-
公开(公告)号:US12043891B2
公开(公告)日:2024-07-23
申请号:US17196999
申请日:2021-03-09
Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited
Inventor: Scott Haymore , Adrian Thomas , Steve Burgess
CPC classification number: C23C14/165 , C23C14/351 , H03H3/08 , H03H9/02047 , H03H9/02574 , H03H9/02614
Abstract: Sputter depositing a metallic layer on a substrate in the fabrication of a resonator device includes providing a magnetron sputtering apparatus comprising a chamber, a substrate support disposed within the chamber, a target made from a metallic material, and a plasma generating device, wherein the substrate support and the target are separated by a distance of 10 cm or less; supporting the substrate on the substrate support; performing a DC magnetron sputtering step that comprises sputtering the metallic material from the target onto the substrate so as to form a metallic layer on the substrate, wherein during the DC magnetron sputtering step the chamber has a pressure of at least 6 mTorr of a noble gas, the target is supplied with a power having a power density of at least 6 W/cm2, and the substrate has a temperature in the range of 200-600° C.
-
公开(公告)号:US20240212998A1
公开(公告)日:2024-06-27
申请号:US18375238
申请日:2023-09-29
Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited
Inventor: Andrew Rubin , Kevin Riddell , Nicolas Launay
IPC: H01J37/32 , H01L21/683
CPC classification number: H01J37/32724 , H01L21/6833
Abstract: A method of plasma etching a workpiece and a plasma etching apparatus are provided. At least one semiconductor layer is plasma etched by generating a plasma in the plasma chamber. A period of time after the plasma is ignited, the operation of the ESC is switched to a monopolar mode of operation in which the electrodes have the same voltage applied to each electrode. The operation of the ESC is switched to a second bipolar mode of operation in which a positive voltage is applied to one of the electrodes and a negative voltage is applied to another of the electrodes.
-
公开(公告)号:US11913109B2
公开(公告)日:2024-02-27
申请号:US16541635
申请日:2019-08-15
Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited
Inventor: Tony Wilby , Steve Burgess , Adrian Thomas , Rhonda Hyndman , Scott Haymore , Clive Widdicks , Ian Moncrieff
CPC classification number: C23C14/50 , C23C14/345 , C23C14/3485 , C23C14/35 , C23C14/351 , C23C14/505 , H01J37/32715 , H01J37/3405 , H01J37/3452 , H01J37/3455 , H01J37/3467 , C23C14/542
Abstract: A magnet assembly is disclosed for steering ions used in the formation of a material layer upon a substrate during a pulsed DC physical vapour deposition process. Apparatus and methods are also disclosed incorporating the assembly for controlling thickness variation in a material layer formed via pulsed DC physical vapour deposition. The magnet assembly comprises a magnetic field generating arrangement for generating a magnetic field proximate the substrate and means for rotating the ion steering magnetic field generating arrangement about an axis of rotation, relative to the substrate. The magnetic field generating arrangement comprises a plurality of magnets configured to an array which extends around the axis of rotation, wherein the array of magnets are configured to generate a varying magnetic field strength along a radial direction relative to the axis of rotation.
-
公开(公告)号:US20240006181A1
公开(公告)日:2024-01-04
申请号:US18213865
申请日:2023-06-25
Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited
Inventor: Huma Ashraf , Kevin Riddell , Alex Croot
IPC: H01L21/3065 , H01J37/32
CPC classification number: H01L21/3065 , H01J37/32449 , H01J2237/3345
Abstract: A plasma etch step anisotropically etches a silicon carbide semiconductor substrate through an opening to produce a feature. The plasma etch step generates a plasma from an etchant gas mixture that includes at least one fluorine-containing component and chlorine gas. The etchant gas mixture can further include SiCl4, an oxygen-containing component, and/or inert gas component.
-
公开(公告)号:US11802341B2
公开(公告)日:2023-10-31
申请号:US17144699
申请日:2021-01-08
Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited
Inventor: Stephen Burgess , Kathrine Crook , Daniel Archard , William Royle , Euan Alasdair Morrison
IPC: C23C16/40 , C23C16/513 , C23C16/455
CPC classification number: C23C16/513 , C23C16/455
Abstract: A capacitively coupled Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PE-CVD) apparatus has a chamber, a first electrode with a substrate support positioned in the chamber, a second electrode with a gas inlet structure positioned in the chamber, and an RF power source connected to the gas inlet structure for supplying RF power thereto. The gas inlet structure has an edge region, a central region which depends downwardly with respect to the edge region, and one or more precursor gas inlets for introducing a PE-CVD precursor gas mixture to the chamber. The edge region and the central region both constitute part of the second electrode. The precursor gas inlets are disposed in the edge region and the central region is spaced apart from the substrate support to define a plasma dark space channel.
-
公开(公告)号:US11718908B2
公开(公告)日:2023-08-08
申请号:US17241237
申请日:2021-04-27
Applicant: SPTS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
Inventor: Scott Haymore , Amit Rastogi , Rhonda Hyndman , Steve Burgess , Ian Moncrieff
CPC classification number: C23C14/505 , C23C14/345 , C23C14/3407 , C23C14/3485 , C23C14/35 , C23C14/50 , C23C14/541 , H01J37/32715 , H01J37/3405 , H01J37/3411 , H01J37/3467 , C23C14/0617 , C23C14/0641 , H01J37/3426
Abstract: A method of depositing a film on a substrate is provided. The method includes positioning the substrate on a substrate support in a chamber and depositing the film on the substrate using a DC magnetron sputtering process in which an electrical bias signal causes ions to bombard the substrate. The substrate support includes a central region surrounded by an edge region, the central region being raised with respect to the edge region, and the substrate is positioned on the central region so that a portion of the substrate overlays the edge region and is spaced apart therefrom.
-
公开(公告)号:US20230212736A1
公开(公告)日:2023-07-06
申请号:US17958390
申请日:2022-10-01
Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited
Inventor: Scott HAYMORE , Tony WILBY , Stephen BURGESS
CPC classification number: C23C14/566 , C23C14/35 , H01J37/3405 , C23C14/021 , H01J37/3447 , H01J2237/3322 , H01J2237/335 , H01J2237/3343
Abstract: A PVD apparatus can be operated in a cleaning mode to remove material from an electrically conductive feature formed on a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate with the electrically conductive feature formed thereon is positioned on a substrate support in a chamber of the PVD apparatus. A shutter is deployed within the chamber to divide the chamber into a first compartment in which the semiconductor substrate and the substrate support are positioned, and a second compartment in which a target of the PVD apparatus is positioned. A first plasma is generated in the first compartment to remove material from the electrically conductive feature and a second plasma is simultaneously generated in the second compartment to clean the target.
-
公开(公告)号:US11489106B2
公开(公告)日:2022-11-01
申请号:US17101951
申请日:2020-11-23
Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited
Inventor: Huma Ashraf , Kevin Riddell , Codrin Prahoveanu
IPC: H01L21/3065 , H01L41/332 , H01J37/32
Abstract: A structure comprising a semiconductor substrate and a layer of PZT (lead zirconate titanate) is etched by performing a first plasma etch step with a first etch process gas mixture. The first etch process gas mixture comprises at least one fluorine containing species. The first plasma etch step is performed so that involatile metal etch products are deposited onto interior surfaces of the chamber. The structure is further etched by performing a second plasma etch step with a second etch process gas mixture. The second etch process gas mixture comprises at least one fluorocarbon species. The second plasma etch step is performed so that a fluorocarbon polymer layer is deposited onto interior surfaces of the chamber to overlay involatile metal etch products deposited in the first plasma etch step and to provide a substrate on which further involatile metal etch products can be deposited.
-
公开(公告)号:US11236433B2
公开(公告)日:2022-02-01
申请号:US16845487
申请日:2020-04-10
Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited
Inventor: Martin Ayres , John MacNeil , Trevor Thomas
Abstract: An apparatus for electrochemically processing a semiconductor substrate includes a processing chamber of the type that is sealable to a peripheral portion of a semiconductor substrate so as to define a covered processing volume. The semiconductor substrate is supported by a substrate support. A magnetic arrangement is disposed outside of the processing chamber and produces a magnetic field. The magnetic field is changed using a controller for controlling the magnetic arrangement. An agitator is disposed within the processing chamber. The agitator comprises a magnetically responsive element which is responsive to changes in the magnetic field of the magnetic arrangement so as to provide a reciprocating motion to the agitator.
-
公开(公告)号:US11217442B2
公开(公告)日:2022-01-04
申请号:US16394369
申请日:2019-04-25
Applicant: SPTS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
Inventor: Mark Carruthers
Abstract: A method of depositing a SiN film onto a flexible substrate includes providing the flexible substrate, and depositing the SiN film onto the flexible substrate in a plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) process using SiH4, N2 and H2, in which the temperature of the substrate is 200° C. or less and SiH4 is introduced into the PECVD process at a flow rate of greater than 100 sccm.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-