Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090044748 | System with multi-location arc threshold comparators and communication channels for carrying arc detection flags and threshold updating - A plasma reactor system for processing a wafer in which respective comparators are coupled to the respective RF transient sensors which are coupled in turn to respective RF power application points. The comparators have respective comparison thresholds. The system further includes a controller programmed to updating the respective thresholds of the comparators with respective updated thresholds for different ones of the steps of the process recipe. | 02-19-2009 |
20090044750 | Apparatus for wafer level arc detection at an electrostatic chuck electrode - Wafer level arc detection is provided in a plasma reactor using an RF transient sensor sensing voltage at an electrostatic chucking electrode, the RF sensor being coupled to a threshold comparator, and a system controller responsive to the threshold comparator. | 02-19-2009 |
20090045046 | Method of multi-location ARC sensing with adaptive threshold comparison - A method of responding to voltage or current transients during processing of a wafer in a plasma reactor at each of plural RF power applicators and at the wafer support surface. For each process step and for each of the power applicators and the wafer support surface, the method includes determining an arc detection threshold lying above a noise level. The method further includes comparing each transient with the threshold determined for the corresponding power applicator or wafer support surface, and issuing an arc detect flag if the transient exceeds the threshold. | 02-19-2009 |
20090053836 | Method of wafer level transient sensing, threshold comparison and arc flag generation/deactivation - A method for processing a semiconductor wafer in a plasma reactor comprises sensing transient voltages or currents on a conductor coupled to the wafer and providing a first comparator for comparing the transient voltages or currents with a threshold level stored in the comparator. The method further includes transmitting from the comparator an arc flag signal whenever a transient voltage or current is sensed that exceeds the threshold level, and deactivating the power generator in response to the arc flag signal. | 02-26-2009 |
20090159439 | Apparatus for wafer level arc detection at an RF bias impedance match to the pedestal electrode - Wafer level arc detection is provided in a plasma reactor using an RF transient sensor coupled to a threshold comparator, and a system controller responsive to the threshold comparator. | 06-25-2009 |
20090229969 | Physical vapor deposition method with a source of isotropic ion velocity distribution at the wafer surface - In a plasma enhanced physical vapor deposition of a material onto workpiece, a metal target faces the workpiece across a target-to-workpiece gap less than a diameter of the workpiece. A carrier gas is introduced into the chamber and gas pressure in the chamber is maintained above a threshold pressure at which mean free path is less than 5% of the gap. RF plasma source power from a VHF generator is applied to the target to generate a capacitively coupled plasma at the target, the VHF generator having a frequency exceeding 30 MHz. The plasma is extended across the gap to the workpiece by providing through the workpiece a first VHF ground return path at the frequency of the VHF generator. | 09-17-2009 |
20100096261 | PHYSICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION REACTOR WITH CIRCULARLY SYMMETRIC RF FEED AND DC FEED TO THE SPUTTER TARGET - In a PVD reactor having a sputter target at the ceiling, a conductive housing enclosing the rotating magnet assembly has a central port for the rotating magnet axle. A conductive hollow cylinder of the housing surrounds an external portion of the spindle. RF power is coupled to a radial RF connection rod extending radially from the hollow cylinder. DC power is coupled to another radial DC connection rod extending radially from the hollow cylinder. | 04-22-2010 |
20120028461 | METHODS FOR DEPOSITING METAL IN HIGH ASPECT RATIO FEATURES - Methods for depositing metal in high aspect ratio features formed on a substrate are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method includes applying first RF power at VHF frequency to target comprising metal disposed above substrate to form plasma, applying DC power to target to direct plasma towards target, sputtering metal atoms from target using plasma while maintaining pressure in PVD chamber sufficient to ionize predominant portion of metal atoms, depositing first plurality of metal atoms on bottom surface of opening and on first surface of substrate, applying second RF power to redistribute at least some of first plurality from bottom surface to lower portion of sidewalls of the opening, and depositing second plurality of metal atoms on upper portion of sidewalls by reducing amount of ionized metal atoms in PVD chamber, wherein first and second pluralities form a first layer deposited on substantially all surfaces of opening. | 02-02-2012 |
20120149192 | METHODS FOR DEPOSITING METAL IN HIGH ASPECT RATIO FEATURES - Methods of depositing metal in high aspect ratio features are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of processing a substrate includes applying RF power at VHF frequency to a target comprising metal disposed in the PVD chamber above the substrate to form a plasma from a plasma-forming gas, sputtering metal atoms from the target using the plasma while maintaining a first pressure in the PVD chamber sufficient to ionize a predominant portion of the sputtered metal atoms, depositing the ionized metal atoms on a bottom surface of the opening and on a first surface of the substrate, applying a first RF power to redistribute at least some of the deposited metal atoms from the bottom surface and upper surface to sidewalls of the opening, and repeating the deposition the redistribution processes until a first layer of metal is deposited on substantially all surfaces of the opening. | 06-14-2012 |
20130008778 | PHYSICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION CHAMBER WITH CAPACITIVE TUNING AT WAFER SUPPORT - In a plasma enhanced physical vapor deposition of a material onto workpiece, a metal target faces the workpiece across a target-to-workpiece gap less than a diameter of the workpiece. A carrier gas is introduced into the chamber and gas pressure in the chamber is maintained above a threshold pressure at which mean free path is less than 5% of the gap. RF plasma source power from a VHF generator is applied to the target to generate a capacitively coupled plasma at the target, the VHF generator having a frequency exceeding 30 MHz. The plasma is extended across the gap to the workpiece by providing through the workpiece a first VHF ground return path at the frequency of the VHF generator. | 01-10-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080276958 | SUBSTRATE CLEANING CHAMBER AND CLEANING AND CONDITIONING METHODS - A substrate cleaning chamber includes a contoured ceiling electrode having an arcuate surface that faces a substrate support and has a variable cross-sectional thickness to vary the gap size between the arcuate surface and the substrate support to provide a varying plasma density across the substrate support. A dielectric ring for the cleaning chamber comprises a base, a ridge, and a radially inward ledge that covers the peripheral lip of the substrate support. A base shield comprises a circular disc having at least one perimeter wall. Cleaning and conditioning processes for the cleaning chamber are also described. | 11-13-2008 |
20090197419 | PROCESS FOR REMOVING HIGH STRESSED FILM USING LF OR HF BIAS POWER AND CAPACITIVELY COUPLED VHF SOURCE POWER WITH ENHANCED RESIDUE CAPTURE - A method of fabricating multilayer interconnect structures on a semiconductor wafer uses an interior surface of a metal lid that has been roughed to a surface roughness in excess of RA 2000 with a reentrant surface profile. The metal lid is installed as the ceiling of a plasma clean reactor chamber having a wafer pedestal facing the interior surface of the ceiling. | 08-06-2009 |
20100012029 | APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING RADIAL DISTRIBUTION OF PLASMA ION DENSITY AND ION ENERGY AT A WORKPIECE SURFACE BY MULTI-FREQUENCY RF IMPEDANCE TUNING - In a physical vapor deposition plasma reactor, a multi-frequency impedance controller is coupled between RF ground and one of (a) the bias electrode, (b) the sputter target, the controller providing adjustable impedances at a first set of frequencies, said first set of frequencies including a first set of frequencies to be blocked and a first set of frequencies to be admitted. The first multi-frequency impedance controller includes a set of band pass filters connected in parallel and tuned to said first set of frequencies to be admitted, and a set of notch filters connected in series and tuned to said first set of frequencies to be blocked. | 01-21-2010 |
20100012480 | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING RADIAL DISTRIBUTION OF PLASMA ION DENSITY AND ION ENERGY AT A WORKPIECE SURFACE BY MULTI-FREQUENCY RF IMPEDANCE TUNING - The method of performing physical vapor deposition on a workpiece includes performing at least one of the following: (a) increasing ion density over a workpiece center while decreasing ion density over a workpiece edge by decreasing impedance to ground at a target source power frequency f | 01-21-2010 |
20100089748 | CONTROL OF EROSION PROFILE ON A DIELECTRIC RF SPUTTER TARGET - The present invention generally includes a sputtering target assembly that may be used in an RF sputtering process. The sputtering target assembly may include a backing plate and a sputtering target. The backing plate may be shaped to have one or more fins that extend from the backing plate towards the sputtering target. The sputtering target may be bonded to the fins of the backing plate. The RF current utilized during a sputtering process will be applied to the sputtering target at the one or more fin locations. The fins may extend from the backing plate at a location that corresponds to a magnetic field produced by a magnetron that may be disposed behind the backing plate. By controlling the location where the RF current is coupled to the sputtering target to be aligned with the magnetic field, the erosion of the sputtering target may be controlled. | 04-15-2010 |
20100314244 | Ionized Physical Vapor Deposition for Microstructure Controlled Thin Film Deposition - Methods of processing a substrate in a PVD chamber comprising a target, a substrate and a process gas at a pressure sufficient to cause ionization of a substantial portion of species sputtered from the target are described. A capacitively coupled high density plasma is maintained by applying very high frequency power to the target. Sputtered material is ionized in the plasma and accelerated toward the substrate by a high frequency bias power applied to the substrate. The microstructure of the resultant film is controlled by modifying one or more of the pressure and the high frequency bias power. | 12-16-2010 |
20100314245 | Ionized Physical Vapor Deposition for Microstructure Controlled Thin Film Deposition - Methods of processing a substrate in a PVD chamber comprising a target, a substrate and a process gas at a pressure sufficient to cause ionization of a substantial portion of species sputtered from the target are described. A capacitively coupled high density plasma is maintained by applying very high frequency power to the target. Sputtered material is ionized in the plasma and accelerated toward the substrate by a high frequency bias power applied to the substrate. The microstructure of the resultant film is controlled by modifying one or more of the pressure and the high frequency bias power. | 12-16-2010 |
20120097104 | RF IMPEDANCE MATCHING NETWORK WITH SECONDARY DC INPUT - Embodiments of the disclosure may provide a matching network for a physical vapor deposition system. The matching network may include an RF generator coupled to a first input of an impedance matching network, and a DC generator coupled a second input of the impedance matching network. The impedance matching network may be configured to receive an RF signal from the RF generator and a DC signal from the DC generator and cooperatively communicate both signals to a deposition chamber target through an output of the impedance matching network. The matching network may also include a filter disposed between the second input and the output of the impedance matching network. | 04-26-2012 |
20120097524 | RF IMPEDANCE MATCHING NETWORK WITH SECONDARY FREQUENCY AND SUB-HARMONIC VARIANT - Embodiments of the disclosure may provide a matching network for physical vapor deposition. The matching network may include a first RF generator coupled to a deposition chamber target through a first impedance matching network having a first tuning circuit. The first RF generator may be configured to introduce a first AC signal to the deposition chamber target. The matching network may also include a second RF generator coupled to a deposition chamber pedestal through a second impedance matching network. The second RF generator may be configured to introduce a second AC signal to the deposition chamber pedestal. The first tuning circuit may be configured to modify an effect of the second AC signal on plasma formed between the deposition chamber target and the deposition chamber pedestal. | 04-26-2012 |
20130192629 | SUBSTRATE CLEANING CHAMBER AND CLEANING AND CONDITIONING METHODS - A substrate cleaning chamber includes a contoured ceiling electrode having an arcuate surface that faces a substrate support and has a variable cross-sectional thickness to vary the gap size between the arcuate surface and the substrate support to provide a varying plasma density across the substrate support. A dielectric ring for the cleaning chamber comprises a base, a ridge, and a radially inward ledge that covers the peripheral lip of the substrate support. A base shield comprises a circular disc having at least one perimeter wall. Cleaning and conditioning processes for the cleaning chamber are also described. | 08-01-2013 |