Apparatus for vacuum sputter deposition and method therefor
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsDaniel SEVERIN, Thomas GEBELE, Thomas LEIPNITZ
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A apparatus for vacuum sputter deposition is described. The apparatus includes, a vacuum chamber; three or more sputter cathodes within the vacuum chamber for sputtering material on a substrate; a gas distribution system for providing a processing gas including H2 to the vacuum chamber; a vacuum system for providing a vacuum inside the vacuum chamber; and a safety arrangement for reducing the risk of an oxy-hydrogen explosion, wherein the safety arrangement comprises a dilution gas feeding unit connected to the vacuum system for dilution of the H2-content of the processing gas.
Claims20
Apparatus for vacuum sputter deposition, comprising:
- a vacuum chamber;
- three or more sputter cathodes within the vacuum chamber for sputtering material on a substrate;
- a gas distribution system for providing a processing gas including H2 to the vacuum chamber;
- a vacuum system for providing a vacuum inside the vacuum chamber;
- and
- a safety arrangement for reducing the risk of an oxy-hydrogen explosion, wherein the safety arrangement comprises a dilution gas feeding unit connected to the vacuum system for dilution of the H2-content of the processing gas.
Method for reducing the risk of an oxy-hydrogen explosion in a vacuum deposition apparatus, wherein during vacuum deposition a processing gas with an H2-content of at least 2.2% is employed, the method comprising:
- feeding a dilution gas to a vacuum system of the vacuum deposition apparatus;
- and
- diluting the H2-content in the vacuum system with a dilution ratio of H2/dilution gas of at least 1/5.
Method of manufacturing at least one layer, comprising:
- sputtering a layer from a sputter material containing cathode onto to a substrate in a processing gas atmosphere within a vacuum chamber, wherein the substrate is at rest during sputtering, wherein the processing gas comprises H2 with a content of H2 from 2.2% to 30.0%;
- and
- conducting a method for reducing the risk of an oxy-hydrogen explosion in a vacuum deposition apparatus,
- wherein during vacuum deposition a processing gas with an H2-content of at least 2.2% is employed, the method for reducing the risk of an oxy-hydrogen explosion comprising:
- feeding a dilution gas to a vacuum system of the vacuum deposition apparatus, and
- diluting the H2-content in the vacuum system with a dilution ratio of H2/dilution gas of at least 1/5.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.