Sputter apparatus, control device for sputter apparatus and film formation method

A control device of a sputter apparatus to generate plasma by applying a predetermined voltage to a target holder and to thereby form a film by sputtering a target held by the target holder, the sputter apparatus including:

• a process chamber;
• a substrate holder provided inside the process chamber, having a substrate holding surface for holding a substrate, and configured to be capable of rotating the substrate holding surface about a predetermined rotation axis;
• rotational drive means for controlling rotation of the substrate holder;
• substrate rotation angle detection means for detecting a rotation angle of the substrate holder;
• a target holder provided inside the process chamber and configured to be capable of holding the target, the target holder provided so that the rotation axis is located at a position different from a perpendicular line passing through the center point of the target;
• and
• a shutter configured to switch between a first state where the substrate holding surface is exposed to the target holder, and a second state where the substrate holding surface is shut off from the target holder,
• wherein the control device is configured to control the sputter apparatus so that the sputter apparatus performs X (X is an integer of 2 or larger) divisional depositions to complete a targeted deposition, provided that T seconds denotes a deposition time required to form a film thickness to be obtained in the targeted deposition, and
• wherein the control device includes a storage unit which stores a control program, the control program executing the steps of:
• controlling the rotational drive means so that the substrate holder is rotated at a fixed rotation speed;
• controlling the shutter so that the first state is formed to start a first deposition of the divisional depositions while the substrate holder is being rotated at the rotation speed under a condition where the plasma is being generated;
• controlling the shutter so that the second state is formed in T/X seconds after the start of the first divisional deposition, while the substrate holder is being rotated at the rotation speed under the condition where the plasma is being generated;
• controlling the shutter so that the first state is formed to start an n-th deposition of the divisional depositions when a reference point set on the substrate holder arrives at a position rotated by (n−1)×360/X degrees (n is an integer of 2 to X) from a position of the reference point located at the start of the targeted deposition, on the basis of a detection result obtained by the substrate rotation angle detection means, while the substrate holder is being rotated at the rotation speed under the condition where the plasma is being generated;
• and
• controlling the shutter so that the second state is formed in T/X seconds after the start of the n-th divisional deposition, while the substrate holder is being rotated at the rotation speed under a condition where the plasma is being generated.

A sputter apparatus to generate plasma by applying a predetermined voltage to a target holder and to thereby form a film by sputtering a target held by the target holder comprising:

• a process chamber;
• a substrate holder provided inside the process chamber, having a substrate holding surface for holding a substrate, and configured to be capable of rotating the substrate holding surface about a predetermined rotation axis;
• rotational drive means for controlling rotation of the substrate holder;
• substrate rotation angle detection means for detecting a rotation angle of the substrate holder;
• a target holder provided inside the process chamber and configured to be capable of holding the target, the target holder provided so that the rotation axis is located at a position different from a perpendicular line passing through the center point of the target;
• a shutter configured to switch between a first state where the substrate holding surface is exposed to the target holder, and a second state where the substrate holding surface is shut off from the target holder;
• and
• control means for controlling the rotational drive means and the shutter, the control means being provided with a storage unit,
• wherein, provided that T seconds denotes a deposition time required to form a film thickness to be obtained in a targeted deposition, the sputter apparatus is configured to be capable of performing X (X is an integer of 2 or larger) divisional depositions to complete the targeted deposition, and
• wherein the storage unit of the control means stores a control program, the control program executing the steps of:
• rotating the substrate holder at a fixed rotation speed;
• and
• performing the targeted deposition by carrying out X (X is an integer of 2 or larger) divisional depositions while rotating the substrate holder at the rotation speed, each of the divisional depositions including performing a deposition for T/X seconds,
• wherein the step of performing the targeted deposition includes the steps of:
• starting a first deposition of the divisional depositions while rotating the substrate holder at the rotation speed;
• terminating the first divisional deposition in T/X seconds after the start of the first divisional deposition while rotating the substrate holder at the rotation speed;
• starting an n-th deposition of the divisional depositions when a reference point set on the substrate holder arrives at a position rotated by (n−1)×360/X degrees (n is an integer of 2 to X) from a position of the reference point located at the start of the targeted deposition, while rotating the substrate holder at the rotation speed;
• and
• terminating the n-th divisional deposition in T/X seconds after the start of the n-th divisional deposition while rotating the substrate holder at the rotation speed.

A sputter apparatus to generate plasma by applying a predetermined voltage to a target holder and to thereby form a film by sputtering a target held by the target holder comprising:

• a process chamber;
• a substrate holder provided inside the process chamber, having a substrate holding surface for holding a substrate, and configured to be capable of rotating the substrate holding surface about a predetermined rotation axis;
• rotational drive means for controlling rotation of the substrate holder;
• substrate rotation angle detection means for detecting a rotation angle of the substrate holder;
• a target holder provided inside the process chamber and configured to be capable of holding the target, the target holder provided so that the rotation axis is located at a position different from a perpendicular line passing through the center point of the target;
• a shutter configured to switch between a first state where the substrate holding surface is exposed to the target holder, and a second state where the substrate holding surface is shut off from the target holder;
• and
• control means for controlling the rotational drive means and the shutter, the control means being provided with a storage unit, a RAM for temporarily storing therein data under a processing operation in a CPU or input data, and a non-volatile memory for storing the number of X as a X value,
• wherein, provided that T seconds denotes a deposition time required to form a film thickness to be obtained in a targeted deposition, the sputter apparatus is configured to be capable of performing X (X is an integer of 2 or larger) divisional depositions to complete the targeted deposition, and
• wherein the storage unit of the control means stores a control program, the control program executing the steps of:
• a first step of storing a deposition rate and a targeted film thickness in the RAM;
• a second step of reading the deposition rate and the targeted film thickness stored in the RAM in the first step, calculating the deposition time T of the targeted deposition based on the read deposition rate and targeted film thickness, and storing the deposition time T in the RAM;
• a third step of reading the X value from the non-volatile memory, reading the deposition time T calculated in the second step from the RAM, calculating T/X, and storing the thus calculated T/X in the RAM, the T/X being equivalent to a deposition time for each of the divisional depositions;
• a fourth step of controlling the rotational drive means so that the substrate holder is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed;
• a fifth step of controlling a power supply for supplying a voltage to the target holder so that the power supply supplies a predetermined voltage to the target holder, thereby causing a first divisional deposition of the divisional depositions to start;
• a sixth step of controlling the power supply so that the power supply stops supplying the predetermined voltage to the target holder upon lapse of T/X seconds after the start of the first divisional deposition started in the fifth step;
• a seventh step of causing an n-th divisional deposition of the divisional depositions to start by controlling the power supply so that the power supply supplies a predetermined voltage to the target holder, when a rotation angle θ of a reference point set on the substrate or on the substrate holder from a position as a start position of the targeted deposition becomes (n−1)×360/X degrees, based on rotation information received from the substrate rotation angle detection means;
• an eighth step of reading the T/X from the RAM, and controlling the power supply so that the power supply stops supplying the predetermined voltage to the target holder upon lapse of just T/X seconds after the start of the n-th divisional deposition in the seventh step;
• a ninth step of judging whether or not the X divisional depositions have been performed in reference to a count value associated with the number of divisional depositions and stored in the RAM;
• and
• a tenth step of controlling the rotational drive means so that the rotation of the substrate holder being rotated in the fourth to ninth steps is stopped to terminate forming the film, if it is judged in the ninth step that the X divisional depositions have been already performed.