公开(公告)号：US20230136705A1

公开(公告)日：2023-05-04

申请号：US17976798

申请日：2022-10-29

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Scott Haymore ,  Adrian Thomas ,  Tony Wilby ,  Stephen Burgess

IPC: H01L33/00 ,  H01L33/50

Abstract: A substrate is positioned on a substrate supporting upper surface of a substrate support. An arrangement of permanent magnets is positioned beneath the substrate supporting upper surface so that permanent magnets are disposed underneath the substrate. The deposition material is deposited into the recesses formed in the substrate by sputtering a sputtering material from a target of a magnetron device. While depositing the deposition material, the arrangement of permanent magnets provides a substantially uniform lateral magnetic field across the surface of the substrate which extends into a region beyond a periphery of the substrate to enhance resputtering of deposited material deposited into the recesses.

公开(公告)号：US20240177997A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-30

申请号：US18244904

申请日：2023-09-11

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Scott Haymore ,  Tony Wilby ,  Steve Burgess

IPC: H01L21/285 ,  C23C14/02 ,  C23C14/34 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01J37/34 ,  H01L21/02

CPC classification number: H01L21/2855 ,  C23C14/021 ,  C23C14/345 ,  H01J37/32082 ,  H01J37/3464 ,  H01L21/02068 ,  H01J2237/332 ,  H01J2237/335

Abstract: A PVD apparatus can perform a cleaning step and a deposition step on an electrically conductive feature formed on a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate with the electrically conductive feature thereon can be positioned on the substrate support. A cleaning step can be performed to remove material from the electrically conductive feature predominantly by etching with ions of an inert gas while the target is simultaneously sputtered. A deposition step is performed by applying no RF bias to the substrate support or applying an RF bias which is less than the RF bias applied to the substrate support during the cleaning step and supplying an electrical signal having an associated electrical power to the target. The RF bias, if present, and electrical power are sufficient to deposit an electrically conductive deposition material onto the electrically conductive feature by PVD.

公开(公告)号：US11521840B2

公开(公告)日：2022-12-06

申请号：US15899634

申请日：2018-02-20

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Anthony Wilby ,  Steve Burgess ,  Ian Moncrieff ,  Clive Widdicks ,  Scott Haymore ,  Rhonda Hyndman

IPC: C23C14/35 ,  H01J37/34 ,  B81B3/00 ,  C23C14/50 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/02 ,  C23C14/34 ,  H01L21/285 ,  H01L21/768

Abstract: A method and apparatus are for controlling stress variation in a material layer formed via pulsed DC physical vapour deposition. The method includes the steps of providing a chamber having a target from which the material layer is formed and a substrate upon which the material layer is formable, and subsequently introducing a gas within the chamber. The method further includes generating a plasma within the chamber and applying a first magnetic field proximate the target to substantially localise the plasma adjacent the target. An RF bias is applied to the substrate to attract gas ions from the plasma toward the substrate and a second magnetic field is applied proximate the substrate to steer gas ions from the plasma to selective regions upon the material layer formed on the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20220085275A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-17

申请号：US17461928

申请日：2021-08-30

Applicant: SPTS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

Inventor： Scott Haymore ,  Adrian Thomas ,  Tony Wilby

IPC: H01L41/316 ,  H01L41/08 ,  H01L41/187 ,  H01L41/319 ,  C23C14/06 ,  C23C14/00 ,  C01B21/06

Abstract: Pulsed DC reactive sputtering of a target deposits an additive-containing aluminium nitride film onto a metallic layer of a semiconductor substrate. The additive-containing aluminium nitride film contains an additive element selected from scandium, yttrium, titanium, chromium, magnesium and hafnium. Depositing the additive-containing aluminium nitride film includes introducing a gaseous mixture comprising nitrogen gas and an inert gas into the chamber at a flow rate, in which the flow rate of the gaseous mixture comprises a nitrogen gas flow rate, and in which the nitrogen gas flow rate is less than or equal to about 50% of the flow rate of the gaseous mixture and also is sufficient to fully poison the target.

公开(公告)号：US10900114B2

公开(公告)日：2021-01-26

申请号：US15084574

申请日：2016-03-30

Applicant: SPTS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

Inventor： Stephen R Burgess ,  Rhonda Hyndman ,  Amit Rastogi ,  Eduardo Paulo Lima ,  Clive L Widdicks ,  Paul Rich ,  Scott Haymore ,  Daniel Cook

IPC: C23C14/06 ,  C23C14/10 ,  C23C14/34 ,  C23C14/35 ,  H01J37/34 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: A method is for depositing a dielectric material on to a substrate in a chamber by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering with a pulsed DC magnetron device which produces one or more primary magnetic fields. In the method, a sputtering material is sputtered from a target, wherein the target and the substrate are separated by a gap in the range 2.5 to 10 cm and a secondary magnetic field is produced within the chamber which causes a plasma produced by the pulsed DC magnetron device to expand towards one or more walls of the chamber.

公开(公告)号：US12207556B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-21

申请号：US16865227

申请日：2020-05-01

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Adrian Thomas ,  Steve Burgess ,  Amit Rastogi ,  Tony Wilby ,  Scott Haymore

IPC: H03H3/08 ,  C01B21/06 ,  C23C14/00 ,  C23C14/02 ,  C23C14/06 ,  H03H3/02 ,  H03H9/02 ,  H03H9/17 ,  H10N30/045 ,  H10N30/076 ,  H10N30/082

Abstract: In a method for sputter depositing an additive-containing aluminium nitride film containing an additive element like Sc or Y, a first layer of the additive-containing aluminium nitride film is deposited onto a substrate disposed within a chamber by pulsed DC reactive sputtering. A second layer of the additive-containing aluminium nitride film is deposited onto the first layer by pulsed DC reactive sputtering. The second layer has the same composition as the first layer. A gas or gaseous mixture is introduced into the chamber when depositing the first layer. A gaseous mixture comprising nitrogen gas and an inert gas is introduced into the chamber when depositing the second layer. The percentage of nitrogen gas in the flow rate (in sccm) when depositing the first layer is greater than that when depositing the second layer.

公开(公告)号：US11875980B2

公开(公告)日：2024-01-16

申请号：US17139445

申请日：2020-12-31

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Stephen R Burgess ,  Rhonda Hyndman ,  Amit Rastogi ,  Eduardo Paulo Lima ,  Clive L Widdicks ,  Paul Rich ,  Scott Haymore ,  Daniel Cook

IPC: H01J37/34 ,  C23C14/34 ,  C23C14/06 ,  C23C14/35 ,  C23C14/10 ,  H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/3458 ,  C23C14/0617 ,  C23C14/10 ,  C23C14/345 ,  C23C14/3485 ,  C23C14/35 ,  C23C14/351 ,  H01J37/32669 ,  H01J37/32688 ,  H01J37/345 ,  H01J37/3411 ,  H01J37/3426 ,  H01J37/3461 ,  H01J37/3467 ,  H01J37/3408

Abstract: A method is for depositing a dielectric material on to a substrate in a chamber by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering with a pulsed DC magnetron device which produces one or more primary magnetic fields. In the method, a sputtering material is sputtered from a target, wherein the target and the substrate are separated by a gap in the range 2.5 to 10 cm and a secondary magnetic field is produced within the chamber which causes a plasma produced by the pulsed DC magnetron device to expand towards one or more walls of the chamber.

公开(公告)号：US11008651B2

公开(公告)日：2021-05-18

申请号：US15478283

申请日：2017-04-04

Applicant: SPTS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

Inventor： Scott Haymore ,  Amit Rastogi ,  Rhonda Hyndman ,  Steve Burgess ,  Ian Moncrieff ,  Chris Kendal

IPC: C23C14/06 ,  C23C14/34 ,  C23C14/35 ,  C23C14/50 ,  C23C14/54 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01J37/34

Abstract: A DC magnetron sputtering apparatus is for depositing a film on a substrate. The apparatus includes a chamber, a substrate support positioned within the chamber, a DC magnetron, and an electrical signal supply device for supplying an electrical bias signal that, in use, causes ions to bombard a substrate positioned on the substrate support. The substrate support includes a central region surrounded by an edge region, the central region being raised with respect to the edge region.

公开(公告)号：US20210123130A1

公开(公告)日：2021-04-29

申请号：US17139445

申请日：2020-12-31

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Stephen R Burgess ,  Rhonda Hyndman ,  Amit Rastogi ,  Eduardo Paulo Lima ,  Clive L Widdicks ,  Paul Rich ,  Scott Haymore ,  Daniel Cook

IPC: C23C14/06 ,  C23C14/34 ,  C23C14/35 ,  C23C14/10 ,  H01J37/34 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: A method is for depositing a dielectric material on to a substrate in a chamber by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering with a pulsed DC magnetron device which produces one or more primary magnetic fields. In the method, a sputtering material is sputtered from a target, wherein the target and the substrate are separated by a gap in the range 2.5 to 10 cm and a secondary magnetic field is produced within the chamber which causes a plasma produced by the pulsed DC magnetron device to expand towards one or more walls of the chamber.

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

IPC: H03H3/08 ,  C23C14/16 ,  C23C14/35 ,  H03H9/02

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.