Patent ID: 6746577
Filing Date: 2004-06-08
Classification: C23C,H01J

Abstract:
A method of depositing a dielectric material on a substrate using a deposition apparatus comprising a vacuum chamber, a power supply having controllable supply parameters, and a monitor coupled to the power supply for monitoring the supply parameters, in which the dielectric material and substrate are enclosed in the vacuum chamber and subjected to bombardment by electrically-excited ions by electrical excitation provided by the power supply, the method comprising the steps of:a) providing a gas mixture in the vacuum chamber; b) configuring the power supply such that said power supply operates in a constant supply parameter mode; c) determining a net vacuum system impedance in said vacuum chamber from the supply parameters of the power supply; d) operating a power supply at a constant supply parameter until a certain amount of total energy has been supplied, while controlling the gas mixture to maintain the net vacuum system impedance; and e) measuring the thickness of the dielectric material deposited on the substrate to determine a thickness-per-unit-energy relationship.