Patent ID: 6077402
Filing Date: 2000-06-20
Classification: H01J

Abstract:
A semiconductor fabrication system for sputtering material onto a workpiece, the system comprising:a chamber having a plasma generation area within said chamber;a target carried by said chamber, said target having a center and comprising a target material to be sputtered from said target;a platform adapted to hold a workpiece having a center axis and an edge, at least a portion of which workpiece edge defines a volume between said workpiece and said target; anda coil carried by said chamber and positioned to couple energy into said plasma generation area to generate a plasma in said plasma generation area to ionize said sputtered target material, wherein said coil has at least one turn, positioned in said volume and sufficiently close to said workpiece center axis to generate a plasma potential gradient which deflects sputtered target material away from said workpiece center.