# US 11,114,288 B2 · Physical vapor deposition apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,114,288 B2 - Document ID: US11114288B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/271,473 - Filed: 2019-02-08 - Published: 2020-08-13 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-08 - Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc. - Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc. - Inventors: Kirankumar Neelasandra Savandaiah; Junqi Wei; Yueh Sheng Ow; Wen Long Favier Shoo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11114288B2 ## CPC - H01J 37/3405: {Magnetron sputtering} - C23C 14/14: Metallic material, boron or silicon - C23C 14/3407: {Cathode assembly for sputtering apparatus, e.g. Target} - C23C 14/35: by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering {(C23C14/3457 takes precedence)} - H01J 37/3417: {Arrangements} - H01J 37/3435: {Target holders (includes backing plates and endblocks)} - H01J 37/3441: {Dark space shields} - 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) ## Abstract Methods and apparatus for physical vapor deposition are provided. The apparatus, for example, includes A PVD apparatus that includes a chamber including a chamber wall; a magnetron including a plurality of magnets configured to produce a magnetic field within the chamber; a pedestal configured to support a substrate; and a target assembly comprising a target made of gold and supported on the chamber wall via a backing plate coupled to a back surface of the target so that a front surface of the target faces the substrate, wherein a distance between a back surface formed in a recess of the backing plate and a bottom surface of the plurality of magnets is about 3.95 mm to about 4.45 mm, and wherein a distance between the front surface of the target and a front surface of the substrate is about 60.25 mm to about 60.75 mm. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A PVD apparatus, comprising: a chamber including a chamber wall; a magnetron including a plurality of magnets configured to produce a magnetic field within the chamber; a pedestal configured to support a substrate; a shield; and a target assembly comprising a target made of gold and supported on the chamber wall via a backing plate coupled to a back surface of the target so that a front surface of the target faces the substrate, wherein a distance from an inside corner of an upper portion of the shield to an upper corner, which meets a front surface of the backing plate, of a peripheral sidewall of the target is about 2.73 mm to about 3.23 mm, wherein a distance between a back surface of the backing plate and a bottom surface of the plurality of magnets is about 3.95 mm to about 4.45 mm, and wherein a distance between the front surface of the target and a front surface of the substrate is about 60.25 mm to about 60.75 mm. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The PVD apparatus of claim 1, wherein the backing plate is made from at least one of zinc, chromium, or silicon. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The PVD apparatus of claim 2, wherein the backing plate is coupled to the target via an indium solder bond. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The PVD apparatus of claim 1, wherein the front surface of the target is texturized with a surface roughness ranging from about 27 microinches to about 37 microinches. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The PVD apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper portion of the shield fits in an annular recess formed between a front surface of the backing plate and the peripheral sidewall of the target. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The PVD apparatus of claim 5, wherein a distance that the inside corner of the upper portion of the shield is from the peripheral sidewall of the target is about 1.84 mm to about 2.34 mm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The PVD apparatus of claim 5, wherein a distance that a top surface of the upper portion of the shield is from the front surface of the backing plate is about 2.92 mm to about 3.17 mm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The PVD apparatus of claim 5, wherein the peripheral sidewall is angled from a lower corner to an upper corner, which extends to the front surface of the backing plate, of the peripheral sidewall, and wherein the angle is about 14 degrees to about 16 degrees. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The PVD apparatus of claim 8, wherein the target has a first diameter that is measured from the upper corner of the peripheral sidewall and is about 448.64 mm and a second diameter that is measured from the lower corner and is about 443.73 mm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The PVD apparatus of claim 1, wherein the backing plate has a thickness of about 12.45 mm to about 12.95 mm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The PVD apparatus of claim 1, wherein the target has one of: a thickness of about 2.925 mm to about 3.425 mm; or a thickness of about 12.45 mm to about 12.95 mm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The PVD apparatus of claim 1, wherein a recess formed in the back surface of the backing plate has a depth of about 2.92 mm to about 3.42 mm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The PVD apparatus of claim 12, wherein the recess formed in the back surface of the backing plate has a diameter of about 469.65 mm to about 470.15 mm. ### Claim 14 A target assembly for use with a physical vapor deposition (PVD) apparatus, comprising: a target made of gold and configured to be supported on a chamber wall via a backing plate coupled to a back surface of the target so that a front surface of the target faces a substrate when the target assembly is coupled to the PVD apparatus, wherein the target has a first diameter that is measured from an upper corner, which extends to a front surface of the backing plate, of a peripheral sidewall of the target and is about 448.64 mm and a second diameter that is measured from a lower corner of the peripheral sidewall and is about 443.73 mm, and wherein, when the target assembly is installed in PVD apparatus, a distance from the upper corner, which meets the front surface of the backing plate, of the peripheral sidewall of the target to an inside corner of an upper portion of a shield of the PVD apparatus is about 2.73 mm to about 3.23 mm. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The target assembly of claim 14, wherein the backing plate is made from at least one of copper, zinc, chromium, or silicon, and wherein the backing plate is coupled to the target via an indium solder bond. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The target assembly of claim 14, wherein the backing plate has a thickness of about 12.45 mm to about 12.95 mm. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The target assembly of claim 14, wherein the target has one of: a thickness of about 2.925 mm to about 3.425 mm; or a thickness of about 12.45 mm to about 12.95 mm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The target assembly of claim 14, wherein a recess formed in a back surface of the backing plate has a depth of about 2.92 mm to about 3.42 mm, and wherein the recess has a diameter of about 469.65 mm to about 470.15 mm. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The target assembly of claim 14, wherein the front surface of the target is texturized with a surface roughness ranging from about 27 microinches to about 37 microinches. ### Claim 20 A method for performing physical vapor deposition on a substrate using a physical vapor deposition (PVD) apparatus, comprising: supporting a target, which is made of gold, on a chamber wall of a chamber of the PVD apparatus via a backing plate coupled to a back surface of the target so that a front surface of the target faces the substrate; maintaining a distance between a back surface of the backing plate and a bottom surface of a plurality of magnets of the PVD apparatus at about 3.95 mm to about 4.45 mm; maintaining a distance between the front surface of the target and a front surface of the substrate at about 60.25 mm to about 60.75 mm; maintaining a distance between an inside corner of an upper portion of a shield and an upper corner, which meets a front surface of the backing plate, of a peripheral sidewall of the target at about 2.73 mm to about 3.23 mm; and a target assembly comprising a target made of gold and supported on the chamber wall via a backing plate coupled to a back surface of the target so that a front surface of the target faces the substrate; and performing PVD on the substrate.