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US 7,022,209 B2Granted
PVD method and PVD apparatus
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorsWinfried Sabisch, Alfred Kersch, Georg Schulze-Icking, Thomas Witke, Ralf Zedlitz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A PVD method and a PVD apparatus use a rotating magnetic field in order to increase the yield. The magnetic field is provided such that it essentially vanishes, at least in a time average, outside a rotation axis of the magnetic field in sectors of the target region of the PVD apparatus. In this manner the PVD method and the PVD apparatus achieve a uniform coating.
Claims30
A method for physical vapor deposition, the method which comprises:
- providing a target region and a substrate region disposed in a process region;
- providing an electric field between the target region and the substrate region and using the electric field for partially ionizing process gas constituents in the process region, accelerating ionized process gas constituents toward the target region, ejecting target constituents by using process gas constituents and partially depositing ejected target constituents on the substrate region;
- generating a magnetic field substantially vanishing in one of given regions and given sectors of at least one of the target region and the substrate region at least when averaged over time and rotating the magnetic field about a rotation axis;
- generating the magnetic field such that the magnetic field substantially vanishes outside the rotation axis in one of given regions and given sectors of at least one of the target region and the substrate region at least when averaged over time;
- using, as the magnetic field, a combination of at least a first magnetic field component and at least a second magnetic field component such that the first and second magnetic field components are one of directly oppositely polarized or directly oppositely directed with respect to one another but otherwise are substantially identical;
- and
- one of generating or providing the first and second magnetic field components temporally separately with respect to one another.
4 more elements
A PVD apparatus, comprising:
- a target region and a substrate region disposed spatially separated from one another in a process region containing a process gas and with an electric field to be generated between said target region and said substrate region;
- a magnetic field device configured to generate a magnetic field at least at one of said target region and said substrate region such that the magnetic field substantially vanishes in one of given regions and given sectors of at least one of said target region and said substrate region at least when averaged over time and such that the magnetic field rotates about a rotation axis;
- said magnetic field device generating the magnetic field such that the magnetic field substantially vanishes outside the rotation axis in at least one of the given regions and the given sectors of at least one of said target region and said substrate region at least when averaged over time;
- said magnetic field device being a single magnetic device having a body axis;
- and
- said magnetic device being configured to be one of moved or rotated about the body axis of said magnetic device at least between a first position and a second position and said magnetic device being configured to generate, in the first position, substantially a first magnetic field component and, in the second position, substantially a second magnetic field component such that the first and second magnetic field components are one of directly oppositely oriented with respect to one another or directly oppositely polarized with respect to one another.
3 more elements
A PVD apparatus, comprising:
- a target region and a substrate region disposed spatially separated from one another in a process region containing a process gas and with an electric field to be generated between said target region and said substrate region;
- a magnetic field device configured to generate a magnetic field at least at one of said target region and said substrate region such that the magnetic field substantially vanishes in one of given regions and given sectors of at least one of said target region and said substrate region at least when averaged over time and such that the magnetic field rotates about a rotation axis;
- said magnetic field device generating the magnetic field such that the magnetic field substantially vanishes outside the rotation axis in at least one of the given regions and the given sectors of at least one of said target region and said substrate region at least when averaged over time;
- said magnetic field device including at least one first magnetic field device and at least one second magnetic field device;
- and
- said magnetic device being configured to be one of moved or rotated about the body axis of said magnetic device at least between a first position and a second position and said magnetic device being configured to generate, in the first position, substantially a first magnetic field component and, in the second position, substantially a second magnetic field component such that the first and second magnetic field components are one of directly oppositely oriented with respect to one another or directly oppositely polarized with respect to one another.
3 more elements
A PVD apparatus, comprising:
- a target region and a substrate region disposed spatially separated from one another in a process region containing a process gas and with an electric field to be generated between said target region and said substrate region;
- a magnetic field device configured to generate a magnetic field at least at one of said target region or said substrate region such that the magnetic field substantially vanishes in one of given regions or given sectors of at least one of said target region or said substrate region at least when averaged over time and such that the magnetic field rotates about a rotation axis;
- said magnetic field device generating the magnetic field such that the magnetic field substantially vanishes outside the rotation axis in at least one of the given regions or the given sectors of at least one of said target region or said substrate region at least when averaged over time;
- and
- said magnetic field device having a magnetic field shielding device for shielding the magnetic field.
2 more elements
A PVD apparatus, comprising:
- a target region and a substrate region disposed spatially separated from one another in a process region containing a process gas and with an electric field to be generated between said target region and said substrate region;
- a magnetic field device configured to generate a magnetic field at least at one of said target region or said substrate region such that the magnetic field substantially vanishes in one of given regions or given sectors of at least one of said target region or said substrate region at least when averaged over time and such that the magnetic field rotates about a rotation axis;
- said magnetic field device generating the magnetic field such that the magnetic field substantially vanishes outside the rotation axis in at least one of the given regions or the given sectors of at least one of said target region or said substrate region at least when averaged over time;
- said magnetic field device including at least one first magnetic field device and at least one second magnetic field device;
- and
- said first and second magnetic field devices having respective magnetic field shielding devices for shielding one of respective magnetic fields or respective magnetic field components from said target region.
3 more elements
A PVD apparatus, comprising:
- a target region and a substrate region disposed spatially separated from one another in a process region containing a process gas and with an electric field to be generated between said target region and said substrate region;
- a magnetic field device configured to generate a magnetic field at least at one of said target region or said substrate region such that the magnetic field substantially vanishes in one of given regions or given sectors of at least one of said target region or said substrate region at least when averaged over time and such that the magnetic field rotates about a rotation axis;
- said magnetic field device generating the magnetic field such that the magnetic field substantially vanishes outside the rotation axis in at least one of the given regions or the given sectors of at least one of said target region or said substrate region at least when averaged over time;
- said magnetic field device being configured to be displaceable in a direction of the rotation axis of the magnetic field between a first position relatively closer to said target region and a second position relatively more remote from said target region.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.