Methods and apparatus for reducing sputtering of a grounded shield in a process chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11915917-B2
Application number	US-202016902194-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2020
Priority date	Mar 12, 2013
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for physical vapor deposition are provided herein. In some embodiments, a process kit shield for use in a physical vapor deposition chamber may include an electrically conductive body having one or more sidewalls defining a central opening, wherein the body has a ratio of a surface area of inner facing surfaces of the one or more sidewalls to a height of the one or more sidewalls of about 2 to about 3.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process kit shield for use in a physical vapor deposition chamber, comprising:
an electrically conductive body having an inner sidewall defining a central opening, wherein the body has a ratio of a surface area of inner facing surfaces of the inner sidewall to a height of the inner sidewall of about 2 to about 3, wherein the height is expressed in units of length, and the surface area is expressed in the units of length squared.

2. The process kit shield of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive body is annular.

3. The process kit of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive body is fabricated from one or more of an aluminum alloy or stainless steel.

4. The process kit of claim 1 , wherein the inner sidewall of the electrically conductive body further comprises alternating concave portions and convex portions.

5. The process kit of claim 4 , wherein a period of the concave portions is about 6 mm to about 20 mm.

6. The process kit of claim 4 , wherein each of the concave portions is configured to allow a plasma sheath to form within each of the concave portions at an RF frequency of about 27 MHz to about 162 MHz and at chamber pressure of about 60 millitorr to about 140 millitorr.

7. The process kit of claim 1 , wherein the inner sidewall of the electrically conductive body of the process kit shield includes a plurality of waves disposed between a target and a substrate support of a process chamber in which the process kit is inserted.

8. The process kit of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of waves is arranged in a repeating pattern, and wherein each wave has a period of about 6 mm to about 20 mm.

9. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a chamber body having a substrate support disposed therein;
a target coupled to the chamber body opposite the substrate support;
an RF power source to form a plasma within the chamber body; and
a process kit shield having an electrically conductive body, the electrically conductive body having an inner sidewall defining a central opening, wherein the electrically conductive body has a ratio of a surface area of inner facing surfaces of the inner sidewall to a height of the inner sidewall of about 2 to about 3, wherein the height is expressed in units of length, and the surface area is expressed in the units of length squared.

10. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a ratio of the diameter of the target to the diameter of a substrate disposed atop the substrate support is about 1.4.

11. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the inner sidewall includes a plurality of waves disposed between the target and the substrate support.

12. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of waves comprises alternating concave portions and convex portions.

13. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a period of the concave portions is about 6 mm to about 20 mm.

14. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein each of the concave portions is configured to allow a plasma sheath to form within each of the concave portions at an RF frequency from the RF power source of about 27 MHz to about 162 MHz and at chamber pressure of about 60 millitorr to about 140 millitorr.

15. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of waves is arranged in a repeating pattern, and wherein each wave has a period of about 6 mm to about 20 mm.

16. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a ratio of a diameter of the target to a height of the process kit shield is about 4.1 to about 4.3, and wherein a ratio of a surface area of inner facing surfaces of the the inner sidewall to a surface area of a principal surface of the target is about 1 to about 1.5.

17. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the electrically conductive body of the process kit shield is annular.

18. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the electrically conductive body of the process kit shield is fabricated from one or more of an aluminum alloy or stainless steel.

19. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a distance between the target and a substrate having a diameter of 300 mm disposed atop the substrate support is about 50.8 mm to about 152.4 mm.

20. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a distance between the target and a substrate having a diameter of 450 mm disposed atop the substrate support is about 101.6 mm to about 203.2 mm.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Ritchie Alan
• Forster John C
• Rasheed Muhammad

Classifications

• C23C14/358

  Inductive energy · CPC title

• H01J37/3441 Primary

  Dark space shields · CPC title

• C23C14/34 Primary

  Sputtering · CPC title

• H01J37/32504

  Means for preventing sputtering of the vessel · CPC title

• H01J37/32651

  Shields, e.g. dark space shields, Faraday shields · CPC title