Method and apparatus for reactive sputtering employing two control loops

• US 6,106,676 A
• Filed: 04/16/1998
• Issued: 08/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Von Ardenne Anlagentechnik GmbH
• Original Assignee: BOC Group, Inc. (Messer Adolf Family)
• Inventors: Gibbons, Kevin, Terry, Robert, Zarrabian, Sohrab
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cantelmo, Gregg
• Application Number:
  US09/061,578
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.13, 204/298.03, 204/192.12, 204/192.15, 204/298.07, 204/298.08
• US Class Current: 204/192.13
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0042 Controlling partial pressure or flow rate of reactive or inert gases with feedback of measurements
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/54 Controlling or regulating the coating process
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3299 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/34 operating with cathodic sputtering H01J37/36 takes precedence ; methods of cathodic sputtering C23C14/34

Abstract

The present invention is a cascade control system for reactive sputtering deposition. A first control loop modifies the power supply in order to keep a monitored value nearly constant. This first control loop can be done relatively quickly. A second control loop monitors a second measure parameter in order to control the reactive gas flow to the system. In a preferred embodiment, the slower control loop is used to maintain a relatively constant power at the power supply.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a reactive sputtering process in a sputter system, the sputter system housing a target and being supplied with power and at least one reactive gas, the method comprising:

sputtering the target;

controlling a parameter of a system power supply in view of a first process parameter; and

controlling a parameter of a system gas supply in view of a second process parameter, wherein said controlling a power supply parameter and said controlling a gas supply parameter are responsive to one another.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first process parameter is related to optical emission.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the power supply parameter is related to current and said controlling of the power supply parameter comprises increasing the current when optical emission has decreased.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first process parameter is related to voltage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second process parameter is related to average power.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said controlling of the gas supply parameter comprises increasing an amount of reactive gas when average power has decreased.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said controlling ofthe power supply parameter and said controlling of the gas supply parameter occur in a first period and a second period, respectively, the first period being shorter than the second period.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said controlling of the power supply parameter occurs in from one to fifty milliseconds.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said controlling of the gas supply parameter occurs in from 100 to 1000 milliseconds.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the target is composed of titanium and the reactive gas is oxygen.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first process parameter is related to optical emission and said controlling of the power supply parameter comprises monitoring for an optical emission characteristic of titanium.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said controlling of the power supply parameter comprises comparing the first process parameter to a setpoint.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said controlling of the gas supply parameter comprises comparing the second process parameter to a setpoint.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said controlling of the power supply parameter and said controlling ofthe gas supply parameter comprises using a proportion-integral-derivative algorithm.

15. A method of controlling a reactive sputtering process in a sputter system, the sputter system housing a target and being supplied with power and at least one reactive gas, the method comprising:

sputtering the target;

monitoring a first process parameter;

modifying a first system parameter in response to the first process parameter;

monitoring a second process parameter; and

modifying a second system parameter in response to the second process parameter, wherein said modifying a first system parameter and said modifying a second process parameter are responsive to one another.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first system parameter is related to current.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the second system parameter is related to an amount of reactive gas.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first process parameter is related to optical emission.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the second process parameter is related to average power.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein said modifying of the first system parameter and said modifying of the second system parameter occur in a first period and a second period, respectively, the first period being shorter than the second period.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the target is composed of titanium and the reactive gas is oxygen.

22. A reactive sputtering system, comprising:

a chamber which houses a target;

a power supply for supplying power to the target;

a gas supply for supplying at least one reactive gas to the chamber; and

a processor for controlling said power supply in view of a first parameter, and for controlling said gas supply in view of a second parameter, wherein controlling said power supply and controlling said gas supply are responsive to one another.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising a detector for the first parameter, wherein the first parameter is related to optical emission.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said detector comprises a photo-multiplier tube.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor automatically controls said power supply to maintain the first parameter at, or to bring the first parameter to, a setpoint.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the first parameter is related to voltage.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the second parameter is related to an average power.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor automatically controls said power supply and automatically controls said gas supply in a first period and a second period, respectively, the first period being shorter than the second period.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the target is composed of titanium and the reactive gas is oxygen.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising a detector for the first parameter, wherein the first parameter is related to optical emission and the processor automatically controls the power supply in view of an optical emission characteristic of titanium.