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. 14, 2017

Filed:

Sep. 13, 2012
Applicants:

Daniel J. Hoffman, Fort Collins, CO (US);

Karl M. Brown, San Jose, CA (US);

Ying Rui, Santa Clara, CA (US);

John Pipitone, Livermore, CA (US);

Inventors:

Daniel J. Hoffman, Fort Collins, CO (US);

Karl M. Brown, San Jose, CA (US);

Ying Rui, Santa Clara, CA (US);

John Pipitone, Livermore, CA (US);

Assignee:

APPLIED MATERIALS, INC., Santa Clara, CA (US);

Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
C23C 14/34 (2006.01); C23C 14/35 (2006.01); H01J 37/32 (2006.01); H01J 37/34 (2006.01); C23C 14/50 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
C23C 14/35 (2013.01); C23C 14/3471 (2013.01); C23C 14/50 (2013.01); H01J 37/3266 (2013.01); H01J 37/32091 (2013.01); H01J 37/32174 (2013.01); H01J 37/32577 (2013.01); H01J 37/32706 (2013.01); H01J 37/32715 (2013.01); H01J 37/34 (2013.01); H01J 37/3444 (2013.01);
Abstract

In a plasma enhanced physical vapor deposition of a material onto workpiece, a metal target faces the workpiece across a target-to-workpiece gap less than a diameter of the workpiece. A carrier gas is introduced into the chamber and gas pressure in the chamber is maintained above a threshold pressure at which mean free path is less than 5% of the gap. RF plasma source power from a VHF generator is applied to the target to generate a capacitively coupled plasma at the target, the VHF generator having a frequency exceeding 30 MHz. The plasma is extended across the gap to the workpiece by providing through the workpiece a first VHF ground return path at the frequency of the VHF generator.


Find Patent Forward Citations

Loading…