Abstract: An apparatus and method for compensating the process-related asymmetries produced in physical vapor processing of a surface. The apparatus and method may be used on either a substrate when sputtering material from a source or when using an ionized physical vapor deposition (IPVD) apparatus to either deposit a film onto or remove material from a substrate. A compensating magnet is configured and positioned to produce a compensating magnetic field. The compensating magnetic is positioned to offset the effects of chamber and process-related asymmetries, particularly those that affect the distribution of plasma processing on a substrate where the plasma has been otherwise symmetrically produced. Assymetries about an axis of the substrate, for example, are corrected, in, for example, systems such as sputter coating machines where a rotating magnet cathode or other such technique produces an initially symmetrical plasma.

Abstract: A wafer processing apparatus is provided with sealing ports between adjacent evacuatable chambers that are actuated to compress elastomeric seals carried by the valve sealing elements to differing degrees of compression, based on the amount of pressure differential between the chambers when sealed. The degree of compression is controlled so that less compression of the seal takes place when less is required to seal, such as with lower pressure differentials, thereby avoiding unnecessary fatigue and wear of and around the seals that would otherwise increase the generation of particulate contamination.

Abstract: A sputtering target is pretextured, prior to being subjected to the initial sputter precleaning and use in a sputter processing apparatus, by artificially roughening the sputtering surface of the target to produce a texture which functions, when used in the sputter coating of substrates, in a manner equivalent to the surface of a target roughened by an hour or more of a sputter burn-in process. The surface is textured by the machining of grooves or other irregular microstructure therein, by chemical etching, by mechanical abrading, or by another means other than sputter processing. A 0.05 to 3.0 millimeter texture size such as achieved with annular V-grooves 0.025 inches deep and spaced at 0.0625 inches is preferred.

Abstract: A sputtering target assembly in which the region of attachment between the sputtering target and the backing plate has varying stiffness, thereby reducing stresses in the target during sputtering. In the region of attachment, the backing plate has varying thickness, for example a smooth taper. Alternatively, the backing plate may include structures which affect the stiffness of the backing plate in the region of attachment. These structures may be defined by machining, molding or forging during manufacture of the backing plate, or by machining or drilling voids in the backing plate. As a second alternative, the bonding material used to attach the sputtering target and the backing plate may have a varying stiffness across the region of attachment.

Abstract: The aperture plate of the present invention is positioned between a sputter target and a substrate to be coated with a film of target material. The substantially non-collimating plate contains a plurality of apertures which intercept a percentage of the sputter particles while allowing other sputter particles to be deposited upon the substrate to form the film. The rate of deposition achieved by the aperture plate is less than the rate of sputtering so that the target may be sputtered at a sufficiently higher rate to reduce the formation of a reactant film on the sputter target while the deposition rate is sufficiently low to allow adequate reaction between a reactive gas and sputter particles to form the desired reactant film on the substrate. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the apertures of the plate have different aspect ratios or different densities in various different regions of the plate to achieve various different deposition rates in different areas of the substrate.

Abstract: A sputter coating apparatus particularly useful for applying sputtered films, particularly reactively produced sputtered films such as titanium nitride, onto semiconductor wafers, is provided with a collimator that includes a grid of vanes for restricting the paths available for the sputtered material to take from the target toward the wafer. A flow of fresh reactive gas is maintained on the surface of the wafer by gas outlets carried by vanes of the collimator. The outlets are supplied with the gas through passages provided in the vanes, so that the gas supply does not contribute to the shadowing of the sputtered material from the wafer except in accordance with the intended shadowing for which the collimator is provided.

Abstract: A pressure sealed chamber such as a load lock for a apparatus for processing substrates is provided with a guide plate spaced from a substrate supported therein so as to form a gap which covers the substrate surface to be protected from particulate contamination. During the filling of the chamber and during the evacuation of the chamber, by either pumping or venting, clean gas is introduced through an orifice in the center of the plate so as to flow outwardly from the edge of the gap at a pressure sufficient to deflect or otherwise reduce the number of turbulent gas borne particulates in the chamber from entering the gap and contaminating the surface to be protected of the substrate. During the filling of the chamber, all or some of the gas filling the chamber is introduced through the gap. During the evacuation of the chamber, gas is introduced through the gap at a flow rate less that of the evacuating gas.

Abstract: A plasma confining magnetic field is generated over the sputtering region of a sputtering target with a critical field line which determines the shape of the plasma. The critical field line is progressively flattened over the course of the life of the target as the target erodes. Preferably, the magnet is configured with poles spaced around the portion of the target below the sputtering region to provide a magnetic field that flattens as its strength decreases. A regulated power supply maintains a regulated power level that is increased as the target erodes to maintain a constant deposition rate. The voltage delivered by the power supply is maintained at or above a constant level by progressively decreasing the current to an electromagnet to progressively reduce the field strength and flatten the field. As a result of the invention, the erosion groove of the target is broadened and the number of wafers coated by the target during its life is increased.

Abstract: A sputter coating apparatus displays set and alternative machine parameters, entered or calculated from entered or measured data, for selection by the operator. The apparatus performs a sputter coating process to produce sputter coated articles in accordance with the selected machine parameters. Process parameters familiar to the person creating the process, such as desired coating thickness and desired deposition rate, may be entered by the operator. Measured data such as actual coating thickness at a plurality of points on a previously processed wafer may be entered by an operator or automatically measured from a wafer. Alternative machine parameters such as target sputtering power may be entered by an operator or calculated from entered process parameters or measured data. The operator selects and initiates a process in accordance with the selections by entering commands.

Abstract: A bias sputter coating apparatus is provided with a cathode target assembly having a central electrode which is maintainable at an adjustable voltage level which is negative with respect to the chamber anode but positive with respect to the cathode voltage and the bias voltage on the substrate. The apparatus is used to manufacture sputter coated articles such as semiconductor wafers. The method provides that the voltage on the central electrode is adjusted to a level which improves the ion flux distribution uniformity on the substrate. The electrode voltage is generally optimized in the range of from -8 volts to -20 volts.

Abstract: A magnetron sputtering method and apparatus employing a one-piece annular target having a concave continuously smooth surface with an inwardly facing portion close to and surrounding the outer edge of a stepped wafer provides a sputtering surface with areas facing the differently facing surfaces of the wafer steps. Two concentric erosion zones on the target surface are independently energized at different electrical parameter values by synchronizing the power applied to the single target with switched activation of plasmas overlying the respective target regions which define the erosion zones. The electrical parameters and the geometry are established so as to uniformly coat the differently facing surfaces of the stepped wafer. During part of the duty cycle during which each target region is energized, parameters may be measured. Such parameters may be those which vary with changes in geometry as for example may be due to target erosion.

Abstract: The apparatus is provided with a main chamber divided into two chamber halves by a rotatable index plate. The plate rotates through a load lock station, through which wafer-like articles are inserted into and removed from the main chamber, and a series of processing stations, at each of which a process such as etching or sputter coating can be performed simultaneously upon different objects and sequentially upon the same objects. Each processing chamber is isolatable from the main chamber and other processing chambers during processing so that different substrates can be processed simultaneously at the various stations using different processes without cross contamination. Substrate holders resiliently mounted on the plate move transversely when compressed between a cup shaped back-plane device and the main chamber wall to separately seal each of the processing chambers from the main chamber.

Abstract: A magnetron sputtering apparatus and method, in which the ion flux bombarding the substrate is made uniform. Countermagnet means are chosen and positioned such that the vertical components of the countermagnet field are of opposite direction and equal magnitude to the vertical components of the cathode magnet in the vicinity of the substrate. Thus, the cathode magnetic field lines become substantially flat in the vicinity of the substrate and do not cause the ion flux to be distributed on the substrate surface in a non-uniform manner. Measurement of ion current density on the substrate surface during operation of the invention reveals that the invention provides substantially constant flux at all points on the substrate surface.

Abstract: An improved cathode and sputtering target design for sputter coating, permitting operation with larger cathodes and at higher power levels than heretofore possible. The cathode and target assembly includes a cathode body, a target holder, and a sputtering target. The cathode body functions as a magnetic pole piece, a portion of the cooling system, and a mechanical stabilizer for the target. The target holder also provides cooling, by means of cooling passages and by intermeshing cooling means in contact with the target. The sputtering target has an arch-like face that promotes a controlled plastic deformation in a preselected direction, so that heat-induced expansion during operation results in the target being urged into forceful, intimate contact with at least two cooled surfaces.

Abstract: A substrate support electrode for use in plasma processing equipment has a book-shaped prismatic body containing a magnet core with flange-like pole pieces at each end to provide a longitudinal magnetic field wrapped around the electrode body. An auxiliary field-shaping magnet spaced from a substrate support face of the electrode body, with each of its poles adjacent to the pole piece electrode body with each of its poles adjacent to the of like polarity of the electrode, flattens the magnetic field adjacent to the electrode support surface to produce a thin plasma of substantially uniform thickness close to the electrode surface.

Abstract: The film deposition rate of metallic compounds onto a substrate in a vacuum chamber by reactive sputtering or reactive ion plating is significantly increased by providing a substrate support with spaced apart magnetic poles to create a magnetic field having lines of force which leave the support, extend across a surface of the substrate exposed to a metallic coating source and re-enter the support to enclose the exposed surface in a localized magnetic electron-trapping field. A reactive gas is fed into the chamber, and a bias voltage is applied to the substrate support sufficient to create a dense glow discharge of ionized reactive gas closely adjacent to the substrate surface. The reactive gas ions react with metallic particles deposited on the exposed substrate surface from the coating source to form a film of the desired metallic compound.

Abstract: A cathode assembly for use in a magnetron sputtering system, the system having a cathode assembly with parallel elongated target segments which are formed substantially of a material which is desired to be sputter-deposited onto a substrate. The elongated target segments are each provided with a material removal surface which is inclined toward the other segment with respect to the plane of the substrate. Such inclination permits the material which is removed from the target bars to be focused onto a relatively narrow area, thereby improving the efficiency of the sputtering operation and reducing machine down-time for cleaning and vacuum pumping. In other embodiments, end target segments are provided for improving the efficiency of film deposition near the ends of the elongated bars. The end target segments are provided with material removal surfaces which are also inclined, and connect with the elongated target segments to form a rectangular frame arrangement.

Abstract: A cathode assembly for use in a magnetron sputtering system, the system having a cathode assembly with parallel elongated target segments which are formed substantially of a material which is desired to be sputter-deposited onto a substrate. The elongated target segments are each provided with a material removal surface which is inclined toward the other segment with respect to the plane of the substrate. Such inclination permits the material which is removed from the target bars to be focused onto a relatively narrow area, thereby improving the efficiency of the sputtering operation and reducing machine down-time for cleaning and vacuum pumping. End target segments are provided for improving the efficiency of film deposition near the ends of the elongated bars. The end target segments are provided with material removal surfaces which are also inclined, and connect with the elongated target segments to form a rectangular frame arrangement.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for plasma treating a substrate in a hermetic chamber with a magnetic field having lines of force which leave a support, extend across the surface of the substrate and re-enter the support to enclose the substrate exposed surface in a magnetic electron-trapping field. The voltage applied to the substrate support is adjusted to produce a dense glow discharge closely adjacent the substrate surface for reacting chemically therewith.

Abstract: A magnetron cathode assembly for use in a cathode sputtering apparatus includes a support means for a rectangular frame-like annular target and spaced apart inner and outer pole pieces fastened to the support member and providing a rectangular annular channel for mounting the target in electrically and thermally conductive contact with the support means. Preferably, the target is a set of four straight bars shaped at the ends to assemble together as a rectangular frame. Target bars having a symmetrical hourglass cross section with overhanging flanged side portions adjacent to front and rear faces are adapted to be reversibly clamped to the support means by the inner and outer poles for simple and rapid replacement in the field, said hourglass shape providing maximum utilization of target material.