Sputtering chamber having auxiliary backside magnet to improve etch uniformity and magnetron producing sustained self sputtering of ruthenium and tantalum

US8557094B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Xianmin Tang · San Jose, US
• Hua Chung · San Jose, US
• Rongjun Wang · Dublin, US
• Tza-Jing Gung · San Jose, US
• Praburam Gopalraja · San Jose, US
• Jick Yu · San Jose, US
• Hong Yang · Nanhu, CN

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 22, 2007
• Grant date: Oct 15, 2013
• Expiry date: Dec 17, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01J37/3455
• WIPO field: Surface technology, coating
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A plasma sputter chamber and process for sputtering ruthenium and tantalum at low pressure or with self-sustained sputtering (SSS). The source magnetron is strongly unbalanced and of sufficient size to project the unbalanced magnetic field toward the wafer to increase the ionization probability. Sputter etch uniformity is increased by the use of an auxiliary magnet system rotating with the source magnetron but placed towards the center of rotation. It may be a larger, nearly balanced auxiliary magnetron with an outer polarity matching that of the source magnetron or an array of magnets of that polarity. An integrated process includes a directional deposition of the refractory metal and its nitride, a sputter etch, and a flash deposition.