Methods and apparatus for co-sputtering multiple targets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017053784-A1
Application number	US-201615240927-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 18, 2016
Priority date	Aug 21, 2015
Publication date	Feb 23, 2017
Grant date	—

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

1 . A process chamber, comprising:
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.

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

3 . The process chamber of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cathodes includes five cathodes.

4 . The process chamber of claim 1 , wherein all of the plurality of targets are exposed.

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

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

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

8 . The process chamber of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of shrouds has a height of about 1 inch.

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

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

11 . A physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber, comprising:
a substrate support to support a substrate; a plurality of targets disposed opposite the substrate support, each target comprising a material to be sputtered onto the substrate; and a shield rotatably disposed between the substrate support and the plurality of targets, wherein the shield includes two or more holes sized and positioned to simultaneously expose a set of two or more of the plurality of targets while covering the remainder of the plurality of targets, wherein different sets of two or more of the plurality of targets can be exposed while covering the remainder of the plurality of targets by selection of the rotational position of the shield.

12 . The PVD chamber of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of targets includes five targets.

13 . The PVD chamber of claim 11 , further comprising:
a plurality of shrouds disposed between the shield and the plurality of targets, wherein each of the plurality of shrouds surrounds a corresponding one of the plurality of targets.

14 . The PVD chamber of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of shrouds are formed of aluminum.

15 . The PVD chamber of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of shrouds are texturized to improve particle adhesion of the plurality of shrouds.

16 . The PVD chamber of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of shrouds include one of an aluminum, a tantalum, or a molybdenum coating.

17 . The PVD chamber of claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of shrouds has a height of about 5 inches to about 6 inches.

18 . The PVD chamber of claim 11 , further comprising:
a process shield coupled to the shield and extending between adjacent pairs of the plurality of targets.

19 . A method for processing a substrate, comprising:
exposing a first set of a plurality of targets through two or more holes of a shield, wherein the shield is rotatably coupled to a carrier disposed above a substrate support supporting a substrate; and co-sputtering the first set of the plurality of targets.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
rotating the shield to expose a second set of the plurality of targets different than the first set; and co-sputtering the second set of the plurality of targets.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H01J37/3441

  Dark space shields · CPC title

• H01J37/32871

  Means for trapping or directing unwanted particles · CPC title

• H01J37/3429

  Plural materials · CPC title

• H01J37/3447

  Collimators, shutters, apertures · CPC title

• C23C14/564

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