High deposition rate sputtering
DC CAFC
First Claim
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1. A sputtering source comprising:
- a cathode assembly that is positioned adjacent to an anode, the cathode assembly including a sputtering target;
an ionization source that generates a weakly-ionized plasma from a feed gas proximate to the anode and the cathode assembly; and
a power supply that generates a voltage pulse between the anode and the cathode assembly that creates a strongly-ionized plasma from the weakly-ionized plasma, an amplitude and a rise time of the voltage pulse being chosen to increase a density of ions in the strongly-ionized plasma enough to generate sufficient thermal energy in the sputtering target to cause a sputtering yield to be non-linearly related to a temperature of the sputtering target.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for high-deposition sputtering are described. A sputtering source includes an anode and a cathode assembly that is positioned adjacent to the anode. The cathode assembly includes a sputtering target. An ionization source generates a weakly-ionized plasma proximate to the anode and the cathode assembly. A power supply produces an electric field between the anode and the cathode assembly that creates a strongly-ionized plasma from the weakly-ionized plasma. The strongly-ionized plasma includes a first plurality of ions that impact the sputtering target to generate sufficient thermal energy in the sputtering target to cause a sputtering yield of the sputtering target to be non-linearly related to a temperature of the sputtering target.
68 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A sputtering source comprising:
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a cathode assembly that is positioned adjacent to an anode, the cathode assembly including a sputtering target;
an ionization source that generates a weakly-ionized plasma from a feed gas proximate to the anode and the cathode assembly; and
a power supply that generates a voltage pulse between the anode and the cathode assembly that creates a strongly-ionized plasma from the weakly-ionized plasma, an amplitude and a rise time of the voltage pulse being chosen to increase a density of ions in the strongly-ionized plasma enough to generate sufficient thermal energy in the sputtering target to cause a sputtering yield to be non-linearly related to a temperature of the sputtering target. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for high deposition rate sputtering, the method comprising:
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ionizing a feed gas to generate a weakly-ionized plasma proximate to a cathode assembly that comprises a sputtering target; and
applying a voltage pulse to the cathode assembly to generate a strongly-ionized plasma from the weakly-ionized plasma, an amplitude and a rise time of the voltage pulse being chosen so that ions in the strongly-ionized plasma generate sufficient thermal energy in the sputtering target to cause a sputtering yield to be non-linearly related to a temperature of the sputtering target, thereby increasing a deposition rate of the sputtering. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A sputtering source comprising:
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a cathode assembly that is positioned adjacent to an anode, the cathode assembly including a sputtering target;
an ionization source that generates a weakly-ionized plasma from a feed gas proximate to the anode and the cathode assembly;
a power supply that generates a voltage pulse between the anode and the cathode assembly that creates a strongly-ionized plasma from the weakly-ionized plasma, an amplitude and a rise time of the voltage pulse being chosen to increase a density of ions in the strongly-ionized plasma enough to generate sufficient thermal energy in the sputtering target to cause a sputtering yield to be non-linearly related to a temperature of the sputtering target; and
a gas controller that controls a flow of the feed gas to the strongly-ionized plasma to facilitate the creation of additional ions that generate additional thermal energy in the sputtering target. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A sputtering source comprising:
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means for ionizing a feed gas to generate a weakly-ionized plasma; and
means for increasing the density of the weakly-ionized plasma to generate a strongly-ionized plasma having a density of ions that generate sufficient thermal energy in the sputtering target to cause a sputtering yield to be non-linearly related to a temperature of the sputtering target.
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Specification
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Litigation Data
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Current AssigneeZOND Incorporated
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Original AssigneeZOND Incorporated
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InventorsChistyakov, Roman
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Primary Examiner(s)MCDONALD, RODNEY GLENN
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Application NumberUS10/065,739Publication NumberTime in Patent Office922 DaysField of Search204/192.12, 204/192.13, 204/298.03, 204/298.06, 204/298.07, 204/298.08, 204/298.14, 204/298.19US Class Current204/192.12CPC Class CodesC23C 14/228 Gas flow assisted PVD depos...C23C 14/3414 Metallurgical or chemical a...C23C 14/3485 using pulsed power to the t...C23C 14/3492 Variation of parameters dur...C23C 14/35 by application of a magneti...C23C 14/354 Introduction of auxiliary e...C23C 14/542 Controlling the film thickn...H01J 37/3266 Magnetic control meansH01J 37/32697 Electrostatic controlH01J 37/3405 Magnetron sputteringH01J 37/3408 Planar magnetron sputteringH01J 37/3429 Plural materialsH01J 37/3455 Movable magnetsH01J 37/3467 Pulsed operation, e.g. HIPIMSH01J 37/3476 Testing and controlH01L 21/02266 deposition by physical abla...
