Patent ID: 6537428
Filing Date: 2003-03-25
Classification: C23C,H01J

Abstract:
A method for controlling a sputter deposition process involving reaction between a reactive species and a material included in a target acting as a cathode, said method comprising the steps of:establishing a reactive sputter deposition process at an approximate operating point corresponding to an approximate cathode voltage of said cathode, a given flow rate or partial pressure of a reactive gas, and a given power supplied to said cathode, wherein said approximate operating point corresponds to a transition region between a low slope metal mode and a low slope compound mode of a hysteresis curve that represents the voltage of said cathode as a function of the flow rate or partial pressure of said reactive gas for said given power supplied to said cathode; and stabilizing the reactive sputter deposition at said approximate operating point by adjusting the power supplied to said cathode to maintain said approximate cathode voltage of said cathode.