Methods for addressing inboard-outboard asymmetry in substrate processing

A method for performing ion beam sputter deposition in a deposition chamber, said performing employs a recipe that specifies at least a substrate tilt angle, said chamber having at least a substrate fixture and a sputter target, comprising:

• ascertaining a selected deposition plume by
• depositing material on a plurality of test substrates without substrate rotation using a plurality of different combinations of target angle, ion beam intensity, gas composition, and target material, and
• selecting a test substrate among said plurality of test substrates after said depositing, said selected deposition plume corresponding to a deposition plume employed to deposit on said test substrate;
• determining whether said selected deposition plume is focused toward an top edge or a bottom edge of a substrate if said substrate is positioned on said substrate fixture;
• if said selected deposition plume is focused toward said top edge, tilting said substrate fixture at a negative tilt angle relative to an axis between a center of said sputter target while keeping a magnitude of tilt of said substrate fixture at said substrate tilt angle;
• and
• if said selected deposition plume is focused toward said bottom edge, tilting said substrate fixture at a positive tilt angle relative to an axis between a center of said sputter target while keeping said magnitude of tilt of said substrate fixture at said substrate tilt angle.

A method for performing ion beam sputter deposition in a deposition chamber, said performing employs a recipe that specifies at least a substrate tilt angle, said chamber having at least a substrate fixture and a sputter target, comprising:

• ascertaining a selected deposition plume by
• depositing material on a plurality of test substrates without substrate rotation using a plurality of different target angles, and
• selecting a test substrate among said plurality of test substrates after said depositing, said selected deposition plume corresponding to a deposition plume employed to deposit on said test substrate;
• determining whether said selected deposition plume is focused more toward an top edge or more toward a bottom edge of a substrate if said substrate is positioned on said substrate fixture;
• if said selected deposition plume is focused more toward said top edge than toward said bottom edge, tilting said substrate fixture at a negative tilt angle relative to an axis between a center of said sputter target while keeping a magnitude of tilt of said substrate fixture at said substrate tilt angle;
• and
• if said selected deposition plume is focused more toward said bottom edge than toward said top edge, tilting said substrate fixture at a positive tilt angle relative to an axis between a center of said sputter target while keeping said magnitude of tilt of said substrate fixture at said substrate tilt angle.