Cathode assembly, physical vapor deposition system, and method for physical vapor deposition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10804083-B2
Application number	US-201414327462-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2014
Priority date	Jul 9, 2014
Publication date	Oct 13, 2020
Grant date	Oct 13, 2020

Abstract

A cathode assembly for a physical vapor deposition (PVD) system includes a target holder and a thickness detector. The target holder is for holding a target, in which the target has a first major surface and a second major surface. The first major surface and the second major surface are respectively proximal and distal to the target holder. The thickness detector is disposed on the target holder. At least one portion of the first major surface is exposed to the thickness detector for allowing the thickness detector to detect the thickness of the target through the first major surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A PVD method, comprising:
holding a target in a vacuum environment by a target holder including a base wall and a surrounding wall that extends from a periphery of the base wall;
placing a substrate on a supporting member facing the target in the vacuum environment;
introducing carrier gas into the vacuum environment;
applying a voltage to the target;
rotating a single magnet about a rotation axis passing through a center of the target and the substrate to provide an alternating magnetic field over the target, wherein the magnet is radially aligned with respect to the rotation axis and includes a north pole and a south pole located at two sides of the rotation axis;
detecting a thickness of the target by a thickness detector, wherein a vertical projection of the thickness detector overlaps a path of a pole of the magnet for every rotation of the magnet; and
replacing the target when the thickness of the target is less than a predetermined thickness.

2. The PVD method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting is performed when applying the voltage to the target.

3. The PVD method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting comprises:
applying a wave to the target;
receiving the wave reflected by an interface between the target and the vacuum environment; and
determining the thickness of the target according to a time difference between the applying of the wave and the receiving of the wave and a velocity of the wave in the target.

4. The PVD method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting comprises:
applying an ultrasonic wave to the target;
receiving the ultrasonic wave reflected by an interface between the target and the vacuum environment; and
determining the thickness of the target according to a time difference between the applying of the ultrasonic wave and the receiving of the ultrasonic wave and a velocity of the ultrasonic wave in the target.

5. The PVD method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting comprises:
applying an electromagnetic wave to the target;
receiving the electromagnetic wave reflected by an interface between the target and the vacuum environment; and
determining the thickness of the target according to a time difference between the applying of the electromagnetic wave and the receiving of the electromagnetic wave and a velocity of the electromagnetic wave in the target.

6. The PVD method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting comprises:
measuring a temperature of the target; and
determining the thickness of the target according to the temperature of the target.

7. A PVD method, comprising:
holding a target in a processing chamber by a target holder;
placing a substrate on a supporting member facing the target;
introducing carrier gas into the processing chamber;
applying a voltage to the target;
rotating a magnet about a rotation axis passing through the target and the substrate to provide an alternating magnetic field over the target, wherein the magnet is radially aligned with respect to the rotation axis and an extension length of the magnet is greater than a width of the target in a direction that is perpendicular to the rotation axis;
applying a wave to the target by a wave generator, wherein a vertical projection of the wave generator overlaps a path of a pole of the magnet for every rotation of the magnet; and
receiving the wave reflected from the target.

8. The PVD method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining a thickness of the target according to at least the received wave; and
replacing the target when the thickness of the target is less than a predetermined thickness.

9. The PVD method of claim 7 , wherein the applying of the wave is performed when applying the voltage to the target.

10. The PVD method of claim 7 , wherein the wave reflected from the target is by an interface between the target and a vacuum environment in the processing chamber.

11. The PVD method of claim 7 , wherein the wave applied is an ultrasonic wave.

12. The PVD method of claim 7 , wherein the wave applied is an electromagnetic wave.

13. A PVD method, comprising:
providing a target in a processing chamber;
placing a substrate on a supporting member facing the target in the processing chamber;
introducing carrier gas into the processing chamber;
applying a voltage to the target;
rotating a magnet about a rotation axis passing through a center of the target and the substrate to provide an alternating magnetic field over the target, wherein the magnet is radially aligned with respect to the rotation axis and includes a north pole and a south pole located at two sides of the rotation axis; and
measuring a temperature of the target at a pole of the magnet using a thermometer, wherein a vertical projection of the thermometer overlaps a path of the pole of the magnet for every rotation of the magnet.

14. The PVD method of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining a thickness of the target according to at least the measured temperature of the target; and
replacing the target when the thickness of the target is less than a predetermined thickness.

15. The PVD method of claim 13 , wherein measuring the temperature comprises:
measuring an intensity of an infrared from the target.

16. The PVD method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the magnet rotates the pole of the magnet about only a single rotation axis passing through the target and the substrate.

17. The PVD method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the magnet rotates the pole of the magnet along the same rotation path for every rotation of the magnet.

18. The PVD method of claim 1 , wherein the north pole and the south pole alternatively change position relative to each other during the rotation of the magnet.

19. The PVD method of claim 7 , wherein the magnet is radially aligned with respect to the rotation axis and includes a north pole and a south pole located at two sides of the rotation axis, and the north pole and the south pole alternatively change position relative to each other during the rotation of the magnet.

20. The PVD method of claim 13 , wherein the north pole and the south pole alternatively change position relative to each other during the rotation of the magnet.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Yi-Chieh
• Wang Cheng-Kuo
• Lin Chung-Han

Classifications

• H01J37/347 Primary

  Thickness uniformity of coated layers or desired profile of target erosion · CPC title

• H01J37/3479

  Detecting exhaustion of target material · CPC title

• C23C14/3407

  Cathode assembly for sputtering apparatus, e.g. Target · CPC title

• H01J37/3497

  Temperature of target · CPC title

• C23C14/54

  Controlling or regulating the coating process · CPC title