Hitachi, Ltd.

Tamotsu Shimizu

Hitoshi Tamura

Susumu Aiuchi

Hiroshi Nakamura

Yasumichi Suzuki

Shigeru Kobayashi

Hiroshi Saito

Hideki Tateishi

Katsuhiro Iwashita

Takeshi Oyamada

Hikaru Nishijima

Shuuzoo Sano

A method and apparatus for controlling plasma generated utilizing microwaves and a magnetic field. Microwaves including right and left circularly polarized waves are generated and introduced into a processing chamber and a ratio of the right circularly polarized waves to the left circularly polarized waves is controlled to enable control of at least one of an electron temperature and a density distribution for plasma processing.

Method and apparatus for controlling plasma processing

A film forming apparatus comprises of a microwave generating device and processing chamber. The processing chamber has a substrate therein, holds the pressure of atmosphere gas therein at a predetermined value, and generates plasma while introducing the microwave generated by the microwave generating device for forming a film on the substrate. The microwave is introduced in the processing chamber through a dielectric member disposed in the processing chamber. Further a shielding member is disposed in the processing chamber so as to be opposite to the dielectric member for preventing the attachment of film forming material to the dielectric member.

Film forming apparatus

A conical-frustum-sputtering target for use in a magnetron sputtering apparatus for forming a film on a planar substrate. The sputtering target includes a target member having at least a conical-frustum-shaped surface including a first surface portion parallel to a center portion of the planar substrate and spaced a first distance therefrom, a second surface portion parallel to at least an extension of a peripheral portion of the planar substrate and being spaced a second distance therefrom wherein the second distance is less than the first distance, and at least one-third surface portion inclined with respect to the planar substrate for interconnecting the first surface portion and the second surface portion. By utilizing such a sputtering target, a film having a uniform thickness can be formed on a substrate having side steps and such can be utilized to deposit metallic thin film for a minute wiring pattern and can be applied to a larger substrate.

Conical-frustum sputtering target and magnetron sputtering apparatus

Disclosed herein are apparatuses of several types for forming a film at an increased rate that is necessary for putting the microwave assisting sputtering into practice on an industrial scale. The feature resides in that a plasma is maintained uniformly on the whole surface of target composed of a material to be sputtered. This makes it possible to avoid the target from being thermally destroyed by the increased energy of sputtering. Further, in order to prevent damage on a substrate on which the film is to be sputtered by plasma for sputtering, consideration is given to the arrangement of magnetic devices in order to form the film by positively introducing the plasma onto the substrate on which the film is to be formed and, at the same time, effecting the sputtering. There are further disclosed an apparatus in which the plasma is generated by microwaves at a position close to the target to effectively utilize the energy of microwaves for the sputtering, and a cathode structure on which a conical target is placed by taking into consideration the fact that the sputtered particles emitted from the target travel in compliance with the cosine law.

Method and apparatus for microwave assisting sputtering

A continuous sputtering apparatus comprising a main vacuum chamber, one loading station and a plurality of process stations capable of having their pressures controlled separately. The process station includes a sub vacuum chamber capable of being in communication with the main vacuum chamber through an opening and an evacuation port. The loading station and the process stations are arranged to be spaced with equal angles. Substrate holders are provided to face the stations and are rotated by said equal angle in a time. The substrate holder opens and closes the opening of the sub vacuum chamber to serve as a gate valve.

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Yokohama, Japan

Tamotsu Shimizu