Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a magnetron assembly are provided herein. In some embodiments, a magnetron assembly includes a shunt plate having a central axis and rotatable about the central axis, a closed loop magnetic pole coupled to a first surface of the shunt plate and disposed 360 degrees along a peripheral edge of the shunt plate, and an open loop magnetic pole coupled at a the first surface of the shunt plate wherein the open loop magnetic pole comprises two rows of magnets disposed about the central axis.

Abstract: A magnetic field forming apparatus includes a support member having a first side and a second side coupling a first end to a second end and an axis of rotation between the first end and the second end; a first body coupled to the first end of the support member and extending away from the first side of the support member, wherein the first body has a plurality of first magnets coupled to a bottom of the first body; a second body rotatably coupled to the second end of the support member and extending away from the second side of the support member, wherein the second body has a plurality of second magnets coupled to a bottom of the second body, wherein the plurality of the first magnets are disposed about 180 degrees from the plurality of second magnets with respect to the axis of rotation of the support member.

Abstract: An integrated sputtering method and reactor for copper or aluminum seed layers in which a plasma sputter reactor initially deposits a thin conformal layer onto a substrate including a high-aspect ratio hole subject to the formation of overhangs. After the seed deposition, the same sputter reactor is used to sputter etch the substrate with energetic light ions, especially helium, having an energy sufficiently low that it selectively etches the metallization to the heavier underlying barrier layer, for example, copper over tantalum or aluminum over titanium. An RF inductive coil generates the plasma during the sputtering etching while the target power is turned off. A final copper flash step deposits copper over the bare barrier field region before copper is electrochemically plated to fill the hole. The invention also includes a simultaneous sputter deposition and sputter etch, and an energetic ion processing of the copper seed sidewall.

Abstract: An integrated sputtering method and reactor for copper or aluminum seed layers in which a plasma sputter reactor initially deposits a thin conformal layer onto a substrate including a high-aspect ratio hole subject to the formation of overhangs. After the seed deposition, the same sputter reactor is used to sputter etch the substrate with energetic light ions, especially helium, having an energy sufficiently low that it selectively etches the metallization to the heavier underlying barrier layer, for example, copper over tantalum or aluminum over titanium. An RF inductive coil generates the plasma during the sputtering etching while the target power is turned off. A final copper flash step deposits copper over the bare barrier field region before copper is electrochemically plated to fill the hole. The invention also includes a simultaneous sputter deposition and sputter etch, and an energetic ion processing of the copper seed sidewall.