Methods for depositing film layers

A method for depositing a film layer on a substrate, comprising:

• flowing argon gas up and around a periphery of the substrate, wherein the argon gas has a flow rate of approximately 10 sccm to approximately 3000 sccm, wherein a surface of the substrate has a plurality of structures with sidewalls, and wherein the substrate has an edge region containing edge structures near the periphery of the substrate;
• forming a plasma in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process to ionize the argon gas that is flowing during deposition to form Ar+ ion flux to induce sputtering of aluminum to generate aluminum atoms for deposition on the substrate;
• generating an AC bias on the substrate to increase Ar+ ion flux density at the edge region of the substrate to alter aluminum atom trajectories striking the edge region to increase sidewall coverage symmetry of outward sidewalls of the edge structures, wherein the AC bias is approximately 100 watts to approximately 3000 watts;
• and
• heating the substrate to increase mobility of the aluminum atoms deposited on the edge structures and to increase deposition coverage, wherein a temperature of the substrate is approximately 150 degrees Celsius to approximately 500 degrees Celsius.

A non-transitory, computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a method for depositing a film layer on a substrate, the method comprising:

• flowing argon gas up and around a periphery of the substrate, wherein the argon gas has a flow rate of approximately 10 sccm to approximately 3000 sccm, wherein a surface of the substrate has a plurality of structures with sidewalls, and wherein the substrate has an edge region containing edge structures near the periphery of the substrate;
• forming a plasma in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process to ionize the argon gas that is flowing during deposition to form Ar+ ion flux to induce sputtering of aluminum to generate aluminum atoms for deposition on the substrate;
• generating an AC bias on the substrate to increase Ar+ ion flux density at the edge region of the substrate to alter aluminum atom trajectories striking the edge region to increase sidewall coverage symmetry of outward sidewalls of the edge structures, wherein the AC bias is approximately 100 watts to approximately 3000 watts;
• and
• heating the substrate to increase mobility of the aluminum atoms deposited on the edge structures and to increase deposition coverage, wherein a temperature of the substrate is approximately 150 degrees Celsius to approximately 500 degrees Celsius.