Applied Materials, Inc.

Other

Lam Research Corporation

James S Van Gogh

Wei W Wang

Avi Tepman

John C Forster

Jianming Fu

Vijay D Parkhe

Keith A Miller

Praburam Gopalraja

Roderick Craig Mosely

Richard Howard Gould

Howard H Tang

Michael Rosenstein

Sergio Edelstein

Marc O Schweitzer

Nitin Khurana

William J Murphy

Benjamin W Mooring

Alan Liu

Robert S West

Yoichiro Tanaka

Candi Kristoffersen

Mark Lloyd

Fernand Dorleans

Jennifer L Watia

Gustavo G Francken

Xinyu Zhang

Anthony Chen

Christopher Hagerty

Siyaun Yang

R Steve West

Keiji Miyamoto

A loading station for a substrate processing system includes first and second vertically-stacked loading stations. The first loading station includes a first airlock volume and first and second valves arranged at respective ends of the first loading station. The first and second valves are configured to selectively provide access to the first airlock volume and include first and second actuators, respectively, configured to open and close the first and second valves, and the first and second actuators extend downward from the first loading station. The second loading station includes a second airlock volume and third and fourth valves arranged at respective ends of the second loading station. The third and fourth valves are configured to selectively provide access to the second airlock volume and include third and fourth actuators, respectively, configured to open and close the third and fourth valves.

Platform architecture to improve system productivity

A system for performing PVD of metallic nitride(s) is disclosed. The improved performance is provided by a method of increasing the partial pressures of nitrogen or other active gases near the wafer surface through initial introduction of the argon or other neutral gases alone into an ionized metal plasma PVD chamber through an upper gas inlet at or near the target, initiating the plasma in the presence of argon or other neutral gases alone, after which nitrogen or other active gases are introduced into the chamber through a lower gas inlet at or near the wafer surface to increase deposition rates and lower electrical resistivity of the deposited metallic layer. An apparatus for carrying out the invention includes a source of argon near the target surface and a source of nitrogen integral to the substrate support thereby delivering nitrogen near the substrate surface.

Method and apparatus for ionized plasma deposition

In one embodiment, a target alignment surface disposed on a target support mechanically engages a darkspace shield alignment surface disposed on a darkspace shield as the target is lodged into a chamber body. The respective alignment surfaces are shaped and positioned so that the darkspace shield is physically moved to a desired aligned position as the alignment surfaces engage each other. In this manner a darkspace shield may be directly aligned to a target within a semiconductor fabrication chamber to provide a suitable darkspace gap between the target and the darkspace shield.

Method and apparatus for controlling darkspace gap in a chamber

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for achieving conformal step coverage in a deposition process. In at least one aspect, a target provides a source of material to be sputtered by a plasma and then ionized by an inductive coil. At least a portion of the electrons provided by the plasma and ionized target material are deflected by a magnetic field established adjacent to the substrate. Under the influence of the attracted electrons, positively charged particles are induced to move in the direction of the electrons. The magnetic field may be provided by one or more magnets located internally or externally to the processing chamber and which can be rotated to ensure uniform deposition of the electrons and ions on the device features.

Method and apparatus to improve the side wall and bottom coverage in IMP

An improved sputter target and shield eliminate redeposition of sputtered material onto the target and prevents the formation of deposits on the electrically insulative member between the target and enclosure wall. The sputter target is designed to allow the plasma to sputter the entire sidewall of the target while the a narrow passage between the target, backing plate and shield protects the insulative member from line-of-sight deposition, prevents formation of a plasma within the passage without causing arcing between the backing plate and shield. The target of the present invention is generally disk-shaped with a sloped or frustoconical sidewall surface around the perimeter edge.

Sputter target for eliminating redeposition on the target sidewall

A method and apparatus for pre-heating a coil used to generate a plasma field in a processing chamber in a semiconductor fabrication system. The coil is pre-heated in the chamber prior to sputter depositing material onto a substrate and workpiece. The coil is pre-heated to a predetermined temperature, which is preferably equal to or greater than the equilibrium temperature attained by the coil during sputter deposition processes. Pre-heating may be effected with a preheating current having a frequency lower than the minimum frequency required to ignite a plasma, or when the processing chamber contains an atmosphere which prevents formation of a plasma. The coil may pre-heated for a predetermined time period.

Resistive heating of powered coil to reduce transient heating/start up

Apparatus for supporting a wafer in a semiconductor wafer processing system. The apparatus contains a pedestal assembly, a ring assembly circumscribing the pedestal and an insulator between the pedestal assembly and ring assembly. The insulator electrically isolates the pedestal assembly from the ring assembly thereby preventing unwanted power coupling through the ring assembly.

Apparatus for improved power coupling through a workpiece in a

An exclusion ring system for depositing a film with multiple exclusion zones on a substrate in a deposition apparatus having a pedestal for supporting the substrate at different positions. A first exclusion ring is positioned above the substrate and pedestal and extends over a first zone overlying the perimeter of the substrate up to a first inner periphery. A second ring is positioned between the first ring and the substrate and extends over a second zone overlying the perimeter of the substrate outwardly of the first zone to a second inner periphery lying outwardly of the first inner periphery. When the pedestal is in a raised position, it supports the rings. When the pedestal is in a lowered position, the rings are supported by legs resting on a stationary wall, the legs of the first ring being effectively longer than the legs of the second ring so that the rings are sequentially moved away from the substrate as the pedestal is lowered. Initially, the first ring is in a position proximate the substrate to prevent deposition of the first film over the first zone. Then the pedestal is lowered to a position where the first ring is moved away from the substrate by its leg being supported. This leaves the second ring as an effective exclusion ring at the second position so that the second film is deposited over the first and over the second zone and also extends outwardly to cover and protect the edge of the first film.

Multiple edge deposition exclusion rings

A method for controlling the operation of a magnetron source for sputtering a surface of a target in a vacuum chamber, the method including the steps of: during a low pressure phase of sputtering, causing a magnetic field generated by a the magnetron source to be confined primarily to an inner region of the surface of the target so as to reduce leakage of electrons away from the target during sputtering; and during a subseguent high pressure phase of sputtering, causing the magnetic field generated by the magnet assembly to extend into the outer region of the surface of the target so as to sputter material from the outer region of the surface of the target. The pressure of the high pressure phase of sputtering is higher than the pressure of the low pressure phase of sputtering.

Magnetron for low pressure full face erosion

The disadvantages heretofore associated with the prior art are overcome by the present invention of an improved target for a physical deposition (PVD) system. The improved target has a portion of the target side wall the overhangs and shadows the side wall of the target thus preventing material from depositing on the edge. To further reduce contaminant generation, the improved target is combined with an improved dark space shield having a first end and a second end, where the second end conventionally supports a collimator and the first end has an inner surface that is substantially vertical.

Target and dark space shield for a physical vapor deposition system

Sputtering apparatus and method suitable for forming a step coating on a workpiece. A workpiece is supported in a chamber, particles are emitted from a sputtering source, and the particles are passed through a collimating filter having a plurality of transmissive cells positioned between the sputtering source and the workpiece to limit the angles at which the particles can be deposited onto the workpiece. The collimating filter varies in height from a center portion to an outer portion while preferably maintaining a constant cell aspect ratio.

Variable cell size collimator

A sputtering apparatus deposits a layer of material on a substrate. The apparatus includes a screening member, such as a plate collimator or a tube collimator, located between the target and substrate. A motor drive reverses the respective positions of the two opposite sides of the screening device which respectively face the substrate and the target.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

James S Van Gogh