US4444635A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Film forming method
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1982-07-21
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Granted: 1984-04-24
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Expires: 2002-07-21
Abstract
Abstract A film forming method by plasma sputtering is provided to attain a composite film on a substrate. A target plate having metal materials in a different pattern is prepared in opposition to the substrate. A plasma is created by a planar magnetron sputtering electrode structure. The plasma is shifted magnetically on the target plate by at least three magnetically coupled magnetic poles to deposit the materials into a film with a uniform thickness and a desired composition on the substrate.
Inventors
- 👤 Shigeru Kobayashi
- 👤 Nobuo Nakagawa
- 👤 Katsuo Abe
- 👤 Tsuneaki Kamei
- 👤 Kazuyuki Fujimoto
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 17:15
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/22; C23C14/34; C23C14/3492; C23C14/35; H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/34; H01J37/3402; H01J37/3405; H01J37/3408; H01J37/3411; H01J37/3414; H01J37/3426; H01J37/3429; H01J37/345; H01J37/3458
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
94 words
A film forming method for forming a film on a substrate comprising the steps of: preparing a target plate having at least a center region and a second region around said center region of different materials, and forming a plasma above said target plate for sputtering said materials out of said target plate and depositing onto said substrate, and controlling excitation current flowing in a solenoid to shift said plasma across a boundary between said two regions in a planar magnetron sputtering structure whereby said film is provided with desired composition of said materials.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
94 words
A film forming method for forming a film on a substrate comprising the steps of: preparing a target plate having at least a center region and a second region around said center region of different materials, and forming a plasma above said target plate for sputtering said materials out of said target plate and depositing onto said substrate, and controlling excitation current flowing in a solenoid to shift said plasma across a boundary between said two regions in a planar magnetron sputtering structure whereby said film is provided with desired composition of said materials.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A film forming method according to claim 1 further comprising a step of heat-treating to form said film of an alloy.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A film forming method according to claim 2 wherein said materials include a refractory metal and a Si material and said alloy film is a refractory metal silicide film.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
A film forming method according to claim 3 wherein said center and second regions are concentric in said target plate.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
85 words
A method for forming a refractory metal alloy film on a substrate comprising the steps of: reciprocatingly shifting a plasma to cross a plurality of metal regions of a refractory metal material and other material in a target by controlling excitation current flowing in a solenoid of a planar magnetron sputtering electrode structure to alternately deposit a refractory material layer and other material layer on the substrate, and heat-treating said substrate to change said refractory and other material layers into said refractory metal alloy film.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
85 words
A method for forming a refractory metal alloy film on a substrate comprising the steps of: reciprocatingly shifting a plasma to cross a plurality of metal regions of a refractory metal material and other material in a target by controlling excitation current flowing in a solenoid of a planar magnetron sputtering electrode structure to alternately deposit a refractory material layer and other material layer on the substrate, and heat-treating said substrate to change said refractory and other material layers into said refractory metal alloy film.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method for forming a refractory metal alloy film according to claim 5, wherein said other metal material is Si.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method for forming a refractory metal alloy film according to claim 6, wherein said refractory material is any one of Mo, Ta, Wo, Cr, Nb, V, Zr, Tc, Ru, Rh, Hf, Ir, Os and Re.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method for forming a refractory metal alloy film accoridng to claim 7, wherein said refractory metal alloy film is refractory metal silicide.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
255 words
A method of forming a film in a planar magnetron sputtering apparatus provided with at least two magnetic field generating means, including at least one solenoid to be energized by a controlled current source, means for magnetically coupling said at least two magnetic field generating means to form an integrated magnetic flux source together with said at least two magnetic field generating means, including a magnetic member bridging said at least two magnetic field generating means and formed of a soft magnetic material, and said at least two magnetic field generating means being disposed on one side of the magnetic coupling means, and means for supplying a controlled current to said at least one solenoid for generating controlled magnetic flux so as to control a ring-like shaped plasma confined in said integrated magnetic flux at least in the neighborhood of said integrated magnetic flux source, said method comprising the steps of: preparing a target plate having a center region of a first material and a second region of a second material around said center region, flowing first exciting current in said solenoid to magnetically shift said plasma to a first position substantially above said center region for sputtering mainly said first material, flowing second exciting current in said solenoid to shift said plasma to a second position substantially above said second region for sputtering mainly said second material whereby said film is provided with alternate layers of mixture of said materials and said film is formed of desired composition of said materials after a heat-treatment.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
255 words
A method of forming a film in a planar magnetron sputtering apparatus provided with at least two magnetic field generating means, including at least one solenoid to be energized by a controlled current source, means for magnetically coupling said at least two magnetic field generating means to form an integrated magnetic flux source together with said at least two magnetic field generating means, including a magnetic member bridging said at least two magnetic field generating means and formed of a soft magnetic material, and said at least two magnetic field generating means being disposed on one side of the magnetic coupling means, and means for supplying a controlled current to said at least one solenoid for generating controlled magnetic flux so as to control a ring-like shaped plasma confined in said integrated magnetic flux at least in the neighborhood of said integrated magnetic flux source, said method comprising the steps of: preparing a target plate having a center region of a first material and a second region of a second material around said center region, flowing first exciting current in said solenoid to magnetically shift said plasma to a first position substantially above said center region for sputtering mainly said first material, flowing second exciting current in said solenoid to shift said plasma to a second position substantially above said second region for sputtering mainly said second material whereby said film is provided with alternate layers of mixture of said materials and said film is formed of desired composition of said materials after a heat-treatment.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method of forming a film in a planar magnetron sputtering apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said first and second materials are silicon and refractory metal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method of forming a film in a planar magnetron sputtering apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a thickness of each of said two layers of the materials deposited alternately is below 500A.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method of forming a film in a planar magnetron sputtering apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a step of heat-treating said film to change said layers into refractory metal silicide.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
294 words
A film forming method for forming a film on a substrate in a planar magnetron sputtering apparatus provided with at least two magnetic field generating means, including at least one solenoid to be energized by a controlled current source, means for magnetically coupling said at least two magnetic field generating means to form an integrated magnetic flux source together with said at least two magnetic field generating means including a magnetic member bridging said at least two magnetic field generating means and formed of a soft magnetic material, and said at least two magnetic field generating means being disposed on one side of the magnetic coupling means, and means for supplying a controlled current to said at least one solenoid for generating controlled magnetic flux so as to control a plasma confined in said integrated magnetic flux at least in the neighborhood of said integrated magnetic flux source, said method comprising the steps of: preparing a target plate having a center, a second and a third region, each of which being arranged concentrically in the order thereof, said second region being made of a material different from that of the other regions, flowing first exciting current in said solenoid to magnetically shift said plasma to a first position substantially above said center region for sputtering mainly said first material, flowing second exciting current in said solenoid to shift said plasma to a second position substantially above said second region for sputtering mainly said second material, and flowing third exciting current in said solenoid to shift said plasma to a position substantially above said third region for sputtering mainly said third material, whereby said substrate is provided with repetitive layers of said materials and said film has desired composition of said materials after a heat-treatment.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
294 words
A film forming method for forming a film on a substrate in a planar magnetron sputtering apparatus provided with at least two magnetic field generating means, including at least one solenoid to be energized by a controlled current source, means for magnetically coupling said at least two magnetic field generating means to form an integrated magnetic flux source together with said at least two magnetic field generating means including a magnetic member bridging said at least two magnetic field generating means and formed of a soft magnetic material, and said at least two magnetic field generating means being disposed on one side of the magnetic coupling means, and means for supplying a controlled current to said at least one solenoid for generating controlled magnetic flux so as to control a plasma confined in said integrated magnetic flux at least in the neighborhood of said integrated magnetic flux source, said method comprising the steps of: preparing a target plate having a center, a second and a third region, each of which being arranged concentrically in the order thereof, said second region being made of a material different from that of the other regions, flowing first exciting current in said solenoid to magnetically shift said plasma to a first position substantially above said center region for sputtering mainly said first material, flowing second exciting current in said solenoid to shift said plasma to a second position substantially above said second region for sputtering mainly said second material, and flowing third exciting current in said solenoid to shift said plasma to a position substantially above said third region for sputtering mainly said third material, whereby said substrate is provided with repetitive layers of said materials and said film has desired composition of said materials after a heat-treatment.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
A film forming method according to claim 13 wherein said third material is same as said first material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
281 words
A film forming method for forming a film on a substrate in a planar magnetron sputtering apparatus provided with at least two magnetic field generating means, including at least one solenoid to be energized by a controlled current source, means for magnetically coupling said at least two magnetic field generating means to form an integrated magnetic flux source together with said at least two magnetic field generating means including a magnetic member bridging said at least two magnetic field generating means and formed of a soft material, and said at least two magnetic field generating means being disposed on one side of the magnetic coupling means, and means for supplying a controlled current to said at least one solenoid for generating controlled magnetic flux so as to control a plasma confined in said integrated magnetic flux at least in the neighborhood of said integrated magnetic flux source, said method comprising the steps of: preparing a target plate having a center, a second and a third region, each of which being arranged concentrically in the order thereof, said center and third regions being formed of a first material, said second region being formed of a second material different from said first material, flowing a first exciting current in said solenoid to magnetically shift said plasma to a first position above a first boundary between said center and second regions for sputtering both of said two materials, and flowing second exciting current in said solenoid to shift said plasma to a second position above a second boundary between said second and third regions for sputtering both of said two materials, whereby said film is provided with a uniform thickness of said two materials.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
281 words
A film forming method for forming a film on a substrate in a planar magnetron sputtering apparatus provided with at least two magnetic field generating means, including at least one solenoid to be energized by a controlled current source, means for magnetically coupling said at least two magnetic field generating means to form an integrated magnetic flux source together with said at least two magnetic field generating means including a magnetic member bridging said at least two magnetic field generating means and formed of a soft material, and said at least two magnetic field generating means being disposed on one side of the magnetic coupling means, and means for supplying a controlled current to said at least one solenoid for generating controlled magnetic flux so as to control a plasma confined in said integrated magnetic flux at least in the neighborhood of said integrated magnetic flux source, said method comprising the steps of: preparing a target plate having a center, a second and a third region, each of which being arranged concentrically in the order thereof, said center and third regions being formed of a first material, said second region being formed of a second material different from said first material, flowing a first exciting current in said solenoid to magnetically shift said plasma to a first position above a first boundary between said center and second regions for sputtering both of said two materials, and flowing second exciting current in said solenoid to shift said plasma to a second position above a second boundary between said second and third regions for sputtering both of said two materials, whereby said film is provided with a uniform thickness of said two materials.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
47 words
A film forming method for forming a film on a substrate according to claim 3, wherein said first material is silicon and said second material is refractory metal including any one of Mo, Ta, Wo, Cr, Nb, V, Zr, Tc, Ru, Rh, Hf, Ir, Os and Re.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-04-24 | 1987-10-24 | 1988-04-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-04-24 | 1991-10-24 | 1992-04-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-04-24 | 1995-10-24 | 1996-04-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |