Abstract: The present invention generally comprises a top shield for shielding a shadow frame within a PVD chamber. The top shield may remain in a stationary position and at least partially shield the shadow frame to reduce the amount of material that may deposit on the shadow frame during processing. The top shield may be cooled to reduce the amount of fluxuation in temperature of the top shield and shadow frame during processing and/or during down time.

Abstract: A target assembly composed of multiple target tiles bonded in an array to a backing plate of another material. The edges of the tile within the interior of the array are formed with complementary beveled edges to form slanted gaps between the tiles. The gaps may slant at an angle of between 10° and 55°, preferably 15° and 45°, with respect to the target normal. The facing sides of tiles may be roughened by bead blasting, for both perpendicular and sloping gaps. The area of the backing plate underlying the gap may be roughened or may coated or overlain with a region of the material of the target, for both perpendicular and sloping gaps.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, the invention comprises a backing plate for accommodating large area sputtering targets is disclosed. The backing plate assembly has cavities carved into the back surface of the backing plate. The backing plate may further include cooling channels that run through the backing plate to control the temperature of the backing plate and the target. The cavities may be filled with a material that has a lower density than the backing plate. Additionally, the entire back surface may be covered with the material to produce a smooth surface upon which a magnetron may move during a PVD process.

Abstract: A physical vapor deposition target assembly is configured to isolate a target-bonding layer from a processing region. In one embodiment, the target assembly comprises a backing plate, a target having a first surface and a second surface, and a bonding layer disposed between the backing plate and the second surface. The first surface of the target is in fluid contact with a processing region and the second surface of the target is oriented toward the backing plate. The target assembly may include multiple targets.

Abstract: The present invention generally comprises one or more cooled anodes shadowing one or more gas introduction tubes where both the cooled anodes and the gas introduction tubes span a processing space defined between one or more sputtering targets and one or more substrates within a sputtering chamber. The gas introduction tubes may have gas outlets that direct the gas introduced away from the one or more substrates. The gas introduction tubes may introduce reactive gas, such as oxygen, into the sputtering chamber for depositing TCO films by reactive sputtering. During a multiple step sputtering process, the gas flows (i.e., the amount of gas and the type of gas), the spacing between the target and the substrate, and the DC power may be changed to achieve a desired result.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus for processing large area substrates is provided. By introducing gas across the entire target surface, a uniform composition film may be formed on the substrate. When the gas is introduced merely at the perimeter, the gas distribution is not uniform. By providing a gas introduction tube across the processing area, the reactive gas will uniformly distribute to the whole target. Also, providing the gas tube with multiple inner tubes provides a quick, effective gas dispersion capability.

Abstract: A magnetron scanning and support mechanism in which the magnetron is partially supported from an overhead scanning mechanism through multiple springs coupled to different horizontal locations on the magnetron and partially supported from below at multiple locations on the target, on which it slides or rolls. In one embodiment, the yoke plate is continuous and uniform. In another embodiment, the magnetron's magnetic yoke is divided into two flexible yokes, for example, of complementary serpentine shape and each supporting magnets of respective polarity. The yokes separated by a gap sufficiently small that the two yokes are magnetically coupled. Each yoke has its own set of spring supports from above and rolling/sliding supports from below to allow the magnetron shape to conform to that of the target. Alternatively, narrow slots are formed in a unitary yoke.

Abstract: A magnetron scanning and support mechanism in which the magnetron is partially supported from an overhead scanning mechanism through multiple springs coupled to different horizontal locations on the magnetron and partially supported from below at multiple locations on the target, on which it slides or rolls. In one embodiment, the yoke plate is continuous and uniform. In another embodiment, the magnetron's magnetic yoke is divided into two flexible yokes, for example, of complementary serpentine shape and each supporting magnets of respective polarity. In another embodiment, the target and magnetron are divided into respective strips separated by other structure. Each magnetron strip is supported partially from above from a common scanning plate and partially on a respective target strip. A centering mechanism may align the different magnetron strips.

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 an increased anode surface area to improve the deposition uniformity on large area substrates. 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 anode assemblies that are used to increase and more evenly distribute the anode surface area throughout the processing region of the processing chamber. In one aspect, the anode assembly contains a conductive member and conductive member support. In one aspect, the processing chamber is adapted to allow the conductive member to be removed from the processing chamber without removing any major components from the processing chamber.

Abstract: One embodiment relates to a loadlock having a first support structure therein to support one unprocessed substrate and a second support structure therein to support one processed substrate. The first support structure is located above the second support structure. The loadlock includes an elevator to control the vertical position of the support structures. The loadlock also includes a first aperture to permit insertion of an unprocessed substrate into the loadlock and removal of a processed substrate from the loadlock, as well as a second aperture to permit removal of an unprocessed substrate from the loadlock and insertion of a processed substrate into the loadlock. A cooling plate is also located in the loadlock. The cooling plate includes a surface adapted to support a processed substrate thereon. A heating device may be located in the loadlock above the first support structure.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides a sputtering apparatus and method in which a sputtering target has a plurality of target sections bonded to a common backing plate. Each segment can be bonded to the common backing plate using a different bonding material. One target segment can be bonded to the backing plate using electrically conductive bonding material while another section is bonded to the backing plate using electrically insulating bonding material. Additionally, each different target section can be separately biased.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides an apparatus for processing a surface of a substrate in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber that has a sputtering target that has separately biasable sections, regions or zones 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, each of the target sections of the multizone target assembly are biased at a different cathodic biases by use of one or more DC or RF power sources. In one aspect, each of the target sections of the multizone target assembly are biased at a different cathodic biases by use of one power source and one or more resistive, capacitive and/or inductive elements. In one aspect, the processing chamber contains a multizone target assembly that has one or more ports that are adapted deliver a processing gas to the processing region of the PVD chamber.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides a method for processing a surface of a substrate in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber that has a sputtering target that has separately biasable sections, regions or zones 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, each of the target sections of the multizone target assembly are biased at a different cathodic biases by use of one or more DC or RF power sources. In one aspect, each of the target sections of the multizone target assembly are biased at a different cathodic biases by use of one power source and one or more resistive, capacitive and/or inductive elements. In one aspect, the processing chamber contains a multizone target assembly that has one or more ports that are adapted deliver a processing gas to the processing region of the PVD chamber.

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.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides an apparatus and method for processing a surface of a substrate in a PVD chamber that has a magnetron assembly whose shape can be distorted to adjust the magnetic field strength in the processing region of the deposition chamber 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 regions 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.

Abstract: Embodiments of an apparatus and method of monitoring and controlling a large area substrate processing chamber are provided. Multiple types of metrology tools can be installed in the substrate processing system to measure film properties after substrate processing in a processing chamber. Several number of a particular type of metrology tools can also be installed in the substrate processing system to measure film properties after substrate processing in a processing chamber. The metrology tools can be installed in a metrology chamber, a process chamber, a transfer chamber, or a loadlock.

Abstract: A method for making a film stack containing one or more metal-containing layers and a substrate processing system for forming the film stack on a substrate are provided. The substrate processing system includes at least one transfer chamber coupled to at least one load lock chamber, at least one first physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber configured to deposit a first material layer on a substrate, and at least one second PVD chamber for in-situ deposition of a second material layer over the first material layer within the same substrate processing system without breaking the vacuum or taking the substrate out of the substrate processing system to prevent surface contamination, oxidation, etc. The substrate processing system is configured to provide high throughput and compact footprint for in-situ sputtering of different material layers in designated PVD chambers.

Abstract: A substrate support assembly and method for controlling the temperature of a substrate within a process chamber are provided. A substrate support assembly includes an thermally conductive body comprising a stainless steel material, a substrate support surface on the surface of the thermally conductive body and adapted to support a large area substrate thereon, one or more heating elements embedded within the thermally conductive body, a cooling plate positioned below the thermally conductive body, a base support structure comprising a stainless steel material, positioned below the cooling plate and adapted to structurally support the thermally conductive body, and one or more cooling channels adapted to be supported by the base support structure and positioned between the cooling plate and the base support structure. A process chamber comprising the substrate support assembly of the invention is also provided.

Abstract: A process chamber having an reinforced chamber body is provided. The reinforced chamber body may include one or more chamber walls, a chamber bottom, and a chamber support assembly attached to an exterior side of the chamber bottom. The chamber support assembly may include one or more elongated base support structures and one or more lateral support structures connected to the one or more elongated base support structures. The process chamber may also include a plurality of substrate support pins attached to an interior side of the chamber bottom and adapted to support a large area substrate thereon.

Abstract: A sputter target assembly particularly useful for a large panel plasma sputter reactor having a target assembly sealed both to the main processing chamber and a vacuum pumped chamber housing a moving magnetron. The target assembly to which target tiles are bonded includes an integral plate with parallel cooling holes drilled parallel to the principal faces. The ends of the holes may be sealed and vertically extending slots arranged in two staggered groups on each side and machined down to respective pairs of cooling holes on opposite sides of the backing plate in pairs. Four manifolds tubes are sealed to the four groups of slots and provide counter-flowing coolant paths.