Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. – a global leader in highly engineered, precision power conversion, measurement and control solutions – launched the next generation of stable and repeatable precision RF power delivery systems that enable customers to maximize throughput and yield in the fabrication of next-generation semiconductors.
Engineered to provide the precision plasma control demanded by Angstrom Era etch and deposition processes, the eVerest™ RF power generator enables highly configurable, multi-level power pulsing that can integrate into and improve any existing plasma power delivery systems. The platform offers output power from 3 to 10 kW and frequencies from 1 to 60 MHz, and delivers a wide, high-accuracy pulsing frequency up to 100 kHz. In addition, high-speed setpoint response, controlled overshoot between transition states and access to a sophisticated IoT data ecosystem allow manufacturers to develop advanced, repeatable processes for sub-2 nm deposition and etch profiles.
“The semiconductor industry’s mission to deliver improved performance from ever-smaller chips is now taking us into the Angstrom Era, where increasingly complex 3D structures and innovative processes have dimensions measured on the atomic scale,” said Juergen Braun, senior vice president of plasma power products at Advanced Energy. “Advanced Energy has been at the forefront of plasma power delivery and control systems for semiconductor processes for over forty years. This leadership continues with innovations that address the demands from manufacturers of Angstrom Era devices for transformational, high-precision plasma control that increases process window and widens stable operating envelope to maximize throughput and yield.”
eVerest is a complete RF power delivery system with multiple options for impedance matching solutions and intelligent synchronization with other Advanced Energy innovation like the eVoS™ bias solution, which enables instantaneous or user-defined transition timing to optimize etch and deposition kinetics. eVerest’s high-speed RF output response is under 200 µs, with pulse-state rise/fall times down to under 2 µs. Dynamic control of multi-level pulsing opens new possibilities for energy regimes and distributions, while a programmable overshoot ensures reliable ignition, as well as the ability to reestablish plasma in processes with longer pulse off states.
When integrated with the PowerInsight by Advanced Energy™ IoT data ecosystem, eVerest-based solutions give operators access to high-resolution, high-bandwidth embedded or system-level data. This data provides actionable insight that supports faster, more accurate process characterization and troubleshooting. In addition, it reduces downtime by eliminating the need to access the plasma chamber for installation of an oscilloscope.
