Oscillating magnet in sputtering system
AssigneeTango Systems, Inc.
InventorsRavi Mullapudi, Dean Smith, Srikanth Dasaradhi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A processing system is described for depositing materials on multiple workpieces (wafers, display panels, or any other workpieces) at a time in a vacuum chamber. Multiple targets, of the same or different materials, may concurrently deposit material on the wafers as the pallet is rotating. Multiple magnets (one for each target) in the magnetron assembly in the sputtering chamber oscillate back and forth across an arc over their respective targets for uniform target erosion and uniform deposition on the wafers.
Claims21
A sputtering device comprising:
- a chamber having at least one workpiece support area for receiving a workpiece, the chamber having walls, the chamber being sealable to create a low pressure environment in the chamber while sputtering materials on the workpiece;
- a target positioned within the chamber, a front side of the target being directed into the chamber for sputtering material from the target onto the workpiece, the target being located in a first plane;
- a magnet opposing a back side of the target, the magnet being located in a second plane;
- and
- an actuator connected to the magnet for scanning the magnet back and forth in an arc in only the second plane over the target during a sputtering operation, the actuator being connected to repeatedly scan the magnet through a first arc across the back side of the target then reverse a direction of the magnet back along the first arc, the first arc being less than 90 degrees.
A method for sputtering material onto a workpiece located in a chamber, the chamber having walls, the chamber containing a target located in a first plane, a front side of the target being directed into the chamber for sputtering material from the target onto the workpiece, wherein a magnet located in a second plane opposes a back side of the target, the method comprising:
- scanning the magnet, opposing the back side of the target, back and forth in an arc in only the second plane over the target during a sputtering operation, the magnet repeatedly scanning through a first arc across the back side of the target then reversing a direction back along the first arc, the first arc being less than 90 degrees.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.