US20120111270A1 - Plasma processing chamber having enhanced deposition uniformity - Google Patents
Plasma processing chamber having enhanced deposition uniformity Download PDFInfo
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- US20120111270A1 US20120111270A1 US13/160,320 US201113160320A US2012111270A1 US 20120111270 A1 US20120111270 A1 US 20120111270A1 US 201113160320 A US201113160320 A US 201113160320A US 2012111270 A1 US2012111270 A1 US 2012111270A1
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
- C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
- C23C14/00—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material
- C23C14/22—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material characterised by the process of coating
- C23C14/34—Sputtering
- C23C14/3407—Cathode assembly for sputtering apparatus, e.g. Target
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
- A61P25/00—Drugs for disorders of the nervous system
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
- C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
- C23C14/00—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material
- C23C14/22—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material characterised by the process of coating
- C23C14/34—Sputtering
- C23C14/35—Sputtering by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering
- C23C14/352—Sputtering by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering using more than one target
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
- C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
- C23C16/00—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes
- C23C16/44—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes characterised by the method of coating
- C23C16/50—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes characterised by the method of coating using electric discharges
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
- H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
- H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
- H01J37/34—Gas-filled discharge tubes operating with cathodic sputtering
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
- H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
- H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
- H01J37/34—Gas-filled discharge tubes operating with cathodic sputtering
- H01J37/3402—Gas-filled discharge tubes operating with cathodic sputtering using supplementary magnetic fields
- H01J37/3405—Magnetron sputtering
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
- H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
- H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
- H01J37/34—Gas-filled discharge tubes operating with cathodic sputtering
- H01J37/3411—Constructional aspects of the reactor
- H01J37/3414—Targets
- H01J37/3417—Arrangements
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
- H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
- H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
- H01J37/34—Gas-filled discharge tubes operating with cathodic sputtering
- H01J37/3411—Constructional aspects of the reactor
- H01J37/3435—Target holders (includes backing plates and endblocks)
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
- H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
- H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
- H01J37/34—Gas-filled discharge tubes operating with cathodic sputtering
- H01J37/3411—Constructional aspects of the reactor
- H01J37/345—Magnet arrangements in particular for cathodic sputtering apparatus
- H01J37/3452—Magnet distribution
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
- H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
- H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
- H01J37/34—Gas-filled discharge tubes operating with cathodic sputtering
- H01J37/3411—Constructional aspects of the reactor
- H01J37/345—Magnet arrangements in particular for cathodic sputtering apparatus
- H01J37/3458—Electromagnets in particular for cathodic sputtering apparatus
Abstract
A plasma-enhanced substrate processing system includes a magnetic-field generation unit that can create a substantially uniform magnetic field along an axial direction in a spatial region, a processing chamber in the spatial region, and a first planar source unit that provides a deposition material. The magnetic field can produce a plasma gas in the processing chamber, which enables the deposition material to be deposited on a substrate.
Description
- The present application claims priority to pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/411,549, entitled “Plasma processing chamber having enhanced deposition uniformity”, filed by the same inventor on Nov. 9, 2010, the disclosures of which is incorporated herein by reference.
- This application relates to materials deposition on a substrate and removal of materials from a surface in the presence of a plasma gas.
- Material deposition is widely used in window glass coating, flat panel display manufacturing, coating on flexible films, coating of magnetic materials on hard disks, industrial surface coating, semiconductor wafer processing, photovoltaic panels, and other applications. Removal of materials from a deposition source and/or a substrate is also used in these applications. Plasma is often used to enhance material deposition and material removal in many applications.
- One example is material deposition in which target materials are sputtered or vaporized from a source and deposited on a substrate. One desirable feature for material deposition is to maximize the utilization and to minimize waste of target materials. Another desirable feature for material deposition is to achieve uniform deposition across the substrates, preferably at low pressure which requires high plasma density.
- In another example, chemical gases such as silane and hydrogen are ionized in plasma and form solid deposition on substrate. One desirable feature for solid deposition is to achieve uniform plasma density across substrate surface, preferably high density plasma to enhance the breakup efficiency of the chemicals.
- Another example relates to the removal of materials from substrate or/and deposition sources. One desirable feature is to achieve uniform plasma at a low pressure and high plasma density. Another desirable feature is to process more substrate area in a given volume.
- There is therefore a need to provide uniform plasma density and thus material deposition for a wide range of applications involving material depositions and removals.
- The presently disclosed systems and methods can provide improved uniformity in large-area sputter deposition, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, low pressure sputter etch, plasma etch and cleaning, and ion assisted evaporation.
- The presently disclosed systems and methods can provide high deposition throughput by depositing on a multiple of substrate in parallel and provide deposition on both sides of a substrate if necessary.
- The disclosed systems can provide efficient and uniform material deposition in a wide range of industrial applications such as thin-film deposition, substrate etching, sputtering using DC (direct current)/RF (radio frequency) diode or magnetron, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), sputter etch, plasma etch, or reactive ion etch.
- The disclosed systems can improve target utilization and reduce material cost by using targets that are smaller than the substrates. The disclosed system can also improve the collection of the sputtered materials by enclosing the targets by a plurality of substrates. The disclosed systems can utilize thick targets to allow longer deposition cycles between target changes, thus reducing scheduled system down time. The disclosed magnetron source can improve target utilization and reduce target cost by reducing the unevenness in the erosion of the target.
- In some implementations of the disclosed systems, sources can be positioned in a central region surrounded by a plurality of substrates with deposition surfaces facing the center. Particles, ions, atoms, molecules, etc can move outward from the sources to the substrate surfaces. The sources can be positioned close to each other to achieve the improved uniformity. The substrates can be placed adjacent to each other to achieve the most material collection of the source materials by the substrates.
- The deposition and etch systems can provide deposition on large substrate while occupying relatively small footprint. The disclosed deposition and etch systems can simultaneously deposit on a plurality of large substrates. The substrates can be rigid or flexible. For example, the substrates can include webs that are fed in rolls.
- The disclosed processing system can generate high sputtering rate for magnetic and ferromagnetic target materials. The disclosed processing system allows material compositions to be controlled and varied. The disclosed processing system also allows different processing such as sputtering and ion etching to be conducted on the same substrate in the same vacuum environment. The disclosed deposition and etch systems can use reduce the usages of energy, chemicals and other materials when compared to conventional processing system.
- In one general aspect, the present invention relates to a plasma-enhanced substrate processing system which includes a magnetic-field generation unit that can create a substantially uniform magnetic field along an axial direction in a spatial region; a processing chamber in the spatial region and configured to house a first substrate; and a first planar source unit that can provide a deposition material, wherein the magnetic field can produce a plasma gas in the processing chamber, which enables the deposition material to be deposited on the first substrate.
- Implementations of the system may include one or more of the following. The magnetic-field generation unit can include an electrical coil that can carry an electrical current therein and to produce substantially uniform magnetic field in the spatial region. The electrical coil can be outside and encircles the processing chamber, and wherein the spatial region is at least partially inside the electrical coil. The electrical coil can be inside the processing chamber, and wherein the spatial region is at least partially outside the electrical coil. The first planar source unit can include a first target comprising the deposition material and a sputtering surface, wherein the magnetic field can produce the plasma gas between the sputtering surface and the first substrate, wherein the deposition material is sputtered off the first target to be deposited on the first substrate via physical vapor deposition (PVD). The first planar source unit can include a gas distribution device that can provide the deposition material in a chemical vapor, wherein the magnetic field can produce the plasma gas between the gas distribution device and the first substrate, wherein the deposition material can be deposited on the first substrate in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system can further include a plurality of planar source units, including the first planar source unit, positioned in a first closed loop, wherein the processing chamber in the spatial region can house a plurality of substrates comprising the first substrate, wherein the plurality of substrates are positioned in a second closed loop, wherein the plurality of substrates can receive deposition materials from the plurality of source units. The magnetic-field generation unit can include a plurality of permanent magnets that form a third close loop, wherein the plurality of permanent magnets in the third close loop can be moved relative to the plurality of planar source units in the first closed loop. The first closed loop can be inside the second closed loop. The second closed loop can be inside the first closed loop. At least one of the first closed loop or the second closed loop can form a polygon when viewed in the axial direction. The first substrate can be provided as or on a flexible web. The magnetic-field generation unit can include two electrical coils can create a substantially uniform magnetic field along an axial direction in a spatial region between the two electrical coils.
- In another general aspect, the present invention relates to a plasma-enhanced substrate processing system that include a magnetic-field generation unit that can create a substantially uniform magnetic field along an axial direction in a spatial region, a processing chamber in the spatial region and configured to house a first substrate, wherein the processing chamber can house a first group of substrates and a second group of substrates, wherein the first group of substrate can include a first substrate; a first group of source units including a first source unit, wherein the first group of source units can be positioned in a first closed loop, wherein the first group of substrates can be positioned in a second closed loop, wherein the magnetic field can produce a plasma gas in the processing chamber to enable deposition materials from the first group of source units to be deposited on the first group of substrates; and a second group of source units positioned in a third closed loop, wherein the second group of substrates can be positioned in a fourth closed loop, wherein the magnetic field can produce a plasma gas in the processing chamber to enable deposition materials from the second group of source units to be deposited on the second group of substrates.
- Implementations of the system may include one or more of the following. The first closed loop, the second closed loop, the third closed loop, and the fourth closed loop can be nested one in another. The magnetic-field generation unit can include an electrical coil that can carry an electrical current therein and to produce substantially uniform magnetic field in the spatial region. The electrical coil can be outside and can encircle the processing chamber, and wherein the spatial region is at least partially inside the electrical coil. The electrical coil can be inside the processing chamber, and wherein the spatial region is at least partially outside the electrical coil. The first source unit can include a first target comprising the deposition material and a sputtering surface, wherein the magnetic field can produce the plasma gas between the sputtering surface and the first substrate to allow the deposition material to be sputtered off the first target to be deposited on the first substrate via physical vapor deposition (PVD). The first source unit can include a gas distribution device that can provide the deposition material in a chemical vapor, wherein the magnetic field can produce the plasma gas between the gas distribution device and the first substrate to allow the deposition material to be deposited on the first substrate in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The first closed loop can be inside the second closed loop. The second closed loop can be inside the first closed loop.
- The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and in the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
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FIGS. 1A-1C are respectively a perspective view, a top view, and a cross-sectional view of a plasma-enhanced substrate processing system for depositing and removing materials from substrates. -
FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate respectively a top view and a cross-sectional view of an exemplified plasma-enhanced substrate processing system for depositing and removing materials from substrates in accordance with the present invention. -
FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate respectively a top view and a cross-sectional view of another exemplified plasma-enhanced substrate processing system for depositing and removing materials from substrates in accordance with the present invention. -
FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate respectively a top view and a cross-sectional view of another exemplified plasma-enhanced substrate processing system for depositing and removing materials from substrates in accordance with the present invention. -
FIGS. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views of exemplified plasma-enhanced substrate processing systems in accordance with the present invention. -
FIGS. 6A-6F are cross-sectional views of exemplified plasma-enhanced substrate processing systems having the magnetic-field generation units, the targets, and the substrates in different positions in accordance with the present invention. -
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma-enhanced substrate processing system showing separate voltage controls for different targets in accordance with the present invention. -
FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate respectively a top view and a cross-sectional view of an exemplified plasma-enhanced substrate processing system providing CVD or PECVD to substrates in accordance with the present invention. -
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a plasma-enhanced substrate processing system including a web-based substrate in accordance with the present invention. - Referring to
FIGS. 1A-1C , a plasma-enhancedsubstrate processing system 100 includes aprocessing chamber 120 that are formed in part by a plurality of sequentially connectedinner chamber walls 121 and a plurality of sequentially connectedouter chamber walls 125. Theouter chamber walls 125 form a large polygon-shaped enclosure outside of the small enclosure. The space between the small enclosure and the large enclosure defines aspace 150 that is the interior of theprocessing chamber 120. Theprocessing chamber 120 can further include alower wall 140 and anupper wall 141 to seal thespace 150. A vacuum environment can be created in thespace 150. - The
inner chamber walls 121 and theouter chamber walls 125 can be aligned substantially along adirection 175, which can be defined as the vertical direction. As shown inFIG. 1A , the cross section of theinner chamber walls 121 can form a small polygon (e.g. a hexagon) in a top view. Theouter chamber walls 125 can form a larger polygon (e.g. a hexagon) outside of the small polygon. Theinner chamber walls 121 and theouter chamber walls 125 can form several pairs of opposing chamber walls that are substantially parallel to each other. - A plurality of
substrates 115 can be held on theouter chamber walls 125. A plurality oftargets 110 can be held on theinner chamber walls 121. Thetargets 110 and thesubstrates 115 can be planar. Thesubstrates 115 and thetargets 110 can be positioned within theprocessing chamber 120 and have surfaces facing thespace 150 that can be evacuated to a vacuum environment. Eachtarget 110 includes asputtering surface 112 opposing adeposition surface 117 on asubstrate 115. The sputteringsurface 112 can be substantially flat and parallel to the vertical direction. The sputteringsurface 112 can also have other shapes such as a curved surface, or a surface not parallel to thedirection 175. For viewing simplicity, the vacuum envelope is not fully illustrated inFIGS. 1A-1C and the most of the following figures (except forFIGS. 5A and 5B ). - The
target 110 and thesubstrate 115 can be respectively held on opposinginner chamber wall 121 andouter chamber wall 125. Thetargets 110 and thesubstrate 115 can be arranged such that the sputteringsurface 112 is substantially parallel to the deposition surfaces 117 in at least lateral dimension. Theouter chamber walls 125 can form an enclosure surrounding thesubstrates 115 and thetargets 110. - A plasma gas can be generated by an electric voltage, preferably in radio frequency (RF), applied across each pair of the
targets 110 and thesubstrates 115. Thesubstrate 115 can be moved by atransport mechanism 170. As shown in the cross-sectional view inFIG. 1B (along the line C-C inFIG. 1A ), a magnetic field can be provided at the sputtering surfaces bypermanent magnet back plates 113 behind the targets 119. The magnetic fields can trap ionized electrons and increase their path lengths, which increases ionization efficiency and can lower the requirement on the operating pressure. - In some embodiments, the
targets 110 can form an inner closed loop around thespace 150 which allows the excited electrons near the sputtering surfaces of thetargets 110 to travel in a closed loop around thespace 150. Similarly, thesubstrates 115 can form an outer closed loop around thespace 150 outside of the inner closed loop formed by the targets. The closed loop of substrates ensures effective collection of materials sputtered off the targets. - The
permanent magnet single target 110, or over the plurality oftargets 110. In some embodiments, thepermanent magnets direction 175. The closed magnetic loop is adjacent to the closed loop formed by the targets. The magnetic in the closed loop can be moved by a transport mechanism (not shown) to scan across thetargets 110 along thedirection 175. The closed loop of permanent magnets around the processing chamber can achieve high utilization of the target materials because no magnetic return path is required at each target. In contrast, a conventional magnetron requires the return path for a target, which usually produces a closed loop erosion groove on the sputtering surface of the target and cannot fully erode the area at the edges adjacent to neighboring targets, which is a major cause for target waste. - The above described magnetic enhance plasma can perform sputtering deposition, PECVD, sputter etch, plasma etch, reactive ion etch, and ion assisted evaporation.
- In some embodiments, the plasma-enhanced
substrate processing system 100 can be further improved by using non-local magnetic fields (such as the ones formed by the magnetrons behind the targets), which removes the needs for a transport mechanism (not shown) that scans the magnetron relative to the target. The non-local magnetic fields can also improve sputtering and deposition uniformities, and can improve target material utilization, in comparison to many conventional deposition systems. - Referring to
FIGS. 2A and 2B (FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view along the line C-C inFIG. 2A ), a plasma-enhancedsubstrate processing system 200 includes aprocessing chamber 120 and a magnetic-field generation unit 190.FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view along the line C-C inFIG. 2A . The present invention is compatible with different types of processing chambers. In an exemplified implementation, theprocessing chamber 120 includesinner chamber walls 121 andouter chamber walls 125 defining aspace 150 therein. Theprocessing chamber 120 also includestargets 110,substrate 115, and other components similar to the plasma-enhanced substrate processing system 100 (FIGS. 1A-1C ) except no magnets are mounted on thebacking plates 113. It should be noted that the targets represent in general source units configured to provide deposition materials. The source units can also include gas delivery devices such as chemical vapor chamber. - The magnetic-
field generation unit 190 is capable of producing a uniform magnetic field in a spatial region in which theprocessing chamber 120 is positioned. In other words, theprocessing chamber 120 is immersed in a substantially parallel magnetic field in theaxial direction 180. As described in more detail below, the present invention is compatible with many configurations of magnetic generation sources. In some embodiments, the magnetic-field generation unit 190 includes an electric magnet comprisingelectrical coils 193 formed by conductive wires. Theelectrical coils 193 can be positioned outside of and encircling theprocessing chamber 120. Theelectrical coils 193 can substantially cover the full length of theprocessing chamber 120 along theaxial direction 180. - In processing operation, a voltage is applied between the
targets 110 and thesubstrates 115, which generates electrons moving at high speeds. The electrons are trapped by the Lorenz force F=eV×B in the magnetic field produced by the magnetic-field generation unit 190. The trapped electrons drift in the direction perpendicular to both the magnetic field and electron movement direction to form closed loops over the target surfaces when viewed in the axial direction (perpendicular to the viewing plane ofFIG. 2A ). The increased electron path lengths can greatly increase the ionization efficiency and the plasma density, and decrease the operating pressure. - The
electrical coils 193 produce a substantially uniform magnetic field therein, which are represented by themagnetic flux lines 195 inFIG. 2B . The current directions in theelectrical coils 193 are indicated by the dot (out of the viewing plane) and the “x” (into the viewing plane). Theprocessing chamber 120 is positioned in the spatial region having the substantially uniform magnetic field. The magnetic field represented can provide uniform high-density plasma density distribution at the sputtering surfaces of thetargets 110. Since the magnetic field is substantially uniform in a large spatial region, uniform sputter deposition, PECVD, low pressure sputter etch, plasma etch and cleaning, and ion assisted evaporation can be conducted to large substrates and targets, without the complexity and the need for a local magnetron and associated transport mechanism for scanning the magnetron relative to the target during deposition. The disclosed systems and methods thus significantly simplify design and lower the cost for large-area deposition systems. - The electric magnet in the present invention can be formed by electrical conductive wires that form a helical loop (e.g. coils). The conductive wire can be made of copper, aluminum, or other conductive materials. The electric magnet can be cooled by air, water, liquid nitrogen, liquid helium, or other media to lower the electric resistance. Superconductive electric wires can also be used to further lower resistance and to achieve high magnetic field. The typical magnetic field used ranges from 10 to 10,000 gauss. The circular electric magnet loop in the illustrations can be replaced with other shape such as polygon and other shapes of closed loops. In some embodiments, the magnetic-field generation unit can be formed by permanent magnets.
- In some embodiments, the magnetic field can be produced by an internal magnetic-field generation unit and an external magnetic-field generation unit. As shown in
FIG. 3A and 3B (FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view along the line C-C inFIG. 3A ), in a plasma-enhancedsubstrate processing system 300, a uniform magnetic field represented byflux lines 305 is produced along theaxial direction 180 by an internal magnetic-field generation unit 310 comprisingelectrical coils 315 and an external magnetic-field generation unit 320 comprisingelectrical coils 325. Theelectrical coils 315 are inside thetargets 110 while theelectrical coils 325 are outside of thesubstrates 115. Theelectrical coils 315 are nested inside theelectrical coils 325 having substantially the full length of thetarget 110 along theaxial direction 180. Theelectrical coils 315 are nested inside theelectrical coils 325 are substantially parallel to each other and can form two concentric cylinders. The electric currents in theelectrical coils 315 and theelectrical coils 325 are running in opposite directions (as indicated by the dots and “x” in the circles of the electrical coils) such that the magnetic fields generated by the internal magnetic-field generation unit 310 and the external magnetic-field generation unit 320 are in the same directions and additive to each other to form the uniform magnetic field having flux lines 305. The resulting magnetic field is stronger and more uniform than having just the external magnetic-field generation unit 320. - In some embodiments, referring to plasma-enhanced substrate processing system 400 in
FIG. 4A and 4B , only internal magnetic-field generation unit 310 is used if the magnetic uniformity is not critical. - In the present plasma-enhanced substrate processing systems, the substrates and the sputtering surfaces of the targets are usually inside a vacuum envelope. The backsides of the targets can be inside or outside of the vacuum envelope. In a plasma-enhanced
substrate processing system 500, as shown inFIG. 5A , the magnetic-field generation unit 190 is outside thevacuum chamber 510. In a plasma-enhancedsubstrate processing system 550, as shown inFIG. 5B , the magnetic-field generation unit 190 is inside thevacuum chamber 560. In theprocessing systems targets 110 and thesubstrates 115 can respectively form closed loops (top views not shown) similar to those shown inFIGS. 2A , 3A, and 4A. - Referring to
FIG. 6A , a plasma-enhancedsubstrate processing system 600 includestargets 110 that form a closed loop positioned outside thesubstrates 115 which may also form a closed loop. Externalelectrical coils 193 can provide a substantially uniform magnetic field between thetargets 110 andsubstrate 115. - In the plasma-enhanced
substrate processing systems FIGS. 6A and 6B and the plasma-enhanced substrate processing system shown inFIGS. 6C-6F , thetargets 110 and thesubstrates 115 can respectively form closed loops (top views not shown) similar to those shown inFIGS. 2A , 3A, and 4A. - As shown in
FIGS. 6B-6F , thetargets 110 and thesubstrates 115 can flexibly form different configurations of closed loops in theelectrical coils 193. Referring toFIG. 6B , a plasma-enhancedsubstrate processing system 650 includes two sets of targets that form two nested closed loops. Thesubstrates 115 are sandwiched between the two closed loops formed by the targets. Externalelectrical coils 193 can provide a substantially uniform magnetic field between thetargets 110 andsubstrate 115 in each of the closed loops. The magnetic-field generation unit (comprising for example electrical coils 193) can eliminate the needs for a large number of magnetrons and associated transport mechanisms behind the targets in the conventional substrate processing systems. A substrate can receive material deposition on two opposing surfaces. A pair of substrates can be placed back to back, both of which can receive material deposition in one processing operation. - In a plasma-enhanced substrate processing system shown in
FIG. 6C , targets 110 form an inner closed loop, which is surrounded by two closed loops of back-to-back substrates, which is in turn surrounded by a closed loop of back-to-back targets 110, which is finally surrounded by a closed loop ofsubstrates 115. Externalelectrical coils 193 outside thevacuum chamber 680 can provide a substantially uniform magnetic field between thetargets 110 andsubstrate 115 in each of the closed loops. -
FIG. 6D shows a plasma-enhanced substrate processing system in which an extra pairs of substrate and target in outer closed loops in comparison to the configurations inFIG. 6C . The outermost targets can be mounted on thevacuum chamber 680. Theelectrical coils 193 are outside thevacuum chamber 680. -
FIG. 6E shows a plasma-enhanced substrate processing system in which theelectrical coils 193 are inside thevacuum chamber 680 and outside of the closed loops oftargets 110 andsubstrates 115. -
FIG. 6F shows a plasma-enhanced substrate processing system in which several closed loops of targets and substrate nested one in another, all being in a vacuum envelope defined byinner chamber walls 685 andouter chamber walls 688. The innerelectrical coils 315 are inside theinner chamber walls 685 and the outerelectrical coils 325 are outside theouter chamber walls 685. Both innerelectrical coils 315 and the outerelectrical coils 325 are outside of the vacuum envelope. The multiple closed loops of source units (e.g. targets) and substrates are paired up and nested one in another. The substantially uniform and non-local magnetic field can enhance material depositions and associated uniformities between each pair of closed loops of source units and substrates. - In the presently disclosed plasma-enhanced substrate processing systems (e.g. as shown in
FIGS. 6A-6F ), different pairs of target and substrates can be provided with different bias voltage controls for optical material deposition or material removal for each set of substrates and targets.FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma-enhancedsubstrate processing systems 700 showing separate voltage controls 710 a-710 c for different targets 720 a-720 d in accordance with the present invention. Theelectrical coils 190 are positioned outside of thevacuum chamber 750. - The substrates can also be placed back to back with or without space between the two substrates and receive deposition from two close-loop targets or process stations. The space between two substrates can be used to contain heater, voltage biasing devices, or gas outlets. This configuration can substantially increase the number of substrates that can be processed in each process chamber and thus reduce the cost of processing.
- It should be noted that sputter deposition is used above only for the purpose of illustration. The disclosed plasma-enhanced substrate processing systems are also suitable for other processing techniques such as PECVD, sputter etches, plasma etches, and ion assisted evaporation.
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FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate respectively a top view and a cross-sectional view of an exemplified plasma-enhanced substrate processing system providing CVD or PECVD to substrates in accordance with the present invention. The plasma-enhancedsubstrate processing system 800 has most of the components the same as the plasma-enhanced substrate processing system 200 (FIGS. 2A and 2B ) except for thetargets 110 being replaced by agas distribution devices 810 which each includes holes inplates 815 covering avapor generation chamber 820. Thevapor generation chambers 820 and thesubstrates 115 can be planar. The plasma density is significantly increased enhanced by the magnetic field produced by theelectrical coils 193, which increases deposition uniformity and lowers the required bias voltage compared to conventional systems. - In sputter etch application, the bias is negative relative to target surface, the energetic ions are attracted to bombard substrate surfaces and remove materials.
-
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a plasma-enhancedsubstrate processing systems 900 in accordance with the present invention. Asubstrate 910 is moved as a flexible web or on a flexible web by a transport mechanism (not shown). Theelectrical coils 193 are positioned outside of thevacuum chamber 950 to produce magnetic field between the substrate and the target (or gas generation device for CVD). The substrates 920 can be moved relative to a plurality of deposition oretch sources electrical coils 193 for performing sequential operations such as etching and deposition. - It is understood that the disclosed processing systems are compatible with other types of magnetic-field generation devices that can produce uniform magnetic field in a large spatial region in which the targets and the substrates are positioned. The disclosed processing systems are compatible with other positions of substrates, targets, and the magnetic-field generation devices. The disclosed processing systems are compatible with many different types of processing operations such as physical vapor deposition (PVD), thermal evaporation, thermal sublimation, sputtering, CVD, PECVD, ion etching, or sputter etching. The disclosed processing systems can include other components such as load lock, transport mechanism for the substrates, etc. without deviating from the spirit of the invention. The deposition materials can be provided by sputtering targets, gas distribution device, and other types of source units without deviating from the spirit of the invention.
Claims (22)
1. A plasma-enhanced substrate processing system, comprising:
a magnetic-field generation unit configured to create a substantially uniform magnetic field along an axial direction in a spatial region;
a processing chamber in the spatial region and configured to house a first substrate; and
a first planar source unit configured to provide a deposition material, wherein the magnetic field is configured to produce a plasma gas in the processing chamber, which enables the deposition material to be deposited on the first substrate.
2. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic-field generation unit comprises an electrical coil configured to carry an electrical current therein and to produce substantially uniform magnetic field in the spatial region.
3. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 2 , wherein the electrical coil is outside and encircles the processing chamber, and wherein the spatial region is at least partially inside the electrical coil.
4. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 2 , wherein the electrical coil is inside the processing chamber, and wherein the spatial region is at least partially outside the electrical coil.
5. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the first planar source unit comprises a first target comprising the deposition material and a sputtering surface, wherein the magnetic field is configured to produce the plasma gas between the sputtering surface and the first substrate, wherein the deposition material is sputtered off the first target to be deposited on the first substrate via physical vapor deposition (PVD).
6. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the first planar source unit comprises a gas distribution device configured to provide the deposition material in a chemical vapor, wherein the magnetic field is configured to produce the plasma gas between the gas distribution device and the first substrate, wherein the deposition material is deposited on the first substrate in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).
7. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of planar source units, including the first planar source unit, positioned in a first closed loop, wherein the processing chamber in the spatial region is configured to house a plurality of substrates comprising the first substrate, wherein the plurality of substrates are positioned in a second closed loop, wherein the plurality of substrates are configured to receive deposition materials from the plurality of source units.
8. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 7 , wherein the magnetic-field generation unit comprises a plurality of permanent magnets that form a third close loop, wherein the plurality of permanent magnets in the third close loop are configured to be moved relative to the plurality of planar source units in the first closed loop.
9. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 7 , wherein the first closed loop is inside the second closed loop.
10. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 7 , wherein the second closed loop is inside the first closed loop.
11. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first closed loop or the second closed loop forms a polygon when viewed in the axial direction.
12. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate is provided as or on a flexible web.
13. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic-field generation unit comprises two electrical coils configured to create a substantially uniform magnetic field along an axial direction in a spatial region between the two electrical coils.
14. A plasma-enhanced substrate processing system, comprising:
a magnetic-field generation unit configured to create a substantially uniform magnetic field along an axial direction in a spatial region;
a processing chamber in the spatial region and configured to house a first substrate, wherein the processing chamber is configured to house a first group of substrates and a second group of substrates, wherein the first group of substrate comprise a first substrate;
a first group of source units including a first source unit, wherein the first group of source units are positioned in a first closed loop, wherein the first group of substrates are positioned in a second closed loop, wherein the magnetic field is configured to produce a plasma gas in the processing chamber to enable deposition materials from the first group of source units to be deposited on the first group of substrates; and
a second group of source units positioned in a third closed loop, wherein the second group of substrates are positioned in a fourth closed loop, wherein the magnetic field is configured to produce a plasma gas in the processing chamber to enable deposition materials from the second group of source units to be deposited on the second group of substrates.
15. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 14 , wherein the first closed loop, the second closed loop, the third closed loop, and the fourth closed loop are nested one in another.
16. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 14 , wherein the magnetic-field generation unit comprises an electrical coil configured to carry an electrical current therein and to produce substantially uniform magnetic field in the spatial region.
17. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 16 , wherein the electrical coil is outside and encircles the processing chamber, and wherein the spatial region is at least partially inside the electrical coil.
18. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 16 , wherein the electrical coil is inside the processing chamber, and wherein the spatial region is at least partially outside the electrical coil.
19. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 14 , wherein the first source unit comprises a first target comprising the deposition material and a sputtering surface, wherein the magnetic field is configured to produce the plasma gas between the sputtering surface and the first substrate to allow the deposition material to be sputtered off the first target to be deposited on the first substrate via physical vapor deposition (PVD).
20. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 14 , wherein the first source unit comprises a gas distribution device configured to provide the deposition material in a chemical vapor, wherein the magnetic field is configured to produce the plasma gas between the gas distribution device and the first substrate to allow the deposition material to be deposited on the first substrate in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).
21. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 14 , wherein the first closed loop is inside the second closed loop.
22. The plasma-enhanced substrate processing system of claim 14 , wherein the second closed loop is inside the first closed loop.
Priority Applications (1)
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US13/160,320 US20120111270A1 (en) | 2010-11-09 | 2011-06-14 | Plasma processing chamber having enhanced deposition uniformity |
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US41156910P | 2010-11-09 | 2010-11-09 | |
US13/160,320 US20120111270A1 (en) | 2010-11-09 | 2011-06-14 | Plasma processing chamber having enhanced deposition uniformity |
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US13/160,320 Abandoned US20120111270A1 (en) | 2010-11-09 | 2011-06-14 | Plasma processing chamber having enhanced deposition uniformity |
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Cited By (1)
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CN113529043A (en) * | 2020-08-14 | 2021-10-22 | 台湾积体电路制造股份有限公司 | Deposition system and method |
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US8741888B2 (en) | 2014-06-03 |
US20120214793A1 (en) | 2012-08-23 |
WO2012064349A1 (en) | 2012-05-18 |
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