Patent ID: 11881381
Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC H  C  G | IPC C  G  H

Claim 14:
15. An apparatus for plasma-assisted semiconductor processing, the apparatus comprising:
multiple stations, wherein each of the stations includes at least one wafer support and is configured to receive at least one substrate, and wherein the multiple stations are within a process chamber;
a capacitance sensor;
one or more controllers, wherein the one or more controllers and the capacitance sensor are communicatively connected and the controller is configured to:
a) provide substrates at each of the multiple stations;
b) distribute RF power including a first target frequency to multiple stations to thereby generate a plasma in the stations, wherein the RF power is distributed according to a RF power parameter configured to reduce station to station variations;
c) tune an impedance matching circuit for a first station included in the multiple stations while distribute RF power to the first station by:
i) measure, using the capacitance sensor, a capacitance of a capacitor in the impedance matching circuit without disconnecting the capacitor from the impedance matching circuit; and
ii) adjust, according to the capacitance measured in (i) and the RF power parameter, a capacitance of the capacitor; and
d) performing a semiconductor processing operation on the substrate at each station.