US 11,380,530 B2Granted

Reactive sputtering with HIPIMS

AssigneeEvatec AG

InventorsJuergen Weichart, Stanislav Kadlec, Mohamed Elghazzali

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for sputter depositing an insulation layer onto a surface of a cavity formed in a substrate and having a high aspect ratio. A target formed from a material to be included in the insulation layer and the substrate are provided in a substantially enclosed chamber defined by a housing. A plasma is ignited within the substantially enclosed chamber and a magnetic field is provided adjacent to a surface of the target to contain the plasma adjacent to the surface of the target. A voltage is rapidly increased to repeatedly establish high-power electric pulses between a cathode and an anode. An average power of the electric pulses is at least 0.1 kW, and can be much greater. An operational parameter of the sputter deposition is controlled to promote sputter depositing of the insulation layer in a transition mode between a metallic mode and a reactive mode.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A sputtering apparatus for sputter depositing an insulation layer onto a surface of a cavity formed in a substrate and having a high aspect ratio, the apparatus comprising:

a housing defining a substantially enclosed chamber;
a pedestal to be exposed to an interior of said chamber for supporting the substrate at an appropriate position within said chamber during sputter depositing;
a magnet assembly for providing a magnetic field adjacent to a surface of a target formed at least in part from a material to be included in the insulation layer to be deposited onto the surfaces of the cavity;
a power supply for establishing high-power electric pulses with a rapid voltage increase in a plasma to be maintained within the magnetic field between a cathode and an anode, wherein an average power of the electric pulses is at least 0.1 kW;
and
a controller for controlling an operational parameter of the sputtering apparatus to conduct the sputter depositing of the insulation layer substantially in a transition mode between a metallic mode and a reactive mode,
wherein the sputtering apparatus is configured to determine an average discharge current of the high-power electric pulses and to adjust an energy per pulse by adjusting a duration of the high-power electric pulses in dependency of said average discharge current.

4 more elements

A method of sputter depositing an insulation layer onto a surface of a cavity formed in a substrate and having a high aspect ratio, the method comprising:

providing a target formed at least in part from a material to be included in the insulation layer and the substrate in a substantially enclosed chamber defined by a housing;
igniting a plasma within the substantially enclosed chamber;
providing a magnetic field adjacent to a surface of the target to at least partially contain the plasma adjacent to the surface of the target;
rapidly increasing a voltage to repeatedly establish high-power electric pulses between a cathode and an anode, wherein an average power of the electric pulses is at least 0.1 kW;
controlling an operational parameter to promote the sputter depositing of the insulation layer substantially in a transition mode between a metallic mode and a reactive mode;
and
reacting the material from the target with a reactive gas within the substantially enclosed chamber to form an insulating material and depositing the insulating material onto the surface of the cavity,
determining an average discharge current of the high-power electric pulses, and
adjusting an energy per pulse by adjusting a duration of the high-power electric pulses in dependency of said average discharge current.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/000,846Filed 24 Aug 2020 · continuation
Priority: 7 Dec 2007
Published: US 2020/0388474 A110 Dec 2020
Granted: 5 Jul 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H01J 37/3408
Magnetron sputtering: planar magnetron sputtering
C23C 14/0036
Reactive sputtering or evaporation: reactive sputtering
C23C 14/0094
Reactive sputtering: in transition mode
C23C 14/046
Coating on selected surface areas, e.g. using masks: coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates

Family

Application61/012,103Us provisional application · filed 7 Dec 2007
Application12/329,064Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Dec 2008
US 2020/0388474 A1Pre-grant publication · published 10 Dec 2020
US 10,784,092 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2009/0173622 A1Published application
US 11,380,530 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.