Patent ID: 6113754
Filing Date: 2000-09-05
Classification: C23C,H01J

Abstract:
A sputtering apparatus comprising:a process chamber in which a sputtering process is carried out on a wafer;a stage on which the wafer to be sputtered is supported, said stage being disposed in said process chamber at a lower portion thereof;a target disposed in said process chamber at an upper portion thereof and spaced from said stage;a backing plate disposed adjacent to the target so as to be in a heat exchange relation therewith, the backing plate having a cooling gas line containing a cooling gas for cooling the target, said cooling gas line having a cooling gas supply port at a first end thereof and a cooling gas discharge port at a second end thereof;a cooling gas supply apparatus which supplies said cooling gas to the cooling gas line via said cooling gas supply port during the sputtering process, discharges said cooling gas from the cooling gas line via said cooling gas discharge port, and recirculates said cooling gas to said cooling gas supply port of the cooling gas line, whereby heat is removed from the target by the cooling gas during the sputtering process; andtemperature detection devices located at said cooling gas supply port and said cooling gas discharge port of the cooling gas line so as to detect the temperature of the cooling gas supplied to the cooling gas line and the temperature of the cooling gas discharging from the cooling gas line, respectively.