasma processing system of  claim 39  wherein said plasma processing chamber is part of a capacitively-coupled plasma processing system.