Heating system for high throughput sputtering

• US 5,972,184 A
• Filed: 04/09/1993
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology plc (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Zubeck, Robert B., Smith, Robert M., Hollars, Dennis R., Payne, Gary L., Bonigut, Josef, Waltrip, Delbert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam
• Assistant Examiner(s): VerSteeg, Steven H.
• Application Number:
  US08/045,975
• Time in Patent Office: 2,391 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.12, 204/192.2, 204/298.03, 204/298.25, 204/298.26, 204/298.27, 204/298.28, 204/298.29, 204/298.09
• US Class Current: 204/298.09
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/02 Pretreatment of the material to be coated C23C14/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/028 Physical treatment to alter the texture of the substrate surface, e.g. grinding, polishing
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/34 Sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/35 by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering C23C14/3457 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/352 using more than one target C23C14/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/50 Substrate holders
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/54 Controlling or regulating the coating process
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/541 Heating or cooling of the substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/568 Transferring the substrates through a series of coating stations C23C14/562 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/052 Linking several PLC's
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4189 characterised by the transport system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31225 System structure, plc's and pc's communicate over lan
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31237 Host and rs232, rs485 to network controller and rs232 to controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32413 Pc generates control strategy, download in plc to monitor and react to events
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34029 Pam programmable axis controller, to control large number of axis
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34279 Pc, personal computer as controller
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34287 Plc and motion controller combined
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34304 Pc as input, edit device for plc
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/50363 Load unload with two robots, one to load, other to unload
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/851 Coating a support with a magnetic layer by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32733 : Means for moving the material to be treated
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3405 : Magnetron sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6715 : Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like H01L21/67126 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67173 : in-line arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67207 : comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67213 : comprising at least one ion or electron beam chamber coating by ion implantation C23C; ion or electron beam tubes H01J37/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67236 : the substrates being processed being not semiconductor wafers, e.g. leadframes or chips
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 : Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67259 : Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67276 : Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput program-control systems per se G05B19/00, e.g. total factory control G05B19/418
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67712 : the substrate being handled substantially vertically
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67721 : the substrates to be conveyed not being semiconductor wafers or large planar substrates, e.g. chips, lead frames H01L21/6773 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6776 : Continuous loading and unloading into and out of a processing chamber, e.g. transporting belts within processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 : Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/40 : Minimising material used in manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 : Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A high throughput sputtering apparatus which provides a single or multi-layer coating to the surface of a plurality of substrates. The apparatus comprises a plurality of buffer and sputtering chambers which include an input end and an output end. The substrates are transported through the chambers at varying rates of speed such that the rate of speed of a pallet from the input end to the output end is a constant for each of the pallets. The high throughput sputtering apparatus also includes a transport system which transports the substrates through the sputtering chambers at variable velocities, a high capacity vacuum pump system which evacuates the ambient pressure within the sputtering chambers to a vacuum level within a pressure range sufficient to enable sputtering operation, a substrate heating system which heats the substrates to a temperature conducive to sputtering the coatings thereon and provides a substantially uniform temperature profile over the surface of the substrates; and an electronic control system which provides control signals to and for receiving feedback input from other components of the apparatus. The electronic control system is programmable to control the sputtering chambers, the transport system, the vacuum pump system, and the substrate heating system. The substrate heating system efficiently maintains a desired substrate temperature by minimizing radiative heat losses as the substrates proceed through the sputtering apparatus. The high throughput sputtering apparatus provides substrates to be sputtered in a rapid and uniform heating process to optimize film integrity during the sputtering steps, provides successive layers of thin films on the substrates, and removes the sputtered substrates without contaminating the environment.

Claims

1. A high throughput sputtering apparatus having a plurality of integrally matched components, said components comprising:

means for sputtering a multi-layer coating onto a plurality of substrates, said means for sputtering including a series of sputtering chambers each having relative isolation from adjacent chambers to reduce cross contamination between the coating components being sputtered onto substrates therein, said sputtering chambers being isolated from ambient atmospheric conditions;

means for transporting said plurality of substrates through said means for sputtering at variable velocities;

means for evacuating said means for sputtering to a vacuum level within a pressure range sufficient to enable sputtering operation;

means for heating said plurality of substrates to a temperature conducive to sputtering said multi-layer coatings thereon, said means for heating providing a substantially uniform temperature profile over the surface of said substrate, said means for heating comprising a plurality of heating chambers positioned along a substrate transport path wherein a plurality of heating lamps are mounted within the heating chambers, said plurality of heating lamps having rapid heat-up time; and

control means for providing control signals to, and for receiving feedback input from, said means for sputtering, means for transporting, means for evacuating, and means for heating, said control means being programmable to automatically control said means for sputtering, means for transporting, means for evacuating and means for heating to synchronize said means for sputtering, means for transporting, and means for heating, the control means providing the feedback input to a user interface and being responsive to input from the user interface;

wherein the control means alters the control signals in real time responsive to the input from the user interface, the control means thereby allowing a system operator to precisely control the multi-layer coating applied to the substrates.

2. A substrate heating system for rapidly and uniformly heating substrates in a high throughput sputtering system for providing magnetic recording media, comprising:

a) a plurality of heating chambers positioned along a substrate transport path through which the substrates are transported;

b) heating means for providing radiant energy to the substrates;

c) a plurality of heat-reflective trays mounted in the plurality of heating chambers along the path, in which trays the heating means is located, for reflecting radiant energy incident thereon back toward the substrates so as to uniformly heat the substrates; and

d) cooling means for cooling the heat-reflective trays to protect the trays from overheating.

3. A substrate heating system as recited in claim 2, wherein the heating means includes a plurality of heating lamps.

4. A substrate heating system as recited in claim 3, wherein the heating lamps have rapid heat-up time.

5. A substrate heating system for rapidly and uniformly heating substrates in a high throughput sputtering system for providing magnetic recording media, comprising:

a) a plurality of first heating chambers positioned along a substrate transport path through which the substrates are transported;

b) heating means for providing radiant energy to the substrates;

c) a plurality of heat-reflective trays mounted in the first heating chamber, in which trays the heating means is located, for reflecting radiant energy incident thereon back toward the substrates so as to uniformly heat the substrates;

d) at least one second heating chamber positioned along the substrate transport path through which the substrates are transported;

e) a plurality of heat-reflective panels mounted in each of the second heating chambers for uniformly reflecting radiant energy incident thereon toward the substrates; and

f) means for cooling the plurality of heat-reflective trays to protect the trays from overheating.

6. A substrate heating system for rapidly and uniformly heating substrates being transported along a substrate transport path in a high throughput sputtering system for providing magnetic recording media, comprising:

a) at least one first heating chamber positioned along the path for providing an environment in which to perform a first heating cycle on the substrates;

b) a plurality of first heating banks mounted within each of the first chambers, the first heating banks comprising a plurality of heating lamps for providing radiant energy to the substrates during the first heating cycle, wherein the lamps are arrayed in a plurality of horizontal or vertical rows;

c) at least one second heating chamber positioned along the path for providing an environment in which to perform a second heating cycle on the substrates,

d) a plurality of second heating banks mounted within each of the second chambers comprising a plurality of heating lamps for providing radiant energy to the substrates during the second heating cycle;

e) at least one third heating chamber positioned along the path for providing an environment in which to perform a third heating cycle on the substrates; and

f) a plurality of heat-reflective panels mounted in each of the third heating chambers for uniformly reflecting radiant energy incident thereon toward the substrates.

7. A substrate heating system as recited in claim 6, wherein the lamps are provided in a plurality of first rows and a plurality of second rows, the first rows being interdigitated with the second rows.

8. A substrate heating system as recited in claim 6, further comprising control means for increasing or decreasing the radiant energy emitted from individual heating lamps independent of others of the heating lamps so as to provide a substantially uniform temperature profile for the substrates across the pallet.

9. A substrate heating system for rapidly and uniformly heating substrates secured to a pallet traveling along a substrate transport path in a high throughput sputtering system for providing magnetic recording media, comprising:

a) at least one heating chamber positioned along the substrate transport path;

b) a plurality of heating banks mounted within the heating chamber, each bank comprising a plurality of heating lamps for providing radiant energy to the substrates; and

c) control means for increasing or decreasing the radiant energy emitted from individual heating lamps independent of others of the heating lamps so as to provide a substantially uniform temperature profile for the substrates across the pallet wherein the control means decreases the radiant energy emitted from individual heating lamps proximal to a leading edge of the pallet as the pallet exits the heating chamber, such that the substrates at trailing edge of the pallet are not overheated relative to the substrates near a leading edge of the pallet.

10. A substrate heating system as recited in claim 9, wherein the control means controllably adjusts the temperature of a top section of the pallet and a bottom section of the pallet independently of a middle section of the pallet.

11. A substrate heating system as recited in claim 10, wherein the control means can controllably adjust the temperature of the top section independently of the bottom section.

12. A substrate heating system for rapidly and uniformly heating substrates secured to a pallet traveling along a substrate transport path in a high throughput sputtering system for providing magnetic recording media, comprising:

a) at least one heating chamber positioned along the substrate transport path;

b) a plurality of heating banks mounted within the heating chamber, each bank comprising a plurality of heating lamps for providing radiant energy to the substrates, said plurality of heating lamps having rapid heat-up time;

c) sensing means within said at least one heating chamber for sensing the temperature of the substrates at predeternuned positions of the pallet; and

d) control means for increasing or decreasing the radiant energy emitted from individual heating lamps independent of others of the heating lamps in response to the temperature sensed by the sensing means so as to provide a substantially uniform temperature profile for the substrates across the pallet.

13. A substrate heating system for rapidly and uniformly heating substrates to a temperature conducive to sputtering in a high throughput sputtering system for providing magnetic recording media, comprising:

a) at least one first heating chamber positioned along a substrate transport path for providing an environment in which to perform a first heating cycle on the substrates being transported through the path;

b) a plurality of first heating banks mounted within a plurality of heat-reflective trays, which trays are in turn mounted within each of the first chambers, which first heating banks comprise a plurality of heating lamps for providing radiant energy to the substrates during the first heating cycle, wherein the lamps are provided in a plurality of first rows and a plurality of second rows, the first rows being interdigitated with the second rows;

c) first sensing means for sensing substrate temperature within each of the first heating chambers;

d) at least one second heating chamber positioned along the path for providing an environment in which to perform a second heating cycle on the substrates;

e) a plurality of second heating banks mounted within a plurality of heat-reflective trays, which trays are in turn mounted within each of the second chambers, which second heating banks comprise a plurality of heating lamps for providing radiant energy to the substrates during the second heating cycle;

f) second sensing means for sensing substrate temperature within each of the second heating chambers; and

g) control means associated with the first sensing means and the second sensing means for controlling the substrate temperature in each of the first heating chambers and in each of the second heating chambers so as to uniformly heat the substrates.

14. A substrate heating system as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

a) at least one third heating chamber positioned along the path for providing an environment in which to perform a third heating cycle on the substrates; and

b) a plurality of heat-reflective panels mounted in each of the third heating chambers for uniformly reflecting radiant energy incident thereon toward the substrates.

15. A substrate heating system as recited in claim 13, wherein the plurality of substrates is further heated by radiant energy reflected from the plurality of heat-reflective trays.

16. A substrate heating system as recited in claim 13, further comprising a means for cooling the heat-reflective trays to protect the trays from overheating .