Inverted cylindrical magnetron (ICM) system and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11004644-B2
Application number	US-201715583916-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2017
Priority date	Aug 9, 2012
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

An Inverted Cylindrical Magnetron (ICM) System and Methods of Use is disclosed herein generally comprising a co-axial central anode concentrically located within a first annular end anode and a second annular end anode; a process chamber including a top end and a bottom end in which the first annular end anode and the second annular end anode are coaxially disposed, whereby the first annular end anode, the second annular end anode, and the central anode form a 3-anode configuration to provide electric field uniformity, and the process chamber including a central annular space coupled to a tube insulator disposed about the central annular space wall; a cathode concentrically coupled to the tube insulator and a target; and a plurality of multi-zone electromagnets or hybrid electro-permanent magnets surrounding the exterior of the process chamber providing a tunable magnetic field.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A physical vapor deposition apparatus, comprising:
a linear-transfer loading mechanism coupled to a stage that conveys a substrate carousel holder between a load lock chamber and a vacuum chamber;
a target cooling jacket adapted to thermally couple to a target;
a feedthrough communicating with the load lock chamber that operates under vacuum during conveyance of the substrate carousel holder to the vacuum chamber;
a first cross-way chamber operably coupled with the load lock chamber;
a main gate valve operably coupled to the first cross-way chamber configured to seal the vacuum chamber during deposition;
a second cross-way chamber operably coupled with the vacuum chamber; and
a third cross-way chamber operably coupled with the vacuum chamber, wherein the substrate carousel holder comprises:
a. a first end plate, a second end plate and a first plurality of support rods coupling the first end plate and the second end plate in spaced apart and parallel relationship to each other;
b. a first main gear rotatably and concentrically coupled to the first end plate, a second main gear operably engaged with the second end plate and a second plurality of support members extending between the first main gear and the second main gear;
c. a first plurality of secondary gears rotatably coupled to the first end plate, radially spaced from a central axis of the first end plate and meshed with the first main gear;
d. a second plurality of secondary gears rotatably coupled to the second end plate and meshed with the second main gear about its periphery; and
e. a first plurality of substrate holders coupled to the first plurality of secondary gears and a second plurality of substrate holders coupled to the second plurality of secondary gear.

2. The vacuum deposition holder according to claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum deposition substrate coupled to opposing pairs of the first and second plurality of substrate holders.

3. The vacuum deposition holder according to claim 1 , further comprising a drive attachment coupled to the first main gear and adapted to transfer a rotational force to the first main gear and the second main gear.

4. A multi-chamber vacuum deposition chamber system, comprising:
a plurality of vacuum deposition chambers operably coupled with a plurality of cylindrical chambers;
a dual load lock to load an incoming substrate carousel holder and unload a processed substrate carousel holder out of the plurality vacuum deposition chambers during a deposition procedure; and
a transfer chamber to transfer substrate carousel holders to the plurality of vacuum deposition chambers by a transportation robot, wherein the substrate carousel holder comprises:
a. a first end plate, a second end plate and a first plurality of support rods coupling the first end plate and the second end plate in spaced apart and parallel relationship to each other;
b. a first main gear rotatably and concentrically coupled to the first end plate, a second main gear operably engaged with the second end plate and a second plurality of support members extending between the first main gear and the second main gear;
c. a first plurality of secondary gears rotatably coupled to the first end plate, radially spaced from a central axis of the first end plate and meshed with the first main gear;
d. a second plurality of secondary gears rotatably coupled to the second end plate and meshed with the second main gear about its periphery; and
e. a first plurality of substrate holders coupled to the first plurality of secondary gears and a second plurality of substrate holders coupled to the second plurality of secondary gear.

5. The vacuum deposition holder according to claim 4 , further comprising a vacuum deposition substrate coupled to opposing pairs of the first and second plurality of substrate holders.

6. The vacuum deposition holder according to claim 4 , further comprising a drive attachment coupled to the first main gear and adapted to transfer a rotational force to the first main gear and the second main gear.

Assignees

• Vactronix Scientific Llc

Inventors

• Xu Tianzong
• Guo George Xinsheng
• Nguyen Oahn

Classifications

• C23C14/35 Primary

  by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering {(C23C14/3457 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H01J23/02 Primary

  Electrodes; Magnetic control means; Screens (associated with resonator or delay system H01J23/16) · CPC title

• C23C14/566

  using a load-lock chamber · CPC title

• H01J37/342

  Hollow targets · CPC title

• H01J37/3405

  Magnetron sputtering · CPC title