Sputtering apparatuses and methods of manufacturing a magnetic memory device using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9934950-B2
Application number	US-201615202597-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2016
Priority date	Oct 16, 2015
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A sputtering apparatus includes a process chamber in which a sputtering process is performed, a substrate holder provided in the process chamber and fixing a horizontal position of a substrate during the sputtering process, and a first sputter gun provided to be vertically spaced apart from the substrate in the process chamber. The first sputter gun is spaced apart from the substrate by a first horizontal distance during the sputtering process. The first sputter gun is fixed during the sputtering process. The first horizontal distance is a horizontal distance between the substrate and the first sputter gun when viewed from a plan view.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sputtering apparatus, comprising:
a process chamber;
a substrate holder within the process chamber and that is configured to fix a horizontal position of a substrate during a sputtering process;
a first sputter gun vertically spaced apart from the substrate in the process chamber, the first sputter gun including a first target;
a second sputter gun vertically spaced apart from the substrate in the process chamber, the second sputter gun including a second target;
wherein the first sputter gun and the second sputter gun are located on a same side of the substrate relative to a normal line perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate when viewed from a cross-sectional view,
wherein the first sputter gun is horizontally spaced apart from the substrate by a first distance during the sputtering process, and wherein the second sputter gun is horizontally spaced apart from the substrate by a second distance during the sputtering process.

2. The sputtering apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the first sputter gun is fixed at a first position during the sputtering process,
wherein the second sputter gun is fixed at a second position during the sputtering process.

3. The sputtering apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first and second sputter guns are fixed at the respective first and second positions so as not to vertically overlap with the substrate during the sputtering process.

4. The sputtering apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first and second targets comprise the same material.

5. The sputtering apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first target and the second target comprise a metal oxide.

6. The sputtering apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first sputter gun further comprises:
a first plate configured to supply power to the first target,
wherein the first target has a first surface in direct contact with the first plate and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and
wherein a first angle between a first normal line perpendicular to the second surface of the first target and the normal line perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate ranges from 0 degrees to 60 degrees.

7. The sputtering apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second sputter gun further comprises:
a second plate configured to supply power to the second target,
wherein the second target has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other,
wherein the first surface of the second target is in direct contact with the second plate, and
wherein a second angle between a second normal line perpendicular to the second surface of the second target and the normal line perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate ranges from 0 degrees to 60 degrees.

8. The sputtering apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a shutter provided in the process chamber to protect the substrate during a pre-sputtering process performed on the first and second targets,
wherein the shutter is provided at one side of the substrate between the first and second sputter guns and the substrate; and
wherein the shutter has a plate shape that extends in an arrangement direction of the first and second sputter guns and that extends in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate.

9. A method of manufacturing a magnetic memory device, the method comprising:
forming a first magnetic layer on a substrate;
forming a non-magnetic layer on the first magnetic layer; and
forming a second magnetic layer on the non-magnetic layer,
wherein forming the non-magnetic layer comprises:
performing a sputtering process using a first sputter gun and a second sputter gun, wherein the first sputter gun and the second sputter gun are each vertically spaced apart from the first magnetic layer, wherein the first sputter gun comprises a first target, and wherein the second sputter gun comprises a second target;
wherein the first sputter gun and the second sputter gun are located on a same side of the substrate relative to a normal line perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate when viewed from a cross-sectional view, and wherein the first sputter gun and the second sputter gun are horizontally spaced apart from each other,
wherein the first sputter gun is horizontally spaced apart from the substrate by a first distance during the sputtering process, and wherein the second sputter gun is horizontally spaced apart from the substrate by a second distance during the sputtering process, and
wherein the normal line perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate is parallel to a first normal line perpendicular to a surface of the first target and parallel to a second normal line perpendicular to a surface of the second target.

10. The method of claim 9 ,
wherein the first sputter gun is fixed at a first position during the sputtering process, and
wherein the second sputter gun is fixed at a second position during the sputtering process.

11. A sputtering apparatus, comprising:
a process chamber;
a substrate holder within the process chamber, wherein the substrate holder is configured to fix a horizontal position of a substrate during a sputtering process; and
first and second sputter guns positioned above the substrate in the process chamber, wherein the first and second sputter guns are each vertically spaced apart from the substrate, and the first and second sputter guns are each horizontally spaced apart from the substrate by respective first and second distances, wherein the first sputter gun and the second sputter gun are located on a same side of the substrate relative to a normal line perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate when viewed from a cross-sectional view,
wherein the first sputter gun comprises a first target, wherein the second sputter gun comprises a second target, and wherein the first and second targets are pointed toward the substrate; and
a shutter provided at one side of the substrate between the first and second sputter guns and the substrate,
wherein the shutter has a plate shape and extends in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate.

12. The sputtering apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first and second targets comprise the same material.

13. The sputtering apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first target and the second target comprise a metal oxide.

14. The sputtering apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first sputter gun comprises a first plate configured to supply power to the first target, wherein the first target has a first surface in direct contact with the first plate and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the first sputter gun is disposed such that the second surface of the first target is pointed toward the substrate, and wherein a first angle between a normal line perpendicular to the second surface of the first target and the normal line perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate ranges from 0 degrees to 60 degrees.

15. The sputtering apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the second sputter gun comprises a second plate configured to supply power to the second target, wherein the second target has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, wherein the first surface of the second target is in direct contact with the second plate, wherein the second sputter gun is disposed such that the second surface of the second target is pointed toward the substrate, and wherein a second angle between a normal line perpendicular to the second surface of the second target and the normal line perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate ranges from 0 degrees to 60 degrees.

Assignees

• Lee Joonmyoung
• Kim Woojin
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Joonmyoung
• Kim Woojin

Classifications

• C23C14/08

  Oxides (C23C14/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C23C14/505

  for rotation of the substrates · CPC title

• H01J37/32715

  Workpiece holder · CPC title

• H01J37/34

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

• H01J37/3447

  Collimators, shutters, apertures · CPC title