Magnetron with controlled DC power
US6824653B2 · kind B2 · utility
7Cited by
3References
13Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 21, 2003 |
| Grant date | Nov 30, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 8, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J37/3408
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A magnetron with mechanisms for smoothly and continuously adjusting a DC power applied to its targets to compensate for the changes in the sputtering characteristics of the targets that occur with target aging. A magnetron according to the present teachings includes a set of concentric targets for sputtering a film onto a wafer in response to an AC power and a DC power applied to the targets and a power controller that adjusts the DC power. The adjustments to the DC power enable the magnetron to maintain uniformity in the thicknesses of films formed with the magnetron throughout the life of its targets.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.