Patent ID: 11948780
Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 7:
8. A plasma processing chamber, comprising:
a substrate support assembly, comprising:
a substrate supporting surface;
a first electrode;
a first dielectric layer disposed between the first electrode and the substrate supporting surface;

a waveform generator configured to generate a plurality of pulsed voltage waveforms during a first time period and halt generation of the plurality of pulsed voltage waveforms during a second time period;
a first power delivery line that electrically couples the waveform generator to the first electrode, wherein the first power delivery line comprises a blocking capacitor;
a clamping network coupled to the first power delivery line at a first point between the blocking capacitor and the first electrode, the clamping network comprising:
a direct-current (DC) voltage source coupled between the first point and ground; and
a blocking resistor coupled between the first point and the DC voltage source;

a first signal trace coupled to the first power delivery line between the blocking capacitor and the first electrode, the first signal trace configured to receive a first electrical signal; and
a controller configured to:
receive, during the first time period and the second time period, information within the first electrical signal obtained via the first signal trace coupled to the first point, wherein the information within the first electrical signal obtained during the first time period comprises a portion of a waveform of the plurality of pulsed voltage waveforms that comprises a first voltage level, and wherein the information within the first electrical signal obtained during the second time period comprises a second voltage level;
compare the first voltage level with the second voltage level; and
control a magnitude of a voltage the DC voltage source supplies to the first point of the first power delivery line based on comparing the first voltage level with the second voltage level.