Plasma noise and arcing suppressor apparatus and method for sputter

Abstract

A plasma noise and arcing suppressor apparatus and method includes a suppressor circuit electrically coupled between a DC power supply and a sputter target inside of a deposition chamber. The suppressor circuit includes an inductive element electrically connected in parallel with a rectifying element. An anode of the rectifying element is coupled to the negative output terminal of the DC power supply such that during a random fluctuation in sputtering current level at the output of the power supply, attributable to random electrical noise and arcing conditions in the sputtering plasma inside the chamber, the rectifying element is negatively biased and is generally non-conductive and the inductive element stores current energy from the sputtering current level fluctuation. Subsequently, the rectifying element is momentarily positively biased and current flows in a current loop through the inductive element and rectifying element to dissipate the stored energy in the suppressor circuit and thereby reduce the amount of energy from the random fluctuation which is conducted through the plasma to thereby reduce the noise and arcing within the plasma. A limiting resistor may be placed in series with the rectifying element to limit the current flowing through the rectifying element and to further dissipate the stored energy in the suppressor circuit.