Shadow Mask for Patterned Deposition on Substrates

Abstract

A method for performing a physical vapor deposition (PVD) on a substrate is disclosed, comprising placing a substrate on a susceptor disposed below one or more PVD guns and below a plasma shield assembly having a bellows and a shadow mask coupled to a bottom side of the bellows, lowering the bellows toward the substrate to place the shadow mask in contact with the substrate; and depositing a material on an isolated region on the substrate through the shadow mask. In one implementation, the shadow mask may include a plate having openings in the shape of individual dies on the substrate, and a layer having openings in the shape of features patterned on the substrate, wherein the layer is coupled to a bottom surface of the plate by an epoxy.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for performing combinatorial processing of a substrate using physical vapor deposition (PVD), the method comprising:
 placing a substrate on a substrate support,
 wherein the substrate comprises multiple site isolated regions; 
   aligning an aperture of a plasma shield with a first site isolated region of the multiple site isolated regions,
 wherein the plasma shield separates one or more PVD guns from the substrate; 
   coupling a shadow mask to the substrate around the first site isolated region, the shadow mask comprising a cutout;   depositing a first material in the first site isolated region through the aperture of the plasma shield and the cutout of the shadow mask;   uncoupling the shadow mask from the substrate;   aligning the aperture with a second site isolated region of the multiple site isolated regions, coupling the shadow mask to the substrate around the second site isolated region; and   depositing a second material in the second site isolated region through the aperture of the plasma shield and the cutout of the shadow mask,
 wherein depositing the first material and depositing the second material are performed using different processing conditions. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of multiple site isolated regions is identified with a cross hair etched on the substrate, and wherein aligning the aperture with the first site isolated region comprises searching, using a camera, for a cross hair associated with the first site isolated region within the cutout of the shadow mask. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising, using the camera, fixing the one or more PVD guns onto the cross hair after identifying the cross hair associated with the first site isolated region within the cutout of the shadow mask. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cutout of the shadow mask comprises a pattern. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the pattern corresponds to a shape of one or more features on the substrate formed from the first material. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the pattern is defined by a membrane extending over the cutout of the shadow mask and coupled to a bottom surface of the shadow mask. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the membrane has a thickness ranging from 10 microns to 50 microns. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the membrane is attached to a stiffener plate forming the cutout. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the membrane is attached to the stiffener plate using an epoxy. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the epoxy is non-volatile. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein aligning the aperture with the first site isolated region comprises rotating the substrate support or the plasma shield. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cutout of the shadow mask has a shape of each of the multiple site isolated regions. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein after coupling the shadow mask to the substrate, the shadow mask is in direct contact with the substrate. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein multiple PVD guns are used for depositing the first materials or depositing the second material. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cutout of the shadow mask is aligned with the aperture of the plasma shield. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the shadow mask is removably attached to the plasma shield. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein uncoupling the shadow mask from the substrate comprises forming a gap between the shadow mask from the substrate. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein coupling the shadow mask to the substrate comprises lowering a below supporting the shadow mask. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein coupling the shadow mask to the substrate comprises raising the substrate support. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first material and the second material have different compositions.