# US 10,312,065 B2 · Physical vapor deposition (PVD) plasma energy control per dynamic magnetron control

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- Number: US 10,312,065 B2
- Document ID: US10312065B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/290,150
- Filed: 2016-10-11
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-20
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Martin Lee Riker; Keith A. Miller; Shreekant Gayaka; Carl R. Johnson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312065B2

## CPC

- H01J 37/3476: {Testing and control}
- C23C 14/35: by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering {(C23C14/3457 takes precedence)}
- C23C 14/541: {Heating or cooling of the substrates}
- C23C 14/542: {Controlling the film thickness or evaporation rate}
- C23C 14/5806: {Thermal treatment}
- H01J 37/32027: {DC powered}
- H01J 37/32082: {Radio frequency generated discharge (H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence)}
- H01J 37/3266: {Magnetic control means}
- H01J 37/32697: {Electrostatic control}
- H01J 37/32715: {Workpiece holder}
- H01J 37/3455: {Movable magnets}
- H10P 14/44: Physical vapour deposition [PVD]
- H10P 50/242: {of Group IV materials}
- H10P 74/238: {comprising acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection or in-situ thickness measurement}
- H01J 2237/334: Etching
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- 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)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A method, apparatus and system for controlling the processing of a substrate within a process chamber are described herein. In some embodiments, a method of controlling a substrate process within a process chamber includes determining a position of a moveable magnetron in the process chamber relative to a reference location on a surface of the substrate and modulating a power parameter of at least one power supply affecting substrate processing based on the determined position of the magnetron to control, for example, at least one of a deposition rate or an etching rate of the substrate processing. In one embodiment, the modulated power parameter is a power set point of at least one of a direct current (DC) source power, a radio frequency (RF) bias power, a DC shield bias voltage, or an electromagnetic coil current of the at least one power supply.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of controlling processing of a substrate within a process chamber, comprising:
determining at least an angular position of a magnetron in the process chamber relative to a reference location on a surface of the substrate using positional information of a motor used to position the magnetron; and
modulating a power parameter of at least one power supply affecting substrate processing based at least on the determined angular position of the magnetron.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the power parameter comprises a power set point of at least one of a direct current (DC) source power, a radio frequency (RF) bias power, a DC shield bias voltage, or an electromagnetic coil current.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein a power set point of at least one of the direct current (DC) source power, the radio frequency (RF) bias power, the DC shield bias voltage, or the electromagnetic coil current is modulated to increase a deposition of material at a location on the surface of the substrate corresponding to the determined position of the magnetron.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein a power set point of at least one of the direct current (DC) source power, the radio frequency (RF) bias power, the DC shield bias voltage, or the electromagnetic coil current modulated to decrease a deposition of material at a location on the surface of the substrate corresponding to the determined position of the magnetron.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a power parameter of the at least one power supply is modulated in accordance with a functional curve.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein points on the functional curve are determined based on an amount of change to be made in a deposition rate or an etching rate at respective reference locations on the surface of the substrate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the process chamber comprises a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber and the modulating controls a rate of material deposition at a location on the surface of the substrate corresponding to the determined position of the magnetron.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, comprising measuring a deposition rate at respective locations on the surface of the substrate to identify at least one location on the surface of the substrate at which to adjust a rate of material deposition via the modulating.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the modulating controls a uniformity of material deposition across the surface of the substrate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the process chamber comprises an etching chamber and the modulating controls a rate of material etching at a location on the surface of the substrate corresponding to the determined position of the magnetron.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, comprising measuring an etch rate at respective locations on the surface of the substrate to identify at least one location on the surface of the substrate at which to adjust a rate of material etching via the modulating.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the modulating controls a uniformity of material etching across the surface of the substrate.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the position comprises determining an angular position of the magnetron relative to a central axis of or a reference location on the surface of the substrate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the modulating is based on at least one of an angular position of the magnetron with respect to the reference location on the surface of the substrate, or a radial position of the magnetron with respect to the reference location on the surface of the substrate.

### Claim 15

An apparatus for controlling processing of a substrate within a process chamber including a moveable magnetron and at least one power supply, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein instructions executable by the processor to configure the apparatus to:
determine at least an angular position of the moveable magnetron relative to a reference location on a surface of the substrate using positional information of a motor used to position the moveable magnetron; and
modulate a power parameter of the least one power supply based on the determined position of the moveable magnetron.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the power parameter comprises a power set point of at least one of a direct current (DC) source power, a radio frequency (RF) bias power, a DC shield bias voltage, or an electromagnetic coil current.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the process chamber comprises a two-axis driver for controlling a movement of the movable magnetron and communicating position information of the moveable magnetron to the apparatus.

### Claim 18

A substrate processing system, comprising:
a process chamber, comprising;
an inner volume;
a substrate support disposed within the inner volume to support a substrate;
a target having a front face exposed to the inner volume;
a movable magnetron disposed proximate a back side of the target opposite the front face and rotatable about a central axis of the substrate support; and
at least one power supply providing power to the process chamber; and
a controller comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein instructions executable by the processor to configure the controller to:
determine at least an angular position of the moveable magnetron relative to a reference location on a surface of the substrate mounted on the substrate support using positional information of a motor used to position the moveable magnetron; and
modulate a power parameter of the at least one power supply based on the determined position of the moveable magnetron.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The substrate processing system of claim 18, comprising a two-axis driver for controlling a movement of the moveable magnetron and communicating position information of the moveable magnetron to the controller.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The substrate processing system of claim 18, wherein the power parameter comprises a power set point of at least one of a direct current (DC) source power, a radio frequency (RF) bias power, a DC shield bias voltage, or an electromagnetic coil current.