摘要:
A bias sputter coating apparatus is provided with a cathode target assembly having a central electrode which is maintainable at an adjustable voltage level which is negative with respect to the chamber anode but positive with respect to the cathode voltage and the bias voltage on the substrate. The apparatus is used to manufacture sputter coated articles such as semiconductor wafers. The method provides that the voltage on the central electrode is adjusted to a level which improves the ion flux distribution uniformity on the substrate. The electrode voltage is generally optimized in the range of from -8 volts to -20 volts.
摘要:
A sputter coating apparatus displays set and alternative machine parameters, entered or calculated from entered or measured data, for selection by the operator. The apparatus performs a sputter coating process to produce sputter coated articles in accordance with the selected machine parameters. Process parameters familiar to the person creating the process, such as desired coating thickness and desired deposition rate, may be entered by the operator. Measured data such as actual coating thickness at a plurality of points on a previously processed wafer may be entered by an operator or automatically measured from a wafer. Alternative machine parameters such as target sputtering power may be entered by an operator or calculated from entered process parameters or measured data. The operator selects and initiates a process in accordance with the selections by entering commands. The machine parameters control separately the sputtering from different regions of the sputtering surface of a one piece sputtering target by alternately energizing different plasmas over the different target regions and energizing the target in accordance with different machine parameters.
摘要:
A magnetron sputtering method and apparatus employing a one-piece annular target having a concave continuously smooth surface with an inwardly facing portion close to and surrounding the outer edge of a stepped wafer provides a sputtering surface with areas facing the differently facing surfaces of the wafer steps. Two concentric erosion zones on the target surface are independently energized at different electrical parameter values by synchronizing the power applied to the single target with switched activation of plasmas overlying the respective target regions which define the erosion zones. The electrical parameters and the geometry are established so as to uniformly coat the differently facing surfaces of the stepped wafer. During part of the duty cycle during which each target region is energized, parameters may be measured. Such parameters may be those which vary with changes in geometry as for example may be due to target erosion. The operation of different target regions, such as the duty cycles or power levels for such regions, may be separately varied in response to the measurements or otherwise, to maintain uniform substrate coating as the target erodes. The target is thicker under the outer region and has an annular pole piece embedded to reduce the space separating the target erosion regions, and includes means to cool the target and reinforce it against thermal expansion.
摘要:
The aperture plate of the present invention is positioned between a sputter target and a substrate to be coated with a film of target material. The substantially non-collimating plate contains a plurality of apertures which intercept a percentage of the sputter particles while allowing other sputter particles to be deposited upon the substrate to form the film. The rate of deposition achieved by the aperture plate is less than the rate of sputtering so that the target may be sputtered at a sufficiently higher rate to reduce the formation of a reactant film on the sputter target while the deposition rate is sufficiently low to allow adequate reaction between a reactive gas and sputter particles to form the desired reactant film on the substrate. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the apertures of the plate have different aspect ratios or different densities in various different regions of the plate to achieve various different deposition rates in different areas of the substrate. The aspect ratios of the apertures may be selectively varied to achieve a more uniform film thickness or a film of selectively varied thicknesses. The various aspect ratios are achieved by selectively varying a cross-sectional area and/or depth of the apertures in the plate.
摘要:
A magnetron sputtering apparatus and method, in which the ion flux bombarding the substrate is made uniform. Countermagnet means are chosen and positioned such that the vertical components of the countermagnet field are of opposite direction and equal magnitude to the vertical components of the cathode magnet in the vicinity of the substrate. Thus, the cathode magnetic field lines become substantially flat in the vicinity of the substrate and do not cause the ion flux to be distributed on the substrate surface in a non-uniform manner. Measurement of ion current density on the substrate surface during operation of the invention reveals that the invention provides substantially constant flux at all points on the substrate surface.
摘要:
A sputter coating apparatus particularly useful for applying sputtered films, particularly reactively produced sputtered films such as titanium nitride, onto semiconductor wafers, is provided with a collimator that includes a grid of vanes for restricting the paths available for the sputtered material to take from the target toward the wafer. A flow of fresh reactive gas is maintained on the surface of the wafer by gas outlets carried by vanes of the collimator. The outlets are supplied with the gas through passages provided in the vanes, so that the gas supply does not contribute to the shadowing of the sputtered material from the wafer except in accordance with the intended shadowing for which the collimator is provided.
摘要:
A cathode assembly for use in a magnetron sputtering system, the system having a cathode assembly with parallel elongated target segments which are formed substantially of a material which is desired to be sputter-deposited onto a substrate. The elongated target segments are each provided with a material removal surface which is inclined toward the other segment with respect to the plane of the substrate. Such inclination permits the material which is removed from the target bars to be focused onto a relatively narrow area, thereby improving the efficiency of the sputtering operation and reducing machine down-time for cleaning and vacuum pumping. In other embodiments, end target segments are provided for improving the efficiency of film deposition near the ends of the elongated bars. The end target segments are provided with material removal surfaces which are also inclined, and connect with the elongated target segments to form a rectangular frame arrangement.
摘要:
The apparatus is provided with a main chamber divided into two chamber halves by a rotatable index plate. The plate rotates through a load lock station, through which wafer-like articles are inserted into and removed from the main chamber, and a series of processing stations, at each of which a process such as etching or sputter coating can be performed simultaneously upon different objects and sequentially upon the same objects. Each processing chamber is isolatable from the main chamber and other processing chambers during processing so that different substrates can be processed simultaneously at the various stations using different processes without cross contamination. Substrate holders resiliently mounted on the plate move transversely when compressed between a cup shaped back-plane device and the main chamber wall to separately seal each of the processing chambers from the main chamber.
摘要:
The film deposition rate of metallic compounds onto a substrate in a vacuum chamber by reactive sputtering or reactive ion plating is significantly increased by providing a substrate support with spaced apart magnetic poles to create a magnetic field having lines of force which leave the support, extend across a surface of the substrate exposed to a metallic coating source and re-enter the support to enclose the exposed surface in a localized magnetic electron-trapping field. A reactive gas is fed into the chamber, and a bias voltage is applied to the substrate support sufficient to create a dense glow discharge of ionized reactive gas closely adjacent to the substrate surface. The reactive gas ions react with metallic particles deposited on the exposed substrate surface from the coating source to form a film of the desired metallic compound. The localized magnetic plasma trap close to the substrate increases the chemical reaction rate at the substrate and reduces back sputtering, to result in a metallic compound coating having superior physical and chemical characteristics.
摘要:
A cathode assembly for use in a magnetron sputtering system, the system having a cathode assembly with parallel elongated target segments which are formed substantially of a material which is desired to be sputter-deposited onto a substrate. The elongated target segments are each provided with a material removal surface which is inclined toward the other segment with respect to the plane of the substrate. Such inclination permits the material which is removed from the target bars to be focused onto a relatively narrow area, thereby improving the efficiency of the sputtering operation and reducing machine down-time for cleaning and vacuum pumping. End target segments are provided for improving the efficiency of film deposition near the ends of the elongated bars. The end target segments are provided with material removal surfaces which are also inclined, and connect with the elongated target segments to form a rectangular frame arrangement. An elongated inner pole piece has outwardly extending portions near each end to improve uniformity of a trapping magnetic field between the inner pole piece and a rectangular annular outer pole piece.