Abstract:
A method and apparatus for forming a coating on a sputter chamber workpiece. The apparatus generally includes a sputter chamber having at least one workpiece. The at least one workpiece generally includes one or more trenches formed therein, the trenches being configured to define an arc spray coating region. The method generally includes forming one or more trenches in the workpiece, the trenches defining a coating region and applying a metal coating to the coating region by arc spraying.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an apparatus and method for the fabrication of hardware for the production of semiconductor devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to arc spraying sputter chamber hardware to reduce substrate contamination.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Sputtering is a method of depositing a material layer on a semiconductor substrate. A typical sputtering apparatus includes a target and a substrate support pedestal enclosed in a sputtering chamber. The target contains a material that is deposited onto the substrate. While sputtering is generally effective for film formation, material that deposits on surfaces within the deposition chamber other than those of the substrate may tend to flake or crumble from chamber surfaces as the chamber thermally cycles, particularly when a significant amount of material has accumulated. Such flaking or crumbling may cause substrate contamination.  
           [0005]    Accordingly, in order to reduce this type of contamination, a need exists in the semiconductor fabrication field for an apparatus and method that reduces substrate contamination that occurs due to flaking or crumbling of sputtered particles which accumulate on chamber hardware.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    Embodiments of the invention generally include a sputter chamber. The sputter chamber generally includes at least one workpiece having one or more trenches formed therein, the trenches configured to define an arc spray region.  
           [0007]    Embodiments of the invention further provide a method of forming a coating on a sputter chamber workpiece. The method generally includes forming at one or more trenches in the workpiece, the trenches defining a region to be coated and spraying within the boundaries defined by the trenches with a metal spray coating to fill the trench to a desired thickness. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is an illustration of a sputtering chamber.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a side view of deposition ring including a trench to facilitate coating. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is an illustration of a sputtering chamber  100 . The sputtering chamber  100  generally includes a sputtering chamber enclosure wall  102  having at least one gas inlet  104  coupled to a processing gas source  106 , and an exhaust outlet  108  coupled to an exhaust pump  110 . A substrate support pedestal  112  is generally disposed in the lower portion of the sputtering chamber  100 , and a target  114  is mounted to or forms the upper portion of the sputtering chamber  100  as is conventionally known. The substrate support pedestal  112  is generally supported on a chucking apparatus  132 , such as an electrostatic chuck, for retaining a workpiece or substrate  122  upon the surface of the substrate support pedestal  112 . The substrate support pedestal  112  may further include a flange  134  that extends radially from the support  112  and circumscribes the entire support  112 . This flange  134  supports a deposition ring  113 . The deposition ring  113  generally prevents deposition on the side of the substrate support pedestal  112 , as the substrate support pedestal  112  is generally difficult to remove from the sputtering chamber  100  for cleaning.  
         [0012]    The target  114  has a front surface  116  and at least one sidesurface  118 . Generally, targets are disk shaped, and thus have a single, circumferential side surface  118 . An AC power supply  120  is operatively coupled to the substrate support pedestal  112  so that an AC power signal emitted from the AC power supply  120  may couple through the substrate support pedestal  112  to a substrate  122  positioned thereon.  
         [0013]    The target  114  is electrically isolated from the sputtering chamber enclosure wall  102  by an insulation member  124 . The sputtering chamber enclosure wall  102  is preferably grounded. A negative voltage is maintained on the target  114  (with respect to grounded sputtering chamber enclosure wall  102 ) via a DC power supply  128 . A controller  130  is operatively coupled to the DC power supply  128 , the gas inlet  104 , the exhaust outlet  108 , and the AC power supply  120 .  
         [0014]    In operation, a gas (e.g., argon) is charged into the sputtering chamber  100  through the gas inlet  104  at a selected flow rate regulated by the controller  130 . The controller  130  also regulates the sputtering chamber pressure by throttling the rate at which the gas is pumped through the exhaust outlet  108 . Accordingly, although a constant chamber pressure is maintained during sputtering, a continuous supply of fresh processing gas is supplied to the sputtering chamber  100 .  
         [0015]    The negative voltage applied to the target  114  excites the processing gas into a plasma state. Ions from the plasma bombard the target  114 , causing the target atoms to sputter therefrom. The sputtered target atoms travel along linear trajectories from the target  114  and deposit on the substrate  122 .  
         [0016]    Portions of the sputtered target atoms may become scattered in the plasma and eventually accumulate on other surfaces within the sputtering chamber  100 , including the sidesurface  118  of the target  114  and the deposition ring  113 . As stated previously, the sputtered target atoms that do not deposit on the substrate are referred to herein as sputtered particles. A portion of sputtered particles, which is not strongly adhered to the sidesurface  118  of the target  114 , may flake or crumble therefrom as the sputtering chamber  100  thermally cycles. Such flaking or crumbling sputtered particles may settle on, and thereby contaminate the substrate  122 . Any sputtered particles that accumulate on the insulation member  124  may cause an electrical short circuit between the sputtering chamber enclosure wall  102  and the target  114 . Such an electrical short circuit may cause the sputtering chamber  100  to malfunction. Therefore, a shield  126  is generally positioned to prevent sputtered particles from accumulating on the insulation member  124  and also to prevent particles from accumulating on the sputtering chamber enclosure surface  102  as particles may crumble therefrom, creating a potential source of substrate contamination.  
         [0017]    Various approaches have been employed in an effort to reduce the contamination of substrates that occurs due to sputtered particles flaking or crumbling from the hardware of the sputtering chamber  100 . For example, a coating, such as a metal spray coating may be applied to hardware in the sputtering chamber  100 . Such coatings generally have a rough surface finish, e.g., a surface roughness (RA) of greater than about 200 micro inches. The coating is generally of sufficient thickness as to prevent crumbling of sputtered particles. Although the thickness will depend on the specific sputtering process being performed, coating thicknesses of from about 150 micrometers to about 500 micrometers are generally sufficient. Further, the coating generally is a material having a thermal coefficient of expansion similar to that of the sputtered particles. For example, the coating may be aluminum, titanium, or some other metal. The roughness of the coating may significantly increase adhesion between the process chamber hardware and the sputtered particles accumulated thereon.  
         [0018]    Arc spraying is a thermal spray technique in which a material in a form such as a powder, wire, or rod is fed to a torch or gun and then heated to a temperature close to or above the material&#39;s melting point. The resulting material is then accelerated in a gas stream and transported to the surface to be coated. In a typical arc spray process, the material to be deposited is in the form of two electrically opposed charged wires that are fed together so that a controlled arc occurs at the intersection of the wire tips. The molten material at the tips is atomized and propelled onto the surface to be coated by a stream of compressed air or other gas. The arc spray process generally offers a high deposition rate and is a relatively low cost process.  
         [0019]    However, arc spraying is generally uncontrollable, which results in the inability to constrain the location of the spray, the thickness, the roughness and other properties of the post-spray coating on the part surface. Thus, an improved method is needed to provide surface roughness to sputter chamber hardware.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 is a side view of deposition ring  113  including a first trench  200  and a second trench  201  to facilitate coating. The deposition ring  113  generally includes a lip portion  202 , which extends around the edge of the substrate support pedestal  112 . The trenches  200  and  201  are precisely machined into the deposition ring  113 , thereby providing arc spray control and repeatability when spraying multiple parts. The first trench generally has an inner surface  203 . The inner surface  203  generally defines the inner limit of the arc spray coating. The second trench  201  generally includes an outer surface  207  and an inner surface  205 , which is the outer limit of the arc spray coating. The arc spray coating may include any metal coating capable of providing a roughened surface on the workpiece. In a specific embodiment, the coating provides a surface roughness of from about 700 micro inches to about 900 micro inches. The metal coating may be aluminum oxide. For example, in a specific embodiment, the metal coating is aluminum oxide having a purity of about 99.5%. The trenches  200  and  201  generally have rounded surfaces/edges, rather than rough surfaces or edges, whereby the coating may adhere. Workpieces that have a low surface tolerance, e.g., a critical distance between other parts, receive a predetermined coating thickness determined by the distance and the depth of the trenches  200  and  201 . For example, the coating thickness is generally from about 0.001 inches and about 0.020 inches. In a specific embodiment, the coating thickness is from about 0.006 inches and about 0.009 inches. While the thickness is generally predetermined in the coating region, the coating thickness may vary at different locations throughout the coating region. Methods for forming trenches  200  and  201  are known to those skilled in the art.  
         [0021]    The trenches  200  and  201  also facilitate masking process to further inhibit errant spraying of the deposition ring  113 . Surfaces that are not to be coated may be covered with a mask, which is removed after the coating is applied to the hardware. The mask may easily be applied to the surfaces of the trenches  200  and  201  for repeatability between workpieces.  
         [0022]    Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described primarily as applied to a deposition ring, any surface within the sputtering chamber  100  may benefit from use of the present invention. For example, the embodiments described herein may be applied to a cover ring, chamber sidewalls, the target, the backing plate or a dark space shield. Embodiments of the invention may also be used within a conventional high-density plasma-type sputtering chamber having a coil (not shown).  
         [0023]    While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.