KR102047022B1 - Cathode sputtering mode - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for depositing a material is provided. The method includes sputtering material from a cathode array, wherein only one of the two adjacent cathodes of the cathode array is operated to have one or more time intervals, and only one cathode of the adjacent cathodes Sputtering is performed on the same substrate.

Description

Cathode sputtering mode {CATHODE SPUTTERING MODE}

Embodiments described herein relate to layer deposition by sputtering from a target. In particular, the present disclosure relates to sputtering for large area substrates, and more particularly, to sputtering for static deposition processes. Embodiments relate, in particular, to an apparatus and method for depositing a layer of material on a substrate.

Several methods are known for depositing material on a substrate. For example, the substrates may be coated by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, or the like. The process is performed in a process chamber or process apparatus in which the substrate to be coated is located. Deposition material is provided to the device. Oxides, nitrides, or carbides of such materials as well as a plurality of materials can be used for deposition on a substrate. Coated substrates can be used in many applications and in various technical fields. For example, substrates for displays are usually coated by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process.

To generate a plasma in a PVD process, the power supply generates a potential between one or more anodes and a cathode located in a plasma chamber containing the process gases forming the plasma. When using these processes for deposition, the plasma operates on the material of a target (also referred to as a sputtering source) located in the plasma chamber, which generally includes the cathode surface. Plasma ions are accelerated toward the target, causing the target material to be dislodged from the cathode surface upon impact. The removed target material is then deposited on the substrate to form a film (eg, a thin film). The film may be composed of a material sputtered by plasma from the target surface in the case of non-reactive sputtering. Alternatively, the film may be the result of a reaction between the target material and any other element included in the plasma or process gases in the case of reactive sputtering.

The sputter material, ie, the material to be deposited on the substrate, can be arranged in various ways. For example, the target may be made of the material to be deposited or may have a backing element, wherein the material to be deposited is fixed on the backing element. The target containing the material to be deposited is fixed or supported in a predefined position in the deposition chamber. If a rotatable target is used, the target is connected to a rotating shaft or to a connecting element connecting the shaft and the target.

Sputtering may be performed as magnetron sputtering, and the magnet assembly is utilized to confine the plasma for improved sputtering conditions. Plasma confinement can also be utilized to adjust the distribution on the substrate of the material to be deposited. Plasma distribution, plasma properties, and other deposition parameters need to be controlled to obtain a predetermined layer deposition on the substrate. This is particularly beneficial for large area deposition, such as for making displays on large area substrates. In addition, uniformity and process stability can be difficult to achieve, particularly in the case of static deposition processes where the substrate is not continuously moved through the deposition zone.

Thus, there is a need for improved PVD deposition, particularly for large area substrates.

In view of the above, there is provided an apparatus and method for depositing a layer of material on a substrate according to independent claims 1 and 10. Further aspects, advantages, and features of embodiments of the disclosure are apparent from the dependent claims, the description, and the accompanying drawings.

According to one aspect, a method for deposition of a material is provided. The method includes sputtering material from a cathode array, wherein adjacent cathodes of the cathode array are operated to have one or more time intervals, with only one cathode of the adjacent cathodes being one or more times. Sputtering on the same substrate during the intervals.

According to another aspect, a method for deposition of a material is provided. The method includes sputtering material from a first group of cathodes and sputtering material from a second group of cathodes, wherein the first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes are each two or more cathodes. Wherein the first cathode of the first group of cathodes is adjacent to the first cathode of the second group of cathodes, the second cathode of the first group of cathodes is adjacent to the second cathode of the second group of cathodes, The first group of cathodes is active for one or more time intervals where the second group of cathodes is inactive.

According to another aspect, a method for deposition of material on a substrate is provided. The method includes sputtering material from a first group of cathodes and sputtering material from a second group of cathodes, wherein the first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes are each two or more cathodes. Wherein the first cathode of the first group of cathodes is adjacent to the first cathode of the second group of cathodes, the second cathode of the first group of cathodes is adjacent to the second cathode of the second group of cathodes, The first group of cathodes sputters the material in the first direction during one or more time intervals where the second group of cathodes sputters the material in the second direction.

According to another aspect, a method for deposition of material on a substrate is provided. The method includes sputtering material from a first group of cathodes and sputtering material from a second group of cathodes, while the second group of cathodes is inactive while the first group of cathodes is active The magnet arrangement of the second group of cathodes is oriented in a first direction when the first group of cathodes is active and is oriented in a first direction, and the magnet arrangement of the second group of cathodes when the second group of cathodes is inactive The second group of fields is oriented in a second direction different from the first direction.

[0012] A method for the deposition of material on a substrate is provided. The method includes sputtering on a first substrate using at least two first cathodes in a first cathode sputter time interval sequence; And sputtering on the first substrate using at least one second cathode between the two first cathodes in a second cathode sputter time interval sequence that is different from the first cathode sputter time interval sequence.

According to another aspect, an apparatus for deposition of material is provided. The apparatus includes a process chamber and a cathode array. The cathode array has a first group of cathodes and a second group of cathodes, each comprising one or more cathodes. Adjacent cathodes of the cathode array are configured to be operated with one or more time intervals, and only one cathode of the adjacent cathodes sputters on the same substrate during one or more time intervals.

According to another aspect, an apparatus for deposition of material on a substrate is provided. The apparatus includes a process chamber and a cathode array. The cathode array has a first group of cathodes and a second group of cathodes, each comprising one or more cathodes. The first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes operate in an alternating cathode sputtering mode such that the second group of cathodes is inactive while the first group of cathodes is active.

According to another aspect, an apparatus for the deposition of material on a substrate is provided. The apparatus includes a process chamber and a cathode array. The cathode array has a first group of cathodes and a second group of cathodes, each comprising one or more cathodes. The first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes operate in an alternate cathode sputtering mode such that the second group of cathodes sputter material in the second direction while the first group of cathodes sputter material in the first direction. do.

In a manner in which the above-listed features of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be understood in detail, a more specific description of the embodiments, briefly summarized above, may be made with reference to the embodiments described herein. The accompanying drawings are directed to embodiments of the present disclosure and are described below.
1 shows a top view of a cathode array configuration, according to the state of the art;
2A shows a top view of an apparatus for processing a substrate using alternating cathode sputtering, in accordance with embodiments described herein;
2B shows a top view of an apparatus coupled to a power supply for processing a substrate using alternating cathode sputtering, in accordance with embodiments described herein;
3A shows a top view of a cathode array configuration operating in an alternating cathode sputtering mode, in accordance with embodiments described herein;
3B shows a top view of an alternative cathode array configuration operating with alternating cathode sputtering, in accordance with embodiments described herein;
4 shows a top view of an apparatus for simultaneously processing two substrates using alternating cathode sputtering, in accordance with embodiments described herein;
FIG. 5 shows a top view of a cathode array configuration used in the apparatus of FIG. 4, operating in an alternating cathode sputtering mode, in accordance with embodiments described herein; FIG.
6 shows a graph illustrating an example of DC power generated by a DC power supply for a cathode array of a process chamber, in accordance with embodiments described herein;
7A shows a box illustrating a method for static deposition of material on a substrate, in accordance with embodiments described herein; And
7B shows a flow diagram illustrating a method for static deposition of material on a substrate, in accordance with embodiments described herein.

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present disclosure, with examples of one or more of the various embodiments illustrated in the drawings. Within the following description of the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like components. In general, only differences to individual embodiments are described. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the embodiments of the present disclosure and is not meant as a limitation of the embodiments. Also, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used with or for other embodiments to yield a further embodiment. The detailed description is intended to include such modifications and variations.

In static large area deposition processes (eg, PVD), an array of deposition sources that operate in parallel are typically used. One example for such a deposition system is a pivot deposition tool that uses an array of vertically aligned rotary cathodes to uniformly coat large area substrates. In such applications, layer deposition is accomplished by magnetron sputtering in which a magnet assembly is installed inside each of the targets. The magnet assembly helps to create a plasma racetrack on the rotating target to locally strengthen the corrosion of the target.

Typically all cathodes of such an array operate synchronously in close proximity to each other to deposit layers on substrates. Depending on process conditions (eg, power, pressure, process gas composition, magnet assembly design), the plasma may be more or less localized near the target surface of the different cathodes, growing on the target and substrate. It can cause different influences of plasma intensity and / or interaction between layers. These different intensities can affect some of the layer properties, such as film morphology and film stress.

In order to improve layer growth, for example, to improve the interaction and / or impact of a sputtering plasma with a growth layer on a substrate, embodiments of the present disclosure replace a conventional synchronous deposition mode with an alternate deposition mode. Replace. Alternating deposition mode is particularly beneficial for deposition processes in which the substrate is in a static position. As used herein, the term "alternative deposition mode" is used synonymously with "alternative cathode sputtering mode."

In an alternating cathode sputtering mode, the deposition process may be divided into two phases: power may be applied to the every second cathode during the first phase, while other cathodes It may be in an off state. In the second phase, power may be applied to the cathodes that were off during the first phase, while cathodes that were sputtering during the first phase may now be off. Thus, there are one or more time intervals, adjacent cathodes do not sputter for the same substrate during one or more time intervals, and / or only one cathode of adjacent cathodes is one or more Sputters on the same substrate for time intervals of.

According to the embodiments, the local plasma conditions are such that every third cathode, every fourth cathode, every fifth cathode, or any additional non-adjacent-all cathode can be cathodes that operate. It can be changed by an alternating cathode sputtering mode to be switched on at the same time and / or to sputter the material in the first direction at the same time. Likewise, two cathodes, three cathodes, four cathodes or more additional cathodes between the operating cathodes can be switched off simultaneously and / or sputtered material in the second direction at the same time.

For static large area deposition processes, it is synchronous to run an array of cathodes at nearly the same process parameters to provide a uniform distribution of film thickness, sheet resistance and other properties at high throughput. It's a common way. 1 shows a deposition apparatus 100 having a cavity cathode array 105 and a substrate 120. The cathode array includes one or more individual cathodes 110. Each individual cathode has a target and magnet assembly (not shown) of the material to be deposited on the substrate. The magnet assembly is utilized to create a plasma region 115 on the cathode to locally enhance corrosion of the target.

The cathode array 105 of FIG. 1 operates in synchronous deposition mode. Thus, the plasma region 115 of the individual cathodes 110 represents a certain amount of interaction with the plasma regions of adjacent cathodes of the cathode array, although not fully determined by the properties of the single cathodes. This also affects the plasma interaction between the target and the growth layer on the substrate. As a result, some of the film properties of the growth layer may be affected, such as film morphology and film stress.

Embodiments described herein relate to apparatus and methods for static deposition of material on a substrate, wherein the cathode array operates in an alternating cathode sputtering mode. Alternating cathode sputtering mode reduces the interaction between sputtering plasma regions of adjacent cathodes. Thus, the interaction and / or influence of the sputtering plasma with the growth layer on the substrate can be improved. As a result, embodiments of the present disclosure allow for improvement of layer properties such as film morphology and film stress. Adjacent cathodes as described herein are neighboring cathodes, spaced along the substrate transport direction and provided next to each other.

According to the embodiment described herein, a method for static deposition of material on a substrate is provided. The method includes sputtering material from the cathode array, wherein the cathode array operates in an alternating cathode sputtering mode, such that adjacent cathodes of the cathode array do not have adjacent sputtering plasma regions.

According to further embodiments, a method for static deposition of material on a substrate is provided. The method includes sputtering material from a first group of cathodes and sputtering material from a second group of cathodes, such that the second group of cathodes is inactive while the first group of cathodes is active. The first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes operate in an alternating cathode sputtering mode.

According to another embodiment, a method for static deposition of material on a substrate is provided. The method includes sputtering material from a first group of cathodes and sputtering material from a second group of cathodes, wherein the second group of cathodes while the first group of cathodes sputtering material in the first direction The first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes operate in an alternating cathode sputtering mode to sputter the material in a second direction.

According to yet another embodiment, a method for static deposition of material on a substrate is provided. The method includes sputtering material from a first group of cathodes and sputtering material from a second group of cathodes, such that the second group of cathodes is inactive while the first group of cathodes is active The first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes operate in an alternating cathode sputtering mode, and when the first group of cathodes is active, the first group of magnet arrangements of the first group of cathodes is oriented in a first direction, When the second group of cathodes is in an inactive state, the second group of magnet arrangements of the second group of cathodes is oriented in a second direction different from the first direction.

Referring to FIG. 2A, a deposition apparatus 200 having a process chamber 250, a cathode array 205, and a substrate 120 is shown. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, cathode array 205 may have a first group 220 of cathodes and a second group 230 of cathodes. The first group of cathodes 220 and the second group of cathodes 230 may each have one or more individual cathodes 210, and the cathode array 205 may include adjacent cathodes of the cathode array ( 210 may operate in an alternating cathode sputtering mode such that it may not have adjacent sputtering plasma regions 215. Each individual cathode may have a target and magnet assembly 300 (shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B) of material to be deposited on the substrate 120. The magnet assembly 300 is utilized to create a plasma region 215 on the cathode to locally enhance the corrosion of the target. The term "plasma region" is used herein synonymously with "sputtering plasma region".

Individual cathodes 210 may be in an activated or inactive state. The cathode is active when the material is being sputtered from the cathode. More specifically, the cathode is active when power is applied to the cathode. In contrast, the cathode is inactive when the material is not being sputtered from the cathode. More specifically, the cathode is inactive when no power is applied to the cathode. As used herein, the term "activation" is used synonymously with "switching-on" and the term "deactivation" is used synonymously with "switching-off".

By using an alternating cathode sputtering mode, the interaction between sputtering plasma regions of adjacent cathodes is reduced. Thus, due to the effectively increased distance between the cathodes in the activated state, the interaction and / or influence of the sputtering plasma with the growth layer on the substrate can be improved.

FIG. 2B shows a deposition apparatus 200 having a cathode array 205, anodes 211, and a substrate 120. Cathode array 205 may operate in an alternating cathode sputtering mode. Cathode array 205 may include a first group of cathodes 220 and a second group of cathodes 230. The first group of cathodes 220 and the second group of cathodes 230 may each have one or more separate cathodes 210. Individual cathodes 210 may be connected to different power supplies. As a result, there may be as many power supplies as individual cathodes.

In particular, the first group 220 of cathodes may be connected to the first power supply 225, and the second group 230 of cathodes may be connected to the second power supply 235. The first power supply 225 and the second power supply 235 may be different and may be independent of each other.

In FIG. 2B, a power controller (not shown) may be connected to the power supply. Thus, the individual cathodes 210 can be switched on and / or switched off to provide an alternate cathode sputtering mode. According to further embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the power controller may be connected to the first power supply 225 and to the second power supply 235. Thus, the first group of cathodes 220 may be active, while the second group of cathodes 230 may be inactive.

According to embodiments described herein, the deposition apparatus can further include a controller for switching between the first group of cathodes of the cathode array and the second group of cathodes. According to some embodiments, the controller may be a power controller. According to different embodiments, the controller may be a rotation controller. According to further embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition method may include switching between a first group of cathodes of a cathode array and a second group of cathodes.

According to the embodiments shown in FIG. 2B, the first power supply 225 and the second power supply 235 may be DC power supplies that provide charge in a predetermined direction. According to further embodiments, the first power supply 225 and the second power supply 235 may be an AC, RF, or MF power supply, providing charge in alternating directions.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the cathodes 210 can be operated with a resistance of about 1 MΩ, such that when the cathodes are switched off, There is a slow discharging. Thus, the switched-off cathode may be in a floating state, ie not at a defined potential. The switched-off cathode may not be operated by the power supply and thus may not be involved in plasma generation, which may be performed between adjacent cathodes and the corresponding anode. As a result, the interaction between sputtering plasma regions of adjacent cathodes can be reduced, and the interaction and / or impact of the sputtering plasma with the growth layer on the substrate can be improved.

As illustrated in FIG. 2B, the anodes 211 may be spaced apart from each other and may be adjacent to the individual cathodes 210. In addition, to collect electrons during sputtering, the anodes 211 can be connected to a power supply where the anodes are the same as the adjacent cathode. All anodes 211, and also anodes connected to different power supplies, may be electrically connected to each other. On the other hand, cathodes connected to different power supplies may not be electrically connected to each other. For example, the first group of cathodes 220 and the second group of cathodes 230 may not be electrically connected to each other.

FIG. 3A shows an embodiment of a cathode array 205 operating in an alternating cathode sputtering mode. Cathode array 205 may include a first group of cathodes 220 and a second group of cathodes 230. The first group of cathodes 220 and the second group of cathodes 230 may each have one or more separate cathodes 210. Individual cathodes 210 may be planar cathodes with magnet assembly 300. 3A illustrates planar cathodes that may also be utilized for other embodiments described herein. Alternatively, rotatable cathodes may also be provided for the embodiments described with respect to FIG. 3A. In the case of rotatable cathodes, magnet assemblies may be provided in the backing tube or the target material tube may be provided in the magnet assemblies to construct a rotatable magnet cathode array.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the magnet assemblies 300 of the individual cathodes 210 may have the same rotational positions, that is, all the magnet assemblies 300 of the individual cathodes 210 are It may be pointing in the same direction. More specifically, all magnet assemblies 300 of the individual cathodes 210 may be facing the substrate. In the embodiment of FIG. 3A, the first group of cathodes 220 may be active, while the second group of cathodes 230 is inactive. Similarly, the second group of cathodes may be active, while the first group of cathodes is inactive. As a result, the interaction between sputtering plasma regions of adjacent cathodes can be reduced.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the magnet assemblies 300 of the individual cathodes 210 may have different rotational positions, that is, the magnet assemblies 300 of the different individual cathodes 210 may be It may be pointing in different directions. In the embodiment of FIG. 3B, the first group of magnet assemblies of the first group of cathodes may be oriented in a first direction when the first group of cathodes is active and the cathode when the second group of cathodes is inactive The second group of magnet assemblies of the second group of teeth may be oriented in a second direction different from the first direction. Similarly, the second group of magnet assemblies of the second group of cathodes when the second group of cathodes is active can be oriented in a first direction, and the second group of cathodes when the first group of cathodes are inactive The first group of magnet assemblies may be oriented in a second direction different from the first direction. Thus, the discharge conditions for the activated cathodes operating on the substrate side may vary. As a result, the interaction between sputtering plasma regions of adjacent cathodes can be reduced.

As used herein, the first direction may correspond to the direction in which the substrate 120 is located. Similarly, the second direction may correspond to a direction opposite to the first direction.

The cathode array of FIG. 3B may also be available for center-array layouts such as shown in FIG. 4. In the case of center-array layouts, two substrates of the same process chamber can be deposited simultaneously using an alternating cathode sputtering mode.

In FIG. 4, a deposition apparatus 400 is shown having a process chamber 450, a cathode array 405, and two substrates 460, 470 of the same process chamber. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, cathode array 405 may have a first group of cathodes 420 and a second group of cathodes 430. The first group of cathodes 420 and the second group of cathodes 430 may each have one or more individual cathodes 410, and the cathode array 405 is formed by the adjacent cathodes of the cathode array ( 410 may operate in an alternating cathode sputtering mode so that it may not have adjacent sputtering plasma regions 415.

Each individual cathode 410 may have a target and magnet assembly 500 (shown in FIG. 5) of the material to be deposited on the substrates 460, 470. The magnet assembly 500 can be utilized to create a plasma region 415 on the cathode to locally enhance the corrosion of the target. The individual cathodes 410 may be rotatable cathodes with a magnet assembly 500. In the case of the rotatable cathodes 410, the magnet assemblies 500 may be provided in the backing tube to form the rotatable magnet cathode array 405, or the target material tube may be placed in the magnet assemblies 500. Can be provided. The magnet assemblies 500 may further have different rotational positions, that is, the magnet assemblies 500 of different individual cathodes 410 may be facing in different directions.

By using an alternating cathode sputtering mode, the interaction between sputtering plasma regions of adjacent cathodes is reduced. Thus, due to the effectively increased distance between the cathodes in the activated state, the interaction and / or influence of the sputtering plasma with the growth layer on the substrate can be improved.

In FIG. 4, a rotation controller (not shown) may also be provided. The rotation controller can switch between the first group of cathodes 420 of the cathode array 405 and the second group of cathodes 430. The rotation controller can be connected to each cathode 410. Thus, the individual cathodes 410 can switch the sputtering direction of the individual cathodes to provide an alternating cathode sputtering mode. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the rotation controller can be connected to the first group of cathodes 420 and to the second group of cathodes 430. As a result, the first group of cathodes 420 and the second group of cathodes 430 can switch their sputtering direction to provide an alternating cathode sputtering mode.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to apparatus and methods for static deposition of material on a substrate, including sputtering the material on two substrates at the same time.

For center-array layouts such as shown in FIG. 4, in relation to at least two coating positions on opposite sides of the cathode array, a rotatable magnet cathode array may be advantageous. The number of substrates that can be coated at the same time can refer to the number of sides of the cathodes or the number of coating positions at which a plasma can be generated. Using a rotatable magnet cathode array as described in the present embodiments, different coatings can be achieved on substrates located at various coating positions, in particular, different coatings are located at different coating positions. The same material deposited on the substrates.

In addition, single coating processes may also be performed alternately at different coating positions. For example, if a rotatable magnet cathode array is provided having one magnet assembly per cathode, the plasma may be changed so that the coating area can be changed by rotating or pivoting the magnet cathode array from one coating position to another coating position. It can only be created on one side of the cathode array. Thus, the coating area can pivot between the first side and the second side of the magnet cathode array, or between additional sides of the cathode array, and the coating can be performed alternately at different coating positions. In this case, during the absence of coating, the efficiency of the deposition method and deposition apparatus, because the substrates to be coated can be supplied to substrate positions not used for coating and / or removed from such substrate positions. This is improved.

According to embodiments herein, one rotatable magnet cathode array may be used in a single process chamber for simultaneously coating two substrates. As a result, a lot of equipment can be saved. For example, it is possible to have only one gas supply for supplying a process and / or reactive gas to the process chamber for deposition processes. In addition, control means for only one magnet cathode should be provided. Other components, such as locks for locking-in and / or removing substrates in and / or out of the process chamber, may also be reduced in number. Similarly, the use of equipment and materials to provide a vehicle for substrates can also be reduced.

As shown in FIG. 5, the magnet assemblies 500 of the individual cathodes 410 may have different rotational positions, that is, the magnet assemblies 500 of the different individual cathodes 410 It may be pointing in different directions. According to the embodiments, the magnet assemblies of the first group of cathodes 420 may be facing in the first direction 520, while the magnet assemblies of the second group of cathodes 430 are in the second direction 530. May be heading for). Likewise, the magnet assemblies of the second group of cathodes 430 may be facing in the first direction 520, while the magnet assemblies of the first group of cathodes 420 may be facing in the second direction 530. have.

According to further embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the magnet assemblies 500 of different individual cathodes 410 may be facing in different directions, and different directions The material can be sputtered with a furnace. In particular, the first group of cathodes 420 can sputter material in the first direction 520, while the second group of cathodes 430 can sputter material in the second direction 530. Similarly, the first group of cathodes 420 can sputter material in the second direction 530, while the second group of cathodes 430 can sputter material in the first direction 520. Thus, the interaction between sputtering plasma regions of adjacent cathodes can be reduced. As a result, in addition to the advantages described above for the center-array layout with a rotatable magnet cathode array, the interaction and / or impact of the sputtering plasma with the growth layer on the substrate can be improved. Thus, there are one or more time intervals, adjacent cathodes do not sputter for the same substrate during one or more time intervals, and / or only one cathode of adjacent cathodes is one or more Sputters on the same substrate for time intervals of.

As used herein, the first direction 520 may correspond to the direction in which the first substrate 460 is located, and the second direction 530 is where the second substrate 470 is located. It can correspond to the direction.

According to the embodiments described herein, the first direction may be opposite the second direction. According to further embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first direction can have an angle of 90 ° or more with the second direction, in particular the first direction with the second direction. It may have an angle of 180 ° or more, and more particularly, the first direction may have an angle of 270 ° with the second direction.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes, when inactive, have a resistance of 1 MΩ or less, in particular, 0.5 MΩ or less, more particularly 0.1 MΩ or less.

According to different embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition method may be carried out within one second or more, in particular, between a first group of cathodes and a second group of cathodes. Switching within seconds or more, more particularly within 10 seconds or more.

According to further embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition method is 11 times or less, in particular, between the first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes. Switching to five or less times, more particularly three or less times.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a first group of cathodes includes an alternating cathode of a cathode array and a second group of cathodes includes the remainder of the cathodes. According to further embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first group of cathodes may include all third cathodes, all fourth cathodes, all fifth cathodes, or additional non-adjacent non-adjacent of cathode arrays. Includes all cathodes, and the second group of cathodes includes the remainder of the cathodes.

According to the embodiments, the first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes may be connected to an AC, DC, or RF power supply. According to further embodiments, the power supply may be a DC power supply. According to other embodiments, the power supply may be an AC, RF, or MF power supply.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a deposition apparatus includes two or more adjacent one or more cathodes of a first group of cathodes and a second group of cathodes; It can include more anodes. According to different embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition apparatus may include one planar anode extending along the horizontal direction. "Horizontal direction" as used herein may be understood as the substrate transport direction. The planar anode and individual cathodes can be connected to one or more power supplies to collect electrons during sputtering.

According to the embodiments, one or more cathodes of the first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes may be rotatable cathodes, each rotatable cathode having a magnet assembly. According to further embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, each rotatable cathode may have one or more magnet assemblies, in particular each rotatable cathode has two magnet assemblies. You can have

FIG. 6 shows a graph illustrating DC power generated by a DC power supply (eg, power supplies 225 and 235 of FIG. 2A) for a cathode array operating in an alternating cathode sputtering mode. The graph illustrates the voltage increase on the y-axis and the time increase to the right on the x-axis. DC power as understood herein relates to the flow of charge in a constant direction, as opposed to AC power where the charge flows in alternating directions.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, the DC voltage can be applied in an alternating mode, such that DC pulses 610 can be generated. In particular, the DC power can be switched on and off alternately without voltage reversal. The pulses 610 may have a pulse width 615 (ie, pulse duration) and a pulse height 635. In some embodiments, the pulses 610 may all have the same pulse height. According to further embodiments, the pulses 610 may have different pulse heights.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, pulses 610 may be generated at frequencies lower than 1 Hz. For example, for a total sputtering time of 60 seconds, the power may be switched off 11 or less times, in particular 5 or less times, more particularly 3 or less times. Thus, there are one or more time intervals, adjacent cathodes do not sputter for the same substrate during one or more time intervals, and / or only one cathode of adjacent cathodes is one or more Sputters on the same substrate for time intervals of.

As understood herein, the pulse width 615 corresponds to the sputtering time. In many embodiments, pulse widths 615 are controlled loop (eg, proportional-integral-derivative) controls associated with the DC power supply to allow time for accurately generating DC power pulses 610. Loop, open loop control loop) response time may be defined to have a longer duration.

As shown in FIG. 6, a DC voltage may be applied to the first group of cathodes generating the first pulses 620, the DC voltage generating the second pulses 630. May be applied to the second group of cathodes. The power controller may be coupled to each power supply to switch between the first group of cathodes of the cathode array and the second group of cathodes. Thus, an alternating cathode sputtering mode can be provided.

According to further embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, while the magnet assemblies of the first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes may be pointing in different directions, May be applied simultaneously to both the first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes. As a result, the periodicity of the magnetic field is eliminated and the interaction and / or influence of the sputtering plasma with the growth layer on the substrate can be improved.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the pulse width of the first pulses 620 may be the same as the pulse width of the second pulses 630. According to alternative embodiments, the pulse width of the first pulses may be different from the pulse width of the second pulses. Thus, the sputtering time of the first group of cathodes may be different than the sputtering time of the second group of cathodes. For example, the sputtering time of the first group of cathodes may be twice the sputtering time of the second group of cathodes.

According to some embodiments, the sputtering time corresponding to the pulse width 615 may be equal to the inactivity time 640 (ie, the time that the cathodes are inactive). According to alternative embodiments, the sputtering time corresponding to the pulse width 615 may be different from the deactivation time 640. More specifically, the sputtering time corresponding to the pulse width 615 may be longer than the deactivation time 640.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, sputtering according to the described embodiments may be performed using two or more cathodes. However, especially for applications for large area deposition, an array of cathodes having 6 or more cathodes, such as 10 or more cathodes, may be beneficial. In addition, the cathode array may be provided in one vacuum chamber.

According to further embodiments, the distances between adjacent cathodes may not be the same for all pairs of adjacent or adjacent cathodes. Thus, to achieve uniform layer properties across the substrate to be coated, it may be possible to select the positions of the cathodes in the plane of the arrangement as appropriate for the specific circumstances of the coating process to be applied.

[0074] The distances between the cathodes of the outer pairs of adjacent cathodes of the cathode array may be smaller than the distances between the cathodes of the inner pairs of cathodes of the cathode array. As a result, for example, uniformity with respect to the layer thickness can also be achieved at the margin of the substrates to be coated. Since less coating material is available at the margin of the coating area or substrate, a smaller distance between adjacent pairs of cathodes or targets in the outer area may provide more coating material, respectively, The problem of less coating material at margins can be solved.

Dynamic sputtering, ie, an inline process in which the substrate moves continuously or quasi-continuously adjacent to the deposition source, the process stabilizes before the substrates move into the deposition area. May be easier and then due to the fact that the substrates may then remain constant as they pass through the deposition source. However, dynamic deposition can have other disadvantages such as particle generation. This may be particularly applicable to TFT backplane deposition. According to embodiments described herein, static sputtering can be provided, for example, for TFT processing, where the plasma can be stabilized prior to deposition on a pristine substrate.

The term different static deposition process as compared to dynamic deposition processes does not exclude any movement of the substrate, as will be appreciated by the skilled person. Static deposition processes include, for example, static substrate position during deposition, oscillating substrate position during deposition, essentially constant average substrate position during deposition, dithering substrate position during deposition, wobbling during deposition ( wobbling) substrate position, a deposition process in which cathodes are provided in one chamber, ie a predetermined set of cathodes are provided in a chamber, the deposition chamber being closed, for example by closing valve units that separate the chamber from an adjacent chamber, Substrate position during deposition of the layer, or a combination thereof, having a sealed atmosphere relative to neighboring chambers. Thus, a static deposition process can be understood as a deposition process with a static position, a deposition process with an essentially static position, or a deposition process with a partially static position of the substrate. As described herein, the static deposition process can be clearly distinguished from the dynamic deposition process without the substrate position for the static deposition process need to be completely free of movement during deposition.

According to still further embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, deviations from a completely static substrate position, eg oscillating substrates, as described above , Wobbling, or otherwise moving, which is still considered by the person skilled in the art as static deposition, additionally or alternatively, movement of the cathodes or cathode array, such as wobbling, vibration, Or the like. In general, the substrate and the cathodes (or cathode arrays) may move relative to one another, for example, in the substrate transport direction, in a lateral direction that is essentially perpendicular to the substrate transport direction, or in both directions. .

An embodiment of a method for static deposition of material on a substrate is shown in FIG. 7A. In step 702, the material is sputtered from the cathode array, and the cathode array operates in an alternating cathode sputtering mode, such that adjacent cathodes of the cathode array do not have adjacent sputtering plasma regions.

An alternative embodiment of the method for static deposition of material on a substrate is shown in FIG. 7B. In step 702, material is sputtered from the first group of cathodes. In step 704, the material is sputtered from the second group of cathodes, the first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes alternate so that the second group of cathodes is inactive while the first group of cathodes is active. Operates in breeding cathode sputtering mode.

A further embodiment of a method for static deposition of material on a substrate is shown in FIG. 7B. In step 702, material is sputtered from the first group of cathodes. In step 704, the material is sputtered from the second group of cathodes, and the first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes comprise a second group of cathodes while the first group of cathodes sputters material in the first direction. Operates in an alternating cathode sputtering mode to sputter material in the second direction.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments may be devised without departing from the basic scope of the present disclosure, the scope of which is determined by the claims that follow.

Claims (15)

A method for depositing a material, comprising sputtering material from a cathode array, the method comprising:
Only one of the two adjacent cathodes of the cathode array is operated to have one or more time intervals,
Only one of the two adjacent cathodes sputters on the same substrate during the one or more time intervals, wherein the one or more time intervals are one second or more time intervals,
Method for depositing a material. The method of claim 1,
Switching between the first group of cathodes of the cathode array and the second group of cathodes,
Method for depositing a material. The method of claim 2,
While the first group of cathodes is in an active state, the second group of cathodes is in an inactive state,
Method for depositing a material. The method of claim 3, wherein
The first group of magnet assemblies of the first group of cathodes is oriented in a first direction when the first group of cathodes is active and the cathode when the second group of cathodes is inactive The second group of magnet assemblies of the second group of teeth is oriented in a second direction different from the first direction,
Method for depositing a material. The method of claim 2,
While the first group of cathodes sputters material in the first direction, the second group of cathodes sputters material in the second direction,
Method for depositing a material. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
The first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes, when inactive, have a resistance of 1 MΩ or less,
Method for depositing a material. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
Switching between the first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes 11 times or less,
Method for depositing a material. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
Sputtering material simultaneously on two substrates,
Method for depositing a material. An apparatus for the deposition of materials,
The device,
Process chambers; And
A cathode array having a first group of cathodes and a second group of cathodes,
The first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes each have one or more cathodes,
Adjacent cathodes of the cathode array are configured to be operated to have one or more time intervals,
Only one of the adjacent cathodes sputters for the same substrate during the one or more time intervals, wherein the one or more time intervals are one second or more time intervals,
Apparatus for the deposition of materials. The method of claim 9,
A controller for switching between the first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes of the cathode array,
Apparatus for the deposition of materials. The method of claim 9,
The first group of cathodes comprises an alternate second cathode of the cathode array, and the second group of cathodes comprises the remainder of the cathodes,
Apparatus for the deposition of materials. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11,
The first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes are connected to a DC power supply,
Apparatus for the deposition of materials. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11,
Comprising two or more anodes adjacent to one or more cathodes of the first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes,
Apparatus for the deposition of materials. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11,
One or more cathodes of the first group of cathodes and the second group of cathodes are rotatable cathodes, each rotatable cathode having a magnet assembly,
Apparatus for the deposition of materials. delete

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