SPUTTERING APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20150184285A1
• Filed: 12/02/2014
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: FUKASAWA, Takayuki, SHIN, Sang-Won, KISHIMOTO, Katsushi, MOON, Yeon-Keon, SOHN, Sang-woo
• Application Number:
  US14/558,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20150184285A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/228 Gas flow assisted PVD deposition
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/35 by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering C23C14/3457 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3405 Magnetron sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3447 Collimators, shutters, apertures

Abstract

A sputtering apparatus includes a chamber, a plate disposed inside the chamber, a target unit including at least one targer facing the plate, a power supply unit coupled to the target, and a filter unit disposed between the substrate and the target. The filter unit includes at least one filter. A substrate is disposed on the plate. The filter unit may include a first filter and a second filter with the first filter disposed between the target and the second filter.

Claims

1. A sputtering apparatus, comprising:

a chamber;

a plate disposed inside the chamber, a substrate being placed on the plate;

a target unit including at least one target facing the plate;

a power supply unit coupled to the target; and

a filter unit disposed between the substrate and the target, the filter unit including at least one filter.

2. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the filter unit has one pair of filters, and each filters are spaced apart having a predetermined distance in a horizontal direction.

3. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the filter unit comprises a first filter and a second filter, the first filter disposed between the target and the second filter.

4. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one filter of the filter unit has any one shape of sphericalness, cylinder, or plate.

5. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the filter is capable of rotating about an axis parallel to a surface of the target, or the filter is capable of moving along a direction parallel to a surface of the target.

6. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a magnet on one side of the target.

7. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power supply unit supplies a voltage pulse having a duty ratio of about 30% to about 100%.

8. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the voltage pulse has a pulse width in a range of 30 ms to 100 ms.

9. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a heating unit facing the plate in the chamber, the heating unit applying heat to a surface of the substrate.

10. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the heating unit heats the substrate surface after sputtering is completed.

11. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature regulating unit connected to the plate, the temperature regulating unit maintaining a temperature of the substrate within a predetermined range.

12. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the target unit comprises a plate-shaped target and a side target disposed on an end portion of the plate-shaped target.

13. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the side target is arranged in a manner that a sputtering angle of the plate-shaped target at a center of the plate-shaped target is in the range of 10 degrees to 30 degrees.

14. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the chamber is maintained at a pressure in a range of 0.01 Pa to 1 Pa during sputtering.

15. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the target and the substrate is larger than a mean free path of a sputtered particle.

16. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the distance between the target and the substrate is about 70 mm to about 150 mm.

17. A sputtering method utilizing a sputtering apparatus, comprising:

a chamber, a plate disposed in the chamber with a substrate placed on the plate, a target facing the plate, a power supply unit coupled to the target, and a filter disposed between the substrate and the target, the sputtering method comprising;

disposing a target and a substrate inside the chamber in a manner that a distance between the target and the substrate is larger than a mean free path of a sputtered particle;

maintaining inner pressure of the chamber in a range of 0.01 Pa to 1 Pa by injecting discharge gas after a vacuum state is achieved inside the chamber; and

applying a voltage pulse to the target.

18. The sputtering method according to claim 17, further comprising heating a surface of the substrate with a heating unit after sputtering is completed.

19. The sputtering method according to claim 17, wherein the voltage pulse has a duty ratio in a range of 30% to 100%, and a pulse width of the voltage pulse is in a range of 30 ms to 100 ms.

20. The sputtering method according to claim 17, further comprising arranging the filter to have a polar angle of about 10 degrees to about 30 degrees from a normal line perpendicular to the center of the target.