# US 10,309,007 B2 · Apparatus for sputtering and operation method thereof

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- Number: US 10,309,007 B2
- Document ID: US10309007B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/938,335
- Filed: 2015-11-11
- Published: 2017-04-27
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2015-10-27
- Assignees: Beijing Naura Microelectronics Equipment Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Beijing NAURA Microelectronics Equipment Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yujie Yang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309007B2

## CPC

- C23C 14/35: by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering {(C23C14/3457 takes precedence)}
- C23C 14/0641: {Nitrides (C23C14/0617 takes precedence)}
- C23C 14/3414: {Metallurgical or chemical aspects of target preparation, e.g. casting, powder metallurgy}
- H01J 37/3405: {Magnetron sputtering}
- H01J 37/3408: {Planar magnetron sputtering}
- H01J 37/3429: {Plural materials}
- H01J 37/3452: {Magnet distribution}
- H01J 37/347: {Thickness uniformity of coated layers or desired profile of target erosion}
- H10P 14/44: Physical vapour deposition [PVD]
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a sputtering apparatus including a magnetron structure configured to erode a target according to a predetermined erosion rate profile symmetric to a central axis of the magnetron structure. The predetermined erosion rate profile includes a first peak rate in proximity to the central axis; and a second peak rate located at about from 0.7 to 0.75 of a radius of the target from the central axis.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sputtering apparatus, comprising:
a magnetron structure including an outer pole and an inner pole, configured to erode a target according to a predetermined erosion rate profile symmetric to a central axis of the magnetron structure, wherein:
the outer pole and the inner pole of the magnetron structure are arranged in accordance with a predetermined normalized loop length profile,
the predetermined normalized loop length profile includes a portion of a normalized loop length being substantially constant for about 0.4 of a radius of the target from the central axis, and
the predetermined erosion rate profile includes:
a first peak rate in proximity to the central axis; and
a second peak rate located at about from 0.7 to 0.75 of the radius of the target from the central axis, the first peak rate being substantially equal to the second peak rate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer pole has a first magnetic polarity and the inner pole has a second magnetic polarity opposite to the first magnetic polarity, the inner pole being surrounded by the outer pole.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the normalized loop length transforms from a substantially constant profile to an increasing profile at about 0.4 of the radius of the target.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the increasing profile comprises a nonlinear curve beyond 0.4 of the radius of the target.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the inner pole comprises a terminal portion pointing toward the central axis.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a portion of the magnetron structure outside a boundary and being tangential to a circle centering at the central axis is substantially greater than a portion of the magnetron inside the boundary and being tangential to the circle, the boundary enclosing the terminal portion of the inner pole and a terminal portion of the outer pole.

### Claim 7

A sputtering apparatus, comprising:
a magnetron structure, comprising:
a first portion outside a boundary;
a second portion inside the boundary; and
an outer pole and an inner pole,
wherein:
an amount of the first portion being tangential to a circle centering at a central axis is substantially greater than an amount of the second portion being tangential to the circle,
the inner and outer poles are arranged in accordance with a predetermined normalized loop length profile that has a portion of a normalized loop length being substantially constant for about 0.4 of a radius of a target from the central axis, and
the magnetron structure is configured to erode the target according to a predetermined profile of erosion rate that includes:
a first peak rate near the central axis of the magnetron structure; and
a second peak rate at about from 0.7 to 0.75 of the radius of the target from the central axis.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the profile includes a third peak rate at around 0.5 of the radius of the target from the central axis.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the outer pole of a first magnetic polarity is arranged in a closed band and, the inner pole enclosed by the outer pole includes a second magnetic polarity opposite to the first magnetic polarity.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the inner pole comprises a terminal portion in proximity to the central axis.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a distance between the inner pole and the outer pole is substantially constant.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the boundary comprises a circular shape surrounding the terminal portion of the inner pole.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the amount of the second portion being tangential to a circle is approximately constant inside the boundary.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first portion sweeps through more than 270 degrees around the central axis.

### Claim 15

A method of sputtering, comprising:
positioning a wafer at a predetermined distance from a target;
rotating a magnetron structure with respect to a central axis, wherein:
the magnetron structure includes an outer pole and an inner pole that are arranged in accordance with a predetermined normalized loop length profile, and
the predetermined normalized loop length profile includes a portion of a normalized loop length being substantially constant for about 0.4 of a radius of the target from the central axis; and
eroding the target according to a predetermined erosion rate profile, the target on the central axis being eroded at a first rate, the target near from 0.5 to 0.55 of the radius thereof being eroded at about 0.5 of the first rate; and the target near from 0.7 to 0.75 of the radius thereof being eroded at about 1.1 of the first rate.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the outer pole of a first magnetic polarity has a closed loop, the inner pole is enclosed by the outer pole, and the inner pole includes a second magnetic polarity opposite to the first magnetic polarity.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein positioning the wafer at the predetermined distance from the target includes: positioning the wafer from about 40 millimeters to 70 millimeters from the target.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the target comprises titanium nitride.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein: the magnetron structure is configured to have a first portion outside a boundary and a second portion inside the boundary, and an amount of the first portion being tangential to a circle centering at the central axis is substantially greater than an amount of the second portion being tangential to the circle.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the boundary comprises a shape of a circle and encloses the central axis and terminal portions of the inner pole and the outer pole.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein the boundary comprises a radius in a range of from about 70 mm to about 80 mm.