Adjustable shadow mask for improving uniformity of film deposition using multiple monitoring points along radius of substrate

A deposition system for adjusting radial deposition rates of a film to produce a radially-uniform film thickness comprising:

• an ion beam generator for generating an ion beam;
• a target that receives the ion beam and generates a target beam;
• a substrate being rotated through the target beam, the substrate being only partially covered by the target beam;
• an optical-beam generator for generating optical beams that are altered by a film being deposited on a surface of the substrate;
• an optical detector for measuring the optical beams to determine transmittance of the film at several different radial locations on the substrate;
• a shadow mask with finger plates that partially block the target beam, the finger plates being adjustable during deposition to decrease or increase deposition rates at several annular regions with different radii of the substrate;
• a computer, coupled to the optical detector and coupled to control the finger plates, for adjusting positions of the finger plates during deposition of the film to produce a more radially-uniform thickness of the film on the substrate;
• and
• a motor, activated by the computer, for moving a finger plate relative to other finger plates in the shadow mask,
• whereby radial deposition rates are adjusted to produce a more radially-uniform thickness of the film.

A film depositor comprising:

• substrate rotation means for holding a substrate and for rotating the substrate during deposition of a film on a surface of the substrate;
• sputter means for sputtering a target to generate a target beam of material to be deposited on the substrate to form the film;
• modulate means, situated to partially block the target beam before reaching the substrate, for modulating film deposition rates of radial bands of the substrate wherein a film deposition rate for at least one of the radial bands is modulated in comparison to film deposition rates for other radial bands;
• mask means, in the modulate means, for blocking a portion of the target beam, the mask means comprising a plurality of radial-mask means for partially blocking a portion of the target beam for at least one of the radial bands
• measure means for measuring a transmittance of the film in the radial bands of the substrate;
• feedback modulation means, coupled to the measure means and to the modulate means, for modulating film deposition rates of the radial bands in response to transmittance measurements of the radial bands of the substrate;
• and
• movement-generating means, coupled to the modulate means and activated by the feedback modulation means, for moving a radial-mask means in the plurality of radial-mask means to adjust blockage of the target beam,
• whereby film deposition rates at radial bands of the substrate are modulated in response to transmittance measurements of the film in the radial bands.