Process kit shield for improved particle reduction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9834840-B2
Application number	US-201113106392-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2011
Priority date	May 14, 2010
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

Apparatus for improved particle reduction are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus may include a process kit shield comprising a one-piece metal body having an upper portion and a lower portion and having an opening disposed through the one-piece metal body, wherein the upper portion includes an opening-facing surface configured to be disposed about and spaced apart from a target of a physical vapor deposition chamber and wherein the opening-facing surface is configured to limit particle deposition on an upper surface of the upper portion of the one-piece metal body during sputtering of a target material from the target of the physical vapor deposition chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:
a process chamber having a processing volume and a non-processing volume;
a substrate support disposed in the process chamber;
a target disposed in the process chamber opposite the substrate support;
a process kit shield disposed in the process chamber and separating the processing volume from the non-processing volume, the process kit shield comprising a one-piece metal body having an upper portion, an intermediate portion, and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion and the lower portion are cylindrical and extend parallel to and along a central axis of the one-piece metal body, and wherein the intermediate portion is conical and extends radially outward from the lower portion toward the upper portion;
an opening disposed through the one-piece metal body, and having the processing volume formed in an interior volume of the one-piece metal body between the substrate support and the target, wherein a portion of the target extends into the opening, and wherein the upper portion includes an opening-facing contoured surface disposed around and spaced apart from the portion of the target that extends into the opening; and
a cover ring disposed atop the lower portion of the process kit shield,
wherein the opening-facing contoured surface extends both radially outward away from the opening and radially inward toward the opening to form a recess, and
wherein a surface of the portion of the target adjacent to the opening-facing contoured surface is shaped to generally match a shape of the recess of the opening-facing contoured surface to limit a direct line of sight between the processing volume and a space above the upper portion in order to limit particle deposition on an upper surface of the upper portion of the one-piece metal body during sputtering of a target material from the target.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one-piece metal body of the process kit shield further comprises:
a lower surface extending inward from a lower edge of the lower portion of the one-piece metal body into the processing volume; and
a lip disposed about an inner edge of the lower surface and extending upward from the inner edge of the lower surface towards the upper portion of the one-piece metal body.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the cover ring is movably disposed atop the substrate support, the cover ring having a lip extending towards the lower surface of the one-piece metal body, wherein the lip of the cover ring is disposed about the lip of the lower portion of the one-piece metal body and selectively movable along an outer surface of the lip of the one-piece metal body.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a plurality of alignment devices disposed between a surface of the lip of the one-piece metal body and an opposing surface of the cover ring to radially align the process kit shield with the lip of the cover ring.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of alignment devices align the process kit shield with the cover ring to define a radial gap between the lip of the one-piece metal body and the lip of the cover ring, and wherein the radial gap is substantially uniform in thickness.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the process chamber further comprises:
a sidewall, wherein the process kit shield is supported within the process chamber by the sidewall.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the sidewall is a conductive material that is grounded.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:
one or more heat transfer channels disposed in the sidewall proximate the process kit shield to control the temperature of the process kit shield during processing.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of alignment devices comprise a body and a ball protruding from the body, wherein the body is coupled to the lip of the one-piece metal body such that the ball extends away from the body toward the opposing surface of the cover ring.

10. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:
a target disposed in a process chamber opposite a substrate support;
a process kit shield disposed in the process chamber and separating a processing volume from a non-processing volume, the process kit shield comprising a one-piece metal body having an upper portion, a lower portion, an opening disposed through the one-piece metal body, and having the processing volume formed in an interior volume of the one-piece metal body between the substrate support and the target, wherein a portion of the target extends into the opening, and wherein the upper portion includes opening-facing contoured surface disposed around and spaced apart from the portion of the target that extends into the opening; and
a cover ring disposed atop the lower portion of the process kit shield;
wherein a surface of the portion of the target adjacent to the opening-facing contoured surface is vertical and straight and wherein the opening-facing contoured surface extends both radially inward and upward toward the opening and radially outward and upward away from the opening to form a generally radially inward projecting protrusion to limit a direct line of sight between the processing volume and a space above the upper portion in order to limit particle deposition on an upper surface of the upper portion of the one-piece metal body during sputtering of a target material from the target.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a plurality of alignment devices disposed about a surface of the lower portion of the process kit shield to radially align the process kit shield and the cover ring.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the one-piece metal body further includes an intermediate portion, and wherein inner surfaces of the upper portion and the lower portion are cylindrical and the inner surface of the intermediate portion is conical and extends radially outward from the lower portion toward the upper portion.

Assignees

• Rasheed Muhammad
• Wang Rongjun
• Liu Zhendong
• Fu Xinyu
• Tang Xianmin
• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Rasheed Muhammad
• Wang Rongjun
• Liu Zhendong
• Fu Xinyu
• Tang Xianmin

Classifications

• C23C14/35 Primary

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

• H01J37/34

  operating with cathodic sputtering (H01J37/36 takes precedence {; methods of cathodic sputtering C23C14/34}) · CPC title

• C23C14/564 Primary

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

• H01J37/32871

  Means for trapping or directing unwanted particles · CPC title

• H01J37/32853

  Hygiene · CPC title