US2007051616A1PendingUtilityA1

Multizone magnetron assembly

53
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Sep 7, 2005Filed: Nov 17, 2005Published: Mar 8, 2007
Est. expirySep 7, 2025(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Hienminh Huu LeAkihiro Hosokawa
H01J 37/3455H01J 37/3408
53
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Claims

Abstract

The present invention generally provides an apparatus and method for processing a surface of a substrate in physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber that has a magnetron assembly that has separately positionable magnetron sections to improve the deposition uniformity. In general, aspects of the present invention can be used for flat panel display processing, semiconductor processing, solar cell processing, or any other substrate processing. In one aspect, the processing chamber contains one or more magnetron sections and magnetron actuators that are used to increase and more evenly distribute the magnetic field strength throughout the processing region of the processing chamber during processing.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A plasma processing chamber assembly for depositing a layer on a substrate comprising: 
 a plasma processing chamber having a processing region;    a target positioned on the plasma processing chamber so that a surface of the target is in contact with the processing region;    a magnetron assembly positioned near the target, wherein the magnetron assembly comprises: 
 a magnetron section that has one or more magnets that are magnetically coupled to the processing region; and  
 an actuator that is adapted to position the magnetron section in a direction generally perpendicular to the surface of the target; and  
   a substrate support positioned inside the plasma processing region, wherein the substrate support is adapted to support a substrate on a substrate supporting surface.    
   
   
       2 . The plasma processing chamber assembly of  claim 1 , the substrate support is adapted to support a substrate that has a processing surface that has a surface area of at least 19,500 cm 2 .  
   
   
       3 . The plasma processing chamber assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising an actuator that is adapted to position the magnetron section in a direction generally parallel to the surface of the target.  
   
   
       4 . The plasma processing chamber assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetron section has a first pole and a second pole that is magnetically coupled to the processing region through the target, wherein the first pole and the second pole are adapted to form a plasma loop that has a serpentine shape.  
   
   
       5 . The plasma processing chamber assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetron section has a first pole and a second pole that is magnetically coupled to the processing region through the target, wherein the first pole and the second pole are adapted to form a plasma loop that has a spiral shape.  
   
   
       6 . A plasma processing chamber assembly for depositing a layer on a substrate comprising: 
 a plasma processing chamber having a processing region;    a target positioned on the plasma processing chamber so that a surface of the target is in contact with the processing region;    a magnetron assembly positioned near the target, wherein the magnetron assembly comprises: 
 a first magnetron section that has one or more magnets that are magnetically coupled to the processing region;  
 a second magnetron section that has one or more magnets that are magnetically coupled to the processing region;  
 a first actuator that is adapted to position the first magnetron section in a direction generally perpendicular to the surface of the target; and  
 a second actuator that is adapted to position the first magnetron section in a direction generally parallel to the surface of the target; and  
   a substrate support positioned inside the plasma processing region, wherein the substrate support is adapted to support a substrate on a substrate supporting surface.    
   
   
       7 . The plasma processing chamber assembly of  claim 6 , the substrate support is adapted to support a substrate that has a processing surface that has a surface area of at least 19,500 cm 2 .  
   
   
       8 . The plasma processing chamber assembly of  claim 6 , further comprising a third actuator that is adapted to position the second magnetron section in a direction generally perpendicular to the surface of the target.  
   
   
       9 . The plasma processing chamber assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the first magnetron section has a first pole and a second pole that is magnetically coupled to the processing region through the target, wherein the first pole and the second pole are adapted to form a plasma loop that has a serpentine shape.  
   
   
       10 . The plasma processing chamber assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the first magnetron section has a first pole and a second pole that is magnetically coupled to the processing region through the target, wherein the first pole and the second pole are adapted to form a plasma loop that has a spiral shape.  
   
   
       11 . The plasma processing chamber assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the second actuator is also adapted to position the second magnetron section in a direction parallel to the target surface.  
   
   
       12 . The plasma processing chamber assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the first magnetron section is positioned over a center region of the target and the second magnetron section is positioned of an edge region, wherein the magnetic field strength delivered by at least a portion of the first magnetron section to the processing region is greater than the magnetic field strength delivered by the second magnetron section to the processing region.  
   
   
       13 . A plasma processing chamber assembly for depositing a layer on a substrate comprising: 
 a plasma processing chamber having a processing region;    a target positioned on the plasma processing chamber so that a surface of the target is in contact with the processing region;    a magnetron assembly positioned near to the target, wherein the magnetron assembly comprises: 
 a first magnetron section that has one or more magnets that are magnetically coupled to the processing region;  
 a second magnetron section that has one or more magnets that are magnetically coupled to the processing region, wherein the first magnetron section is nested within the second magnetron section;  
 a first actuator that is adapted to position the first magnetron section in a direction generally perpendicular to the surface of the target; and  
 a second actuator that is adapted to position the first magnetron section and the second magnetron section in a direction generally parallel to the surface of the target; and  
   a substrate support positioned inside the plasma processing region, wherein the substrate support is adapted to support a substrate on a substrate supporting surface.    
   
   
       14 . The plasma processing chamber assembly of  claim 13 , the substrate support is adapted to support a substrate that has a processing surface that has a surface area of at least 19,500 cm 2 .  
   
   
       15 . The plasma processing chamber assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising a third actuator that is adapted to position the second magnetron section in a direction generally perpendicular to the surface of the target.  
   
   
       16 . The plasma processing chamber assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the first magnetron section has a first pole and a second pole that is magnetically coupled to the processing region through the target, wherein the first pole and the second pole are adapted to form a plasma loop that has a serpentine shape.  
   
   
       17 . The plasma processing chamber assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the first magnetron section has a first pole and a second pole that is magnetically coupled to the processing region through the target, wherein the first pole and the second pole are adapted to form a plasma loop that has a spiral shape.  
   
   
       18 . The plasma processing chamber assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the second magnetron section has a first pole and a second pole that is magnetically coupled to the processing region through the target, wherein the first pole and the second pole are adapted to form a plasma loop that has a spiral shape.  
   
   
       19 . The plasma processing chamber assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the first magnetron section is positioned over a center region of the target and the second magnetron section is positioned of an edge region, wherein the magnetic field strength delivered by at least a portion of the first magnetron section to the processing region is greater than the magnetic field strength delivered by the second magnetron section to the processing region.  
   
   
       20 . A method of depositing a layer on a surface of a substrate, comprising: 
 providing a target that has a surface that contacts a processing region;    providing a magnetron section that is magnetically coupled to the processing region through the target;    depositing a conductive layer on a surface of a substrate that is positioned in the processing region; and    adjusting the position the magnetron section in a direction generally perpendicular to the surface of the target to improve the deposition uniformity across the surface of the substrate.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 providing a second magnetron section that is magnetically coupled to the processing region through the target; and    adjusting the position the second magnetron section in a direction generally perpendicular to the surface of the target to improve the deposition uniformity across the surface of the substrate.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the step of adjusting the position the magnetron section in a direction generally perpendicular to the surface of the target is continually controlled by use of a controller and an actuator.  
   
   
       23 . A method of depositing a layer on a surface of a substrate, comprising: 
 providing a target that has a surface that contacts a processing region;    providing a magnetron section that is magnetically coupled to the processing region through the target;    moving the magnetron section in a direction that is generally parallel to the surface of the target by use of an actuator;    depositing a conductive layer on a surface of a substrate that is positioned in the processing region; and    adjusting the position of the magnetron section in a direction generally perpendicular to the surface of the target while the magnetron is moving in a direction that is generally parallel to the surface of the target to improve the deposition uniformity across the surface of the substrate.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 providing a second magnetron section that is magnetically coupled to the processing region through the target;    moving the second magnetron section in a direction that is generally parallel to the surface of the target by use of the actuator; and    adjusting the position of the second magnetron section in a direction generally perpendicular to the surface of the target while the second magnetron is moving in a direction that is generally parallel to the surface of the target to improve the deposition uniformity across the surface of the substrate.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 providing a second magnetron section that is magnetically coupled to the processing region through the target;    moving the second magnetron section in a direction that is generally parallel to the surface of the target by use of a second actuator; and    adjusting the position of the second magnetron section in a direction generally perpendicular to the surface of the target while the second magnetron is moving in a direction that is generally parallel to the surface of the target to improve the deposition uniformity across the surface of the substrate.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the step of adjusting the position the magnetron section is continually controlled by use of a controller and an actuator.

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