Method and apparatus for ionized plasma deposition

A plasma enhanced physical vapor deposition system, comprising:

• a vacuum chamber housing;
• a sputtering target disposed on one end of the chamber housing;
• a substrate support member disposed in the chamber housing;
• an argon gas inlet proximate the sputtering target;
• and
• a nitrogen gas inlet proximate the substrate support member.

A method of enhancing the deposition of metallic film layers on a substrate within a vacuum chamber having a sputtering target and substrate support member therein, comprising the steps of:

• substantially evacuating the vacuum chamber;
• in a gas stabilization step, introducing a first gas at a predetermined pressure into the vacuum chamber proximate a sputtering target;
• following the gas stabilization step, initiating a plasma within the chamber via a power ramp step;
• and
• following the power ramp step, in a metallic deposition step, introducing a second gas into the chamber with the plasma already initiated and applying coil and wafer bias to initiate sputtering.

A method of enhancing the deposition of metallic film layers on a substrate within a vacuum chamber having a sputtering target and substrate support member therein, comprising the steps of:

• substantially evacuating the vacuum chamber;
• in a gas stabilization step, introducing a first gas mixture at a predetermined pressure into the vacuum chamber proximate a sputtering target;
• following the gas stabilization step, in a power ramp step, initiating a plasma within the chamber;
• and following the power ramp step, in a metallic deposition step, introducing a second gas into the chamber with the plasma already initiated and applying coil and wafer bias to initiate sputtering.

A program product, which when read and executed by a computer, comprises the steps of:

• substantially evacuating the vacuum chamber;
• in a gas stabilization step, introducing a first gas at a pre-determined pressure into the vacuum chamber proximate a sputtering target;
• following the gas stabilization step, initiating a plasma within the chamber via a power ramp step;
• and
• following the power ramp step, in a metallic deposition step, introducing a second gas into the chamber with the plasma already initiated and applying coil and wafer bias to initiate sputtering.

A program product, which when read and executed by a computer, comprises the steps of:

• substantially evacuating the vacuum chamber;
• in a gas stabilization step, introducing a first gas mixture at a predetermined pressure into the vacuum chamber proximate a sputtering target;
• following the gas stabilization step, in a power ramp step, initiating a plasma within the chamber;
• and
• following the power ramp step, in a metallic deposition step, introducing a second gas into the chamber with the plasma already initiated and applying coil and wafer bias to initiate sputtering.