TW201437397A - Physical vapor deposition system - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for processing substrates are provided herein. In some embodiments, a physical vapor deposition chamber may include a chamber body having a first portion to retain a target comprising material to be deposited on a substrate, and a scanning substrate support disposed within the chamber body to support the substrate opposite the target during processing, wherein the scanning substrate support is configured to move the substrate laterally in the chamber body during a deposition process with respect to the target.

Description

Physical vapor deposition system

Embodiments of the invention generally relate to substrate processing equipment.

Conventional physical vapor deposition processes (PVD) typically use a magnetron to limit the plasma in the vicinity of the target, the target has a material that will be sputtered from the target, and the material is subsequently deposited on the substrate. However, by using a magnetron, the varying power density can form across the surface of the target, resulting in uneven erosion of the target and/or high thermal stress, resulting in uneven loss and uneven deposition of the target. . Uneven loss of the target reduces the useful life of the target, thus requiring more frequent maintenance of the processing chamber and reduced productivity. Additionally, when a magnetron is used behind the target, the target material will negate the need to split some or all of the magnetic field at the target surface to create and limit the plasma.

In addition, the introduction of new device structures and new materials has created an unprecedented and ever-increasing challenge for deposition processing, especially in combination with increased wafer size. This is particularly evident on small memory devices, such as magnetic RAM (MRAM), which require the deposition of a complex stack of very thin magnetic layers where sub-nano film thickness uniformity is required. Traditional sputtering of these materials is challenging because, in fact, the magnetic target material will cause the magnetic field generated by the magnetron Diversion. This is a significant impact on productivity because only thinner targets can be used. In addition, the erosion distribution on the surface of the target changes during the lifetime of the target, as the magnetic field is locally strengthened as the target becomes thinner (decreasing effect), resulting in wafer-to-wafer (WTW, wafer-to -wafer) drift with wafer thickness uniformity within the wafer (WIW, within-wafer). Current methods for this problem include long-throw sputtering sources. However, these sputtering sources have a problem of poor target utilization because a large portion of the sputter material is lost on the chamber shield, making them very impractical for a 300/450 mm wafer size.

When depositing a binary or ternary composite, other challenges arise because preferential sputtering of one of the elements is typically encountered. Often multiple conditions are required and productivity is limited. In general, the desired material composition is difficult to produce, and the composition of the deposited film may drift due to erosion of the target.

Accordingly, the inventors have provided improved physical vapor deposition apparatus for depositing materials on top of a substrate.

Apparatus for processing a substrate is provided herein. In some embodiments, a physical vapor deposition chamber can include: a chamber body having a first portion to secure a target, the target comprising a material to be deposited on a substrate; a scanning substrate holder disposed within the chamber body to support the substrate relative to the target during processing, wherein the scanning substrate holder is configured to be disposed during a deposition process The substrate is moved laterally in the chamber body relative to the target.

In certain embodiments, a physical vapor deposition chamber can include: a chamber body having a processing volume and a first portion, the processing volume being defined within the chamber body, and the first portion securing a target comprising a material to be deposited on a substrate Wherein the target comprises a plurality of target sheets, and wherein each of the plurality of target sheets comprises a different material; a movable aperture, the movable aperture being disposed in the plurality of Between the target sheet and the substrate, wherein the movable hole has an opening that exposes a first surface of a target sheet of the plurality of target sheets to a surface of the substrate; A substrate holder disposed within the chamber body to support the substrate relative to the target during processing.

In some embodiments, a method for forming a stack of multiple layers of different materials on a substrate using a target, the target comprising a plurality of target sheets, wherein each of the plurality of target sheets A target sheet is a different material, the method comprising: forming a plasma between the target and the substrate supported by a scanning substrate holder; moving a hole to the plurality of target sheets Exposing a first surface of a first target sheet to a deposition surface of the substrate; applying a bias power to the first target sheet to start depositing a first material of the first target sheet to On the deposition surface of the substrate; laterally moving the substrate support relative to the target to uniformly deposit the first material onto the deposition surface of the substrate; moving the hole to multiply the plurality of target sheets Exposing a second surface of a second target sheet to the deposition surface of the substrate; applying a bias power to the second target sheet to start depositing a second material of the second target sheet to Deposited on the first material on the substrate; and relative to the target Radially moving the substrate support to uniformly depositing the second material to have been deposited on the first material on the substrate.

Other and further embodiments of the invention are described below.

100‧‧‧Processing chamber

102‧‧‧ catheter

104‧‧‧ Target

106‧‧‧ Plasma

108a-d‧‧‧ magnet

112‧‧‧Substrate

114‧‧‧Internal volume

116‧‧‧ chamber body

117‧‧‧ side wall

118‧‧‧Substrate support

120‧‧‧Processing volume

121‧‧‧ Spindle

122‧‧‧Opening

123‧‧‧electrode

124‧‧‧ bias power supply

126‧‧‧matching network

128‧‧‧ openings

130‧‧‧Flow valve

132‧‧‧ Controller

134‧‧‧Central Processing Unit (CPU)

136‧‧‧ memory

138‧‧‧Support circuit

140‧‧‧Exhaust system

142‧‧‧vacuum pump

144‧‧‧Cleaning pieces

145‧‧‧ catheter

146‧‧‧RF power supply

148‧‧‧DC power supply

150‧‧‧ surface

152‧‧‧ Center

154‧‧‧End

160‧‧ ‧Shielding Department

162‧‧‧ openings

164‧‧‧Power supply

202‧‧‧Antenna

302‧‧‧ Magnet

304‧‧‧ magnet

306‧‧‧ Plasma

308, 310, 312‧‧‧ power supplies

314, 316‧‧‧ power supply

318, 320‧‧‧ deflection coil

322‧‧‧ first pair

324‧‧‧ second pair

325‧‧‧ second side

326‧‧‧ Third side

327‧‧‧ first side

328‧‧‧Fourth Side

402‧‧‧First thickness

403‧‧‧distance

404‧‧‧distance

406‧‧‧End

408‧‧‧ Center

410‧‧‧ distance

412‧‧‧ distance

414‧‧‧second thickness

500‧‧‧STT-MRAM stacking

602‧‧‧ catheter

604‧‧‧ Target

606‧‧‧ Plasma

608a-b‧‧‧ magnet

612‧‧‧Substrate

618‧‧‧Scanning substrate support

660‧‧ ‧Shielding Department

662‧‧‧ openings

670‧‧‧Power supply

672‧‧‧ Direction

700‧‧‧Processing chamber

702‧‧‧ catheter

704‧‧‧ Target

706‧‧‧ Plasma

708a-b‧‧‧ magnet

712‧‧‧Substrate

716‧‧‧ Chamber body

718‧‧‧Scanning substrate support

778‧‧‧ target device

780‧‧‧Roller

782‧‧‧Roller shaft

786‧‧‧ directions

802‧‧‧ catheter

804a-c‧‧‧target film

806‧‧‧ Plasma

808a-b‧‧‧ Magnet

812‧‧‧Substrate

818‧‧‧Substrate support

860‧‧‧Shielding Department

862‧‧‧Shielding opening

866‧‧‧ movable holes

868‧‧‧ openings

870‧‧‧Actuator

872‧‧‧ Direction

874‧‧‧ directions

876a-c‧‧‧ bias power supply

Embodiments of the present invention, which are discussed in more detail below and briefly summarized above, may be understood by reference to the exemplary embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the appended claims

1 is a diagram showing a physical vapor deposition chamber for use with a device for providing plasma to a processing chamber, the processing chamber having a target disposed on, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention among them.

2A through 2B illustrate an apparatus for providing plasma to a processing chamber, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

3A-3B illustrate an apparatus for providing plasma to a processing chamber, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 4 illustrates a target suitable for use with equipment for providing plasma to a processing chamber, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 depicts a cross-section of an exemplary spin transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM) stack, which may be processed in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention.

6A-6B illustrate schematic top perspective and side views, respectively, of an apparatus including a scanning substrate holder for use in a processing chamber, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention in.

7A through 7B are schematic front and side views, respectively, of an apparatus including another embodiment of a scanning substrate holder for use in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. In the processing chamber.

8A-8B are schematic top perspective and side views, respectively, of an apparatus including a plurality of target sheets and movable apertures, the plurality of target sheets and portions, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention A movable hole is used in the processing chamber.

To promote understanding, the same element symbols have been used wherever possible to refer to the same elements in the drawings. The drawings are not drawn to dimensions and may be simplified for clarity. It will be appreciated that elements and features of an embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus for depositing material on top of a substrate using physical vapor deposition (PVD) processing (e.g., sputtering). Embodiments of the apparatus of the present invention may advantageously provide for a more uniform deposition of target material than conventional substrate holders and conventional targets, thereby allowing target material to be sputtered from the target and uniformly deposited on top of the substrate And reducing the deposited material of the sputtered material onto the surface of the target, thus improving the defect properties of the deposited layer.

1 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. The PVD chamber can be any type of PVD chamber suitable for facilitating the fabrication of magnetic material deposition RAM (MRAM), for example, from a substrate of the desired size, such as a circular wafer (eg, 200 or 300 mm). Semiconductor substrate), square plate (for example, for display, solar, light emitting diode (LED), similar applications), or the like. Examples of suitable PVD chambers include ALPS ^® Plus and SIP ENCORE ^® PVD processing chambers, both of which are commercially available from Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, California. Other processing chambers from Applied Materials or other manufacturers may also benefit from the apparatus of the invention disclosed herein.

In certain embodiments, the processing chamber 100 can generally include a chamber body 116 that defines an interior volume 114 that can include a processing volume 120. The processing volume 120 can be defined, for example, on a substrate support 118 (the substrate support 118 for receiving the substrate 112 disposed within the processing chamber 100) and a sputtering source (eg, the target 104 disposed relative to the substrate support 118) between. A conduit 102 (described more fully below) configured to form the plasma 106 is coupled to the processing volume 120 through an opening 122 in the chamber body 116. While the processing chamber 100 is illustrated in an orientation in which the substrate and target are supported and processed in a horizontal position, in some embodiments, the processing chamber can be configured to support and process the substrate and target in a vertical position. The material, as shown in Figures 7A and 7B, is discussed below.

In some embodiments, the substrate support 118 can include a mechanism that secures or supports the substrate 112 on the surface of the substrate support 118, such as an electrostatic chuck, a vacuum chuck, a substrate holding fixture, or the like. In some embodiments, the substrate support 118 can include an electrode 123 coupled to one or more power sources, such as, for example, a bias power source 124, as shown in FIG. In some embodiments, the bias power supply 124 can be coupled to the electrode 123 via one or more matching networks (illustrating a matching network 126). The biased substrate is used to control the flow of ion energy and/or species near the surface of the substrate. Alternatively or in combination, in some embodiments, one or more power sources may include a DC or pulsed DC power source.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the substrate support 118 can include A mechanism for controlling the temperature of the substrate (for example, a heating and/or cooling device, not shown).

The substrate 112 can pass through the opening 128 in the wall of the chamber body 116 into the processing chamber 100. The opening 128 can be selectively sealed by the flow valve 130 or selectively sealed by other means for selectively providing access to the interior of the chamber through the opening 128. In some embodiments, the substrate support 118 can be coupled to a lift mechanism (not shown) that can control the position of the substrate support 118 in a lower position (as shown, adapted to pass through the opening 128) Transfer substrate into and out of the chamber) and selectable upper position (suitable for processing). Processing locations can be selected to maximize processing uniformity for a particular process. When in at least one elevated processing position, substrate holder 118 can be disposed over opening 128 to provide a symmetrical processing area. In some embodiments, the substrate support 118 can laterally move (eg, scan) the substrate 112 relative to the target 104 in the processing chamber 116. For example, the substrate support 118 can move the substrate 112 relative to the target to control deposition of material sputtered from the target 104 onto the surface of the substrate 112.

In certain embodiments, the processing chamber 100 can include an exhaust system 140 for evacuating gas within the interior volume 114 of the processing chamber 100 and/or maintaining desired pressure within the interior volume 114 of the processing chamber 100. . The exhaust system 140 can generally include a vacuum pump 142 coupled to the processing chamber 100 via a conduit 145. In certain embodiments, the exhaust system 140 may include other components (not shown in FIG. 1) to facilitate evacuation or maintenance of desired pressure in the processing chamber, such as, for example, a pump chamber, a valve, or Front pipeline.

In some embodiments, one or more shields 160 can be provided, for example, between the target 104 and the substrate 112, and the shield 160 can define an opening 162, the aperture 162 defines a deposition area of the substrate, and the shield 160 can reduce undesired deposition on the interior surface of the processing chamber body 116. The shield 160 generally protects the interior surface of the process chamber body 116 from undesired accumulation of deposited material. The shield 116 can be mounted in the desired area of the processing chamber 100 in any suitable manner. In certain embodiments, the shield 160 includes an aperture (not shown) to allow the plasma 106 to be introduced into the deposition area of the processing chamber.

In some embodiments, the shield 160 can be electrically biased, such as through the power source 164. Biasing the shield 160 can advantageously make the deposited material on the shield 160 denser, thereby reducing particle generation, which further advantageously assists in reducing substrate defects. These defects are typically caused by particles that are detached from the chamber shield (due to poor adhesion of the deposited material at low angles of incidence). By actively biasing the shield 160 above the sputtering threshold, the material on the shield 160 can be periodically encrypted (eg, by argon ion bombardment or other type of encryption) to increase the deposited material. Adhesive and reduce detachment. In addition, biasing the material above the sputtering threshold also removes material and can be used to remove excess material.

Controller 132 can provide and couple various components of processing chamber 100 to control the operation of the various components. The controller 132 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 134, a memory 136, and a support circuit 138. The controller 132 can directly control the processing chamber 100 or be controlled by a computer (or controller) associated with a particular processing chamber and/or support system component. Controller 132 can be any type of general purpose computer processor that can be used in industrial machines that control a variety of chambers and sub-processors. The memory (or computer readable medium) 136 of the controller 132 can be readily available for one or more Memory, such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM, read only memory), floppy disk, hard disk, optical storage media (eg, CD or DVD), flash memory Body device, or any other form of digital storage, local or remote. The support circuit 138 is coupled to the CPU 134 for supporting the processor in a conventional manner. These circuits include caches, power supplies, clock circuits, input/output circuits and subsystems, and the like.

Target 104 typically includes one or more materials to be deposited on substrate 112 during sputtering. For example, in certain embodiments, the target 104 can include a dielectric material (eg, AlO ₂ , SiO _{2 ,} or the like), a metallic material (copper, tungsten, or the like), a ceramic material, a magnetic material (eg, , Co, Ni or the like), or one or more of the like. The target 104 can be coupled to a surface of the processing chamber, such as, for example, a sidewall or cover 144. In some embodiments, a backing plate (not shown) can be coupled to the target 104, for example to improve the structural stability of the target 104. The backing plate can include a conductive material (eg, copper-zinc, copper-chromium, or the same material as the target 104) such that RF and/or DC power can be coupled to the target 104 through the backing plate. Alternatively, the backing plate can be non-conductive and can include conductive elements (not shown), such as feed structures, electrical feedthroughs, or the like, for coupling RF and/or DC power to the target 104. .

In certain embodiments, the target 104 can comprise a substantially homogeneous material. In certain embodiments, the target 104 can include an array of a plurality of target sheets and movable apertures (as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, and described in more detail below). Each target sheet can comprise a different material, exposing the desired target by appropriately biasing the individual target sheets with a biasing power source and positioning the movable aperture The different materials may be sputtered one after the other (as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, and described in more detail below).

The target 104 can be of any shape or size suitable for depositing target material onto the substrate 112 in a desired process. The inventors have observed that in conventional sputtering processes using planar targets 104, the erosion of target 104 may be uneven. In particular, the area near the center 152 of the target 104 may have a higher erosion rate than the area near the end 154 of the target 104. Differences in erosion rates can result in low utilization of the target material, increased redeposition of the sputtered target material, and defects in the resulting deposited layer. Thus, in certain embodiments, the target 104 can comprise a non-planar shape, such as, for example, a convex shape, as shown in FIG. By providing the target 104 having a non-planar shape, the distance between portions of the target 104 and the plasma 106 can be varied, thereby changing the erosion rate across the target 104. Additionally, the distance between portions of the target 104 and the substrate 112 can also be varied, thereby changing the deposition rate across the target 104.

For example, in some embodiments, the distance 403 of the target 104 to the plasma 106 near the center 408 of the target 104 and the distance 410 from the target 104 to the substrate 112 may be greater than the target near the end 406 of the target 104. The distance 404 from the plasma 106 to the distance 404 from the target 104 to the substrate 112 is 412. In such an embodiment, the erosion rate of the target 104 near the end 406 of the target 104 may be greater than the erosion rate near the center 408 of the target 104, thus providing uniform erosion of the target material during processing. Additionally, the deposition rate of the material of the target 104 near the end 406 of the target 104 may be greater than the deposition rate near the center 408 of the target 104, thus providing a more uniform deposition of the material of the target 104 on top of the substrate 112 during processing.

In some embodiments, the thickness of the target 104 can be varied to additionally compensate for the uneven erosion of the target material described above. For example, in certain embodiments, the target 104 can include a first thickness 402 near the end 406 of the target 104 and a second thickness 414 near the center 408 of the target 104. In such an embodiment, the first thickness 402 can be from about 1 mm to about 6 mm, and the second thickness 414 can be from about 2 mm to about 10 mm.

Referring back to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, one or more power sources (shown RF power source 146 and DC power source 148) can be coupled to processing chamber 100 to supply RF and/or DC power to the target. Material 104. For example, DC power source 148 can be used to supply a negative voltage (or bias) to target 104. In some embodiments, the frequency of the RF energy supplied by the RF power source 146 can range from about 2 MHz to about 60 MHz, or for example, an unrestricted frequency such as 2 MHz, 13.56 MHz, 27.12 MHz, or 60 MHz can be used. In some embodiments, a plurality of RF power sources (i.e., two or more) may be provided to provide RF energy using a plurality of the above frequencies.

The inventors have observed that in conventional PVD (eg, sputtering) processes, the sputtering rate of certain materials (eg, the target 104 material described above) may be limited by the thermal conductivity of the target material. The inventors have additionally observed that while the sputtering rate is proportional to the power density supplied to the target 104 (eg, supplied by the RF power source 146 and the DC power source 148), if the temperature of the surface 150 of the target 104 exceeds certain limits, Some target materials can then rupture, resulting in achievable deposition rates that are limited, reduced throughput, and reduced useful life of the target 104. Additionally, in conventional PVD processing using magnetrons, the magnetron creates a varying power density across the surface 150 of the target 104, which results in uneven puncturing of the target 104. Corrosion and/or high thermal stresses result in uneven and uneven deposition of the target, which additionally reduces the useful life of the target 104. Accordingly, the inventors have discovered that by using a homogeneous plasma across the surface 150 of the target 104 without the use of a magnetron, a more uniform power density across the surface 150 of the target 104 can be achieved. This reduces thermal stress on the target 104 during deposition and produces a more uniform erosion of the target 104. For example, in some embodiments, the plasma 106 can be formed in a remote plasma source (eg, conduit 102) that is coupled to the chamber body 116, and the plasma 106 can be extracted to the vicinity of the target 104. The interior volume 114 of the chamber 100 is in the interior. An example of a remote plasma source can be found in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/069,205, entitled "DIELECTRIC DEPOSITION USING A REMOTE PLASMA SOURCE", filed on March 22, 2011, and by Ralf Hofmann Such as the inventor's application.

In some embodiments, the conduit 102 can be coupled to the processing volume 114 of the processing chamber 100 through the opening 122 in the chamber body 116. The conduit 102 can be disposed in any position suitable for creating a plasma 106 in a desired position relative to the target 104. For example, in some embodiments, the conduit 102 can be coupled to the sidewall 117 of the processing chamber 100 and disposed between the target 104 and the substrate support 118, as shown in FIG. In such an embodiment, the plane of the major axis 121 of the catheter 102 can be substantially parallel to the target 104. By positioning the conduit 102 in this manner, the conduit 102 can provide a plasma 106 to the processing volume 120 near the target 104, wherein the plasma 106 has a uniform plasma region across the surface 150 of the target 104.

The catheter 102 can be fabricated from any suitable material. For example, in certain embodiments, the conduit 102 can be fabricated from quartz, alumina (Al ₂ O ₃ ), a glass composite (eg, low thermal expansion borosilicate glass, such as PYREX®), or the like. The conduit 102 can comprise any shape and size suitable for producing a plasma 106 having a desired shape and a plasma density profile. For example, in certain embodiments, the conduit 102 can include a circular cross section or a rectangular cross section.

Additionally, the inventors have observed that by using the plasma 106 formed in the distal plasma source (e.g., conduit 102) coupled to the chamber body 116, the sputtering rate is determined by the ions extracted from the conduit 102. The amount is determined, and the energy of the sputtered material is related to the voltage applied to the target. Thus, in embodiments consistent with the present invention, the sputtering rate (e.g., ion generation) is largely independent of the energy (target bias) of the target of the sputtered material target. This advantageously facilitates a substantially wider processing window for the deposition process.

In certain embodiments, the gas supply source 120 can be coupled to the conduit 102 to provide one or more process gases to the interior of the conduit 102. The one or more process gases may include any gas suitable for performing the desired treatment in the processing chamber 100, such as, for example, a PVD process. For example, in certain embodiments, the process gas can include argon (Ar), helium (He), nitrogen (N ₂ ), or the like. In certain embodiments, nitrogen (N ₂ ) or oxygen (O ₂ ) may be provided for reactive substrate processing, but alternatively or in combination, such reactive gases may be provided adjacent to the substrate.

In some embodiments, a power source (eg, RF power source 110) can be coupled to the conduit 102 to provide sufficient power to the process gas to form the plasma 106. The power source can provide any amount of power at any desired frequency to form the plasma 106. For example, in some embodiments, the power supply can generate up to about 3000 W, or in some embodiments, with a frequency of about 2 MHz and/or large A frequency of about 13.56 MHz or higher (eg, 27 MHz and/or 60 MHz) produces up to about 5000 W.

In some embodiments, the power source can provide power to the process gas through an inductive coil element (e.g., antenna 202), as shown in Figures 2A-B. In such an embodiment, the antenna 202 can be disposed adjacent the conduit 102 in any manner to provide sufficient power to form the plasma 106. For example, in some embodiments, the antenna 202 can be wrapped around the catheter 102, such as shown in FIG. 2A. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the antenna 202 can be disposed on one or more sides of the catheter 102 (eg, the top surface 204) and configured in a circular or recursive pattern, such as shown in FIG. 2B. .

Referring back to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, one or more magnets (two magnets 108a, 108b are shown) may be disposed adjacent the processing chamber 100 to facilitate the extraction of the plasma 106 from the conduit 102. The one or more magnets can be any type of magnet, such as, for example, a permanent magnet, an electromagnet, or the like. In some embodiments, more than one set of magnets can be used. For example, in some embodiments, the first pair 322 of magnets 108a,d can be disposed adjacent the first side 327 of the processing chamber 100, and the second pair 324 of magnets 108b,c can be disposed in the processing chamber 100. The vicinity of the second side portion 325 is as shown in Fig. 3A. In embodiments where the magnets 108a, b, c, d are electromagnets, the power sources 306, 308, 310, 312 can be coupled to the respective magnets 108a, b, c, d to supply current to form and control the magnitude of the magnetic field, It promotes the extraction of the plasma 106 from the conduit. The power sources 306, 308, 310, 312 can be any type of power source adapted to provide current to the magnets 108a, b, c, d, such as, for example, a DC power source. In some embodiments, the magnets 108a,b and the magnets 108c,d can each be a single annular magnet surrounding the conduit.

In some embodiments, one or more additional magnetic elements can be disposed around the processing chamber 102 to facilitate forming the plasma 106 into a desired shape. For example, in some embodiments, a plurality of additional magnets (illustrating the first additional magnet 302 and the second additional magnet 304) can be disposed about the processing chamber 100, as shown in FIG. 3A. The plurality of additional magnets can be any type of magnet, such as a permanent magnet or an electromagnet. In embodiments where the plurality of additional magnets are electromagnets, the power supplies 314, 316 can be coupled to respective additional magnets 302, 304 to supply current to form and control the magnitude of the magnetic field to facilitate forming the plasma 106 into a desired shape. . The power supplies 314, 316 can be any type of power source adapted to provide current to the magnets 302, 304, such as, for example, a DC power source.

The additional magnets 302, 304 can be positioned around the processing chamber 100 in any configuration to form the plasma 106 into a desired shape. For example, in some embodiments, the first additional magnet 302 can be disposed between a first magnet (eg, magnet 108d) of the first pair 322 magnet and a first magnet (eg, magnet 108c) of the second pair 324 magnet Close to the third side portion 326 of the processing chamber 100, and the second additional magnet 304 may be disposed on the second magnet of the first pair 322 magnet (eg, the magnet 108a) and the second magnet of the second pair 324 magnet (eg, The magnets 108b) are adjacent to the fourth side 328 of the processing chamber 100. Although the figures depict only two additional magnets 302, 304, any number of additional magnets can be placed around the processing chamber 102 in any configuration to accommodate the plasma 106 in a desired shape.

Alternatively, or in combination, in some embodiments, one or more additional magnet elements may include one or more deflection coils (two deflection coils 318, 320 are illustrated). The deflection coils 318, 320 may comprise any material suitable for the shape The magnetic field is within the processing chamber 100, such as, for example, iron and other magnetic alloys (e.g., magnetic steel), or the like. The deflection yokes 318, 320 can be positioned around the processing chamber 100 in any configuration to be adapted to form the plasma 106 into a desired shape. For example, in some embodiments, a first deflection coil (eg, deflection coil 318) can be disposed on a first pair 322 of a first magnet (eg, magnet 108d) and a second pair 324 of a first magnet (eg, The magnets 108c) are adjacent to the third side portion 326 of the processing chamber 100, and the second deflection coil (eg, the deflection coil 320) can be disposed on the first pair 322 of the magnets of the second magnet (eg, the magnet 108a) A second pair 324 of magnets (eg, magnets 108b) of the second pair of 324 magnets are adjacent to the fourth side 328 of the processing chamber 100. Although only two deflection coils 318, 320 are illustrated, any number of deflection coils can be placed around the processing chamber 102 in any configuration to accommodate the plasma 106 in a desired shape.

In operation, the plurality of additional magnets 302, 304 or deflection coils 318, 320 create a magnetic field that is perpendicular to the major axis 121 of the catheter 102. The magnetic field formed by the plurality of additional magnets 302, 304 or deflection coils 318, 320 spreads the plasma 306 in a direction perpendicular to the major axis 121 of the catheter 102 to form the desired shape, thereby providing more of the target 104 and the substrate 112. Evenly covered. The desired shape can be any shape that requires uniform coverage of any type of substrate. For example, in some embodiments, the plasma 106 can have a substantially circular cross-section to facilitate providing uniform plasma 106 coverage across the circular substrate 112, as shown in Figures 3A-B.

FIG. 5 depicts an example of a spin transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM, Spin Transfer Torque Magnetic RAM) stack 500. The cross-section, STT-MRAM stack 500 can be processed by embodiments consistent with the present invention. The various magnetic materials used (e.g., CoFeB and the like) have stringent requirements for film thickness uniformity on the substrate (e.g., +/- 0.1 nm across wafers of 300 mm and 450 mm). In addition, binary and ternary composites of very specific compositions are used to create such an example stack, as shown in Figure 5. Embodiments presented herein consistent with the present invention can advantageously process a substrate to produce the example STT-MRAM stack shown in FIG. It is noted that the STT-MRAM stack shown in FIG. 5 is merely one example of a different type of memory or other type of device or structure that can be processed by embodiments consistent with the present invention.

Referring to Figures 6A and 6B, further embodiments consistent with the present invention are illustrated. The embodiments described in relation to Figures 6A and 6B can be used in the processing chamber 100 and in conjunction with the elements described above in relation to Figure 1. FIGS. 6A and 6B include a scanning (ie, mobile) substrate support 618 that laterally moves the substrate 612 in a direction 672 relative to the target 604. The scanning substrate holder 618 can include a mechanism that secures or supports the substrate 612 on the surface of the scanning substrate support 618 as described above in relation to FIG. Scanning substrate support 618 can support substrates having various geometric cross-sections including, but not limited to, circular, elliptical, square, rectangular, and the like. One or more magnets (two magnets 608a, 608b are shown) may be used to facilitate the extraction of the plasma 606 from the conduit 602, as described above in relation to Figure 1. In the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the target 604 includes a material that is biased by a power source 670. Section 6B includes an optional shield 660 having an aperture 662. Section 6A includes a conduit 602 that is configured to form a plasma 606. By using the scanning substrate holder 618 to laterally move the substrate 612 under the generated plasma 606, a more uniform deposition of material from the target 604 onto the substrate 612 can be achieved.

7A and 7B illustrate a scanning substrate holder 718 disposed in a vertical processing chamber 700, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. The scanning substrate holder 718 secures or supports the substrate 712 on the support surface of the scanning substrate support 718 as described above in relation to FIG. The substrate 712 is held vertically and in a position relative to the target device, the target device is also disposed in a vertical orientation (eg, having a surface that is substantially perpendicular to the primary processing surface and parallel to the substrate). Scanning substrate support 718 can move laterally in direction 786 relative to target 704 of target device 778. In some embodiments, the scanning substrate holder 718 can be moved laterally through the actuator 784. Scanning substrate support 718 can be moved along a plurality of rollers 780 and/or supported by a plurality of rollers 780 that rotate about roller axis 782. In other embodiments, the scanning substrate holder 718 can be movably coupled to a track, robotic arm, or other type of conveyor to assist in laterally moving the scanning substrate holder into the processing chamber body 716. And moving laterally within the processing chamber body 716. Section 7A includes a conduit 702 that is configured to form a plasma 706, as described above in relation to Figure 1. One or more magnets (two magnets 708a, 708b are shown) may be used to facilitate the extraction of plasma 706 from conduit 702, as described in other embodiments herein.

Referring to Figures 8A and 8B, further embodiments consistent with the present invention are illustrated. The embodiments described in relation to Figures 8A and 8B can be used The chamber 100 is used in conjunction with the elements described above in relation to Figure 1. 8A and 8B include a target array and movable apertures 866, the target array includes target sheets 804a-c, and movable apertures 866 are disposed between the target array and the processing volume of the processing chamber. In certain embodiments, the target sheets 804a-c comprise different materials from one another such that by appropriately biasing the individual target sheets with biasing power supplies 876a-c, the materials can be sputtered together or sequentially sputtered . In other embodiments, target sheets 804a-c can be coupled to a single power source (not shown) such that each target sheet 804a-c is simultaneously biased. In some embodiments, the sputtering of each of the target sheets of the plurality of target sheets 804a-c occurs at a different bias power source.

The movable aperture 866 can advantageously expose only the target material to be sputtered. Covering adjacent target regions that are not to be sputtered can prevent redeposition on these target materials and thus prevent cross-contamination. In certain embodiments, two or more target materials may be exposed and individually powered to be sputtered. This advantageously facilitates compound sputtering (e.g., simultaneous sputtering of materials that are combined on the surface of the substrate) without being limited to alloy targets, such as preferential sputtering or deposition of multilayer stacks.

In some embodiments, the movable aperture 866 includes an opening 868 that is smaller than the shield opening 862 of the shield 860. The movable aperture 866 can be coupled to the actuator 870, which moves the movable aperture 866 laterally in direction 874. The position of the opening 868 of the movable aperture 866 can be controlled to selectively expose at least one (or in some embodiments, only one) of the surface of the target sheet to the surface of the substrate (eg, to the processing chamber) Processing volume). The size of the opening of the aperture can be substantially equal to the width of each target sheet. This opening allows the surface of one of the target sheets to be exposed while shielding the substrate 812 from other target sheets. That is, the movable aperture 866 will only expose the target sheet that is currently being sputtered (i.e., in one of the embodiments illustrated in Figures 8A-8B, 804a, 804b or 804c). Covering adjacent target sheets with movable apertures 866 can advantageously prevent redeposition on these target sheets and thus prevent cross-contamination.

Although Figures 8A and 8B illustrate three exemplary target sheets, the number of target sheets used may be more or less than three. The thickness of each target sheet is typically from about 1 mm to about 15 mm, although larger thicknesses can be used. In addition, in embodiments consistent with the present invention, the material for the target sheet may be a dielectric material (for example, AlO ₂ , SiO ₂ , or the like), a metal material (copper, tungsten, or the like). A combination of ceramic materials, magnetic materials (eg, Co, Ni, or the like), or one or more of the like.

8A and 8B include a conduit 802 configured to form a plasma 806 as described herein in an embodiment of the invention. A substrate support 818 is depicted that can be selectively configured to move laterally in direction 872. The substrate holder can secure or support the substrate 812 on the support surface of the substrate support 818, as described above in relation to Figure 1. One or more magnets (two magnets 808a, 808b are shown) may be used to facilitate the extraction of the plasma 806 from the conduit 802, as described above in relation to Figure 1.

Accordingly, it has been provided herein to apparatus for depositing materials on top of a substrate using physical vapor deposition (PVD) processing. Compared to conventional shaped plasma fields and conventional substrate holders, the apparatus of the present invention advantageously provides a more uniform plasma coating of the target, thereby allowing the target material to be sputtered from the target and uniformly Deposited on top of the substrate and reducing the redeposition of the sputtered target material onto the surface of the target, thus improving the defect properties of the deposited layer.

While the foregoing is a description of the embodiments of the present invention, further and further embodiments of the invention may be

100‧‧‧Processing chamber

102‧‧‧ catheter

104‧‧‧ Target

106‧‧‧ Plasma

108a-d‧‧‧ magnet

112‧‧‧Substrate

114‧‧‧Internal volume

116‧‧‧ chamber body

117‧‧‧ side wall

118‧‧‧Substrate support

120‧‧‧Processing volume

121‧‧‧ Spindle

122‧‧‧Opening

123‧‧‧electrode

124‧‧‧ bias power supply

126‧‧‧matching network

128‧‧‧ openings

130‧‧‧Flow valve

132‧‧‧ Controller

134‧‧‧Central Processing Unit (CPU)

136‧‧‧ memory

138‧‧‧Support circuit

140‧‧‧Exhaust system

142‧‧‧vacuum pump

144‧‧‧Cleaning pieces

145‧‧‧ catheter

146‧‧‧RF power supply

148‧‧‧DC power supply

150‧‧‧ surface

152‧‧‧ Center

154‧‧‧End

160‧‧ ‧Shielding Department

162‧‧‧ openings

164‧‧‧Power supply

Claims (20)

A physical vapor deposition chamber includes: a chamber body having a processing volume and a first portion, the processing volume being defined within the chamber body, and the first portion securing a target, the target Included as a material to be deposited on a substrate; and a scanning substrate holder disposed within the chamber body to support the substrate relative to the target during processing, wherein the scanning The substrate holder is configured to laterally move the substrate in the chamber body relative to the target during a deposition process. The physical vapor deposition chamber of claim 1, further comprising: a conduit coupled to the processing volume of the chamber body, wherein a plane of a major axis of the conduit is present when the target is present Parallel to the target, and the plane of the main axis of the conduit is disposed between the target and the substrate holder; a gas supply source coupled to the conduit to supply a processing gas to The conduit; and a power source coupled to the conduit to couple sufficient power to the process gas to form a plasma. The physical vapor deposition chamber of claim 1, wherein the scanning substrate holder is configured to horizontally support the substrate along a bottom surface of the substrate such that it is to be deposited on a top surface of the substrate The deposition of the material of the target occurs in a substantially vertical direction. The physical vapor deposition chamber of claim 1, wherein the scanning substrate holder is configured to vertically support the substrate relative to the target such that deposition of material from the target to be deposited on the substrate The system occurs in a substantially horizontal direction. The physical vapor deposition chamber of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the scanning substrate holder is coupled to an actuator configured to laterally relative to the target during substrate processing The scanning substrate holder is moved. The physical vapor deposition chamber of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the scanning substrate holder moves laterally parallel to the target such that material from the target is uniformly deposited on the substrate Without the need for a magnetron. The physical vapor deposition chamber of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the scanning substrate holder is movably supported by at least one of: (a) one or more rollers, (b) one or more bearings, or (c) one or more actuator arms. The physical vapor deposition chamber of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the target comprises a plurality of target sheets, and wherein each of the plurality of target sheets comprises a different one material. The physical vapor deposition chamber of claim 8, wherein the plurality of Each target sheet of the target sheet is electrically coupled to at least one power source such that each target sheet can be electrically biased independently. The physical vapor deposition chamber of claim 8, wherein the plurality of target sheets are electrically coupled to the same power source such that each target sheet is simultaneously electrically biased. The physical vapor deposition chamber of claim 10, wherein the sputtering system of each of the plurality of target sheets occurs at a different bias power. The physical vapor deposition chamber of claim 8, wherein the plurality of target sheets have a thickness of from about 1 mm to about 15 mm. The physical vapor deposition chamber of claim 8, further comprising: a movable hole disposed between the plurality of target sheets and the substrate, wherein the movable hole has a An opening that exposes a first surface of a target sheet of the plurality of target sheets to a surface of the substrate. The physical vapor deposition chamber of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of target sheets has a substantially equal width, and wherein the size of the opening of the movable aperture is substantially Equal to the width of a single target sheet of the plurality of target sheets. The physical vapor deposition chamber of claim 13, wherein the movable aperture protects the unexposed target sheet from deposition of material from an exposed target sheet. The physical vapor deposition chamber of claim 13, wherein the movable aperture is coupled to an actuator that moves the aperture to a desired position. The physical vapor deposition chamber of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a target fixed in the first portion of the chamber body, wherein the target is concave, wherein The recessed portion faces the substrate holder. A physical vapor deposition chamber includes: a chamber body having a processing volume and a first portion, the processing volume being defined within the chamber body, and the first portion securing a target, the target The material includes a plurality of target sheets, and wherein each of the plurality of target sheets comprises a different material; a movable hole, the a movable hole disposed between the plurality of target sheets and the substrate, wherein the movable hole has an opening that is a first surface of a target sheet of the plurality of target sheets Exposing to a surface of the substrate; and a substrate holder disposed within the chamber body to support the substrate relative to the target during processing. The physical vapor deposition chamber of claim 18, wherein the substrate holder is a scanning substrate holder that is laterally lateral to the target body relative to the target during a deposition process The substrate is moved. A method for forming a stack of a plurality of different materials on a substrate using a target, the target comprising a plurality of target sheets, wherein each of the plurality of target sheets comprises a different one a method comprising: forming a plasma between the target and the substrate supported by a scanning substrate holder; moving a hole to form a first target sheet of the plurality of target sheets Exposing a first surface to a deposition surface of the substrate; applying a bias power to the first target sheet to start depositing a first material of the first target sheet onto the deposition surface of the substrate; Moving the substrate holder laterally relative to the target to uniformly deposit the first material onto the deposition surface of the substrate; moving the hole to form a second target sheet of the plurality of target sheets Exposing a second surface to the deposition surface of the substrate; applying a bias power to the second target sheet to begin depositing a second material of the second target sheet onto the substrate that has been deposited on the substrate On the first material; and laterally moving the substrate relative to the target Block to uniformly depositing the second material to have been deposited on the first material on the substrate.