Method and apparatus for ionized sputtering
First Claim
1. An ionized physical deposition method comprising the steps of:
- creating, with a main energy source, a main plasma in a vacuum chamber and sputtering a target therewith to produce particles of coating material in a space between the target and a substrate to be coated;
with a coil surrounding the space and through a dielectric material interposed between the coil and the space, inductively coupling RF energy from the coil through the dielectric material and into a volume of the space between the substrate and the main plasma to energize with the coupled RF energy a secondary plasma in the volume and ionizing particles of the coating material in the volume with the secondary plasma;
while the main plasma creating step is being performed and with a shield spaced from the dielectric material and positioned between the space and the dielectric material, physically shielding the dielectric material from particles of coating material without electrically shielding the volume from the RF energy; and
electrically directing ionized particles of coating material from the volume onto the substrate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ionized physical vapor deposition apparatus is provided with an RF coil that surrounds the space between a target and a substrate holder and is energized with RF energy, preferably in the 0.1 to 60 MHz range, to form a secondary plasma in a volume of the space between the substrate holder and the main plasma that is adjacent the target. A dielectric material, such as a quartz window, either in the wall of the chamber or inside the chamber, or insulation on the coil, protects the coil from adverse interaction with plasma. Shields between the space and the dielectric material prevent sputtered particles from forming a coating on the dielectric material. The shields are partitioned to prevent eddy currents. The shields may be biased to control contamination and may be commonly or individually biased to optimize the uniformity of coating on the substrate and the directionality of the flux of ionized material at the substrate.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An ionized physical deposition method comprising the steps of:
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creating, with a main energy source, a main plasma in a vacuum chamber and sputtering a target therewith to produce particles of coating material in a space between the target and a substrate to be coated; with a coil surrounding the space and through a dielectric material interposed between the coil and the space, inductively coupling RF energy from the coil through the dielectric material and into a volume of the space between the substrate and the main plasma to energize with the coupled RF energy a secondary plasma in the volume and ionizing particles of the coating material in the volume with the secondary plasma; while the main plasma creating step is being performed and with a shield spaced from the dielectric material and positioned between the space and the dielectric material, physically shielding the dielectric material from particles of coating material without electrically shielding the volume from the RF energy; and electrically directing ionized particles of coating material from the volume onto the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 23)
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9. An ionized physical vapor deposition apparatus comprising:
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a vacuum sputtering chamber; a sputtering target in the chamber having a sputtering surface thereon; a cathode power supply connected to the target to energize the target to produce a main plasma in proximity to the sputtering surface; a substrate support in the chamber spaced from the target, oriented to support a substrate thereon facing the target and parallel thereto, and defining a space between the target and the substrate holder; a coil surrounding a volume of the chamber between the main plasma and the substrate holder; an RF energy source connected to the coil to energize the coil to inductively couple RF energy into the volume to form a secondary plasma to ionize in-flight sputtered material passing through the volume; means for electrically directing ions of the sputtered material in a direction normal to the substrate; electrically non-conductive protective structure interposed between the coil and the space to isolate the coil from plasma in the space; and a shield disposed circumferentially around and outside of the space, inside the vacuum chamber and spaced inwardly from the electrically non-conductive protective structure between the target and the electrically non-conductive protective structure so as to physically shield the electrically non-conductive protective structure from sputtered material, the shield having at least one axially extending gap at least partially electrically separating the shield sufficiently to circumferential currents in the shield. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22)
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19. An ionized physical deposition method comprising the steps of:
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producing a main plasma in a vacuum chamber with a main energy source; sputtering a target of electrically conductive coating material with the main plasma in the vacuum chamber and producing thereby sputtered particles of electrically conductive coating material in a space between the target and a substrate to be coated which is supported in the chamber; inductively coupling RF energy from a coil surrounding the space through a dielectric window between the coil and the space and forming with the coupled RF energy a secondary plasma in a volume of the space that lies between the substrate and the target; ionizing sputtered particles of the coating material in the volume with the secondary plasma; physically shielding the dielectric window from the sputtered particles of electrically conductive coating material with a shield, in the vacuum chamber and spaced inwardly from the window, such that, if the shield is coated with the electrically conductive coating material it allows passage of RF energy from the coil into the volume; and directing ionized particles of the coating material from the volume toward the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification