Methods and apparatus for co-sputtering multiple targets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11101117-B2
Application number	US-201916573265-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2019
Priority date	Aug 21, 2015
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

Embodiments of a method and apparatus for co-sputtering multiple target materials are provided herein. In some embodiments, a process chamber including a substrate support to support a substrate; a plurality of cathodes coupled to a carrier and having a corresponding plurality of targets to be sputtered onto the substrate; and a process shield coupled to the carrier and extending between adjacent pairs of the plurality of targets.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for a process chamber with a plurality of targets, comprising:
a process shield configured to be coupled to a carrier coupled to the plurality of targets, wherein the process shield is configured to extend between adjacent pairs of the plurality of targets and to move vertically and rotate with respect to the plurality of targets.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the process shield is star-shaped.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of targets includes five targets.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the process shield is configured to expose all of the plurality of targets.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a height of the process shield is proportional to a diameter of each of the plurality of targets.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of targets have a diameter of approximately 6 inches, and wherein the process shield has a height of less than approximately 15 inches.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of shrouds, each surrounding a corresponding one of the plurality of targets.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of shrouds has a height of approximately 1 inch.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of shrouds are formed of aluminum.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of shrouds are texturized to improve particle adhesion of the plurality of shrouds.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of shrouds has a height of approximately 5 inches to approximately 6 inches.

12. An apparatus for a process chamber with a plurality of targets, comprising:
a shield configured to be coupled to a carrier coupled to the plurality of targets, to extend between adjacent pairs of the plurality of targets, to move vertically and rotate with respect to the plurality of targets, and to expose the plurality of targets through the shield; and
a plurality of shrouds which are configured to surround a corresponding one of the plurality of targets.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of targets includes five targets.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of shrouds are configured to extend towards a substrate support of the process chamber.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of shrouds are formed of aluminum.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of shrouds are texturized to improve particle adhesion of the plurality of shrouds.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of shrouds include one of an aluminum, a tantalum, or a molybdenum coating.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of shrouds has a height of approximately 5 inches to approximately 6 inches.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the shield is configured to move vertically with respect to the plurality of targets before rotating.

20. An apparatus for a process chamber with a plurality of targets, comprising:
a shield configured to be coupled to a carrier coupled to the plurality of targets, to extend between adjacent pairs of the plurality of targets, to move vertically and rotate with respect to the plurality of targets, and to expose the plurality of targets through the shield; and
a plurality of shrouds which are configured to surround a corresponding one of the plurality of targets and to extend downward towards a substrate support of the process chamber, and wherein the plurality of shrouds have a height of approximately 5 inches to approximately 6 inches, and
wherein the shield is configured to move vertically with respect to the plurality of targets before rotating.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Subramani Anantha K
• Wu Hanbing
• Wang Wei W
• Goel Ashish
• Guggilla Srinivas
• Nistor Lavinia

Classifications

• C23C14/3464 Primary

  using more than one target (C23C14/56 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01J37/3429

  Plural materials · CPC title

• H01J37/32871

  Means for trapping or directing unwanted particles · CPC title

• C23C14/564

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

• H01J37/3447

  Collimators, shutters, apertures · CPC title