公开(公告)号：US20200176234A1

公开(公告)日：2020-06-04

申请号：US16025928

申请日：2017-08-24

Applicant: IonQuest Corp.

Inventor： Bassam Hanna Abraham ,  Roman Chistyakov

IPC: H01J37/34 ,  C23C14/35 ,  C23C14/34

Abstract: A method of sputtering using a high energy density plasma (HEDP) magnetron includes configuring an anode and cathode target magnet assembly in a vacuum chamber with a sputtering cathode target and substrate, applying regulated unipolar voltage pulses to a tunable pulse forming network, and adjusting amplitude and frequency of the unipolar voltage pulses to cause a resonance mode associated with the tunable pulse forming network and an output AC waveform generated from the pulse forming network. The output AC waveform is operatively coupled to the sputtering cathode target, and the output AC waveform includes a negative voltage exceeding the amplitude of the unipolar voltage pulses during sputtering discharge of the HEDP magnetron. An increase in the amplitude of the unipolar voltage pulses causes a constant amplitude of the negative voltage of the output AC waveform in response to the pulse forming network being in the resonance mode, thereby causing the HEDP magnetron sputtering discharge to form the layer on the substrate. A corresponding apparatus and computer-readable medium are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US20210102284A1

公开(公告)日：2021-04-08

申请号：US17124749

申请日：2020-12-17

Applicant: IonQuest Corp.

Inventor： Bassam Hanna Abraham ,  Roman Chistyakov

IPC: C23C14/35 ,  C23C14/34 ,  H01J37/34 ,  H01L21/285 ,  H01L21/768 ,  H01L23/522 ,  H01L23/532 ,  H01J37/32 ,  C23C14/00 ,  C23C14/06 ,  C23C14/14

Abstract: A magnetically enhanced low temperature high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (LT-HDP-CVD) source has a hollow cathode target and an anode, which form a gap. A cathode target magnet assembly forms magnetic field lines substantially perpendicular to the cathode surface. A gap magnet assembly forms a magnetic field in the gap that is coupled with the cathode target magnetic field. The magnetic field lines cross the pole piece electrode positioned in the gap. The pole piece is isolated from ground and can be connected to a voltage power supply. The pole piece can have negative, positive, floating, or RF electrical potentials. By controlling the duration, value, and sign of the electric potential on the pole piece, plasma ionization can be controlled. Feed gas flows through the gap between the hollow cathode and anode. The cathode can be connected to a pulse power or RF power supply, or cathode can be connected to both power supplies. The cathode target and substrate can be inductively grounded.

公开(公告)号：US10913998B2

公开(公告)日：2021-02-09

申请号：US16261514

申请日：2019-01-29

Applicant: IonQuest Corp.

Inventor： Roman Chistyakov ,  Bassam Hanna Abraham

IPC: C23C14/35 ,  C23C14/34 ,  H01J37/34 ,  H01L21/285 ,  H01L21/768 ,  H01L23/522 ,  H01L23/532 ,  H01J37/32 ,  C23C14/00 ,  C23C14/06 ,  C23C14/14

Abstract: A magnetically enhanced HDP-CVD plasma source includes a hollow cathode target and an anode. The anode and cathode form a gap. A cathode target magnet assembly forms magnetic field lines that are substantially perpendicular to a cathode target surface. The gap magnet assembly forms a cusp magnetic field in the gap that is coupled with the cathode target magnetic field. The magnetic field lines cross a pole piece electrode positioned in the gap. This pole piece is isolated from ground and can be connected with a voltage power supply. The pole piece can have a negative, positive, or floating electric potential. The plasma source can be configured to generate volume discharge. The gap size prohibits generation of plasma discharge in the gap. By controlling the duration, value and a sign of the electric potential on the pole piece, the plasma ionization can be controlled. The magnetically enhanced HDP-CVD source can also be used for chemically enhanced ionized physical vapor deposition (CE-IPVD). Gas flows through the gap between hollow cathode and anode. The cathode target is inductively grounded, and the substrate is periodically inductively grounded.

公开(公告)号：US20190271070A1

公开(公告)日：2019-09-05

申请号：US16400539

申请日：2019-05-01

Applicant: IonQuest Corp.

Inventor： Bassam Hanna Abraham ,  Roman Chistyakov

IPC: C23C14/35 ,  C23C14/34 ,  C23C14/00 ,  C23C14/06 ,  C23C14/14 ,  H01J37/34 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/768 ,  H01L21/285 ,  H01L23/532 ,  H01L23/522

Abstract: An electrically and magnetically enhanced ionized physical vapor deposition (I-PVD) magnetron apparatus and method is provided for sputtering material from a cathode target on a substrate, and in particular, for sputtering ceramic and diamond-like coatings. The electrically and magnetically enhanced magnetron sputtering source has unbalanced magnetic fields that couple the cathode target and additional electrode together. The additional electrode is electrically isolated from ground and connected to a power supply that can generate positive, negative, or bipolar high frequency voltages, and is preferably a radio frequency (RF) power supply. RF discharge near the additional electrode increases plasma density and a degree of ionization of sputtered material atoms.