Method for successive formation of thin films

Claim 1

A method for successive deposition of at least two thin films of different materials in a metallization process in manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the following steps: (a) depositing on a substrate a first thin film comprised of particles sputtered out of a target by: (1) establishing in a system a plasma by creating mutually perpendicular electric and magnetic fields in a space between the target and the substrate; (2) introducing into the system a first process gas; and (3) applying an additional magnetic field of a first level with a variable electromagnet arranged on a side of the substrate opposite the target, the additional magnetic field being constant and extending through the substrate and is uniformly distributed over a surface of the substrate to produce a first magnetic flux density such that said first thin film is deposited at a uniform thickness on said substrate; (b) depositing on the first thin film a second thin film formed of at least two elements resulting from particles sputtered out of the target reacting with particles of a gas molecule in a second process gas comprising at least two different gases by: (1) establishing in the system a plasma by creating perpendicular electric and magnetic fields in the space between the target and the substrate; (2) introducing the second process gas into the system; and (3) adjusting the variable electromagnet to apply an additional magnetic field of a second level with the variable electromagnet, the additional magnetic field being constant and extending through the substrate and is uniformly distributed over a surface of the substrate to produce a second magnetic flux density such that said second thin film is deposited at a uniform thickness on the first thin film; wherein: (i) process (a) and process (b) are conducted in a continuous sequence; (ii) a distance between the target and the substrate is maintained fixed throughout process (a) and process (b); (iii) the magnetic field is maintained perpendicular to the electric field during both process (a) and process (b); and (iv) the magnetic flux density set during process (a) differs from that set during process (b) by varying the magnetic flux density of the additional magnetic field.

Claim 2

A method for successive deposition of at least two thin films of different materials in a metallization process in manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the following steps: (a) depositing on a substrate a first thin film comprised of particles sputtered out of a target by: (1) establishing in a system a plasma by creating mutually perpendicular electric and magnetic fields in a space between the target and the substrate; (2) introducing into the system a first process gas; and (3) applying an additional magnetic field of a first level with a variable electromagnet arranged on a side of the substrate opposite the target, the additional magnetic field being constant and extending through the substrate and is uniformly distributed over a surface of the substrate to produce a first magnetic flux density such that said first thin film is deposited at a uniform thickness on said substrate; (b) depositing on the first thin film a second thin film formed of at least two elements resulting from particles sputtered out of the target reacting with particles of a gas molecule in a second process gas comprising at least two different gases by: (1) establishing in the system a plasma by creating perpendicular electric and magnetic fields in the space between the target and the substrate; (2) introducing the second process gas into the system; and (3) adjusting the variable electromagnet to apply an additional magnetic field of a second level with the variable electromagnet, the additional magnetic field being constant and extending through the substrate and is uniformly distributed over a surface of the substrate to produce a second magnetic flux density such that said second thin film is deposited at a uniform thickness on the first thin film; wherein: (i) process (a) and process (b) are conducted in a continuous sequence; (ii) a distance between the target and the substrate is maintained fixed throughout process (a) and process (b); (iii) the magnetic field is maintained perpendicular to the electric field during both process (a) and process (b); and (iv) the magnetic flux density set during process (a) differs from that set during process (b) by varying the magnetic flux density of the additional magnetic field.

Claim 14

A method of forming successive deposition layers of at least two thin films on a substrate by sputtering particles from a target, comprising the steps of: providing the target in a vacuum chamber; establishing a plasma in a space in the vacuum chamber between the target and the substrate by creating electric and magnetic fields in the space; depositing a first thin film layer on the substrate while: introducing into the vacuum chamber a first process gas; and applying a first additional magnetic field of a first level with a variable electromagnet arranged on a side of the substrate opposite the target, the additional magnetic field being constant and extending through the substrate and is uniformly distributed over a surface of the substrate such that said first thin film is deposited at a uniform thickness on said substrate; and depositing, in continuous succession with depositing the first thin film, a second thin film layer on the first thin film while: introducing into the vacuum chamber a second process gas; and applying a second additional magnetic field of a second level with the variable electromagnet, the additional magnetic field being constant and extending through the substrate and is uniformly distributed over a surface of the substrate such that said second thin film is deposited at a uniform thickness on the first thin film; wherein a distance between the target and the substrate is maintained fixed throughout the deposition of both the first and second layers.

Claim 15

A method of forming successive deposition layers of at least two thin films on a substrate by sputtering particles from a target, comprising the steps of: providing the target in a vacuum chamber; establishing a plasma in a space in the vacuum chamber between the target and the substrate by creating electric and magnetic fields in the space; depositing a first thin film layer on the substrate while: introducing into the vacuum chamber a first process gas; and applying a first additional magnetic field of a first level with a variable electromagnet arranged on a side of the substrate opposite the target, the additional magnetic field being constant and extending through the substrate and is uniformly distributed over a surface of the substrate such that said first thin film is deposited at a uniform thickness on said substrate; and depositing, in continuous succession with depositing the first thin film, a second thin film layer on the first thin film while: introducing into the vacuum chamber a second process gas; and applying a second additional magnetic field of a second level with the variable electromagnet, the additional magnetic field being constant and extending through the substrate and is uniformly distributed over a surface of the substrate such that said second thin film is deposited at a uniform thickness on the first thin film; wherein a distance between the target and the substrate is maintained fixed throughout the deposition of both the first and second layers.

Claim 25

A system for depositing thin films on a substrate, comprising: a vacuum chamber; a cathode assembly within said vacuum chamber, said cathode assembly including a target and a magnet; a power source connected to said cathode assembly; a substrate holder; a substrate attached to said substrate holder; an electromagnet within said substrate holder such that the substrate is positioned between the target and the electromagnet; a variable DC power source connected to said electromagnet; means for supplying at least two different process gases to said vacuum chamber; and control means for controlling said supplying means and said variable DC power source so that during a first deposition process a first process gas is introduced to the vacuum chamber and the electromagnet operates at a first power to produce an additional magnetic field that is constant and which extends through the substrate and is uniformly distributed over a surface of the substrate such that a first thin film is deposited at a uniform thickness on said substrate and during a second deposition process a second process gas is introduced into the vacuum chamber and the electromagnet operates at a second power to produce an additional magnetic field that is constant and which extends through the substrate and is uniformly distributed over a surface of the substrate such that a second thin film is deposited at a uniform thickness on the first thin film.

Claim 26

A system for depositing thin films on a substrate, comprising: a vacuum chamber; a cathode assembly within said vacuum chamber, said cathode assembly including a target and a magnet; a power source connected to said cathode assembly; a substrate holder; a substrate attached to said substrate holder; an electromagnet within said substrate holder such that the substrate is positioned between the target and the electromagnet; a variable DC power source connected to said electromagnet; means for supplying at least two different process gases to said vacuum chamber; and control means for controlling said supplying means and said variable DC power source so that during a first deposition process a first process gas is introduced to the vacuum chamber and the electromagnet operates at a first power to produce an additional magnetic field that is constant and which extends through the substrate and is uniformly distributed over a surface of the substrate such that a first thin film is deposited at a uniform thickness on said substrate and during a second deposition process a second process gas is introduced into the vacuum chamber and the electromagnet operates at a second power to produce an additional magnetic field that is constant and which extends through the substrate and is uniformly distributed over a surface of the substrate such that a second thin film is deposited at a uniform thickness on the first thin film.