CHAMBER FOR PROCESSING HARD DISK DRIVE SUBSTRATES

• US 20110127156A1
• Filed: 11/29/2010
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Porshnev, Peter I., Marin, Jose Antonio, Foad, Majeed A., Hilkene, Martin A., Scotney-Castle, Matthew D.
• Application Number:
  US12/955,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20110127156A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/192.12
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/8404 manufacturing base layers

Abstract

An apparatus for forming a magnetic pattern in a magnetic storage substrate. A chamber comprises a chamber wall that defines an internal volume, a substrate support in the internal volume of the chamber, a gas distributor disposed in a wall region of the chamber facing the substrate support, a compact energy source for ionizing a portion of the process gas provided to the chamber, and a throttle valve having a z-actuated gate member with a sealing surface for covering an outlet portal of the chamber. Ions are accelerated toward the substrate support by an electrical bias, amplifying the ion density of the process gas. A substrate disposed on the substrate support is bombarded by the ions to alter a magnetic property of the substrate surface.

Claims

1. A chamber for processing a hard disk drive substrate, comprising:

an enclosure defining an internal volume of the chamber;

a substrate support disposed in the internal volume;

a directional flow gas nozzle facing the substrate support;

an inductive field source facing the substrate support; and

a throttle valve having a gate member with a sealing surface for covering an outlet portal of the chamber.

2. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the directional flow gas nozzle has a diameter that increases in the direction that gas flows through the nozzle.

3. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the directional flow gas nozzle has a convex outlet plate comprising a plurality of outlet holes.

4. The chamber of claim 1, wherein a portion of the inductive field source protrudes into the interior volume, and the inductive field source is isolated from the interior volume.

5. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the directional gas flow nozzle and the inductive field source are disposed in a wall region of the chamber facing the substrate support.

6. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the gate member of the throttle valve is actuated along an axis of the throttle valve.

7. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the directional flow gas nozzle and the inductive field source are disposed in a wall region of the chamber facing the substrate support, the directional flow gas nozzle has a frustroconical shape, the inductive field source comprises an inductive core disposed in a receptacle that extends into an interior portion of the chamber and isolates the inductive core from the interior portion of the chamber, and the throttle valve comprises an opening and a gate member for mating with the opening, the gate member being actuated along an axis of the low conductance throttle valve.

8. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the directional flow gas nozzle comprises a plurality of outlet holes bored at an angle through an outlet end of the directional flow gas nozzle, wherein the bore angle of the outlet holes varies from a central region of the outlet end to a peripheral region of the outlet end.

9. The chamber of claim 8, wherein the bore angle of each outlet hole has a radial and a tangential component that provides circular flow.

10. An apparatus for processing hard disk drive substrates, comprising:

a processing chamber having an internal volume;

an RF-biased substrate support;

an inductive field source disposed near a wall of the chamber; and

a gas nozzle disposed in a wall region of the chamber facing the substrate support, the gas nozzle having a diameter that increases in the direction that gas flows through the gas nozzle.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the gas nozzle has a convex outlet plate with a plurality of outlet holes.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a liner lining the walls of the chamber.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a shield disposed about the gas nozzle and extending along a wall of the chamber and spaced apart therefrom.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the chamber liner and the shield comprise a conductive, non oxidizing material.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the chamber liner and the shield each comprise a material selected from the group of silicon, anodized aluminum, and graphitic carbon.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the gas nozzle extends through the shield.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the shield is a gas distribution plate.

18. A method for processing a substrate, comprising;

disposing the substrate on a substrate support in a processing chamber;

directing a process gas through a gas nozzle toward the substrate in a spreading pattern;

ionizing a first portion of the process gas by forming an inductive field in the processing chamber;

ionizing a second portion of the process gas by coupling RF power to the substrate support; and

selectively altering a magnetic property of a portion of the substrate by accelerating ions generated by the inductive field and the RF power toward the substrate.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising cooling the substrate by providing a cooling gas to the chamber through the gas nozzle and closing a throttle valve disposed in an outlet portal of the processing chamber.

20. A cluster tool for processing a hard disk drive substrate, comprising:

a transfer chamber; and

a patterning chamber coupled to the transfer chamber, wherein the patterning chamber comprises;

a chamber wall defining an internal volume of the patterning chamber;

a substrate support disposed in the internal volume of the patterning chamber;

a cone-shaped gas nozzle disposed in a wall region of the patterning chamber facing the substrate support; and

an inductive field source disposed in a canister coupled to a wall of the patterning chamber facing the substrate support.

21. The cluster tool of claim 20, wherein the patterning chamber further comprises a gas source in fluid communication with the gas nozzle, and the gas nozzle has a convex outlet plate with a plurality of outlet holes.

22. The cluster tool of claim 20, wherein the patterning chamber further comprises a throttle valve having a gate member with a sealing surface for covering an outlet portal of the patterning chamber.