The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 07, 2019
Filed:
Oct. 23, 2014
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
William Johanson, Gilroy, CA (US);
Fuhong Zhang, Cupertino, CA (US);
Adolph Miller Allen, Oakland, CA (US);
Yu Liu, San Jose, CA (US);
APPLIED MATERIALS, INC., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
Embodiments of improved methods and apparatus for maintaining low non-uniformity over the course of the life of a target are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of processing a substrate in a physical vapor deposition chamber includes: disposing a substrate atop a substrate support having a cover ring that surrounds the substrate support such that an upper surface of the substrate is positioned at a first distance above an upper surface of the cover ring; sputtering a source material from a target disposed opposite the substrate support to deposit a film atop the substrate while maintaining the first distance; and lowering the substrate support with respect to the cover ring and sputtering the source material from the target to deposit films atop subsequent substrates over a life of the target.