Physical vapor deposition employing ion extraction from a plasma

United States Patent [19]

Helmer et al.

[54] PHYSICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION

EMPLOYING ION EXTRACTION FROM A
PLASMA

[76] Inventors: John C. Helmer, 260 S. Balsamina

Way, Palo Alto, Calif. 94028; Kwok F.
Lai, 959 Van Auken Cir., Palo Alto,
Calif. 94303; Robert L. Anderson,
3169 Emerson, Palo Alto, Calif. 94306

[21] Appl. No.: 133,595
[22] Filed: Oct. 8, 1993

Related U.S. Application Data

[63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 768,498, Sep. 30, 1991, abandoned.

[51] Int. CI.6 C23C 14/35

[52] U.S. CI 204/298.17; 204/192.12;

204/298.05; 204/298.06; 204/298.07; 204/298.09

[58] Field of Search 204/298.05, 298.06,

204/298.07, 298.09, 298.16, 298.17, 298.18, 192.12; 427/523

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

3,369,990 2/1968 Hallen et al 204/298.07

3,962,988 6/1976 Murayama et al 118/723 VE

4,039,416 8/1977 White 427/523

4,046,660 9/1977 Fraser 204/192.12

4,420,386 12/1983 White 427/526

4,588,490 5/1986 Cuomo et al 204/298.06

4,622,121 11/1986 Wegmann et al 204/298.18

4,655,893 4/1987 Beale 204/192.15

4,732,761 3/1988 Machida et al 437/228

4,824,544 4/1989 Mikalesen et al 204/298.06

4,915,805 4/1990 Rust 204/192.12

4,925,542 4/1990 Kidd 204/192.31

4,950,956 8/1990 Asamaki et al 315/111.21

4,966,677 10/1990 Aichert et al 204/298.21

5,022,977 6/1991 Matsuoka et al 204/298.16

5,045,166 9/1991 Bobbio 204/192.32

5,069,770 12/1991 Glocker 204/192.12

5,073,245 12/1991 Hedgcoth 204/298.21

5,178,739 1/1993 Barnes et al 204/192.12

JlllllljIIIllllljlllillll'IIJIIIIIIII

US005482611A [ii] Patent Number: 5,482,611 [45] Date of Patent: Jan. 9,1996

5,178,743 1/1993 Kumar 204/298.21

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Article by N. Kumar, et al., entitled "Aluminum Deposition on Optical Fibers by a Hollow Cathode Magnetron Sputtering System", published in Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A, (Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films), vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 1772-1774, May-Jun. 1988.

Article by G. Y. Yeom, et al., entitled "Cylindrical Magnetron Discharges. I. Current-Voltage Characteristics for DCand RF-driven Discharge Sources", published in Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 65, No. 10, pp. 3816-3824, on May 15, 1989.

Article by H. Kawasaki, et al., entitled "High Speed Pipe Inner Coatings Using Magnetron Hollow-Cathode Discharge in a Magnetic Field", published in Materials Science & Engineering, (Structural Materials: Properties, Microstructure and Processing), vol. A140, pp. 682-686, on Jul. 7, 1991.

Articley by H. A. Ja'fer, et al., entitled "A Low-Voltage, High-Current,Ton-Bombardment Source Using Magnetron Principles", published in Vacuum, vol. 44, No. 3^1, pp. 381-383, May-Apr. 1993.

Article by V. J. Kovarik, et al., entitled "Inititation of Hot Cathode Arc Discharges by Electron Confinement in Penning and Magnetron Configurations", published in Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 53, No. 6, pp. 819-821, in Jun. 1982.

(List continued on next page.)

Primary Examiner—Aaron Weisstuch
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Gerald Fisher

[57] ABSTRACT

A sputter magnetron ion source for producing an intense plasma in a cathode container which ionizes a high and substantial percentage of the sputter cathode material and means for extracting the ions of the cathode material in a beam. The ion extraction means is implemented by a magnetic field cusp configuration with a null region adjacent to the open end of the cathode container. Ions so produced are able to be directed at right angles to a substrate being coated for efficient via filling.

29 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Article by G. Y. Yeom, et al., entitled "Cylindrical Magnetron Discharges. II. The Formation of DC Bias in RF-Driven Discharge Sources", published in Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 65, No. 10, pp. 3825-3832, May 15, 1989. Article by J. A. Thornton, entitled "Magnetron Sputtering: Basic Physics and Application to Cylindrical Magnetrons", published in Journal of Vaccuum Science and Technology, vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 171-177, Mar.-Apr. 1978. Article by V. A. Gruzdev, et al., entitled "Initiation of a Discharge with a Cold Hollow Cathode by a Gas Magnetron", published in Thurnal Tekhnicheskoi Fiziki, vol. 50, No. 10, pp. 2108-2111, in Oct. 1980. Article by P. J. Blaas, et al., entitled "A Hot Cathode Magnetron Discharge for Hollow Cathode Arc Ignition", published in Annalen der Physik, vol. 24, No. 3-4, pp. 172-176, 1970.

Article by V. Miljevic, entitled "Hollow-Cathode Magne

tron Ion Source", published in Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 55, No. 1, pp. 121-123, Jan. 1984. Article by M. Ihsan, et al., entitled "Effect of Deposition Parameters on Properties of Films Deposited on Fibers by Hollow Cathode Magnetron Sputtering", published in Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A, (Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films), vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 1304-1312, May-Jun. 1990. Article by A. Semenov, entitled "Hollow-Cathode Magnetron Discharge", published in Zhurnal Tekhnicheskoi Fiziki, vol. 57, No. 1, pp. 180-182, Jan. 1987. Article by M. Shimada, et al., entitled "Compact Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source with a Permanent Magnet", published in Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A, (Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films), vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 1313-1316, Jul.-Aug. 1993.

T. M. Lu et al, "Partially Ionized Beam Processing: Via Filling and Planarization", Semiconductor Research Corp., Jul. 19, 1988, Reference No. C88275.