Treatment apparatus

• US 5,728,276 A
• Filed: 08/21/1995
• Issued: 03/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Varian Japan K.K. (Applied Materials Incorporated), Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: TEL Varian Limited
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Hiroshi, Wada, Yuichi, Katsuki, Jiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCDONALD, RODNEY GLENN
• Application Number:
  US08/517,566
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 204/298.06, 204/298.08, 204/298.11, 204/298.14, 204/298.16, 204/298.19, 204/192.12
• US Class Current: 204/298.11
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/34 Sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/34 operating with cathodic sputtering H01J37/36 takes precedence ; methods of cathodic sputtering C23C14/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3447 Collimators, shutters, apertures

Abstract

In a treatment apparatus, a collimator is insulated electrically from the other equipment to be rendered electrically floating, and also the potential of the collimator is variably controllable by a variable DC power source. Therefore, the thickness in plane of the layer to be produced can be uniformalized by controlling the voltage applied to the collimator, without changing both layout and figure of the hardware, e.g., permanent magnet, without process, and further without both beginning and end of a target.

Claims

1. A treatment apparatus for depositing sputtering particles on an object to be treated which is arranged in a treatment chamber, comprising:

a target support for supporting a target to be sputtered;

an object support for supporting an object to be treated by sputtering;

an anode and a cathode for together producing sputtering of particles from a target supported by the target support to an object supported by the object support;

a collimator interposed between the target support and the object support, for regulating the flying direction of sputtering particles from a target supported by the target support, the collimator including a plurality of blocks electrically insulated from each other;

insulating means for insulating the collimator from the anode and the cathode, such that the collimator is in an electrically floating state relative to the anode and the cathode; and

controlling means for applying a variable potential to the collimator.

2. The treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said insulating means includes an insulating member arranged so as to surround said collimator.

3. The treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controlling means applies a positive potential to the collimator.

4. The treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controlling means applies a separate variable potential to each block of the collimator.

5. The treatment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said controlling means applies a separate positive variable potential to each block of the collimator.

6. The treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of blocks are concentrically arranged.

7. The treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said treatment apparatus includes a magnetron for regulating magnetic fields in the treatment chamber.

8. The treatment apparatus according to claim 2, further including a shield member positioned within said treatment chamber and extending around said collimator, said insulating member having an annular shape and dimensioned so as to fill an annular gap formed between said shield and said collimator.

9. The treatment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the shield is electrically grounded.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the controlling means applies a DC potential to the collimator.

11. The treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further including potential means for applying a variable potential to the cathode.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the potential means applies a DC potential to the cathode, and the controlling means applies a DC potential to the collimator.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein a DC potential of -400 to -700 V is applied to the cathode and a DC potential of -30 V is provided to said collimator.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the controlling means applies a positive DC potential to the collimator.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein a DC potential of -400 to -700 V is applied to the cathode and a voltage of +10 V is applied to the collimator.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the cathode forms the target support.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the anode forms the object support.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the anode forms the object support.