Tokyo Electron Limited

Frank Cerio

Rodney Lee Robison

Tugrul Yasar

Bruce David Gittleman

Jozef Brcka

Jacques Faguet

Glyn J Reynolds

Michael James Grapperhaus

An iPVD apparatus () is programmed to deposit material () onto semiconductor substrates () by cycling between deposition and etch modes within a vacuum chamber (). Static magnetic fields are kept to a minimum during at least the etch modes, at least less than 150 Gauss, typically less than 50 Gauss, and preferably in the range of 0-10 Gauss. Static magnetic fields during deposition modes may be more than 150 Gauss, in the range of 0-50 Gauss, or preferably 20-30 Gauss, and may be the same as during etch modes or switched between a higher level during deposition modes and a lower level, including zero, during etch modes. Such switching may be by switching electromagnet current or by moving permanent magnets, by translation or rotation. Static magnetic fields are kept to a minimum during at least the etch modes, at least less than 150 Gauss, typically less than 50 Gauss, and preferably in the range of 1-10 Gauss. The modes may operate at different power and pressure parameters. Pressure of more than 50 mTorr are preferred for deposition in a thermalized plasma while pressure of less than a few mTorr is preferred for etching.

Ionized PVD with sequential deposition and etching

An iPVD apparatus ( ) is programmed to deposit material ( ) into high aspect ratio submicron features ( ) on semiconductor substrates ( ) by cycling between deposition and etch modes within a vacuum chamber ( ). The modes operate at different power and pressure parameters. Pressure of more than 50 mTorr, for example, is used for sputtering material from a target while pressure of less than a few mTorr, for example, is used to etch. Bias power on the substrate is an order of magnitude higher for etching, producing several hundred volt bias for etching, but only a few tens of volts for deposition. The alternating etching modes remove deposited material that overhangs edges of features on the substrate, removes some of the deposited material from the bottoms ( ) of the features, and resputters the removed deposited material onto sidewalls ( ) of the features. The substrate ( ) is cooled during deposition and etching, and particularly during etching to substantially below 0&deg; C. RF energy is coupled into the chamber ( ) to form a high density plasma, with substantially higher RF power coupled during deposition than during etching. The substrate ( ) is moved closer to the plasma source during etching than during deposition.

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Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

Frank Cerio