Patent · US Expired

Method for inductively-coupled-plasma-enhanced ionized physical-vapor deposition

US6197166A · kind A · utility

38Cited by
5References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 14, 1999
Grant dateMar 6, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 14, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J37/34
  • WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A system and related method are disclosed for performing inductively-coupled-plasma-enhanced ionized physical-vapor deposition process for depositing a material layer on a work piece such as a semiconductor substrate or a thin-film head substrate. Within a PVD process chamber, a plurality of inductive antenna segments axially surround a region between the PVD target/cathode assembly and the work piece. The inductive antenna segments are arranged cylindrically around (or conformlly with respect to the physical-vapor deposition target/cathode) and aligned substantially vertically with respect to the target/cathode assembly and/or the work piece. A first radio-frequency (RF) power source provides electrical power to half of the antenna segments to create a first inductively-coupled plasma source, a second RF power source provides electrical power to the remaining antenna segments to create a second inductively-coupled-plasma source. The two inductively-coupled-plasma sources are operated together to produce a multi-zone inductively-coupled-plasma source that generates a rotating inductively coupled magnetic field for uniform high-density PVD plasma generation. The system and method of…

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