SPUTTERING APPARATUS INCLUDING GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

• US 20160233056A1
• Filed: 02/02/2016
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hartig, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 9,812,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0063 characterised by means for introducing or removing gases
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/14 Metallic material, boron or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/35 by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering C23C14/3457 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/006 Details of gas supplies, e.g. in an ion source, to a beam line, to a specimen or to a workpiece, H01J37/3244 takes precedence; environmental cells for electron microscopes H01J2237/2003; microscopes with environmental specimen chamber H01J2237/2608
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/327 Arrangements for generating the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/332 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3405 Magnetron sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3417 Arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/342 Hollow targets
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3438 Electrodes other than cathode
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3464 Operating strategies
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/347 Thickness uniformity of coated layers or desired profile of target erosion

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a magnetron sputtering apparatus including a vacuum chamber within which a controlled environment may be established, a target comprising one or more sputterable materials, wherein the target includes a racetrack-shaped sputtering zone that extends longitudinally along a longitudinal axis and comprises a straightaway area sandwiched between a first turnaround area and a second turnaround area, a gas distribution system that supplies a first gas mixture to the first turnaround area and/or the second turnaround area and supplies a second gas mixture to the straightaway area, wherein the first gas mixture reduces a sputtering rate relative to the second gas mixture. In some cases, the first gas mixture includes inert gas having a first atomic weight and the second gas mixture includes inert gas having a second atomic weight, wherein the second atomic weight is heavier than the first atomic weight.

Claims

1. A magnetron sputtering apparatus, comprising:

a vacuum chamber within which a controlled environment may be established;

a target comprising one or more sputterable materials, wherein the target includes a sputtering zone that extends longitudinally along a longitudinal axis;

a gas distribution system comprising a plurality of interfaces extending along the longitudinal axis, wherein the plurality of interfaces includes a first interface and a second interface;

wherein a first gas mixture is supplied to the first interface and a second gas mixture is supplied to the second interface, wherein the first gas supply supplies a first gas mixture and the second gas supply supplies a second gas mixture, wherein the first gas mixture includes inert gas having a first atomic weight and the second gas mixture includes inert gas having a second atomic weight, wherein the first atomic weight is different from the second atomic weight.

2. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second atomic weight is heavier than the first atomic weight.

3. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first gas mixture includes a single inert gas selected from the group consisting of argon, helium neon, krypton, xenon and radon and the first atomic weight is an atomic weight of the single inert gas and/or the second gas mixture includes a single inert gas selected from the group consisting of argon, helium neon, krypton, xenon and radon and the second atomic weight is an atomic weight of the single inert gas.

4. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first gas mixture includes an inert gas mixture including two or more inert gases selected from the group consisting of argon, helium neon, krypton, xenon and radon and the first atomic weight is an average atomic weight of the two or more inert gases and/or the second gas mixture includes an inert gas mixture including two or more inert gases selected from the group consisting of argon, helium neon, krypton, xenon and radon and the second atomic weight is an average atomic weight of the two or more inert gases.

5. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one interface in the plurality of interfaces supplies gas at a continuous flow rate and/or at a continuous pressure.

6. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one interface in the plurality of interfaces supplies gas at a non-continuous flow rate and/or at a non-continuous pressure.

7. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 1 wherein each the first gas mixture and the second gas mixture is substantially free of reactive gas.

8. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 1 wherein the gas distribution system includes a first gas distribution member that houses the first interface and a second gas distribution member that houses the second interface.

9. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first gas distribution system is an anodic gas distribution member and the second gas distribution system is a non-anodic gas distribution member, wherein the anodic gas distribution member receives a voltage.

10. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first gas distribution member is a first anodic gas distribution member and the second gas distribution member is a second anodic gas distribution member, wherein the first anodic gas distribution member is insulated from the second anodic gas distribution member, and wherein the first anodic gas distribution member receives a first voltage and the second gas distribution member receives a second voltage, wherein the first voltage and the second voltage are different.

11. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first gas mixture is supplied to the first interface at a first gas pressure and the second gas mixture is supplied to the second interface at a second gas pressure, wherein the first gas pressure is substantially the same as the second gas pressure.

12. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sputtering zone is a racetrack-shaped sputtering zone comprising a straightaway area sandwiched between a first turnaround area and a second turnaround area, wherein the first interface positions along the first turnaround area or the second turnaround area and the second interface positions along the straightaway area.

13. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 12 wherein the gas distribution system includes an anodic gas distribution member that houses the first interface and receives a voltage that reduces a sputtering rate of the first turnaround area or the second turnaround area relative to a sputtering rate of the straightaway area.

14. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sputtering zone is a racetrack-shaped sputtering zone comprising a straightaway area sandwiched between a first turnaround area and a second turnaround area, wherein the first interface comprises a plurality of first interfaces that substantially surround at least a portion of the first turnaround area or the second turnaround area.

15. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 14 wherein the plurality of first interfaces substantially entirely surrounds the first turnaround area or the second turnaround area.

16. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of interfaces further includes a third interface and a third gas mixture is supplied to the third interface and wherein the third gas mixture includes inert gas having a third atomic weight, wherein the third atomic weight is different from each the first atomic weight and the second atomic weight.

17. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 16 wherein the second atomic weight is heavier than the first atomic weight and wherein the third atomic weight is heavier than the first atomic weight but lighter than the second atomic weight.

18. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 16 wherein the third gas interface is sandwiched between the first interface and the second interface.

19. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 16 wherein the third gas mixture includes a single inert gas selected from the group consisting of argon, helium neon, krypton, xenon and radon and the third atomic weight is an atomic weight of the single inert gas or the third gas mixture includes two or more inert gases selected from the group consisting of argon, helium neon, krypton, xenon and radon and the third atomic weight is an average atomic weight of the two or more inert gases.

20. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 16 wherein the first gas mixture is supplied to the first interface at a first gas pressure, the second gas mixture is supplied to the second interface at a second gas pressure and the third gas mixture is supplied to the third interface at a third gas pressure, wherein the first gas pressure, the second gas pressure and the third gas pressure are substantially the same.

21. A magnetron sputtering apparatus, comprising:

a vacuum chamber within which a controlled environment may be established;

a target comprising one or more sputterable materials, wherein the target includes a sputtering zone that extends longitudinally along a longitudinal axis;

a gas distribution system comprising a plurality gas distribution members, wherein the plurality of gas distribution members includes a first anodic gas distribution member and a second anodic gas distribution member, wherein the first anodic gas distribution member is insulated from the second anodic gas distribution member, and wherein the first anodic gas distribution remember receives a first voltage and the second anodic gas distribution member receives a second voltage, wherein the first voltage is different than the second voltage.

22. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 21 wherein the first voltage and/or the second voltage is an adjustable voltage.

23. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 21 wherein the first voltage and/or the second voltage is a pulsed voltage.

24. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 21 wherein the sputtering zone is a racetrack-shaped sputtering zone comprising a straightaway area sandwiched between a first turnaround area and a second turnaround area, wherein the first anodic gas distribution member supplies gas to either the first turnaround area or the second turnaround area and the second anodic gas distribution member supplies gas to the straightaway area, wherein the first voltage is lower than the second voltage.

25. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 24 wherein the first anodic gas distribution member includes a plurality of interfaces that substantially surround at least a portion of the first turnaround area or the second turnaround area.

26. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 24 wherein the first anodic gas distribution member includes a plurality of interfaces that substantially surround an entire first turnaround area or the second turnaround area.

27. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 21 wherein the first anodic gas distribution member supplies a first gas mixture and the second anodic gas distribution member supplies a second gas mixture, wherein the first gas mixture includes an inert gas having a first atomic weight and a second gas mixture including inert gas having a second atomic weight, wherein the first atomic weight is different from the second atomic weight.

28. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 27 wherein the second atomic weight is heavier than the first atomic weight.

29. A magnetron sputtering apparatus, comprising:

a vacuum chamber within which a controlled environment may be established;

a target comprising one or more sputterable materials, wherein the target includes a racetrack-shaped sputtering zone that extends longitudinally along a longitudinal axis and comprises a straightaway area sandwiched between a first turnaround area and a second turnaround area;

a gas distribution system comprising a plurality gas distribution members, wherein the plurality of gas distribution members includes an anodic gas distribution member and a non-anodic gas distribution member, wherein the anodic gas distribution member is insulated from the non-anodic gas distribution member, and wherein the anodic gas distribution member supplies gas to either the first turnaround area or the second turnaround area and receives a voltage that reduces a sputtering rate of the first turnaround area or the second turnaround area relative to the straightaway area.

30. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 29 wherein the first voltage and/or the second voltage is an adjustable voltage.

31. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 29 wherein the first voltage and/or the second voltage is a pulsed voltage.

32. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 29 wherein the anodic gas distribution member includes a plurality of interfaces that substantially surround at least a portion of the first turnaround area or the second turnaround area.

33. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 29 wherein the anodic gas distribution member includes a plurality of interfaces that substantially surround an entire first turnaround area or the second turnaround area.

34. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 29 wherein the anodic gas distribution member supplies a first gas mixture and the non-anodic gas distribution member supplies a second gas mixture, wherein the first gas mixture includes an inert gas having a first atomic weight and a second gas mixture including inert gas having a second atomic weight, wherein the first atomic weight is different from the second atomic weight.

35. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 34 wherein the second atomic weight is heavier than the first atomic weight.

36. A magnetron sputtering apparatus, comprising:

a vacuum chamber within which a controlled environment may be established;

a target comprising one or more sputterable materials, wherein the target includes a racetrack-shaped sputtering zone that extends longitudinally along a longitudinal axis and comprises a straightaway area sandwiched between a first turnaround area and a second turnaround area;

a gas distribution system that supplies a first gas mixture to the first turnaround area and/or the second turnaround area and supplies a second gas mixture to the straightaway area, wherein the first gas mixture reduces a sputtering rate relative to the second gas mixture.

37. The magnetron sputtering apparatus of claim 36 wherein the first gas mixture includes inert gas having a first atomic weight and the second gas mixture includes inert gas having a second atomic weight, wherein the second atomic weight is heavier than the first atomic weight.