RF Measurement Instrumentation - Network Analyzer, Z’Scan RF Sensor, and PicoScope Class – One Day +/-

Target Audience – Equipment engineers and technicians who are intending to actively use RF instruments

Prerequisite – RF Power Delivery for Plasma Systems course

Class Size – up to 4 attendees

Class Goal – To teach the audience how to actively use these instruments in a fab setting to measure plasma tools and chambers, and diagnose, and correct tool problems. Upon completing training, the technician should be able to verify, from an RF power standpoint, that the problem has been resolved and the tool is ready for production testing.

The reason for the small class size is that these will be limited to people who will actively use measurement devices for intensive design, troubleshooting and repair verification.

There is a short lecture with a lot of hands-on lab time, where each team of two students will execute computer and equipment setup, use and data collection.

When finished with this course, these students should be fluent in RF terminology as it relates to RF power delivery to plasmas. They should be able to communicate RF troubleshooting actions and results convincingly using common language to coworkers and managers. The goal is that they learn to present data in a manner that helps to drive actions, such as the garnering of needed resources, or bolstering of procedures and practices required to maintain and run the tools using improved practices and methods.

Instruments Required for RF Measurement Instrumentation Course:

The Z’Scan is an RF sensor that can be connected in line within our plasma equipment and used to monitor RF power delivery either in pre- or post-match implementations. There are many uses, and in some cases, we can have the Z’Scan controlling, and monitoring RF power and the data can also be ported to the factory data collection system.

Trewmac TE3001 is a one-port RF impedance analyzer. It is a portable unit with battery power that can be used to determine the impedance of a match or of a plasma chamber, or to test things such coaxial cables, and system feedthroughs and individual RF system components as an aid to troubleshooting. There is a front panel on the instrument, and we also use our proprietary Z’Analyze software designed for use on plasma processing equipment to drive the instrument and to collect data and perform post-collection data analysis.

The PicoScope is a software-based USB oscilloscope that is used in conjunction with a computer to collect and view data, and graphical software supplied with the instrument allows the user to measure various aspects of the trace. The PicoScope is not strictly an RF measurement device, but it is designed to be able to be used in a myriad of electrical equipment measurement scenarios. Many people have long experience with using

oscilloscopes, and a powerful advantage of the software-based scope is that it provides some unique capabilities. Since the scopes are relatively inexpensive, they are a great addition to every sub-group in the fab.

Classes will consist of a lecture on how the instruments work, followed by a series of exercises to help students become comfortable with setting up the sensor, installing the sensor in various parts of the equipment and collecting and interpreting data. Students can then take data collected, either onsite or using sample data collected elsewhere, and put this data into a report to present a problem and concisely communicate the issues and recommend some solutions or follow-on activities.

Optional Applications Day

At the end of the training courses, we will go into your facility and take measurements on your tool to either help students to understand how these measurement technologies can be applied to real machines or to help you troubleshoot one or more of your problem tools. It’s a day designed to help the users learn to apply all that they have been exposed to in the previous class days; to help move the knowledge gained from ‘theory’ to ‘practical’.