RADIO FREQUENCY POWER COUPLING SYSTEM UTILIZING MULTIPLE RF POWER COUPLING ELEMENTS FOR CONTROL OF PLASMA PROPERTIES

摘要

PURPOSE: A high-frequency power coupling system using multiple RF(Radio Frequency) power coupling elements for the control of plasma characteristics is provided to improve uniformity of RF energy. CONSTITUTION: An RF electrode(12) couples RF power to the plasma in a plasma processing system(10). Multiple power coupling elements(14,16a-16d) electrically couple RF power to multiple power coupling points on the RF electrode. The multiple power coupling elements include a central element(14) located at the center of the RF electrode and m number of surrounding elements(16a-16d), where m is an integer bigger than 1, located away from the center of the RF electrode. A first surrounding RF power signal is coupled to a first surrounding element(16a). A second surrounding RF power signal is coupled to a second surrounding element(16c). [Reference numerals] (18) RF power system; (24) Impedance load