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:
Feb. 18, 2003
Filed:
Jun. 18, 1996
Geri M. Actor, Monte Sereno, CA (US);
Ronald R. Cochran, Mountain View, CA (US);
Vance E. Hoffman, Jr., Los Altos, CA (US);
Novellus Systems, Inc., San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
Sputtering apparatus using a collimating filter to limit the angles at which sputtered particles will reach the surface of the substrate or workpiece being processed is shown. The sputtering apparatus relies on a combination of a planar sputter source larger in size than the workpiece and having highly uniform emission characteristics across the much of its surface, including its center; a collimating filter; and low operating pressure to avoid scattering of sputtered atoms after they have passed through the collimation filter. In the preferred embodiment, the collimation filter is made from a material which has substantially the same thermal coefficient of expansion as the film which is deposited on the substrate. In one specific embodiment, a titanium collimation filter is used when the sputtering system is used to deposit films of titanium, titanium nitride or titanium/tungsten alloy.