Novellus Systems Incorporated

The Perkin-elmer Corporation

Lam Research Corporation

Airco, Inc.

Gryphon Products

Larry D Hartsough

Kaihan Abidi Ashtiani

Karl B Levy

Kwok Fai Lai

Andrew L Nordquist

Paul Stephen McLeod

Paul K Shufflebotham

Richard S Hill

Maximilian Albert Biberger

Dean R Denison

Ronald R Cochran

Robert Martinson

Mingwei Jiang

David J Harra

Dean R Dension

An apparatus and method for controlling and optimizing a non-planar target shape of a sputtering magnetron system are employed to minimize the redeposition of the sputtered material and optimize target erosion. The methodology is based on the integration of sputtered material from each point of the target according to its solid angle view of the rest of the target. The prospective target's geometry is optimized by analytically comparing and evaluating the methodology's results of one target geometry against that of another geometry, or by simply altering the first geometry and recalculating and comparing the results of the first geometry against the altered geometry. The target geometries may be of many different shapes including trapezoidal, cylindrical, parabolic, and elliptical, depending upon the optimum process parameters desired. A sputtering system is developed using this methodology, having a main magnet stack, a rotating magnet, a target having selected target shapes optimized for controlling erosion, downstream magnets, a substrate, and an electric field induced plasma stream.

Control of erosion profile and process characteristics in magnetron sputtering by geometrical shaping of the sputtering target

A magnetron source comprises a hollow cathode with a non-planar target. By using a magnet between the cathode and a substrate, plasma can be controlled to achieve high ionization levels, good step coverage, and good process uniformity. Step coverage uniformity is also improved by controlling the magnetic fields, and thus the flow of ions and electrons, near the plane of the substrate.

Apparatus and method for controlling plasma uniformity across a substrate

A novel hollow cathode magnetron source is disclosed. The source comprises a hollow cathode with a non-planar target. By using a magnet between the cathode and a substrate, plasma can be controlled to achieve high ionization levels, good step coverage, and good process uniformity.

Physical vapor deposition reactor including magnet to control flow of ions

A hollow cathode magnetron (HCM) sputter source includes a main magnet positioned near the sidewall of the hollow cathode target and a pair of rotating magnet arrays that are positioned near the closed end of the hollow cathode target. One of the arrays produces a magnetic field that is aligned with (aids) the magnetic field produced by the main magnet; the other arrays produce a magnetic field that is aligned against (bucks) the magnetic field produced by the main magnet. Field lines produced by the magnet arrays contain an extension of the plasma that is controlled by the main magnet. Charged particles circulate between the two portions of the plasma. The extended plasma is thus formed over a very high percentage of the surface of the target, thereby creating an erosion profile that is highly uniform and encompasses essentially the entire face of the target. This maximizes the utilization of the target and minimizes the frequency at which the spent target must be replaced.

Apparatus and method for controlling erosion profile in hollow cathode magnetron sputter source

An internally cooled target assembly for use in a magnetron sputtering apparatus is provided. The internally cooled target assembly includes a cooling plate that is configured to promote highly turbulent coolant flow through the target assembly to achieve efficient and uniform target cooling. The volume of coolant required to cool the target assembly is minimized.

Internally cooled target assembly for magnetron sputtering

A method and apparatus for removing extraneous deposits from particle control surfaces in a microwave plasma generating device. An annular magnetron plasma is formed in contact with a particle control surface having a shape which intersects 200-500 G lines of magnetic induction. The magnetron plasma is scanned across particle control surfaces on a horn and chuck by increasing the current to the main coil and/or mirror coil of the apparatus. As the magnetron plasma moves across the particle control surfaces, the plasma reacts with the extraneous deposits and etches the deposits off of the particle control surfaces.

Apparatus and method for magnetron in-situ cleaning of plasma reaction

A method and apparatus for forming a thin film on a substrate by sputtering of a material from a cathode, which material is subsequently reacted to form the thin film. A process chamber has a sputter zone which contains a sputter electrode assembly and in which an inert sputtering atmosphere is injected. Isolation means separates the sputtering zone from a reaction zone of the process chamber, into which a chemically reactive atmosphere is injected, and prevents the chemically reactive atmosphere from entering the sputtering zone. A substrate receives a sputtered material in the sputtering zone, and is subsequently transferred to the reaction zone where the sputtered material is contacted by and reacts with the chemically reactive atmosphere therein to form a reacted thin film.

Apparatus and process for sputter deposition of reacted thin films

Method and apparatus for chemical treatment of workpieces is disclosed wherein a workpiece to be processed is exposed to a controlled gaseous atmosphere containing a gaseous constituent to be dissociated by laser radiation to produce a gaseous reactant product for reaction with a surface of the workpiece for chemical processing of the workpiece. The wavelength of the laser beam radiation is selected for splitting only the desired bonds to produce only the desired reactant product without producing undesired by-products which could deleteriously interfere with the desired chemical reaction. Specific examples of the desired laser induced dissociation to produce desired reactant products include, but are not limited to: dissociation to produce reactive oxygen for chemical reaction with photoresist for removing, or 'ashing' the photoresist, laser induced dissociation of halocompounds to produce reactive halogen or halogen compounds for metal etching; and laser induced dissociation of fluorocompounds to produce reactive fluorine of fluorocompounds for selective etching of siliconiferous, metallic, or ceramic materials. The method and apparatus of the present invention is especially well suited for semiconductor wafer processing.

Laser induced dissociative chemical gas phase processing of workpieces

An improved method and apparatus for attaching a target to the cathode of a cathode sputtering system is disclosed which includes a ferromagnetic retainer which releasably clamps the target to the cathode by virtue of its attraction to existing permanent magnets in the cathode assembly. An optional ferromagnetic ring may also be provided around the periphery of the target to further hold the target to the cathode assembly.

Method and apparatus for attaching a target to the cathode of a

A method for depositing aluminum layers having a predetermined reflectance or a predetermined resistivity is disclosed. The layers are deposited by sputtering a target comprising 90% or greater aluminum. The parameters which must be controlled include the partial pressure of reactive gases, such as nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen and water vapor, which are minor constituents of the sputtering gas, the total sputtering gas pressure, the substrate temperature, and the deposition rate.

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Berkeley, CA, United States of America

Larry D Hartsough