Patent EP0148504A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0148504A2
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EP
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Method and apparatus for sputtering
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1984-12-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-12-27
Abstract
Abstract A pair of magnets (41, 42; 58, 59) for producing a mirror magnetic field are disposed outside of an electrode structure (33) carrying a target (21). Microwaves from a microwave source (35) are introduced toward and into a space defined by the mirror magnetic field for generating high-density plasma. While maintaining this high-density plasma over a wide area of the surface of the target, an electric field substantially perpendicular to the surface of the target is applied for sputtering of the target material. The optimized conditions for plasma generation can be selected when the high-density plasma formed outside of a processing chamber (29) is guided to migrate toward an area above the target in the processing chamber. Capability of sputtering of the material from the entire surface of the target increases the rate of film deposition on a substrate (31) and improves the target utilization rate (the quantity of the material deposited on the substrate/the usable area of the target).
Inventors
- 👤 Hiroshi Saito
- 👤 Hideki Tateishi
- 👤 Shigeru Kobayashi
- 👤 Susumu Aiuchi
- 👤 Yasumichi Suzuki
- 👤 Masao Sakata
- 👤 Hideaki Shimamura
- 👤 Tsuneaki Kamei
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 19:53
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/32009; H01J37/32192; C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/22; C23C14/34; C23C14/46; H01J37/32431; H01J37/3266; H01J37/34
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
129 words
A method for sputtering including disposing an electrode structure (33; 47, 52) carrying a target (21; 45) opposite to a substrate (31) and causing sputtering of the target material from said target by the action of plasma for deposition of a thin film on the surface of said substrate, said method comprising the steps of: maintaining plasma at a high-density in an area above the surface of said target; and accelerating ions in said high-density plasma toward and onto the surface of said target by the action of an electric field established by said electrode structure to cause impingement of the ions against the surface of said target thereby causing sputtering of the target material from said target for deposition of the film on the surface of said substrate.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
129 words
A method for sputtering including disposing an electrode structure (33; 47, 52) carrying a target (21; 45) opposite to a substrate (31) and causing sputtering of the target material from said target by the action of plasma for deposition of a thin film on the surface of said substrate, said method comprising the steps of: maintaining plasma at a high-density in an area above the surface of said target; and accelerating ions in said high-density plasma toward and onto the surface of said target by the action of an electric field established by said electrode structure to cause impingement of the ions against the surface of said target thereby causing sputtering of the target material from said target for deposition of the film on the surface of said substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
59 words
A sputtering method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said step of maintaining said plasma includes disposing a pair of magnets (41, 42; 58, 59) outside of said electrode structure (33) for producing a mirror magnetic field, and directing microwaves toward and into the space defined by said mirror magnetic field, thereby generating said high-density plasma in said space.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
A sputtering method as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the magnetic lines of force of said mirror magnetic field do not substantially form a closed loop inside the electrode structure carrying said target (21).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
70 words
A sputtering method as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said space is defined in a high-density plasma generating chamber (37) disposed adjacent to a processing chamber (29) containing said electrode structure (33) and said substrate (31) therein, and said step of maintaining said high-density plasma includes guiding said plasma to migrate from said high-density plasma generating chamber (37) toward the area above said target (21) in said processing chamber (29).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
A sputtering method as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said high-density plasma generating chamber (37) includes an opening (34) opening toward a point above said target (21) and communicates with a microwave source (35) through a microwave-permeable window (39) disposed between the pair of said magnets (41, 42) producing said mirror magnetic field.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
A sputtering method as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said mirror magnetic field has a strength greater than the value required for satisfying the condition of electron cyclotron resonance with the microwaves used, and its strength on the side of said window (39) is larger than that on the side of said opening (34).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
A sputtering method as claimed in Claim 6, further comprising the step of generating a magnetic field along the surface of said target (45) for accelerating migrating electrons toward said target and trapping the electrons in an area near said target.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A sputtering method as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the axis of said plasma generating chamber (37) is horizontal and lies above said target (21).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
52 words
A sputtering method as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said space is defined in the vicinity of the surface of said target (21), and said magnet pair (58, 59) for establishing the mirror magnet field are disposed around said processing chamber (29) containing said electrode structure (33) and said substrate (31) therein.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
A sputtering method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said mirror magnetic field has magnetic lines of force of a configuration covering said target (21) for trapping electrons in an area near said target.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
203 words
A method for sputtering including disposing an electrode structure (33) carrying a target (21) opposite to a substrate (31) and causing sputtering of the target material from said target by the action of plasma for deposition of a thin film on the surface of said substrate, said method comprising the steps of: introducing a gas for forming plasma; producing a mirror magnetic field in a second space (37) which is outside of and adjoins a first space (29) containing said electrode structure and said substrate disposed opposite to each other, said second space having its central axis extending toward an area above said target; directing microwaves toward the area above said target in a relation substantially coaxial with said mirror magnetic field, thereby producing high-density plasma in said second space; causing migration of said high-density plasma toward the area above said target in said first space; and applying a voltage across said electrode structure to establish an electric field substantially perpendicular to the surface of said target for bringing ions in the migrated plasma into impingement against the surface of said target, thereby causing sputtering of the target material from said target for deposition of the film on the surface of said substrate.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
203 words
A method for sputtering including disposing an electrode structure (33) carrying a target (21) opposite to a substrate (31) and causing sputtering of the target material from said target by the action of plasma for deposition of a thin film on the surface of said substrate, said method comprising the steps of: introducing a gas for forming plasma; producing a mirror magnetic field in a second space (37) which is outside of and adjoins a first space (29) containing said electrode structure and said substrate disposed opposite to each other, said second space having its central axis extending toward an area above said target; directing microwaves toward the area above said target in a relation substantially coaxial with said mirror magnetic field, thereby producing high-density plasma in said second space; causing migration of said high-density plasma toward the area above said target in said first space; and applying a voltage across said electrode structure to establish an electric field substantially perpendicular to the surface of said target for bringing ions in the migrated plasma into impingement against the surface of said target, thereby causing sputtering of the target material from said target for deposition of the film on the surface of said substrate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
A sputtering method as claimed in Claim 11, further comprising the step of generating a magnetic field above said target (21) in a relation substantially parallel to the surface of said target and imparting rotary motion to the electrons.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
106 words
A sputtering apparatus including an electrode structure (33; 47, 52) carrying a target (21; 45) thereon, a substrate supporting structure (32) supporting a substrate (31) opposite to said target, and means for generating high-density plasma for causing sputtering of the target material from said target for deposition of a thin film on the surface of said substrate, said apparatus comprising: a pair of magnets (41, 42; 58, 59) disposed at a place remote from said electrode structure, said magnet pair establishing a mirror magnetic field defining a high-density plasma generating space; and a microwave source (35) directing microwaves toward and into said high-density plasma generating space.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
106 words
A sputtering apparatus including an electrode structure (33; 47, 52) carrying a target (21; 45) thereon, a substrate supporting structure (32) supporting a substrate (31) opposite to said target, and means for generating high-density plasma for causing sputtering of the target material from said target for deposition of a thin film on the surface of said substrate, said apparatus comprising: a pair of magnets (41, 42; 58, 59) disposed at a place remote from said electrode structure, said magnet pair establishing a mirror magnetic field defining a high-density plasma generating space; and a microwave source (35) directing microwaves toward and into said high-density plasma generating space.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
A sputtering apparatus as claimed in Claim 13, wherein said mirror magnetic field has a strength greater than that required for satisfying the condition of electron cyclotron resonance of said microwaves.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
56 words
A sputtering apparatus as claimed in Claim 14, wherein said high-density plasma generating space is defined at a place remote from said electrode structure (33), and said electrode pair (41, 42) and said microwave source (35) are disposed around said high-density plasma generating space so that said mirror magnetic field is substantially coaxial with the microwaves.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
32 words
A sputtering apparatus as claimed in Claim 15, whrein said high-density plasma generating space is defined in a waveguide (37), and said waveguide has an opening (34) opening toward said target (21).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
60 words
A sputtering apparatus as claimed in Claim 16, wherein said magnet pair (41, 42) are disposed along the longitudinal direction of said waveguide (37) in coaxial relation with said waveguide, and said magnet (42) remoter from said target (21) than said magnet (41) closer to said target generates a magnetic field having a strength greater than that of the latter.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
53 words
A sputtering apparatus as claimed in Claim 17, wherein said target (21) is disposed in horizontal relation, and said waveguide (37) is also disposed in horizontal relation with its upper end being lower than the surface of said substrate (31) and its central axis being higher than the surface of said target (21).
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
A sputtering apparatus as claimed in Claim 17, wherein said waveguide (37) has its central axis extending substantially toward an area above said target (21).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
54 words
A sputtering apparatus as claimed in Claim 13, wherein said high-density plasma generating space is defined in an area near the surface of said target (21), and said magnet pair (58, 59) are spaced apart in the direction of the normal to the center of said target, in a relation coaxial with said normal.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
35 words
A sputtering apparatus as claimed in Claim 20, wherein said microwave source (35) is disposed so as to direct the microwaves toward a position above said target (21) and along the surface of said target.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
68 words
A sputtering apparatus as claimed in Claim 18, wherein said electrode structure includes a cathode (47) disposed beneath said target (21) and a pair of magnets (50, 51) disposed on the opposite two sides of said target, said magnet pair generating a magnetic field which is substantially parallel to the surface of said target and is so directed that electrons migrating through said waveguide are given rotary motion.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
EP0148504B1
Cited
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