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US 11,688,591 B2Granted
Physical vapor deposition apparatus and method thereof
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsChia-Hsi Wang, Kun-Che Ho, Yen-Yu Chen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A an apparatus includes a processing chamber configured to house a workpiece, a target holder in the processing chamber, a first magnetic element positioned over a backside of the target holder, a first arm assembly connected to the first magnetic element, a rotational shaft, and a first hinge mechanism connecting the rotational shaft and the first arm assembly.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a processing chamber configured to house a workpiece;
- a target holder in the processing chamber;
- a first magnetic element over a backside of the target holder;
- a first arm assembly connected to the first magnetic element;
- a rotational shaft;
- and
- a first hinge mechanism connecting the rotational shaft and the first arm assembly, wherein the first arm assembly comprises a first prong and a second prong at opposite sides of the first hinge mechanism;
- and
- a controller programmed to control motion of the first arm assembly in such a way that the first prong revolves in an orbit motion path about the first hinge mechanism while the second prong remains stationary.
6 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a wafer pedestal;
- a sputter target holder above the wafer pedestal;
- a first hinge above the sputter target holder;
- a first rotatable arm above the sputter target holder, wherein the first rotatable arm is rotatable in a horizontal plane and comprises a first prong and a second prong at opposite sides of the first hinge, wherein the first prong is revolvable in an orbit motion path about the first hinge to lift an entirety of the first prong away from the sputter target holder;
- a first magnetic element on a distal end of the first prong farthest from the first hinge;
- and
- a controller programmed to control motion of the first rotatable arm in such a way that the first prong revolves in the orbit motion path about the first hinge while the second prong remains stationary.
4 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a wafer pedestal;
- a sputter target holder above the wafer pedestal;
- a first hinge and a second hinge above the sputter target holder;
- a first rotatable arm comprising a first prong and a second prong extending from opposite sides of the first hinge along opposite directions;
- a second rotatable arm comprising a third prong and a fourth prong extending from opposite sides of the second hinge along opposite directions;
- a first magnetic element on the first prong of the first rotatable arm;
- a second magnetic element on the third prong of the second rotatable arm, wherein the second magnetic element is magnetically weaker than the first magnetic element;
- and
- a controller programmed to control motion of the first rotatable arm in such a way that the first prong revolves in an orbit motion path about the first hinge while the second prong remains stationary.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.