Kit for electrically isolating collimator of PVD chamber, chamber so modified, and method of using
First Claim
1. An apparatus for sputter deposition of a material on a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
- a grounded chamber adapted for creation of a vacuum therein and provided with a supply of an ionizable gas;
a negatively-biased target of said material disposed in said chamber;
a semiconductor wafer support disposed in said chamber spaced from said target;
a collimator interposed between said target and said wafer support; and
structure for electrically isolating said collimator from said grounded chamber, said structure for electrical isolating including an outer receiving member including at least an electrically non-conductive surface portion and secured to a grounded structural element of said chamber, and an inner collimator adaptor member supporting said collimator and borne on said electrically non-conductive surface portion of said outer receiving member.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A collimator is mounted within a sputter chamber and is interposed between a sputter target and a wafer to be coated with a thin film of the sputtered material. A shield extends around the perimeter of the volume between the collimator and the wafer. The collimator and shield of the present invention are preferably mounted within the sputter chamber in a manner so that they are electrically insulated from the chamber and able to take on a floating electrical potential associated with the potential of the plasma generated within the sputter chamber. A kit for simply and robustly effecting the mounting of the collimator and shield is disclosed. More uniform deposition and surface planarity of target material on the wafer are achieved with the floating collimator when employed with the floating shield structure.
61 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An apparatus for sputter deposition of a material on a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
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a grounded chamber adapted for creation of a vacuum therein and provided with a supply of an ionizable gas; a negatively-biased target of said material disposed in said chamber; a semiconductor wafer support disposed in said chamber spaced from said target; a collimator interposed between said target and said wafer support; and structure for electrically isolating said collimator from said grounded chamber, said structure for electrical isolating including an outer receiving member including at least an electrically non-conductive surface portion and secured to a grounded structural element of said chamber, and an inner collimator adaptor member supporting said collimator and borne on said electrically non-conductive surface portion of said outer receiving member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for sputter deposition of a material on a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
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providing a semiconductor wafer in a chamber, at least a portion of which chamber is at a first potential; providing a source of said material for said deposition spaced from said wafer in said chamber; sputtering said material with a gas plasma resident in said chamber to produce sputtered material particles;
collimating trajectories of said sputtered material particles to features on a surface of said wafer in electrical isolation from said first potential to form a film of said material on said wafer; andsubstantially laterally enclosing a chamber volume between a location of said collimating and said semiconductor wafer with a conductive shield in electrical isolation from said first potential. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method for sputter deposition of a material on a semiconductor wafer including aspect-ratio features on a surface thereof, comprising:
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providing a chamber having at least a portion thereof at a first potential; providing a semiconductor wafer including said aspect-ratio features within said chamber at a second potential different from said first potential; providing a source of said material for said deposition spaced from said wafer in said chamber; sputtering said material with a gas plasma resident in said chamber to produce particles of sputtered material; collimating trajectories of said particles of sputtered material to features on the surface of said wafer to form a film of said material on said wafer; substantially laterally enclosing a chamber volume between a location of said collimating and said semiconductor wafer with a conductive shield in electrical isolation from said first and second potentials; and substantially reducing pinch off of said material proximate entry regions to said aspect ratio features with said second potential. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for sputter deposition of a material on a semiconductor wafer including recesses in a surface thereof, comprising:
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providing said semiconductor wafer in a chamber to produce sputtered material particles; providing a source of said material for said deposition spaced from said wafer in said chamber; sputtering said material with a gas plasma resident in said chamber to produce sputtered material particles; maintaining said gas plasma at a potential; and collimating trajectories of said sputtered material particles to features on the surface of said wafer at a potential associated with said potential of said gas plasma to form a film of said material on said wafer and within said recesses while substantially surrounding a volume in said chamber between a location of said collimating and said surface of wafer with a conductive shield member at a potential associated with said potential of said gas plasma. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A kit for modifying an apparatus for sputter deposition of a material on a semiconductor wafer, said apparatus comprising a grounded chamber adapted for creation of a vacuum therein and provided with a supply of an ionizable gas, a negatively-biased target of said material disposed in said chamber, a semiconductor wafer support disposed in said chamber spaced from said target and a collimator interposed between said target and said wafer support, said kit comprising:
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an aluminum receiving ring having an anodized exterior surface and including a receiving ring wall portion having a radially inwardly extending receiving ring flange projecting therefrom, said receiving ring wall portion including a plurality of bolt holes therethrough for receiving bolts to secure said receiving ring to a member of said grounded chamber; and a stainless steel adaptor ring including an adaptor ring annular wall portion having an outer diameter less than an inner diameter of said receiving ring flange and defining a cavity for receiving said collimator therein, said adaptor ring wall portion further having a radially inwardly extending lip at a lower portion thereof and a radially outwardly extending adaptor ring flange projecting therefrom, an outer diameter of said adaptor ring flange being less than a diameter defined by a radially inner surface of said receiving ring wall portion. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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Specification