Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for enhancing uniformity of a metal film formed on a substrate with the aid of an inductively coupled plasma

US5902461A · kind A · utility

65Cited by
17References
39Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 3, 1997
Grant dateMay 11, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 3, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J37/3266
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus and method for sputtering ionized material onto a substrate with the aid of an inductively coupled plasma which ionizes the material, which apparatus includes: a support member having a support surface for supporting a substrate; a target constituting a source of sputtering material; a coil for generating a plasma which is inductively coupled to the coil and which ionizes material sputtered from the target; and components for piacing the support member at a potential which causes ionized material to be attracted to the support member. Magnets are provided to generate a magnetic field which is defined by magnetic field lines that lie in planes substantially perpendicular to the support surface and which have a constant polarity around the support surface.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.