High pressure RF-DC sputtering and methods to improve film uniformity and step-coverage of this process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10763090-B2
Application number	US-201615237414-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2016
Priority date	Apr 3, 2009
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention generally provide a processing chamber used to perform a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process and methods of depositing multi-compositional films. The processing chamber may include: an improved RF feed configuration to reduce any standing wave effects; an improved magnetron design to enhance RF plasma uniformity, deposited film composition and thickness uniformity; an improved substrate biasing configuration to improve process control; and an improved process kit design to improve RF field uniformity near the critical surfaces of the substrate. The method includes forming a plasma in a processing region of a chamber using an RF supply coupled to a multi-compositional target, translating a magnetron relative to the multi-compositional target, wherein the magnetron is positioned in a first position relative to a center point of the multi-compositional target while the magnetron is translating and the plasma is formed, and depositing a multi-compositional film on a substrate in the chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A plasma processing chamber, comprising:
a lid assembly, comprising:
a target having a first surface that is in contact with a processing region and a second surface that is opposite the first surface; and

a lid enclosure, comprising:
a center feed that is electrically coupled to the target by a conductive wall;
the conductive wall directly coupled to the center feed at a first end of the center feed; and
the center feed including a flange at a second end of the center feed, the first end and the second end being opposing ends of the center feed, wherein
the center feed is hollow throughout,
the center feed has a length (A),
the center feed has a thickness defined by a difference between an outer diameter (D 1 ) and an inner diameter (D 2 ),
a surface area aspect ratio of the center feed is between about 0.001/mm and about 0.025/mm, wherein the surface area aspect ratio is calculated by A/(πD 1 A+πD 2 A),
the flange is directly coupled to a radio frequency (RF) power supply, and
the flange is directly coupled to a direct current (DC) power supply.

2. The plasma processing chamber of claim 1 , further comprising a magnetron disposed adjacent to the second surface of the target, wherein the magnetron comprises:
an outer pole comprising a first plurality of magnets; and
an inner pole comprising a second plurality of magnets.

3. The plasma processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein the center feed is positioned over a central axis of the target.

4. The plasma processing chamber of claim 1 , further comprising:
a grounded shield;
a cover ring; and
a deposition ring disposed over a portion of a substrate support, wherein during processing the cover ring is disposed on a portion of the deposition ring, and the deposition ring and the cover ring are disposed below a substrate receiving surface of the substrate support.

5. The plasma processing chamber of claim 4 , further comprising:
a variable capacitor; and
a controller that is adapted to adjust an amount of capacitance of the variable capacitor during processing.

6. The plasma processing chamber of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cover ring disposed below a substrate receiving surface of a substrate support; and
a motor having a shaft that has a rotation axis.

7. The plasma processing chamber of claim 6 , further comprising:
a magnetron disposed adjacent to the second surface of the target, wherein the magnetron comprises:
a cross arm that is coupled to the shaft;
a plate coupled to the cross arm at a pivot point, wherein the pivot point is a distance from the rotation axis; and

an outer pole and an inner pole that are coupled to the plate.

8. The plasma processing chamber of claim 7 , wherein a center of mass of the plate is configured to move a first distance from the rotation axis when rotated in a first direction, and the center of mass of the plate is configured to move a second distance from the rotation axis when rotated in a second direction.

9. The plasma processing chamber of claim 7 , wherein a center of mass of the plate is configured to rotate about the pivot point in a third direction when the shaft is rotated in a first direction, and the center of mass of the plate is configured to rotate in a fourth direction about a pivot axis when the shaft is rotated in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

10. The plasma processing chamber of claim 7 , wherein the outer pole and the inner pole form a portion of an arc.

11. A plasma processing chamber, comprising:
a lid assembly, comprising:
a target having a first surface that is in contact with a processing region and a second surface that is opposite the first surface;

a grounded shield; and
a lid enclosure, comprising:
a center feed that is electrically coupled to the target by a conductive wall;
the conductive wall directly coupled to the center feed at a first end of the center feed; and
the center feed including a flange at a second end of the center feed, the first end and the second end being opposing ends of the center feed, wherein
the center feed is hollow throughout,
the center feed has a length (A),
the center feed has a thickness defined by a difference between an outer diameter (D 1 ) and an inner diameter (D 2 ),
a surface area aspect ratio of the center feed is between about 0.001/mm and about 0.025/mm, wherein the surface area aspect ratio is calculated by A/(πD 1 A+πD 2 A),
the flange is directly coupled to a radio frequency (RF) power supply, and
the flange is directly coupled to a direct current (DC) power supply.

12. The plasma processing chamber of claim 11 , further comprising a magnetron disposed adjacent to the second surface of the target, wherein the magnetron comprises:
an outer pole comprising a first plurality of magnets; and
an inner pole comprising a second plurality of magnets.

13. The plasma processing chamber of claim 11 , further comprising:
a cover ring disposed below a substrate receiving surface of a substrate support.

14. The plasma processing chamber of claim 11 , further comprising:
an open-loop magnetron comprising an outer pole and an inner pole, wherein the inner pole is separated from the outer pole by a gap.

15. The plasma processing chamber of claim 14 , wherein the open-loop magnetron further comprises a rotation plate adapted to support the outer pole and the inner pole.

16. The plasma processing chamber of claim 14 , wherein the inner pole comprises a first plurality of magnets and the outer pole comprises a second plurality of magnets.

17. The plasma processing chamber of claim 11 , wherein the target has a frustum or concave shape.

18. A plasma processing chamber, comprising:
a lid assembly, comprising:
a target having a first surface that is in contact with a processing region and a second surface that is opposite the first surface; and

a lid enclosure, comprising:
a center feed that is electrically coupled to the target by a conductive wall;
the conductive wall directly coupled to the center feed at a first end of the center feed; and
the center feed including a flange at a second end of the center feed, the first end and the second end being opposing ends of the center feed, and
a dielectric layer disposed over the flange, wherein
the center feed is hollow throughout,
the center feed has a length (A),
the center feed has a thickness defined by a difference between an outer diameter (D 1 ) and an inner diameter (D 2 ),
a surface area aspect ratio of the center feed is between about 0.001/mm and about 0.025/mm, wherein the surface area aspect ratio is calculated by A/(πD 1 A+πD 2 A),
the flange is directly coupled to a radio frequency (RF) power supply, and
the flange is directly coupled to a direct current (DC) power supply.

19. The plasma processing chamber of claim 18 , further comprising a magnetron disposed adjacent to the second surface of the target, wherein the magnetron comprises:
an outer pole comprising a first plurality of magnets; and
an inner pole comprising a second plurality of magnets.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Allen Adolph Miller
• Hawrylchak Lara
• Xie Zhigang
• Rasheed Muhammad M
• Wang Rongjun
• Tang Xianmin
• Liu Zhendong
• Gung Tza-Jing
• Gandikota Srinivas
• Chang Mei
• Cox Michael S
• Young Donny
• Savandaiah Kirankumar
• Ge Zhenbin

Classifications

• H01J37/345

  Magnet arrangements in particular for cathodic sputtering apparatus (material of magnets or magnets in general H01F1/00, H01F7/00) · CPC title

• H01J37/3408

  Planar magnetron sputtering · CPC title

• H01J37/3452

  Magnet distribution · CPC title

• C23C14/564 Primary

  Means for minimising impurities in the coating chamber such as dust, moisture, residual gases · CPC title

• H01J37/3411 Primary

  Constructional aspects of the reactor · CPC title