Physical vapor deposition employing ion extraction from a plasma

• US 5,482,611 A
• Filed: 10/08/1993
• Issued: 01/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Novellus Systems Incorporated (Lam Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Varian Associates, Inc.
• Inventors: Anderson, Robert L., Helmer, John C., Lai, Kwok F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weisstuch, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US08/133,595
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 204/298.05, 204/298.06, 204/298.07, 204/298.09, 204/298.16, 204/298.17, 204/298.18, 204/192.12, 427/523
• US Class Current: 204/298.17
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3405 Magnetron sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/342 Hollow targets
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3497 Temperature of target

Abstract

A sputter magnetron ion source for producing an intense plasma in a cathode container which ionizes a high and substantial percentage of the sputter cathode material and means for extracting the ions of the cathode material in a beam. The ion extraction means is implemented by a magnetic field cusp configuration with a null region adjacent to the open end of the cathode container. Ions so produced are able to be directed at right angles to a substrate being coated for efficient via filling.

Claims

1. A sputter magnetron comprising:

a. high intensity plasma inducing means, said high intensity plasma inducing means including,

i) a sputter cathode, said sputter cathode being a particle confining container having walls and one open side to permit extraction of ions from said container, said walls having an inner surface being of a selected target material, said sputter cathode including means to apply a voltage to said sputter cathode;

ii) means to provide and maintain electrons in said particle confining container;

iii) magnetic field generating means for providing a null magnetic field value at a region adjacent to said open side of said sputter cathode container and for providing magnetic field lines which loop through said sputter cathode walls thereby providing forces, in operation, for retaining said electrons adjacent to at least a portion of said sputter cathode walls; and

b. ion extraction means, wherein said null magnetic field value region comprises a portion of said extraction means, said ion extraction means cooperating, in operation, with ions near said null value region to induce those said ions to exit said cathode container and to follow a path determined by said ion extraction means.

2. The sputter magnetron of claim 1 whereby said ion extraction means includes;

a. in operation, a plasma, said plasma being within said sputter cathode, wherein said plasma reaches a steady state condition and wherein said plasma in said sputter cathode has a first positive plasma potential as a result of electron leakage from said plasma; and

b. means to establish an electric field sheath potential between said plasma and a first surface remote from said container, said electric field sheath potential being of a polarity to attract positive ions from said plasma to said first surface, and wherein said plasma in the region of said first surface remote from said container has a second plasma potential, said second plasma potential being less positive than said first positive potential.

3. The sputter magnetron of claim 2 including means for providing at said first remote surface a semiconductor workpiece to be plated with positive metal ions from said plasma.

4. The sputter magnetron of claim 3 wherein said electric field shealth potential between said plasma and a said semiconductor workpiece is more negative than said second plasma potential.

5. The sputter magnetron of claim 2 including:

means for further increasing the concentration of ions of the material of said sputter cathode in said sputter cathode container, said means for further increasing the concentration of ions in said sputter cathode container being means for causing an electromagnetic wave interaction with said plasma which provides energy to said plasma and decreases the mean free path of neutral atoms of said sputter cathode material after said neutral atoms have been knocked off the surface of said cathode by ion bombardment from said plasma.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 including an electromagnetic wave transmission means to introduce said electromagnetic wave energy to the vicinity of said plasma.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said vicinity of said plasma encompasses said null region.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said high intensity plasma is on the order of 10¹³ particles/cc or greater.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said particle confining container is at least one groove having a width W on the order of one inch or less.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said at least one groove is a plurality of grooves.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said grooves are interconnected so that only one simultaneous continuous plasma loop exists, in operation.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein, in operation, said high intensity plasma contains a percentage of ions of said target material greater than 2.0 percent.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 including means for mounting a semiconductor workpiece to be plated with said target materials ions exiting said cathode container from near said null point.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said particle confining container is cup shaped having a diameter W on the order of one inch or less.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 comprising an anode, said anode being spaced from and electrically isolated from said sputter cathode by insulation means;

and

means to shield said insulation means from being plated by sputtered cathode material by blocking the line of sight from said sputtered cathode to said insulation means to prevent shorting the cathode to the anode.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said particle confining container is cup shaped, having a diameter W on the order of one inch or less.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein, in operation, said high intensity plasma contains a percentage of ions of said target material greater than 2.0 percent.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 including means for mounting a semiconductor workpiece to be plated with said target material ions exiting said cathode container from near said null point.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising gas port means, said gas port means being an aperture through a wall of said sputter cathode confining container, said aperture being in a wall portion remote from said open side for passage of a plasma initiating gas into said container thereby permitting lower operating pressure.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising input and output fluid conduits arranged in a heat exchange relationship with said cathode particle confining container, said conduits for conducting coolant fluid.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said fluid conduits are connected to a turbulence producing heat exchanger.

22. In apparatus for directing ions of a target material to a workpiece, comprising;

means for generating a high intensity plasma on the order of 10¹³ particles/cc containing a percentage of ions of said target material greater than 2.0 percent;

means for causing said plasma to contact said workpiece, whereby ions of the target material to be deposited present in said plasma are directed to said workpiece at an angle which is generally normal to the surface of said workpiece;

magnetic field producing means;

said means for generating a high intensity plasma comprises magnetron sputter source means, including a target cathode comprising said material to be deposited on said workpiece, said target cathode comprising a plasma confining container having opposed plasma confining walls and one open side, opposed plasma confining walls being separated by a small distance W on the order of one inch and wherein said magnetic field producing means provides magnetic flux lines which are primarily parallel to said opposed confining walls and wherein said magnetic field producing means further provides a magnetic null region near said one open side.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said plasma confining container comprises a groove.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said groove forms an annulus.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said groove forms a labyrinth.

26. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising means for cooling said magnetron sputter source.

27. An apparatus for depositing a thin film on a planar substrate in a vacuum chamber comprising:

high intensity magnetron sputter source means including a target cathode made from a material to be deposited for producing a plasma comprising greater than 10 percent of ions sputtered from said target cathode;

magnetic field producing means for creating a magnetic field between said cathode and said substrate, said magnetic field having a magnetic null region;

whereby said target cathode has a generally planar face and a groove portion having opposing walls from which material to be deposited is sputtered, wherein the plasma density is greatest within said groove portion and wherein said opposing walls of said groove portion are separated by a distance on the order of one inch; and

wherein sputtered atoms of said target cathode being directed toward said planar substrate have least ten (10) percent, of ionized atoms sputtered from said target cathode.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said groove is an annulus.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said groove is a labyrinth.