IP Library Granted Patent US 11,784,033
Granted Patent B2
US 11,784,033 · App. 17/333,732 · Granted Oct 10, 2023

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate

Inventors: Mengxue Wu (Singapore, SG); Siew Kit Hoi (Singapore, SG); Jay Min Soh (Singapore, SG); Yue Cui (Singapore, SG); Chul Nyoung Lee (Singapore, SG); Palaniappan Chidambaram (Singapore, SG); Jiao Song (Singapore, SG)
Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
H01J37/3476C23C14/345C23C14/3492C23C14/35C23C14/54H01J37/3405H01J37/3455C23C14/351
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,784,033
App. No.
17/333,732
Granted
Oct 10, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a method for processing a substrate comprises applying a DC target voltage to a target disposed within a processing volume of a plasma processing chamber, rotating a magnet disposed above the target at a default speed to direct sputter material from the target toward a substrate support disposed within the processing volume, measuring in-situ DC voltage in the processing volume, the in-situ DC voltage different from the DC target voltage, determining if a measured in-situ DC voltage is greater than a preset value, if the measured in-situ DC voltage is less than or equal to the preset value, maintaining the magnet at the default speed, and if the measured in-situ DC voltage is greater than the preset value, rotating the magnet at a speed less than the default speed to decrease the in-situ DC voltage.

Claims (15)

1. A method for processing a substrate comprising:

applying a DC target voltage to a target disposed within a processing volume of a plasma processing chamber;

rotating a magnet disposed above the target at a default speed to direct sputter material from the target toward a substrate support disposed within the processing volume;

controlling an in-situ DC voltage in the processing volume via controlling rotating of the magnet;

measuring the in-situ DC voltage in the processing volume, the in-situ DC voltage measured between the target and the substrate support and is different from the DC target voltage;

determining if a measured in-situ DC voltage is greater than a preset value;

if the measured in-situ DC voltage is less than or equal to the preset value, maintaining the magnet at the default speed; and

if the measured in-situ DC voltage is greater than the preset value, rotating the magnet at a speed less than the default speed to decrease the in-situ DC voltage.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the default speed is based on a radius of the substrate to be plasma processed.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the magnet at the speed less than the default speed is based on a dwell time for a radius of the substrate to be plasma processed, and wherein the dwell time is a duration spent per inch along a pathway of the magnet.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein maintaining the magnet at the default speed and rotating the magnet at the speed less than the default speed is performed while maintaining the DC target voltage to the target.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a magnet radius of rotation is about 6 inches to about 7 inches.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preset value is 1000V.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the in-situ DC voltage is about 870V to about 1000V.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the magnet comprises rotating the magnet at about 0.5 rps to about 1.2 rps.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 15, 2021
From: APPLIED MATERIALS SINGAPORE TECHNOLOGY PTE. LTD.
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 057806/0282 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 27, 2021
From: WU, MENGXUE; HOI, SIEW KIT; SOH, JAY MIN; CUI, YUE; LEE, CHUL NYOUNG; CHIDAMBARAM, PALANIAPPAN; SONG, JIAO
To: APPLIED MATERIALS SINGAPORE TECHNOLOGY PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 056986/0814 →
Continuity (1)
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