Patent FR-2967694-A3 (FR)
Title: Separation system useful in a group of tools e.g. wafer processing tool, comprises a vacuum chamber, a metallic sputtering target within the vacuum chamber, a substrate holder, energy sources, a pump, and a cooling unit
Inventor: KWAK BYUNG SUNG
IPC: C23C14/34
Filed: 2011-11-23
Abstract: The separation system comprises: a vacuum chamber; a metallic sputtering target within the vacuum chamber, where the target comprises target material fixed to a support plate, which contains cooling channels; a substrate holder within the vacuum chamber; energy sources designed to apply power to a plasma that is ignited between the substrate and the target material; a pump; a cooling unit; a cover; and a process gas supply coupled to the vacuum chamber. The energy sources include a first power source for controlling inherent preload of the target material and a second power source. The separation system comprises: a vacuum chamber; a metallic sputtering target within the vacuum chamber, where the target comprises target material fixed to a support plate, which contains cooling channels; a substrate holder within the vacuum chamber; energy sources designed to apply power to a plasma that is ignited between the substrate and the target material; a pump; a cooling unit; a cover; and a process gas supply coupled to the vacuum chamber. The energy sources include a first power source for controlling inherent preload of the target material and a second power source for controlling the ion density in the plasma. The target material is an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. The cooling channels are round, rectangular or pyramid in cross section. The pump and the cooling unit provide a coolant with a temperature of less than 0[deg] C to circulate through the cooling channels. The holder is configured to keep a substrate opposite and parallel to the metallic sputtering target. The cover: is configured to fit over the target material, where the cover and the target are configured to form a seal between the cover and the target; and comprises a handle for removing and reattaching the cover within the separation system, and a valve for providing access to the sealed volume between the target material and the cover for pumping, rinsing or pressurizing the gas in the sealed volume. The separation system is configured to automatically remove the cover and to store the cover in a non-sputtering zone, which is adjacent to the metallic sputtering target. The energy sources comprise a first radio frequency energy source coupled with the target and a second radio frequency energy source coupled to the target, where the first and second radio frequency energy sources are configured to supply different frequencies to the sputtering target. The first radio frequency energy source controls inherent preload of the target material, and the second radio frequency energy source controls the ion density in the plasma. The energy sources further include a direct current source coupled with the target, and a pulsed direct current power source coupled to the target. The surface of the target material is greater than the substrate surface. The process gas supply includes a supply with a first inert gas having an atomic weight smaller than the atomic weight of target material and a second inert gas with an atomic weight greater than the atomic weight of the target material.