ELECTRICALLY AND MAGNETICALLY ENHANCED IONIZED PHYSICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION UNBALANCED SPUTTERING SOURCE

• US 20190316249A1
• Filed: 02/25/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ionquest Corp.
• Original Assignee: Ionquest Corp.
• Inventors: ABRAHAM, Bassam Hanna, CHISTYAKOV, Roman
• Granted Patent: US 11,359,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0036 Reactive sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0605 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/081 of aluminium, magnesium or beryllium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/165 by cathodic sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3407 Cathode assembly for sputtering apparatus, e.g. Target
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/345 using substrate bias
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3485 using pulsed power to the target
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/35 by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering C23C14/3457 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/358 Inductive energy
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/541 Heating or cooling of the substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3405 Magnetron sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3423 Shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3458 Electromagnets in particular for cathodic sputtering apparatus electromagnets in general H01F7/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2855 by physical means, e.g. sputtering, evaporation H01L21/28518 - H01L21/28537 and H01L21/28568 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76843 formed in openings in a dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76873 for electroplating

Abstract

A method of depositing a layer on a substrate includes applying a first magnetic field to a cathode target, electrically coupling the cathode target to a first high power pulse resonance alternating current (AC) power supply, positioning an additional cylindrical cathode target electrode around the cathode, applying a second magnetic field to the additional cylindrical cathode target electrode, electrically coupling the additional cylindrical cathode target electrode to a second high power pulse resonance AC power supply, generating magnetic coupling between the cathode target and an anode, providing a feed gas, and selecting a time shift between negative voltage peaks associated with AC voltage waveforms generated by the first high power pulse resonance AC power supply and the second high power pulse resonance AC power supply. An apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, cathode target magnet assembly, first high power pulse resonance AC power supply, additional electrode, additional electrode magnet assembly, second high power pulse resonance AC power supply, and feed gas.

Claims

1. A method of depositing a layer on a substrate, the method comprising:

applying a first magnetic field to a cathode target, the first magnetic field generating an unbalanced magnetic field and a magnetron configuration on the cathode target;

electrically coupling the cathode target to a first high power pulse resonance alternating current (AC) power supply;

positioning an additional cylindrical cathode target electrode around the cathode;

applying a second magnetic field to the additional cylindrical cathode target electrode, the second magnetic field forming a magnetron configuration on the cylindrical cathode target electrode;

electrically coupling the additional cylindrical cathode target electrode to a second high power pulse resonance AC power supply;

generating magnetic coupling between the cathode target and an anode;

providing a feed gas;

igniting plasma discharge with at least one of the first high power pulse resonance AC power supply, second high power pulse resonance AC power supply; and

selecting a time shift between negative voltage peaks associated with AC voltage waveforms generated by the first high power pulse resonance AC power supply and the second high power pulse resonance AC power supply, the time shift increasing ionization of sputtered target material atoms associated with the cathode target during sputtering.

2. The method, as defined by claim 1, wherein the feed gas comprises a noble gas, the noble gas comprising at least one of argon, xenon, neon, krypton.

3. The method, as defined by claim 1, wherein the feed gas comprises a mixture of a noble gas and a reactive gas.

4. The method, as defined by claim 1, further comprising positioning a substrate holder;

and

coupling a substrate bias voltage to a substrate holder, the substrate bias voltage comprising a range of −

10 V to −

200 V.

5. The method, as defined by claim 1, wherein the feed gas comprises a mixture of a noble gas and a gas that comprises atoms of the cathode target material.

6. The method, as defined by claim 1, wherein at least one of the first high power pulse resonance AC power supply, second high power pulse resonance AC power supply provides an output peak power during pulse in a range of 10 to 1000 kW.

7. An electrically and magnetically enhanced ionized physical vapor deposition (I-PVD) unbalanced magnetron sputtering apparatus that deposits a layer on a substrate, the apparatus comprising:

a vacuum chamber;

a cathode target magnet assembly that generates an unbalanced magnetic field and provides a magnetron configuration on a target surface;

a first high power pulse resonance AC power supply connected to the cathode target;

an additional electrode;

an additional electrode magnet assembly that generates magnetic coupling between the cathode target and the additional electrode;

a second high power pulse resonance AC power supply connected to the additional electrode; and

a feed gas, wherein a time shift is disposed between negative voltage peaks associated with AC voltage waveforms generated by the first high power pulse resonance AC power supply and the second high power pulse resonance AC power supply, the time shift increasing ionization of sputtered target material atoms associated with the cathode target during sputtering.

8. The apparatus, as defined by claim 7, wherein at least one of the first high power pulse resonance AC power supply, second high power pulse resonance AC power supply provides a target power density during a pulse in a range of 0.1 to 100 kW/cm².

9. The apparatus, as defined by claim 8, further comprising a substrate bias power supply coupled to a substrate holder, the substrate bias power supply providing a bias voltage on a substrate in a range of −

10 to −

200 V.

10. The apparatus, as defined by claim 7, wherein the feed gas comprises a noble gas, the noble gas comprising at least one of argon, xenon, neon, krypton.

11. The apparatus, as defined by claim 7, wherein the feed gas comprises a mixture of a noble gas and a reactive gas.

12. The apparatus, as defined by claim 11, wherein the power supply coupled to the cathode magnet target assembly comprises a radio frequency (RF) power supply, the RF power supply providing output power in a range of 1 to 20 kW.

13. The apparatus, as defined by claim 7, wherein the feed gas comprises a mixture of a noble gas and gas that comprises atoms of the cathode target.

14. The apparatus, as defined by claim 7, wherein the cathode magnet target assembly rotates with a speed in a range of 10 to 100 revolutions per minute.