Apparatus and arrangements of magnetic field generators to facilitate physical vapor deposition to form semiconductor films

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9380692-B2
Application number	US-201313840057-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Aug 31, 2009
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments relate generally to semiconductor device fabrication and processes, and more particularly, to an apparatus and arrangements of magnetic field generators configured to generate rotating magnetic fields to facilitate physical vapor deposition (“PVD”). In one embodiment, a magnetic field generator apparatus can include a rotatable magnetic field and a counterbalance magnetic field generator that rotates about the axis of rotation in opposition to the rotatable magnetic field generator. The rotatable magnetic field generator generates a first magnitude of a magnetic field adjacent to a first circumferential portion of a circular region. The counterbalance magnetic field generator generates a second magnitude of the magnetic field adjacent to a second circumferential portion. The rotatable and counterbalance magnetic field generators can be configured to generate the magnetic field between the first and a second plane along a diameter extending from the first circumferential portion to the second circumferential portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for film deposition processing, the apparatus comprising:
a rotatable magnetic field generator configured to rotate about an axis of rotation in a circle lying in a first plane, the rotatable magnetic field generator further configured on a distal end thereof with an outer circular edge region that overlies an arc of the circle and is the same diameter as the circle, the rotatable magnetic field generator comprising a first base, a first peripheral surface and at least one magnetic element disposed between the first base and the first peripheral surface, and the rotatable magnetic field generator further configured to generate a first magnitude of a magnetic field adjacent to a first circumferential portion of the circle; and
a counterbalance magnetic field generator configured to rotate about the axis of rotation in opposition to the rotatable magnetic field generator, the counterbalance magnetic field generator further configured on a distal end thereof with an outer circular edge region that overlies an arc of the circle and is the same diameter as the circle, the counterbalance magnetic field generator comprising a second base, a second peripheral surface and at least one magnetic element disposed between the second base and the second peripheral surface, and the counterbalance magnetic field generator further configured to generate a second magnitude of the magnetic field adjacent to a second circumferential portion of the circle,
wherein the rotatable magnetic field generator and the counterbalance magnetic field generator are configured to generate the magnetic field between the first plane and a second plane parallel to the first plane along a diameter of the circle extending from the first circumferential portion to the second circumferential portion, and
wherein at least one of the first peripheral surface and the second peripheral surface comprises at least one periphery edge comprising a plurality of protruding edge surfaces and a plurality of gaps disposed between the protruding edge surfaces, each gap being disposed between two adjacent protruding edges along the at least one periphery edge.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the counterbalance magnetic field generator comprises:
a mass equivalent to that of the rotatable magnetic field generator to counter act a force generated by the rotatable magnetic field generator.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the rotatable magnetic field generator and the counterbalance magnetic field generator have different cross-sectional areas in the first plane.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the magnetic field comprises:
a profile of magnetic strength for the magnetic field, the profile including a first peak magnitude as the first magnitude of the magnetic field, a second peak magnitude as the second magnitude of the magnetic field, and a minimum magnitude of the magnetic strength disposed between the axis of rotation and the second peak magnitude of the magnetic field,
wherein the second magnitude is less than the first magnitude.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rotatable magnetic field generator and the counterbalance magnetic field generator each comprise:
a first subset of magnetic elements disposed at peripheral portions, the magnetic elements being polarized in a first direction; and
a second subset of magnetic elements disposed at an interior portion, the magnetic elements being polarized in a second direction,
wherein the first subset of magnetic elements and the second subset of magnetic elements generate flux in a portion of the magnetic field that passes between the peripheral portions and the interior portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
groups of magnetic elements, each group including magnetic elements that are configured to generate similar amounts of flux,
wherein different groups include magnetic elements that generate different amounts of flux.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein a magnetic element in the groups of magnetic elements comprises:
a magnet.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the groups of magnetic elements are arranged to dispose one or more groups of magnetic elements adjacent a distal end in the rotatable magnetic field generator to generate a first peak magnitude as the first peak magnitude of the magnetic field, and to dispose another one or more groups of magnetic elements adjacent a distal end in the counterbalance magnetic field generator to generate a second peak magnitude as the second peak magnitude of the magnetic field.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rotatable magnetic field generator and the counterbalance magnetic field generator respectively comprise:
a first subset of lateral portions extending radially from the axis of rotation to the first circumferential portion of the circle, and a first distal portion; and
a second subset of lateral portions extending radially from the axis of rotation to the second circumferential portion of the circle, and a second distal portion.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein a first angle between two lateral portions of the first subset of lateral portions is different than a second angle between two lateral portions of the second subset of lateral portions.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first angle is less than the second angle.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the rotatable magnetic field generator and the counterbalance magnetic field generator respectively further comprise:
a first interior portion disposed within an interior region bounded by the first subset of lateral portions and the first distal portion; and
a second interior portion disposed within another interior region bounded by the second subset of lateral portions and the second distal portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rotatable magnetic field generator further comprises:
supplemental magnetic elements disposed adjacent to at least one lateral portion to influence the first magnitude of a magnetic field.

14. An apparatus for a plasma generation system comprising:
a bowtie-shaped structure comprising a base, a peripheral surface and at least one permanent magnet disposed between the base and the peripheral surface, opposite distal ends of the bowtie-shaped structure describing a common circle having a center point congruent with a rotational axis of the structure, the bowtie-shaped structure mounting thereon;
a first arrangement of permanent magnets arranged in a first sector of a circle, the first arrangement including:
a first group of permanent magnets, at least one subset of which is distinguished from other subsets in the first group of permanent magnets by a magnitude of magnetic strength, the first group of permanent magnets being disposed along a peripheral arc adjacent the arced outer edge of the first sector and within the interior of the first sector; and
a second arrangement of permanent magnets arranged in a second sector of the same circle, which is sized differently from the first sector and coupled through a center point of the circle to the first arrangement of permanent magnets, the second arrangement including:
a second group of permanent magnets, at least one subset of which is distinguished from other subsets in the second group of permanent magnets by a magnitude of magnetic strength, the other subsets in the second group of permanent magnets being disposed at the periphery of the second sector and within the interior of the second sector, the second arrangement of permanent magnets being configured as a counterweight to the first arrangement of permanent magnets relative

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Semicat Inc

Inventors

• Park Jeonghee
• Park Jae Yeol

Classifications

• H01J37/3452

  Magnet distribution · CPC title

• H01J37/3461

  Means for shaping the magnetic field, e.g. magnetic shunts · CPC title

• H01F7/0278 Primary

  for generating uniform fields, focusing, deflecting electrically charged particles (for magnetic separation by Lorentz force B03C1/023; specially adapted for NMR applications G01R33/383) · CPC title

• H05H1/16 Primary

  using externally-applied electric and magnetic fields · CPC title

• H01J37/3455

  Movable magnets · CPC title