Method of forming a dielectric layer comprising a gettering material

Claim 1

A method of forming a thin film dielectric layer on a substrate, comprising: providing a sputtering chamber having a dielectric target disposed on a target electrdode; introducing into the sputtering chamber a substrate to be covered with a thin film dielectric layer and locating the substrate on a substrate holder electrode spaced from the target electrode; evacuating the chamber; introducing into the chamber a sputtering atmosphere comprising an inert gas and a gas containing an element of a gettering material, the gas containing an element of a gettering material being transferred into the chamber through a metering valve from a container outside the chamber; and applying an RF potential across the target electrode and the substrate holder electrode to establish a glow discharge in the region between the electrodes in order to deposit a thin film dielectric layer doped with a gettering material formed by a chemical reaction in the chamber.

Claim 2

A method of forming a thin film dielectric layer on a substrate, comprising: providing a sputtering chamber having a dielectric target disposed on a target electrdode; introducing into the sputtering chamber a substrate to be covered with a thin film dielectric layer and locating the substrate on a substrate holder electrode spaced from the target electrode; evacuating the chamber; introducing into the chamber a sputtering atmosphere comprising an inert gas and a gas containing an element of a gettering material, the gas containing an element of a gettering material being transferred into the chamber through a metering valve from a container outside the chamber; and applying an RF potential across the target electrode and the substrate holder electrode to establish a glow discharge in the region between the electrodes in order to deposit a thin film dielectric layer doped with a gettering material formed by a chemical reaction in the chamber.

Claim 11

A method of forming a dielectric layer doped with a gettering material over a surface of a substrate and of separating the doped layer from the surface by a dielectric layer substantially devoid of the gettering material, comprising: providing a sputtering chamber having a dielectric target disposed on a target electrode; introducing into the sputtering chamber a substrate and locating the substrate on a substrate holder electrode spaced from the target electrode; evacuating the chamber; introducing into the chamber a sputtering atmosphere comprising an inert gas, the sputtering atmosphere being substantially devoid of a gettering material; applying an RF potential across the target electrode and the substrate holder electrode to establish a glow discharge in the region between the electrodes; forming a first dielectric layer substantially devoid of a gettering material onto a surface of the substrate; introducing into the chamber a gas containing an element of a gettering material, the gas containing an element of a gettering material being transferred into the chamber through a metering valve from a container outside the chamber; and applying an RF potential across the target electrode and the substrate holder electrode to establish a glow discharge in the region between the electrodes in order to deposit a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer being doped with a gettering material formed by a chemical reaction in the chamber.

Claim 12

A method of forming a dielectric layer doped with a gettering material over a surface of a substrate and of separating the doped layer from the surface by a dielectric layer substantially devoid of the gettering material, comprising: providing a sputtering chamber having a dielectric target disposed on a target electrode; introducing into the sputtering chamber a substrate and locating the substrate on a substrate holder electrode spaced from the target electrode; evacuating the chamber; introducing into the chamber a sputtering atmosphere comprising an inert gas, the sputtering atmosphere being substantially devoid of a gettering material; applying an RF potential across the target electrode and the substrate holder electrode to establish a glow discharge in the region between the electrodes; forming a first dielectric layer substantially devoid of a gettering material onto a surface of the substrate; introducing into the chamber a gas containing an element of a gettering material, the gas containing an element of a gettering material being transferred into the chamber through a metering valve from a container outside the chamber; and applying an RF potential across the target electrode and the substrate holder electrode to establish a glow discharge in the region between the electrodes in order to deposit a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer being doped with a gettering material formed by a chemical reaction in the chamber.