Physical vapor deposition tile arrangement and physical vapor deposition arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9328410-B2
Application number	US-201314062959-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2013
Priority date	Oct 25, 2013
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

In various embodiments, a physical vapor deposition tile arrangement is provided. The physical vapor deposition tile arrangement may include a plurality of physical vapor deposition tiles arranged next to each other; and a resilient structure configured to press the plurality of physical vapor deposition tiles together.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A physical vapor deposition tile arrangement, comprising:
a plurality of planar physical vapor deposition tiles arranged next to each other; and
a resilient structure comprising at least one spring, wherein the resilient structure is configured so that at least two of the plurality of planar physical vapor deposition tiles are pressed against each other by the at least one spring.

2. The physical vapor deposition tile arrangement of claim 1 ,
wherein at least one planar physical vapor deposition tile of the plurality of planar physical vapor deposition tiles comprises material to be deposited on a substrate.

3. The physical vapor deposition tile arrangement of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of planar physical vapor deposition tiles are planar sputter target tiles.

4. The physical vapor deposition tile arrangement of claim 1 ,
wherein the resilient structure is arranged at an edge of at least one of the plurality of planar physical vapor deposition tiles.

5. The physical vapor deposition tile arrangement of claim 4 ,
wherein the resilient structure is arranged at an edge of the physical vapor deposition tile arrangement.

6. The physical vapor deposition tile arrangement of claim 1 ,
wherein the resilient structure is in physical contact with only one side of the physical vapor deposition tile arrangement.

7. The physical vapor deposition tile arrangement of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one spring comprises at least one screw spring.

8. The physical vapor deposition tile arrangement of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one spring comprises at least one leaf spring.

9. The physical vapor deposition tile arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pressure distribution structure arranged between the resilient structure and the plurality of planar physical vapor deposition tiles to distribute the pressure provided by the resilient structure to the plurality of planar physical vapor deposition tiles.

10. The physical vapor deposition tile arrangement of claim 1 ,
wherein the pressure distribution structure comprises a pressure distribution rod.

11. The physical vapor deposition tile arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tile holding structure configured to hold the plurality of planar physical vapor deposition tiles.

12. The physical vapor deposition tile arrangement of claim 11 ,
wherein the resilient structure is configured to provide a pressure to the plurality of planar physical vapor deposition tiles to overcome a holding force provided by the tile holding structure to hold the plurality of planar physical vapor deposition tiles in a holding position.

13. A physical vapor deposition arrangement, comprising:
a physical vapor deposition process chamber; and
a physical vapor deposition tile arrangement, comprising:
a plurality of planar physical vapor deposition tiles arranged next to each other; and
a resilient structure comprising at least one spring, wherein the resilient structure is configured so that at least two of the plurality of planar physical vapor deposition tiles are pressed against each other by the at least one spring.

14. The physical vapor deposition arrangement of claim 13 ,
wherein the physical vapor deposition process chamber is a sputter process chamber.

15. The physical vapor deposition arrangement of claim 13 , further comprising:
a magnetron.

16. The physical vapor deposition arrangement of claim 15 ,
wherein the magnetron is a planar magnetron.

17. A method of mounting a plurality of planar physical vapor deposition tiles in a physical vapor deposition process chamber, the method comprising:
arranging the plurality of planar physical vapor deposition tiles in the physical vapor deposition process chamber next to each other;
arranging a resilient structure relative to the plurality of planar physical vapor deposition tiles, the resilient structure comprising at least one spring, and
pressing at least two of the plurality of physical vapor deposition tiles against each other by the at least one spring.

18. The method of claim 17 ,
wherein the resilient structure is biased after arranging the plurality of planar physical vapor deposition tiles in the physical vapor deposition process chamber.

19. The method of claim 17 ,
wherein the resilient structure is biased during arranging the plurality of planar physical vapor deposition tiles in the physical vapor deposition process chamber.

Assignees

• Ardenne Gmbh Von
• First Solar Inc

Inventors

• Teichert Bernd
• Schneider Klaus
• Kaiser Christoph
• Rivkin Michael
• Proulx George Arthur

Classifications

• H01J37/3417

  Arrangements · CPC title

• H01J37/3414

  Targets · CPC title

• C23C14/35

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

• H01J37/3432

  Target-material dispenser · CPC title

• C23C14/086

  of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth · CPC title