Collimation hardware with RF bias rings to enhance sputter and/or substrate cavity ion generation efficiency

Claim 2

A plasma deposition system for sputter depositing material from a sputtering target onto a substrate, said system comprising: a vacuum chamber; a platform for holding the substrate during plasma processing; a source assembly onto which the sputtering target is mounted, said source assembly generating a plasma in said chamber when powered by a power source; an equipotential conductive plane dividing said chamber into an upper cavity in which the target is located and a lower cavity in which the substrate is located, said equipotential conductive plane permitting material sputtered from said target to pass therethrough; and an upper antenna located entirely above the equipotential conductive plane, inside the upper cavity, and surrounding the plasma, said upper antenna for coupling RF power into the source-generated plasma.

Claim 3

The plasma deposition system of claim 1 wherein said substrate is wafer-shaped.

Claim 4

The plasma deposition system of claim 2 further comprising a lower antenna located inside the lower cavity and for generating a second plasma in the lower cavity.

Claim 5

The plasma deposition system of claim 3 wherein said lower antenna is a coil through which RF power is inductively coupled into said second plasma.

Claim 6

The plasma deposition system of claim 4 wherein said lower cavity antenna coil has multiple turns.

Claim 7

The plasma deposition system of claim 3 wherein said lower antenna is a cylindrical plate through which RF power is capacitively coupled into said second plasma.

Claim 8

The plasma deposition system of claim 2 wherein said equipotential plane is a collimation filter.

Claim 9

The plasma deposition system of claim 7 wherein said collimation filter is made of a refractory material.

Claim 10

The plasma deposition system of claim 8 wherein said collimation filter is made of titanium.

Claim 11

The plasma deposition system of claim 7 further comprising a first matching circuit connected to said upper antenna and a first RF generator providing RF power to said upper antenna through said first matching circuit.

Claim 12

The plasma deposition system of claim 10 further comprising a second matching circuit connected to said lower antenna and a second RF generator providing RF power to said lower antenna through said second matching circuit.

Claim 13

The plasma deposition system of claim 2 wherein said upper antenna is a coil through which RF power is inductively coupled into said source-generated plasma.

Claim 14

The plasma deposition system of claim 12 wherein said upper cavity antenna coil has multiple turns.

Claim 15

The plasma deposition system of claim 2 wherein said upper antenna is a cylindrical plate through which RF power is capacitively coupled into said source-generated plasma.

Claim 16

A plasma deposition system of claim 2 further comprising a DC power supply connected to said source assembly, said DC power supply generating said source-generated plasma.

Claim 17

A plasma deposition system for sputter depositing material from a sputtering target onto a semiconductor substrate, said system comprising: a vacuum chamber; a platform for holding the substrate during plasma processing; a source assembly onto which the sputtering target is mounted, said source assembly generating a plasma in said chamber when powered by a power source; an equipotential conductive plane dividing said chamber into an upper cavity in which the target is located and a lower cavity in which the substrate is located, said equipotential conductive plane permitting material sputtered from said target to pass therethrough; an upper antenna located inside the upper cavity and surrounding the plasma, said upper antenna for coupling RF power into the source-generated plasma; a first matching circuit connected to said upper antenna; a first RF generator providing RF power to said upper antenna through said first matching circuit; a lower antenna located inside the lower cavity and for generating a second plasma in the lower cavity; a second matching circuit connected to said lower antenna; and a second RF generator providing RF power to said lower antenna through said second matching circuit.

Claim 18

A plasma deposition system for sputter depositing material from a sputtering target onto a semiconductor substrate, said system comprising: a vacuum chamber; a platform for holding the substrate during plasma processing; a source assembly onto which the sputtering target is mounted, said source assembly generating a plasma in said chamber when powered by a power source; an equipotential conductive plane dividing said chamber into an upper cavity in which the target is located and a lower cavity in which the substrate is located, said equipotential conductive plane permitting material sputtered from said target to pass therethrough; an upper antenna located inside the upper cavity and surrounding the plasma, said upper antenna for coupling RF power into the source-generated plasma; a first matching circuit connected to said upper antenna; a first RF generator providing RF power to said upper antenna through said first matching circuit; a lower antenna located inside the lower cavity and for generating a second plasma in the lower cavity; a second matching circuit connected to said lower antenna; and a second RF generator providing RF power to said lower antenna through said second matching circuit.

Claim 19

A plasma deposition system for sputter depositing material from a sputtering target onto a substrate, said system comprising: a vacuum chamber; a platform for holding the substrate during plasma processing; a source assembly onto which the sputtering target is mounted, said source assembly generating a plasma in said chamber when powered by a power source; an equipotential conductive plane dividing said chamber into an upper cavity in which the target is located and a lower cavity in which the substrate is located, said equipotential conductive plane permitting material sputtered from said target to pass therethrough; and an antenna located entirely below the equipotential conductive plane and inside the lower cavity for coupling power into a plasma in said lower cavity above said substrate.

Claim 20

A plasma deposition system for sputter depositing material from a sputtering target onto a substrate, said system comprising: a vacuum chamber; a platform for holding the substrate during plasma processing; a source assembly onto which the sputtering target is mounted, said source assembly generating a plasma in said chamber when powered by a power source; an equipotential conductive plane dividing said chamber into an upper cavity in which the target is located and a lower cavity in which the substrate is located, said equipotential conductive plane permitting material sputtered from said target to pass therethrough; and an antenna located entirely below the equipotential conductive plane and inside the lower cavity for coupling power into a plasma in said lower cavity above said substrate.

Claim 21

The plasma deposition system of claim 17 wherein said substrate is wafer-shaped.

Claim 22

The plasma deposition system of claim 18 further comprising a matching circuit connected to said lower cavity antenna and an RF generator providing RF power to said lower cavity antenna through said matching circuit.

Claim 23

The plasma deposition system of claim 19 wherein said lower cavity antenna is a coil through which RF power is inductively coupled into the plasma in said lower cavity.

Claim 24

The plasma deposition system of claim 20 wherein said lower cavity antenna coil has multiple turns.

Claim 25

The plasma deposition system of claim 19 further comprising a DC power supply connected to said source assembly, said DC power supply generating said source-generated plasma.

Claim 26

A plasma deposition system for sputter depositing material from a sputtering target onto a substrate, said system comprising: a vacuum chamber; a platform for holding the substrate during plasma processing; a source assembly onto which the sputtering target is mounted, said source assembly generating a plasma in said chamber when powered by a power source; an equipotential conductive plane dividing said chamber into an upper cavity in which the target is located and a lower cavity in which the substrate is located, said equipotential conductive plane permitting material sputtered from said target to pass therethrough; an upper antenna located inside the upper cavity and surrounding the plams, said upper antenna for coupling RF power into the source-generated plasma; and a lower antenna located inside the lower cavity for generating a second plasma in the lower cavity.

Claim 27

A plasma deposition system for sputter depositing material from a sputtering target onto a substrate, said system comprising: a vacuum chamber; a platform for holding the substrate during plasma processing; a source assembly onto which the sputtering target is mounted, said source assembly generating a plasma in said chamber when powered by a power source; an equipotential conductive plane dividing said chamber into an upper cavity in which the target is located and a lower cavity in which the substrate is located, said equipotential conductive plane permitting material sputtered from said target to pass therethrough; an upper antenna located inside the upper cavity and surrounding the plams, said upper antenna for coupling RF power into the source-generated plasma; and a lower antenna located inside the lower cavity for generating a second plasma in the lower cavity.