Abstract: A target assembly including a plurality of target tiles bonded to a backing plate by adhesive, for example of indium or conductive polymer, filled into recesses in the backing plate formed beneath each of the target tiles. A sole peripheral recess formed as a rectangular close band may be formed inside the tile periphery. Additional recesses may be formed inside the peripheral recess, preferably symmetrically arranged about perpendicular bisectors of rectangular tiles. The depth and width of the recesses may be varied to control the amount of stress and the stress direction.

Abstract: A metal silicide layer is formed on silicon-containing features of a substrate in a chamber. A metal film is sputter deposited on the substrate and a portion of the sputter deposited metal film is silicided. In the process, sputtering gas is energized by applying an electrical bias potential across the metal sputtering target and the substrate support to sputter deposit metal from a target onto the substrate. At least a portion of the deposited sputtered metal is silicided by heating the substrate to a silicidation temperature exceeding about 200° C. to form a combined sputtered metal and metal silicide layer on the substrate. The remaining sputtered metal can be silicided by maintaining the substrate at the silicidation temperature to form the metal silicide layer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for regulating the temperature of substrates positioned within a chamber are provided. In one embodiment, a substrate support pin is provided that includes a body having a substrate support region defined at a first end and a mounting region defined at a second end of the body. A mounting feature is formed at the mounting region and is adapted to couple the body to a vacuum chamber body. A passage extends from the mounting region to the support region. An outlet formed through the body and orientated at an angle greater than zero relative to a centerline of the body is p provided to deliver fluids flowing through the passage out the first end of the body. In another embodiment, a chamber includes a pin configured to provide a temperature controlled fluid to an underside of a substrate supported on the pin.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for uniformly eroding a sputtering target is disclosed. As a racetrack shaped magnetic field formed by a magnetron moves across the sputtering surface of the sputtering target, one or more magnets within the magnetron may swing or pivot relative to other magnets within the magnetron to reduce magnetic field pinching at the turns in the racetrack shaped magnetic field. The swinging or pivoting magnets alter the location on the magnetic field at a turn in the racetrack shape where the coordinate of the magnetic field perpendicular to the sputtering surface equals zero. By altering the location, sputtering target erosion uniformity may be increased.

Abstract: A magnetron assembly including one or more magnetrons each forming a closed plasma loop on the sputtering face of the target. The target may include multiple strip targets on which respective strip magnetrons roll and are partially supported on a common support plate through a spring mechanism. The strip magnetron may be a two-level folded magnetron in which each magnetron forms a folded plasma loop extending between lateral sides of the strip target and its ends meet in the middle of the target. The magnets forming the magnetron may be arranged in a pattern having generally uniform straight portions joined by curved portion in which extra magnet positions are available near the corners to steer the plasma track. Multiple magnetrons, possibly flexible, may be resiliently supported on a scanned support plate and individually partially supported by rollers on the back of one or more targets.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a physical vapor deposition apparatus and a method for sputtering. When sputtering from a plurality of sputtering targets, a plurality of magnetrons may be used. The number of magnetrons may correspond to the number of targets. Each magnetron may be different to control the amount of material deposited from each sputtering target and the specific location on the sputtering target that is sputtered. The magnetrons may be spaced a different distance from the backing plate and hence, the target. The magnetrons may be of different sizes. The magnetrons may have a different magnetic path. The magnetrons may have a different pitch. The magnetrons may have a different magnitude. By tailoring the distance, size, path, pitch, and magnitude, uniform sputtering and target erosion may be achieved.

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: 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 structure edges to form a gap between the tiles having at least a portion that is inclined to the target normal. The gap may be simply beveled and slant at an angle of between 10° and 55°, preferably 15° and 50°, with respect to the target normal or they may be convolute with one portion horizontal or otherwise inclined to prevent a line of sight from the bottom to top. The area of the backing plate underlying the gap may be coated or overlain with a foil of the material of the target, for both perpendicular and sloping gaps, and have a polymeric foil adjacent an elastomeric bonding layer to exclude bonding material from the gap.

Abstract: In a magnetron sputtering chamber, a substrate is placed in the chamber and a deposition shield is maintained about the substrate to shield internal surfaces in the chamber. The deposition shield has a textured surface that may be formed by a hot pressing process or by a coating process, and that allows the accumulated sputtered residues to stick thereto without flaking off. An electrical power is applied to a high density sputtering target facing the substrate to form a plasma in the chamber while a rotating magnetic field of at least about 300 Gauss is applied about the target to sputter the target. Advantageously, the sputtering process cycle can be repeated for at least about 8,000 substrates without cleaning the internal surfaces in the chamber, and even while still generating an average particle count on each processed substrate of less than 1 particle per 10 cm2 of substrate surface area.

Abstract: A method of depositing a dielectric film, such as tantalum oxide, on a substrate is described. In one example, a substrate is placed in a process zone to face a metal target and a pulsed DC voltage is applied to the target. A sputtering gas comprising a non-reactive component and an oxygen-containing component is introduced to the process zone in a volumetric flow ratio selected to achieve the desired x and y values in the deposited dielectric film, for example, in the deposition of a non-stoichiometric TaxOy film or in the deposition of a tantalum oxide film in which the oxidation state of tantalum is less than +5. The sputtering gas is removed from the process zone by condensing at least some of the non-reactive component on a cooled surface external to the process zone, and exhausting at least some of the oxygen-containing component from the process zone with moving rotors. A multiple layer dielectric film having different stoichiometric ratios in the layers can also be deposited by the instant method.

Abstract: In a method of depositing a titanium oxide layer on a substrate, a substrate is placed on a support in a process zone of a sputtering chamber. A target containing titanium faces the substrate. A sputtering gas containing an oxygen-containing gas, such as oxygen, and a non-reactive gas, such as argon, is introduced into the process zone. A pulsed DC voltage is applied to the target to sputter titanium from the target. The sputtered titanium combines with oxygen from the oxygen-containing gas to form a titanium oxide layer on the substrate. A multiple layer titanium oxide deposition process may also be implemented.

Abstract: In a magnetron sputtering chamber, a substrate is placed in the chamber and a deposition shield is maintained about the substrate to shield internal surfaces in the chamber. The deposition shield has a textured surface that may be formed by a hot pressing process or by a coating process, and that allows the accumulated sputtered residues to stick thereto without flaking off. An electrical power is applied to a high density sputtering target facing the substrate to form a plasma in the chamber while a rotating magnetic field of at least about 300 Gauss is applied about the target to sputter the target. Advantageously, the sputtering process cycle can be repeated for at least about 8,000 substrates without cleaning the internal surfaces in the chamber, and even while still generating an average particle count on each processed substrate of less than 1 particle per 10 cm2 of substrate surface area.

Abstract: In a method of depositing a titanium oxide layer on a substrate, a substrate is placed on a support in a process zone of a sputtering chamber. A target containing titanium faces the substrate. A sputtering gas containing an oxygen-containing gas, such as oxygen, and a non-reactive gas, such as argon, is introduced into the process zone. A pulsed DC voltage is applied to the target to sputter titanium from the target. The sputtered titanium combines with oxygen from the oxygen-containing gas to form a titanium oxide layer on the substrate. A multiple layer titanium oxide deposition process may also be implemented.