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.

Date of Patent:
Mar. 23, 1999

Filed:

Jun. 06, 1995
Applicant:
Inventors:

Julian Juu-Chuan Hsieh, Bronx, NY (US);

Donald McAlpine Kenney, Shelburne, VT (US);

Thomas John Licata, LaGrangeville, NY (US);

James Gardner Ryan, Newton, CT (US);

Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
C23C / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
20419212 ; 20419215 ; 2041923 ; 20429811 ;
Abstract

An apparatus and method provide deposition on a surface by angled sputtering using a collimation grid having angled vanes which limit the distribution of trajectories of particles in at least one coordinate direction around a central axis oriented at an angle of less than 90.degree. to said surface; resulting in improved uniformity of deposition and/or selective favoring of deposition on surfaces at a high angle to the deposition surface (e.g. sidewalls). Substantially parallel orientation and uniform spacing of the sputtering target and deposition surface provides good uniformity of results over the deposition surface. The angled trajectories of sputtered particles provides improved deposition on sides of upstanding mandrel features and filling of recessed features of high aspect ratio, especially when the collimation grid is rotated about an axis generally perpendicular to the deposition surface. Angled, collimated deposition also allows for control of deposition at potentially sub-lithographic feature sizes by using portions of features as a mask with deposition being performed only on remaining exposed portions of features or deposition on selected sides of a mandrel feature. Sidewall image transfer techniques may thus be extended to non-symmetrical and singular features. At very shallow angles to the deposition surface, deposited material has a fibrous texture with greatly increased effective surface area.


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