# US 2019/0169738 A1 · Sputtering method

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- Number: US 2019/0169738 A1
- Document ID: US20190169738A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/205,166
- Filed: 2018-11-29
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-05
- Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: TAKAFUMI OKUMA; DAISUKE SUETSUGU; TAKAHIDE HIRASAKI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190169738A1

## CPC

- C23C 14/3485: {using pulsed power to the target}
- C23C 14/0036: {Reactive sputtering}
- C23C 14/0641: {Nitrides (C23C14/0617 takes precedence)}
- C23C 14/0652: {Silicon nitride}
- H10P 14/412: {Deposition of metallic or metal-silicide materials}
- H10P 14/44: Physical vapour deposition [PVD]
- H10P 14/6329: {using physical ablation of a target, e.g. physical vapour deposition or pulsed laser deposition}
- H10P 14/6939: {characterised by the metal}
- H10P 14/69391: {the material containing aluminium, e.g. Al2O3}
- H10P 14/69393: {the material containing tantalum, e.g. Ta2O5}
- H10P 14/69394: {the material containing titanium, e.g. TiO2}
- H10P 14/69433: {the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz}
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

To provide a sputtering method as a reactive sputtering method of forming a thin film by allowing a target material to react with a gas, in which film deposition conditions are narrowed down from an existing period of nitrogen radicals by focusing on a nitriding process in thin-film forming processes when the thin film is formed by pulsing a waveform of electric current from a DC power supply at the time of generating plasma and applying the electric current to the target material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sputtering method of an amorphous nitride thin film as a reactive sputtering method of forming a thin film by allowing a target material to react with a gas, comprising:
pulsing a waveform of electric current from a DC power supply at the time of generating plasma; and
applying the pulsed electric current to the target material,
wherein a pulse frequency of the waveform of the pulsed electric current is 10 kHz or more to 50 kHz of less, a ratio of a period in which a voltage is applied in one pulse period is 0.1% or more to 30% or less, a period in which the pulse is not applied is 15 microseconds or more and a sputtering pressure is 0.1 Pa or more to 0.3 Pa or less.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sputtering method of the amorphous nitride thin film according to claim 1,
wherein the pulse frequency is 20 kHz or more to 50 kHz or less.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The sputtering method of the amorphous nitride thin film according to claim 1,
wherein the ratio of the period in which the voltage is applied in one pulse period is 20% or more to 30% or less.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The sputtering method of the amorphous nitride thin film according to claim 1,
wherein the period in which the pulse is not applied is 15 microseconds or more to 45 microseconds or less.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The sputtering method of the amorphous nitride thin film according to claim 1,
wherein the amorphous nitride thin film is made of silicon nitride and the target material is silicon.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The sputtering method of the amorphous nitride thin film according to claim 1,
wherein the target material contains a material of at least one kind of tantalum, niobium, chromium, aluminum and titanium.