TW201706433A - Deposition source, vacuum deposition apparatus, and methods of operating thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A deposition source (100, 200, 201, 300) for sputter deposition is described. The deposition source includes: a cathode (130, 230) for providing a target material to be deposited; at least one anode assembly (110, 210) having at least a first anode segment (111, 211) which faces a first portion of the cathode and a second anode segment (112, 212) which faces a second portion of the cathode; and a connector assembly (120). The connector assembly includes: a first electric connection (121) for connecting the first anode segment (111, 211) to a first reference potential (P1); a second electric connection (122) for connecting the second anode segment (112, 212) to a second reference potential (P2); and an adjusting means (150) for adjusting at least one of a first electric resistance of the first electric connection (121) and a second electric resistance of the second electric connection (122).

Description

Deposition source, vacuum deposition apparatus, and method of operating the same

Several embodiments of the present invention are directed to a deposition source for sputter deposition, a vacuum deposition apparatus, and a method of operating the same. A number of embodiments are particularly directed to a deposition source for sputtering by supplying a DC (voltage) voltage between a cathode and an anode assembly, and a deposition source for DC sputtering in a vacuum chamber. A vacuum deposition apparatus, and a method of coating a substrate to have a sputter deposition source of one or more thin layers.

Physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes have increased the attention gained in some technical fields, particularly sputtering processes, such as display fabrication. Good deposition rates and sufficient layer properties can be achieved by several sputtering techniques. In particular, sputtering by magnetron sputtering is a technique for coating a substrate with a metal or non-metal layer, such as a glass or plastic substrate. Therefore, it is produced by a stream of coating material generated by using a plasma sputtering target. Due to the impact with the high energy particles from the plasma, the material is released from the target surface, where plasma parameters such as pressure, power, gas, magnetic field, etc. are controlled. The material released from the target is moved from the target toward one or more substrates to be coated and attached thereto. A wide variety of materials can be sputtered to the desired specifications, including metal, semiconductor, and dielectric materials. Magnetron sputtering is widely accepted in several applications, including semiconductor processing, optical coating, food packaging, magnetic recording, and protective coatings.

The sputtering apparatus can include at least one cathode and at least one anode assembly, the cathode including a target to provide a coating material to be deposited on the substrate. An electric field can be supplied between the cathode and the anode assembly such that the gas system between the cathode and anode components is ionized and the plasma is generated. The movement of the plasma ions can be controlled by magnetic elements. The coating material is provided through a plasma ion sputtering target.

Sputtering is accomplished using a variety of devices having different electrical, magnetic, and mechanical assemblies. Known assemblies include an electrical configuration to provide direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) to produce a plasma, wherein DC sputtering can provide a particularly high deposition rate. In a radio frequency (RF) sputtering apparatus, the plasma is ignited and maintained by an RF electric field. Therefore, the non-conductive material can also be sputtered. However, RF sputtering provides a lower deposition rate.

A sputtering device having both a static target, such as a planar plate target, and a rotating target, such as a rotating cylindrical target, can be used. Depending on the geometry of the cathode and the geometry of the substrate, the anode assembly can be configured to be separated from the cathode by a given distance. The sputtering apparatus can be applied to a large-area substrate, for example, a large-area movable substrate. However, achieving good layer uniformity over large area substrates can be difficult. According to embodiments described herein, the layer uniformity of the sputtered layer can be improved.

In view of the above, according to the scope of the independent patent application, a deposition source for sputter deposition, a vacuum deposition apparatus for sputter deposition, and a method of operating a deposition source are provided. The other aspects, advantages, and features of the invention are apparent from the appended claims and claims.

According to an embodiment, a deposition source for sputter deposition is proposed. A deposition source system for sputter deposition. The deposition source includes a cathode for providing the deposited target material on a substrate; at least one anode assembly having at least a first anode segment and a second anode segment, the first anode segment facing the cathode a first portion, the second anode section facing a second portion of the cathode; and a connector assembly. The connector assembly includes a first electrical connection for connecting the first anode segment to a first potential, the first potential being a ground potential or a positive potential, and a second electrical connection for connecting the second anode region a second potential, the second potential is exemplified by a ground potential or a positive potential; and an adjusting means for adjusting at least one of the first resistance of the first electrical connection and the second resistance of the second electrical connection By.

In some embodiments, the adjustment means comprises at least one variable resistor or potentiometer.

According to another aspect, a vacuum deposition apparatus for sputter deposition is proposed. The vacuum deposition apparatus includes a vacuum chamber and a deposition source. The deposition source includes: a cathode for providing a target material to be deposited; at least one anode assembly having at least one first anode segment and a second anode segment, the first anode segment facing the cathode first a second anode section facing a second portion of the cathode; and a connector assembly. The connector assembly includes a first electrical connection for connecting the first anode segment to a first potential, a second electrical connection for connecting the second anode segment to a second potential, and an adjustment means for And adjusting at least one of the first electrical resistance of the first electrical connection and the second electrical resistance of the second electrical connection. In an embodiment, the cathode and anode components are located within the vacuum chamber, wherein at least one of the control elements of the adjustment means is located outside of the vacuum chamber.

According to another aspect, a method of operating a deposition source for sputter deposition is presented. The method includes at least one of adjusting a first electrical resistance connected to one of the first electrical connections and a second electrical resistance connected to one of the second electrical connections A charge flow is controlled spatially between a cathode and a first anode section and a second anode section of an anode assembly. The first electrical connection can be assembled to connect the first anode segment to a first potential, the first potential is exemplified as a positive potential, and the second electrical connection can be assembled to connect the second anode segment to a second potential The second potential is exemplified by a positive potential.

Embodiments are also directed to apparatus for performing the disclosed methods, and apparatus includes apparatus components for performing separate method actions. This method can be performed by a hardware component, a computer programmed with a suitable software, any combination of the two, or any other means. Moreover, the embodiments described herein are also directed to methods of operating the apparatus described.

Other advantages, features, aspects and details of the embodiments described herein can be more clearly understood from the scope of the appended claims. In order to better understand the above and other aspects of the present invention, the preferred embodiments are described below, and in conjunction with the drawings, the detailed description is as follows:

The detailed description is to be considered in a few embodiments of the invention, and one or more examples of the various embodiments described herein are illustrated in the drawings. In the description of the following figures, the same reference numerals are intended to refer to the same elements. In general, only the differences between the individual embodiments are described. The examples are provided by way of illustration and are not meant as a limitation. Furthermore, the features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used in other embodiments or in combination with other embodiments to achieve further embodiments. This means that the description includes such adjustments and changes.

In the present disclosure, "deposition source" is understood to mean a deposition source comprising a cathode for sputter deposition, the cathode being used to provide a target material to be deposited on a substrate. The cathode can include a target made of the material to be deposited. For example, the target may be made of at least one material selected from the group or include at least one material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, lanthanum, cerium, molybdenum, niobium, titanium, indium, gallium, zinc, Made up of tin, silver and copper. In particular, the target material may be selected from the group consisting of indium, gallium, and zinc. On the other hand, the anode assembly is generally not provided with a target material to be deposited.

Sputtering is accomplished using a variety of devices having different electrical, magnetic, and mechanical assemblies. Some assembly systems include a power supply connected to the cathode and/or to the anode assembly for connecting the cathode and/or anode assembly to different potentials, for example, for connecting the anode assembly to a ground potential or a positive potential, and for connecting The cathode is at a negative potential. The potential difference and the electric field can be supplied to the gas between the cathode and the electrically opposite anode assembly such that the gas system is ionized and the plasma is maintained in the region between the cathode and anode assemblies.

The power supply can be adapted to provide direct current to generate plasma. For example, a first output of a power supply having a ground potential or a positive potential can be coupled to the anode assembly, and a second output of the power supply having a negative potential can be coupled to the cathode. As used herein, the term "connected to an electric potential" may mean electrically connected to a conductor having a potential, such as a ground potential, a positive potential or a negative potential associated with a ground potential.

1 is a schematic diagram of a deposition source 100 for sputter deposition, the deposition source 100 including a cathode 130 and an anode assembly 110. The anode assembly includes two or more anode segments, such as a first anode segment 111 and a second anode segment 112, wherein the first anode segment 111 faces the first portion of the cathode and the second anode segment 112 faces The second part of the cathode. An electric field can be supplied to the gas between the cathode and the first anode section, and between the cathode and the second anode section to ionize the gas used to sputter the target.

The deposition source 100 includes a connector assembly 120 having a first electrical connection 121 and a second electrical connection 122. The first electrical connection 121 is used to connect the first anode segment 111 to the first potential P1. A potential P1 is exemplified as a positive potential, and a second electrical connection 122 is used to connect the second anode section 112 to the second potential P2, and the second potential P2 is exemplified as a positive potential. The connector assembly 120 further includes an adjustment means 150 for adjusting at least one of the first resistance of the first electrical connection 121 and the second resistance of the second electrical connection 122.

For example, the adjustment means 150 can be configured to increase or decrease the first resistance of the first electrical connection 121, the first electrical connection 121 connecting the first anode section 111 to the first potential P1. Reducing the first resistance of the first electrical connection 121 can cause an increase in current flow through the first anode section. Therefore, the flow of charge from the cathode 130 to the first anode section 111 can be increased, which can then result in a higher sputtering rate at the upper portion of the cathode and a higher deposition rate at the upper portion of the substrate. That is, the electric field between the cathode and the first anode section can be varied by changing the first resistance of the first electrical connection connecting the first anode section to the first potential P1.

In some embodiments, the adjustment means 150 can be additionally or selectively assembled to increase or decrease the second electrical resistance of the second electrical connection 122, the second electrical connection 122 connecting the second anode section 112 to the second electrical potential P2. Increasing the second resistance of the second electrical connection 122 can cause the current flowing through the second anode section to decrease. Thus, the flow of charge from the cathode to the second anode section 112 can be reduced, which can then result in a lower sputtering rate at the lower portion of the cathode and a lower deposition rate at the lower portion of the substrate. That is, by changing the second resistance of the second electrical connection 122 connecting the second anode segment to the second potential P2, the electric field between the cathode and the second anode segment 112 can be varied, and the second potential P2 can be To fix the positive potential.

By adjusting at least one of the first electrical resistance of the first electrical connection and the second electrical resistance of the second electrical connection, the deposition rate is spatially controlled such that a better uniformity of the layer to be deposited on the substrate is Achieved. In particular, for some applications, the desired layer uniformity of the layer deposited on a large area substrate may be +/- 3% or better, which may be difficult to achieve over the entire area of the substrate. However, according to embodiments disclosed herein, good layer uniformity can be achieved by adjusting the first resistance and/or the second resistance.

According to some embodiments described herein, it may not be necessary to connect the first anode section 111 and the second anode section 112 to individually independent adjustable power supplies, wherein the voltage levels supplied to the anode sections are not necessary. It can be adjusted by the power control unit of the individual power supply. In contrast, according to the embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the adjustable power supply may not be necessary because the flow of charge flowing through the anode segments can be independently changed by changing the first electrical connection 121 and The resistance of at least one of the second electrical connections 122 is adjusted. However, in some embodiments, an adjustable power supply can be provided.

In some embodiments described herein, the first potential P1 and the second potential P2 may both be grounded or zero potential. That is, the first anode section 111 and the second anode section 112 may both be connected to an earthed conductor, for example, a vacuum chamber connected to the ground or to a ground potential disposed at a potential opposite to the negative cathode. The output of the power supply on the top. At the same time, the electrical resistance of the at least one electrical connection connected to the anode section and the ground conductor can be adjustable such that the flow of charge through the anode section can be controlled by adjusting the resistance.

For example, in some applications, the first potential P1 may correspond to a second potential P2, wherein the first and second potentials P1, P2 are positive with respect to ground or zero potential. An example is to connect both the first anode section and the second anode section to the same positive output of the power supply, and the negative output of the power supply can be connected to the cathode.

In some embodiments, the first anode segment can be coupled to a first output of a power supply having a first potential P1 (eg, providing a first positive voltage) and the second anode segment can be coupled to have a second A second output of the power supply of the potential P2 (for example providing a second positive voltage), the second potential P2 being different from the first potential P1.

In some applications, the first and/or second potentials P1, P2 may be adjustable by connecting the first anode section and the second anode section to a power supply having an adjustable output voltage. In other applications, the first and/or second potentials P1, P2 may be fixed, such as a ground potential or a fixed positive potential.

The first electrical connection 121 and the second electrical connection 122 may comprise conductors, such as wires, cables, leads, etc., wherein the first end of the conductor may be connected to a corresponding anode segment and the conductor The second end can be connected to another conductor that provides a corresponding first or second potential P1, P2, such as the output of the power supply. One or more resistors can be inserted between the first end of the conductor and the second end of the conductor. For example, the first resistance of the first electrical connection 121 can be measured between the first end of the conductor and the second end of the conductor, the first end of the conductor is connected to the first anode section, and the second end of the conductor is connected to An output of the power supply, wherein one or more resistors are insertable into the conductor between the first and second ends.

According to embodiments described herein, at least one of the first electrical resistance of the first electrical connection 121 and the second electrical resistance of the second electrical connection 122 is adjustable by the adjustment means 150. The adjusting means may include at least one first variable resistor for adjusting the first resistance of the first electrical connection 121 and/or at least one second variable resistor for adjusting The second electrical connection 122 has a second electrical resistance. For example, potentiometers can be used as variable resistors. The first variable resistor can be inserted into the first electrical connection 121 between the first anode section 111 and the first potential P1 such that the first variable resistor is part of the first electrical connection. Similarly, the second variable resistor can be inserted into the second electrical connection 122 between the second anode section 112 and the second potential P2 such that the second variable resistor is part of the second electrical connection.

Since the anode sections may not be directly connected to the ground potential, the ground potential is exemplified by a grounded vacuum chamber, and the anode sections may also be referred to as being mounted on a "floating ground".

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the first anode section 111 faces the upper portion of the cathode and the second anode section 112 faces the lower portion of the cathode. In some embodiments, the first anode section can face the first side of the cathode and the second anode section can face the second side of the cathode, wherein the anode sections can be on different cathode sides . In particular, the anode segments can be arranged in this manner relative to the cathode and/or relative to the substrate, and the density of the plasma generated between the cathode and the respective anode segments can be controlled to ensure a more uniform substrate. Layer characteristics. In some embodiments, more than two anode segments may be provided, for example three, four, five, six, seven, eight or more anode segments, wherein each anode segment may Facing different parts of the cathode. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the connector assembly can include an electrical connection having an adjustable resistance for at least one of the anode segments, particularly for the anode segments or More. More particularly, the connector assembly can include an electrical connection having an adjustable resistance for each anode segment.

The anode sections of cathode 130 and anode assembly 110 can have any shape suitable for sputter deposition. For example, the deposition source may be provided with a static cathode, a movable cathode and/or a rotatable cathode, a static cathode such as a planar plate cathode, a planar plate cathode as a planar cathode, and a rotatable cathode as a rotating cylindrical cathode. In some embodiments, the cathode can be a rotatable cathode having a rotatable cylindrical target. Similarly, the anode section can be provided as a static sheet or rod, such as a planar or cylindrical anode section. In some embodiments, the anode segments are movable, for example, movable according to the cathode or movable according to a magnetic component disposed in the cathode.

2 is a schematic view of a deposition source 200 for coating a substrate according to the description herein.

The deposition source 200 can include a cathode 230 that is rotatable about a rotational axis A1. In the present disclosure, "rotatable cathode" is understood to mean that at least a portion of the cylindrical cathode has a rotating axis. In particular, a "rotatable cathode" is understood to mean a cathode that rotates about a rotational axis during sputtering. For example, a "rotatable cathode" can be driven by a driver during sputtering deposition of the target material onto the substrate. In the present disclosure, a cylindrical rotatable cathode can extend along a longitudinal axis from a first end of the rotatable cathode to a second end of the rotatable cathode, for example extending along a longitudinal axis of rotation about which the rotatable cathode can be The rotary axis can be rotated. A portion of the rotatable cathode including the target material to be deposited may extend from a first end of the rotatable cathode to a second end of the rotatable cathode.

Compared to a planar cathode, a rotatable cathode can provide reliable use of the target material around the entire circumference of the target during sputtering, and has no edge portion of the target in the lateral direction of the target, in the lateral direction of the target. The edge portion of the target may be less sputtered on the target surface. Thus, by utilizing a rotatable cathode, material costs can be reduced, and the target can be used for a longer period of time before the target must be replaced.

In some applications, the rotatable cathode 230 can be configured to rotate about a rotational axis A1 at a rotational speed in the range of 1 to 50 revolutions per minute, 5 to 30 revolutions per minute, or 15 to 25 revolutions per minute. In general, the rotatable cathode 230 can be assembled to rotate at a speed of about 20 revolutions per minute.

The rotatable cathode 230 can be provided at least partially as a hollow cylinder to provide an interior space for receiving a magnetic component or "magnetron." As used herein, "magnetron sputtering" means sputtering using a magnetic component, that is, a unit capable of generating a magnetic field. Generally, a magnetic component is comprised of one or more permanent magnets. Supplying a magnetic field to the gas may cause an increase in ionization rate as the electron moves along the helical path and may further help limit the movement of the plasma ions.

As shown in FIG. 2, the deposition source can include an anode assembly 210 that includes a first anode section 211 and a second anode section 212. The first anode section 211 can face the upper portion of the rotatable cathode 230, and the second anode section 212 can face the lower portion of the rotatable cathode 230. Furthermore, a connector assembly can be provided, the connector assembly including a first electrical connection 121, a second electrical connection 122, and an adjustment means, the first electrical connection 121 connecting the first anode segment 211 to the first potential P1, the second electrical The connection 122 connects the second anode section 212 to the second potential P2, and the adjustment means includes a first variable resistor or potentiometer 251 and a second variable resistor or potentiometer 252, a first variable resistor or potentiometer 251 The first resistor is used to adjust the first electrical connection 121, and the second variable resistor or potentiometer 252 is used to adjust the second resistance of the second electrical connection 122.

The anode assembly 210 can be provided by mechanically connecting the first anode section 211 and the second anode section 212, while the first anode section 211 and the second anode section 212 can be electrically separated from each other. The mechanical connection of the first anode section 211 and the second anode section 212 improves the mechanical stability of the anode assembly. For example, the first anode section 211 and the second anode section 212 can be supported together by insulating members to ensure electrical separation of the anode segments.

In some embodiments, the first anode section and the second anode section are provided in a manner spaced apart from each other. For example, a first anode section can be disposed on a first side of the cathode and a second anode section can be provided as a separate element on a second side of the cathode. However, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the first anode section 211 and the second anode section 212 are disposed adjacent to each other on the same side of the cathode.

In order to provide a uniform plasma density between the cathode and anode components, the anode assembly 210 can extend in an axial direction wherein the first anode section 211 is disposed adjacent to the second anode section 212 in the axial direction. This axial direction may be parallel to the rotation axis A1 of the cathode 230. Furthermore, the axial direction may correspond to the direction in which the coated substrate is to be extended, for example, the height or width direction of the substrate. When the first anode section 211 and the second anode section 212 are adjacent to each other in the axial direction, the deposition rate and layer uniformity along the axial direction can be controlled. Furthermore, in particular if the distance between the first anode section 211 and the second anode section 212 in the axial direction is small, for example less than 10 cm and in particular less than 1 cm, along the axial direction A more uniform electric field can be supplied to the target, and the axial direction can be the direction in which both the cathode and the anode assembly extend.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the anode assembly 210 is provided as an anode rod, the first anode section 211 is provided as a first rod section and the second anode section 212 is provided as a second rod The section, the second rod section is adjacent to the first rod section. The first rod section can be exemplified by being electrically separated from the second rod section by an insulator disposed between the rod sections. The anode rod and cathode 230 can be positioned substantially parallel and adjacent to one another. The shape of the anode rod can be a cylinder. However, other shapes are possible. This helps to avoid shape edges to prevent electric field concentration or arcing. In general, the minimum bending outer diameter of the anode rod can be 2 mm or more, for example 10 mm or more, especially about 50 mm.

The outer dimension of the anode rod may be smaller than the outer diameter of the cathode 230 of the cylinder, and the outer dimension of the anode rod is exemplified as an outer dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the anode rod. For example, the outer diameter of the anode rod can be less than 50% or less than 25% of the outer diameter of the cathode. The distance between the outer surface of the anode rod and the outer surface of the cathode may be less than the outer dimension of the anode rod. An anode rod can be provided with a heat sink for cooling purposes.

In order to provide a spatially uniform deposition rate, the anode rods may extend more than 80% parallel to the cathode 230 along the axial direction, particularly the total axial length of the 100% cathode 230. The anode rod may comprise more than two rod segments that may extend one after the other in the axial direction, for example three, four or more shaft segments. Accurate spatial control of the deposition rate is possible if each of the rod segments is connected to an individual potential via an electrical connection and the electrical connection resistance is adjustable.

The first potential P1 may correspond to the second potential P2. In particular, the first anode section 211 and the second anode section 212 may both be connected to the same output of the DC power supply 10, wherein the output may be configured to provide a fixed positive voltage relative to the negative cathode voltage. . A variable resistor or potentiometer can be inserted between the anode sections and the output of the DC power supply, respectively. a first (second) electrical connection of the first (second) electrical connection may be coupled to the first (second) electrical connection of the first (second) anode segment and connected to the first (second) Between the second end of the first (second) electrical connection of the potential, the first (second) potential is connected to the output of the power supply 10 connected to the direct current.

In some embodiments, the cathode 230 is coupled to the first output 11 of the power supply 10, the first output 11 of the power supply 10 can be configured to provide a negative voltage, and the first electrical connection 121 and the second At least one of the electrical connections 122 is coupled to a second output 12 of the power supply, and the second output 12 of the power supply is configurable for providing a zero voltage or a positive voltage. In particular, in some cases, the second output 12 of the power supply can be provided at ground potential. At the same time, the wall of the processing chamber housing the deposition source can be at ground potential. Therefore, in some applications, the potential of the second output terminal 12 and the potential of the processing chamber wall may both be ground potentials.

In some embodiments, the first electrical connection 121 and the second electrical connection 122 can both be connected to a ground potential.

The sputtering and deposition rates can be spatially controlled by adjusting the first resistance and/or the second resistance. For example, if the uniformity of the layer applied to the substrate is not met, the first and/or second resistance can be adjusted as needed to achieve a more uniform coating layer on the next substrate. The layer uniformity can be checked manually or automatically, and the individual adjustment of the first and/or second resistance can be performed manually or automatically by the adjustment means during the subsequent coating process or during the coating process.

In some embodiments, the first resistance and/or the second resistance may be adjusted in situ, for example, in the case of a coating process or when a vacuum chamber that is configurable to the anode section is not required to be flooded. In particular, the in-situ spatial adjustment of the deposition rate may be feasible in display coating equipment, for example in equipment for coating glass substrates. In such a system, the movable substrate can be coated as it moves through the processing equipment, such as a thin glass substrate.

In some embodiments, the in situ spatial adjustment of the deposition rate can be feasible in so-called soft substrate coating systems. In such systems, for example, a flexible substrate can be coated as it moves through the processing equipment. In particular, the coating of metal, semiconductor or plastic films or foils is highly desirable in the packaging, semiconductor and other industries. The system for performing this work can include a movable substrate support for moving the substrate through a deposition source, the substrate support being, for example, a processing drum, coupled to the processing system and for moving the substrate. The soft substrate coating system described for coating when the substrate is moved over the guiding surface of the substrate support can provide high throughput, such as a processing drum.

The coated substrate can enter the source housing of the deposition source on the first side, and the coated substrate can exit the source on the second side. The characteristics of the coating layer of the moving substrate can be inspected by the optical device, and the potential lack of layer uniformity can transmit signals to the control unit for controlling the adjustment means, and the characteristics of the coating layer are exemplified by coating on the substrate. The spatial uniformity of the layers, such as a camera. The adjustment means can then be controlled to adjust at least one of the first resistance and the second resistance such that the detected missing layer uniformity can be corrected.

In some embodiments described herein, the deposition source may include a detector and a control unit 30. The detector is configured to detect characteristics of the coated substrate, and the control unit 30 is configured to control the adjustment according to the detection signal. For example, the properties of the coated substrate can be a measure of the uniformity of the layers of the space, particularly the thickness of the coating layer in the first substrate region and the thickness of the coating layer in the second substrate region. Each substrate region can be associated with one of the anode segments. For example, the upper anode segment can be associated with the upper substrate region and the lower anode segment can be associated with the lower substrate region. The detector can be an optical detector, such as a camera. The detector can be disposed in the vacuum chamber to perform a sputtering process. The detector can be disposed outside of the vacuum chamber, such as at the substrate exit of the soft substrate coating system.

Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of a deposition source 201 for coating a substrate in accordance with embodiments described herein. The assembly of deposition source 201 may essentially correspond to the assembly of deposition source 200 illustrated in Figure 2, such that the reference may be completed without the repetition of the above description.

The deposition source 201 includes a cylindrical cathode 230 for providing a deposited target material on the substrate, and the anode assembly 210 has a total of three anode segments (a first anode segment 211, a second anode segment 212, and a third Anode section 213) wherein each anode section faces a different portion of the cylindrical cathode 230. The three anode segments are linearly arranged adjacent to each other along the axial direction of the anode assembly 210.

The first anode section 211 is connected to the second output end 12 of the power supply 10 via a first electrical connection 121, the first electrical connection 121 being exemplified as a line, wherein the first variable resistor or potentiometer 251 is inserted into the first Electrical connection 121. The second anode section 212 is coupled to the second output 12 of the power supply 10 via a second electrical connection 122, wherein the second variable resistor or potentiometer 252 is inserted into the second electrical connection 122. The third anode section 213 is connected to the second output 12 of the power supply 10 via a third electrical connection 123, wherein the third variable resistor or potentiometer 253 is inserted into the third electrical connection 123. By providing this configuration, the density of the plasma 60 between the cathode 230 and the anode assembly 210 is varied along the resistance of the first electrical connection 121, the second electrical connection 122, and the third electrical connection 123 independently. The three different regions of the height of the substrate are spatially controllable.

In some embodiments disclosed herein, the variable resistor can be a low ohmic resistor. For example, the resistance of such variable resistors can be adjusted between 0 and 10 Ohm, respectively.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the power supply 10 can be an adjustable power supply that can be configured to provide an adjustable DC voltage. The adjustable DC voltage provided by the power supply can be an adjustable potential difference between the first output terminal 11 and the second output terminal 12, the first output terminal 11 is connected to the cathode 230, and the second output terminal 12 is connected. In one or more anode sections. Furthermore, a power control unit can be provided to control the output power of the power supply 10. By adjusting the output power of the power supply 10, the desired overall charge flow between the cathode and anode components can be maintained, and in particular, a fixed overall charge flow can be maintained between the cathode and anode components.

That is, the adjustment means can be configured to independently adjust the charge flow in the regional range between the cathode and the individual anode sections, and the adjustable power supply can be assembled for adjusting the cathode and anode components The total charge flow between all of the anode sections.

As an example, the output power obtained from the power supply 10 (P _out ) and the first variable are calculated, for example, by calculating the product of the current flowing through the variable resistor and the voltage drop of the variable resistor. The power consumed in the resistor or potentiometer 251, the second variable resistor or potentiometer 252, the third variable resistor or the potentiometer 253 (P _R1 , P _R2 , P _R3 ) can be measured. In Fig. 3, individual pressure gauges (V) and current measuring devices (A) are shown. Next, the power stored in the plasma is subtracted from the output power: P _Plasma = P _out - P _R1 - P _R2 - P _R3 . The power control unit can be equipped to control the output power _{Pout of the} power supply 10 such that P _Plasma remains essentially fixed during sputtering. The deposition rate can be estimated to be proportional to the power P _Plasma stored in the plasma. In order not to change the deposition rate during the adjustment of the variable resistor, the power stored in the plasma can be kept fixed by the power control unit as described above. Therefore, the uniformity of the deposited layer can be adjusted independently of the entire deposition rate.

In particular, during sputtering, the outer surface of the anode assembly may also be coated with a target material to some extent, the effect of which may cause the electric field between the cathode and the surface of the coated anode to change over time. There is a general decline. This drop can be compensated by increasing the voltage difference between the first output 11 and the second output 12 of the power supply 10. The power supply can include a power control unit for controlling the output power of the power supply to maintain a fixed overall charge flow or current between the cathode and anode components.

As shown in FIG. 3, the chamber walls of the vacuum chamber 510 generally house the cathode and anode assemblies of the sputter deposition source, and the chamber walls of the vacuum chamber 510 may also have an effect of the anode surface to some extent. This is because the chamber is typically grounded such that the potential of the chamber wall may be higher than the potential of a generally negatively charged cathode.

In order to be able to adjust the spatial extension of the plasma 60 toward the chamber wall of the vacuum chamber 510, the vacuum chamber 510 can be connected to the additional potential P4 via an additional electrical connection 124, in accordance with some embodiments described herein. An additional variable resistor or potentiometer 254 can be inserted into the additional electrical connection 124 such that the resistance of the additional electrical connection 124 can also be adjusted.

In some embodiments, the additional potential P4 can be a ground potential. In some embodiments, the additional potential P4 may correspond to one or more of the first potential P1, the second potential P2, and the third potential P3. In some embodiments, the additional potential P4 can be the potential of the second output 12 of the power supply 10, and the potential of the second output 12 of the power supply 10 can be a ground potential or a positive potential. In particular, vacuum chamber 510 can be electrically coupled to second output terminal 12 with an additional variable resistor or potentiometer 254 inserted into the additional electrical connection. The additional variable resistor or potentiometer 254 can be a high ohmic resistor, and the high ohmic resistor can be a variable resistor up to tens of kΩ, for example 45kΩ. The high resistance value of the additional variable resistor or potentiometer 254 will have the effect that almost the entire current will flow through the first anode section 211, the second anode section 212, and the third anode section 213, and the vacuum chamber will It acts as an anode only to a limited or unimportant extent.

Since the additional variable resistor or potentiometer 254 may also consume part of the output power provided by the power supply, the consumed power (P _R4 ) may be represented by the individual voltages depicted in FIG. The measurement is performed by the meter (V) and the current measuring device (A). In this case, the power stored in the plasma (P _Plasma ) can be calculated using the formula: P _Plasma = P _out - P _R1 - P _R2 - P _R3 - P _R4 . The power control unit can be configured to control the output power _{Pout of the} power supply 10 such that P _Plasma remains fixed during sputtering.

4 is a plan view of a vacuum deposition apparatus 500 having a deposition source 300 for sputter deposition in accordance with embodiments described herein. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the vacuum deposition apparatus as shown in Fig. 4. The vacuum deposition apparatus 500 includes a vacuum chamber 510 and a deposition source 300 for sputter deposition, and the vacuum deposition apparatus 500 can have some or all of the features of any of the above embodiments, such that the reference can be accomplished as described above.

The deposition source includes a rotatable cathode 230, a first anode assembly 310 and a second anode assembly 315, the rotatable cathode 230 is used to provide a target material to be deposited, and the first anode assembly 310 has two or more anode segments, The two anode assembly 315 has two or more anode segments. In some embodiments, the cathode 230 and the first anode assembly 310 and the second anode assembly 315 are located in the vacuum chamber 510, and at least one control element of the adjustment means 350 is located outside of the vacuum chamber 510. The adjustment means 350 is assembled for adjusting the electrical resistance of the plurality of electrical connections that connect the anode segments to their respective potentials. For example, during sputtering or while maintaining vacuum chamber venting, the electrical resistance of such electrical connections can be adjusted from outside the vacuum chamber because the control elements of adjustment means 350 are located outside of vacuum chamber 510.

The first anode assembly 310 extending parallel to the cathode 230 on the first cathode side may have a first anode rod pattern, and the second anode assembly 315 extending parallel to the cathode 230 on the second cathode side may have a second anode rod In the version, the second cathode side is opposite to the first cathode side. The coated substrate 20 can be moved through the cathode on the third cathode side. The cathode may include a magnetron for directing the plasma toward the third cathode side and a third cathode side where the substrate is located.

The coated substrate 20 can enter the source housing of the deposition source on the first side, and the coated substrate can exit the source housing on the second side. The characteristics of the coating layer of the substrate can be, for example, inspected by an optical device, and the potential lack of layer uniformity can transmit signals to the control unit for controlling the adjustment means. The characteristics of the coating layer are exemplified by layers applied on the substrate. The spatial uniformity of the optical device is, for example, a camera. The adjustment means can then be controlled to adjust at least one of the first resistance and the second resistance such that the detected missing layer uniformity can be corrected.

As in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the first anode assembly 310 comprises a total of four rod sections 311, 312, 313, 314 in a linear configuration, wherein each rod section is electrically connectable via respective 321 , 322 323, 324 are connected to respective potentials, wherein the adjusting means 350 can be adapted to independently adjust the resistance of each of the electrical connections 321, 322, 323, 324. Therefore, the plasma density in four different regions in the height direction of the substrate can be independently controlled. The first anode assembly can extend more than 50%, in particular 80%, more particularly 100% or more of the total axial length of the cathode 230 parallel to the cathode 230 to adjust the deposition rate over the entire height of the cathode, the entire cathode The height may correspond to the height of the substrate 20.

Similarly, the second anode assembly 315 disposed on the opposite side of the cathode 230 can comprise a total of four rod segments 316, 317, 318, 319 in a linear configuration, wherein each rod segment can be electrically connected via respective 326, 327 328, 329 are coupled to respective potentials, wherein adjustment means 350 can be adapted to independently adjust the resistance of each of said electrical connections 326, 327, 328, 329. Therefore, the plasma density in four different regions in the height direction of the substrate can be independently controlled. The second anode assembly 315 can extend more than 50%, particularly 80%, and more specifically 100% or more of the total axial length of the cathode 230 parallel to the cathode 230 to adjust the deposition rate over the entire height of the cathode.

At least one variable resistor or potentiometer can be inserted into each of the electrical connections 321, 322, 323, 324, 326, 327, 328, 329. In some embodiments, all of the rod sections 311, 312, 313, 314, 316, 317, 318, 319 can be connected to the same output of the power supply via respective electrical connections. The output can have a fixed or varying potential, for example a positive potential. In some embodiments, the stem segments 311, 312, 313, 314 of the first anode assembly 310 can be coupled to the output of the first power supply, and the stem segments 316, 317, 318, 319 of the second anode assembly It can be connected to other outputs of the first power supply or to the output of the second power supply. In some embodiments, each electrical connection can be connected to a ground potential.

In some embodiments, the vacuum deposition apparatus can include an additional electrical connection 124 for connecting the vacuum chamber 510 to an additional potential, and wherein the adjustment means 350 is configured to adjust the electrical resistance of the additional electrical connection 124. For example, an additional variable resistor or potentiometer 254 can be included in the additional electrical connection 124.

Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of a sputtering apparatus 400 in accordance with embodiments described herein.

Sputtering apparatus 400 includes vacuum chamber 410 and a deposition source in accordance with any of the embodiments described herein. In the illustrated embodiment, the deposition source includes four rotatable cathodes 230 and five corresponding anode assemblies 210, each anode component 210 facing at least one of the cathodes 230. The cathode 230 and the anode assembly 210 are disposed within the vacuum chamber 410. More than four rotatable cathodes can be provided. Furthermore, more than five anode components can be provided. For example, two anode assemblies can be provided for each cathode, similar to the configuration shown in FIG.

A plurality of DC power supplies 10 can be disposed outside of the vacuum chamber 410 and connected to the cathode 230 and the anode assembly 210 via separate electrical connections. Each anode assembly 210 can include a first anode section and a second anode section. As shown in FIG. 6, each power supply 10 can include a first output coupled to at least one of the cathodes. Moreover, each power supply 10 can include a second output coupled to the two anode sections of at least one of the anode assemblies via a first electrical connection 421 and a second electrical connection 422. The resistance of the first electrical connection 421 can be adjusted via a first potentiometer and the resistance of the second electrical connection 422 can be adjusted via a second potentiometer.

However, in some embodiments, only a single DC power supply may be provided, the single DC power supply comprising two or more outputs, the two or more outputs being used at the cathode and A potential difference that will be supplied is provided between the anode components.

As shown in FIG. 6, other chambers 411 may be provided adjacent to the vacuum chamber 410. The vacuum chamber 410 can be separated from the adjacent chamber by a valve having a valve housing 404 and a valve unit 405, respectively. After the carrier 406 having the coated substrate 20 is inserted into the vacuum chamber 410 as indicated by arrow 401, the valve unit 405 can be closed. Thus, by creating a technical vacuum, the air in the vacuum chamber 410 can be independently controlled, such as by utilizing a vacuum pump connected to the vacuum chamber 410, and/or by inserting a process gas. In the deposition area of the vacuum chamber 410.

According to typical embodiments, the process gas may include an inert gas and/or a reaction gas such as argon, and an inert gas such as oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and ammonia.

In the vacuum chamber 410, a roller 408 is provided to convey the carrier 406 having the substrate 20 into and out of the vacuum chamber 410. The name "substrate" as used herein shall include a non-flexible substrate and a flexible substrate, such as a glass substrate, a wafer, a transparent wafer such as sapphire or the like, and a flexible substrate such as It is a soft substrate or foil.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a plurality of rotatable cathodes 230 having a plurality of magnetic components or magnetrons 431 disposed in the rotatable cathodes 230, wherein the magnetrons 431 It can be provided in a plurality of backing tubes, each of which is provided with a target material on the outer surface.

Figure 7 is a flow chart showing a method of operating a deposition source in accordance with embodiments described herein. In a first block 602, the method includes at least one of adjusting a first electrical resistance coupled to the first electrical connection of the first anode segment and a second electrical resistance coupled to the second electrical connection of the second anode segment The charge flow between the first and second anode sections of the cathode and anode assembly is spatially controlled. The first electrical connection can be configured to connect the first anode segment to a first potential, the first potential being exemplified by an output of the power supply for providing a positive voltage, and the second electrical connection being configurable for connection The two anode segments are at a second potential, and the second potential is exemplified as an output of the power supply for providing a positive voltage. The first potential may correspond to a second potential. In particular, the first anode section and the second anode section may each be connected to a ground potential via an electrical connection with an adjustable resistance or to the same output of the power supply.

The method further includes detecting characteristics of the coated substrate, for example, characteristics of the coating layer, such as layer thickness, layer uniformity, etc., and adjusting the first resistance and/or the second resistance according to the detected characteristics. For example, a difference in coating layer thickness between the first region of the substrate and the second region of the substrate can be detected. Next, the first electrical resistance of the first electrical connection can be, for example, reduced to increase the flow of charge through the first anode segment, which can result in an increase in the deposition rate toward the first region of the substrate.

The adjustment action can be exemplified by performing in situ during sputtering or from outside the vacuum chamber without filling the vacuum chamber.

Still further, the method can include adjusting the output power of the power supply to maintain a fixed overall charge flow between the cathode and anode components.

In conclusion, the present invention has been disclosed in the above preferred embodiments, and is not intended to limit the present invention. A person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

10‧‧‧Power supply
11‧‧‧ first output
12‧‧‧second output
20‧‧‧Substrate
30‧‧‧Control unit
60‧‧‧ Plasma
100, 200, 201, 300‧‧‧ deposition source
110, 210, 310‧‧‧ first anode assembly
111, 211‧‧‧ first anode section
112, 212‧‧‧Second anode section
120‧‧‧Connector components
121‧‧‧First electrical connection
122‧‧‧Second electrical connection
123‧‧‧ Third electrical connection
124‧‧‧Additional electrical connection
130, 230‧‧‧ cathode
150, 350‧‧‧ adjustment means
213‧‧‧ Third anode section
251‧‧‧First variable resistor or potentiometer
252‧‧‧Second variable resistor or potentiometer
253‧‧‧ third variable resistor or potentiometer
254‧‧‧Additional variable resistors or potentiometers
311, 312, 313, 314, 316, 317, 318, 319‧‧‧ rod sections
315‧‧‧Second anode assembly
321, 322, 323, 324, 326, 327, 328, 329‧‧‧ electrical connections
400‧‧‧sputtering equipment
401‧‧‧ arrow
404‧‧‧ valve housing
405‧‧‧Valve unit
406‧‧‧ Carrier
408‧‧‧roller
410, 510‧‧‧ Vacuum chamber
411‧‧‧Other chambers
421‧‧‧First electrical connection
422‧‧‧Second electrical connection
431‧‧‧Magnetic tube
500‧‧‧Vacuum deposition equipment
602‧‧‧ square
A‧‧‧current measuring device
A1‧‧‧Rotary axis
P1‧‧‧ first potential
P2‧‧‧second potential
P3‧‧‧ third potential
P4‧‧‧ extra potential
V‧‧‧ pressure gauge

In order to make the above-described features of the present invention described in detail herein, a more detailed description of the present invention may be made. The attached drawings are related to the embodiments and are described below: FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a deposition source for sputter deposition according to embodiments described herein; FIG. 2 is a diagram of implementation according to the description herein. A schematic view of a deposition source for sputter deposition; FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a deposition source for sputter deposition according to embodiments described herein; FIG. 4 is a view of an embodiment according to embodiments described herein A plan view of a vacuum deposition apparatus having a deposition source for sputter deposition; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the vacuum deposition apparatus as shown in FIG. 4; and FIG. 6 is a view showing an embodiment according to the embodiment described herein; A schematic diagram of a vacuum deposition apparatus for a plurality of sputter deposition sources; and FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a method for operating a deposition source for sputter deposition in accordance with embodiments described herein.

100‧‧‧Sedimentary source

110‧‧‧First anode assembly

111‧‧‧First anode section

112‧‧‧Second anode section

120‧‧‧Connector components

121‧‧‧First electrical connection

122‧‧‧Second electrical connection

130‧‧‧ cathode

150‧‧‧Adjustment means

P1‧‧‧ first potential

P2‧‧‧second potential

Claims (20)

a deposition source (100, 200, 201, 300) for sputter deposition, the deposition source comprising: a cathode (130, 230) for providing a germanium target material to be deposited on a substrate (20); a first anode assembly (110, 210) having at least a first anode section (111, 211) and a second anode section (112, 212) facing the cathode a second anode section facing a second portion of the cathode; and a connector assembly (120) comprising: a first electrical connection (121) for connecting the first anode section (111) 211) to a first potential (P1); a second electrical connection (122) for connecting the second anode section (112, 212) to a second potential (P2); and an adjustment means (150) And 350), for adjusting at least one of the first resistance of one of the first electrical connections (121) and the second resistance of one of the second electrical connections (122). The deposition source according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting means (150) comprises at least a first variable resistor or potentiometer (251) and at least a second variable electric group or potentiometer (252) The at least one first variable resistor or potentiometer is configured to adjust the first resistance of the first electrical connection (121), and the at least one second variable resistor or potentiometer is used to adjust the second electrical connection (122) the second resistor. The deposition source of claim 1, wherein the first potential (P1) corresponds to the second potential (P2). The deposition source of claim 3, wherein the first and the second anode segments are all assembled to be connectable to a ground potential or connectable to an output of a power supply, the power supply The output of the device is used to provide a positive, a negative or a ground potential. The deposition source of claim 1, further comprising a detector and a control unit (30) for detecting a characteristic of a coated substrate, wherein the control unit is configured to One of the detectors controls the adjustment means. The deposition source of any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a DC power supply (10), wherein the cathode (230) is connected to one of the first outputs of the power supply (11), and at least one of the first anode section and the second anode section is coupled to a second output end (12) of the power supply. The deposition source of claim 6, further comprising a power control unit, the power control unit being assembled for controlling an output power of the power supply (10) to the cathode and the first anode assembly Maintain a fixed overall charge flow between. The deposition source according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cathode (130, 230) has a cylindrical shape and is rotatable about a rotation axis (A1). The deposition source of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first anode assembly (210) extends in an axial direction. The deposition source according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first anode component extends in an axial direction parallel to a rotation axis (A1) of the cathode (230), The first anode section (211) is disposed adjacent to the second anode section (212) in the axial direction. The deposition source of claim 10, wherein the first anode assembly (210) is provided as an anode rod, the first anode section (211) is provided as a first rod section, and the second The anode section (212) is provided adjacent to one of the first rod sections and the second rod section. The deposition source of claim 11, wherein the anode rod comprises three, four or more rod segments (311, 312, 313, 314) in a linear configuration, each of the rod segments passing through respective An electrical connection (321, 322, 323, 324) can be coupled to a respective potential, wherein the adjustment means (350) is adapted to adjust each of the electrical connections (321, 322, 323, 324) a resistor. The deposition source of claim 9, wherein the first anode segment and the second anode segment of the first anode assembly (210) extend more than 50% parallel to the cathode (230). The deposition source of claim 13, wherein the first anode section and the second anode section of the first anode assembly extend more than 80% of the cathode (230) in parallel with the cathode. Axial length. The deposition source of any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: a second anode assembly (315) having two or more other anode segments, wherein the connector assembly comprises two or A further electrical connection is used to connect the other anode components to a potential, and wherein the adjusting means (350) is adapted to adjust the resistance of the other electrical connections. The deposition source of claim 15 wherein the first anode assembly (310) is provided as a first anode rod, the first anode rod extending parallel to the cathode (230) on a first cathode side And the second anode assembly (315) is provided as a second anode rod, the second anode rod extending parallel to the cathode on a second cathode side, the second cathode side being opposite to the first cathode side. A vacuum deposition apparatus (500), comprising: a vacuum chamber (510); and a deposition source (100, 200, 201, 300) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cathode (230) and the first anode assembly (210, 310) are located in the vacuum chamber (510), and wherein at least one control element of the adjustment means (150, 350) is located outside the vacuum chamber (510) . The vacuum deposition apparatus of claim 17, wherein the connector assembly includes an additional electrical connection (124) for connecting the vacuum chamber (510) to an additional potential (P4), and wherein the adjustment The means are assembled for adjusting the resistance of one of the additional electrical connections (124). A method of operating a deposition source, comprising: spatially controlling at least one of a first resistance of a first electrical connection (121) and a second resistance of a second electrical connection (122) a charge flow between the cathode (130, 230) and one of the first anode section and the second anode section of the anode assembly (110), the first electrical connection being connected to a first anode section, The second electrical connection is connected to a second anode section. The method of claim 16, wherein the deposition source is a deposition source as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.