Method and apparatus for uniform high throughput multiple layer films

In a plasma processing system having a first station and a second station and a partition between the first station and the second station, the partition having a transport opening that is permanently open, a method comprising:

• setting first process recipes for the first station specifying initial gas flow rate, a change point, and a subsequent gas flow rate;
• setting second process recipes for the second station specifying second gas flow rate;
• setting an initial estimate for gas leakage from the first station into the second station through the transport opening;
• and
• calculating a gas flow change for the second station using the initial gas flow rate and the subsequent gas flow rate of the first station, and the initial estimate;
• executing plasma processing simultaneously in the first station and the second station according to the first process recipe, the second process recipe and the gas flow change.

In a plasma processing system having a first station and a second station and a partition between the first station and the second station, the partition having a transport opening that is permanently open during processing, a method comprising:

• setting a first process recipes for the first station comprising specification for at least one of, a gas flow rate, a carrier transport speed and position, and a cathode power during a repeatable timed process;
• setting a second process recipe for the second station comprising specification for at least one of, a gas flow rate, a carrier transport speed and position, and a cathode power during a repeatable timed process of equal duration to the repeatable timed process of said first station;
• setting a target of output value for a process parameter measured in said second station;
• measuring said output value for the process parameter measured in said second station;
• and
• iteratively correcting the process parameter until said output value minus said target output value is less than a selected value for every measurement obtained during said repeatable timed process.

A plasma processing system, comprising:

• a vacuum enclosure having a first station, a second station, and a partition between the first station and the second station, the partition having a permanently open transport port;
• a first sputtering source positioned in the first station and having a first gas supply;
• a second sputtering source positioned in the second station and having a second gas supply;
• a transport track transporting substrates among the first and second stations;
• a controller executing plasma processing in the first station and the second station according to preset first station recipe and preset second station recipe, the controller further executing predictive control by changing the preset second station recipe according to gas leakage correction factor.