PRESS RELEASE: 10/5/2025
SUBJECT: NEW COMPLEX LOADS AND STANDARDS
CONTACT : DON SCANLON
[email protected]
Most Semiconductor tool manufacturers and end-users purchase our complex loads and Standards to better represent the actual impedance that the plasma chamber presents to their upstream RF power delivery systems. In this manner, they can simulate plasma performance in a test environment to check the health of their delivery components (generators, matchboxes, power meters etc) without the expense and other complexities of striking the actual plasma.
Having a known complex load component with its associated performance characteristics also allows the users to employ it as a metrology standard if desired to compare several different delivery systems (or individual components of those systems) against each other using the same common load. Variations or performance anomalies can be identified and correlated with tool performance if desired.
To this end, most customers will identify what they believe is a complex impedance point that best represents what the plasma chamber looks like when in operation. There may be a variety of other factors they may consider as well in choosing these load points such as matchbox tuning capabilities, power levels, and frequencies of operation. Sometimes the load points are chosen with small real parts to limit the current in the system if the reactive part is being tuned out to resonance with a matchbox.
Other times, customers want to see their delivery systems performance throughout a range of reactive values that might represent the chamber’s performance under various gas/pressure/chemical compositions etc. Due to the numerous variables and uniqueness of equipment involved, each customer has their own path to choosing their unique load points and many consider them confidential in nature.
Sometimes these points are simply chosen from the impedances displayed on their matchboxes from their internal VI probes, but often there are other cases where there's a lot more involved.
It is Altronic Research’s goal to provide useful, current, accurate, and repeatable RF metrology equipment to improve process capabilities within the semiconductor industry.
For quoting or integration guidance:
Email: [email protected]
1-800-482-LOAD (5623)
Web: www.altronic.com