IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,555,744
Granted Patent B2
US 12,555,744 · App. 18/217,889 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Plasma process apparatus

Inventors: Jaesuk Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Sangwook Park (Suwon-si, KR); Gukrok Yun (Suwon-si, KR); Kyoungwhan Oh (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H01J37/3211H01J37/3244H01J37/3444H01J37/3455H01J37/3461H01J37/3435
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,555,744
App. No.
18/217,889
Granted
Feb 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided a plasma process apparatus including a chamber including a plasma processing space, a substrate stage included in the chamber, the substrate stage including a seating surface, a target including deposition particles to be deposited on the substrate, a gas supplier configured to supply gas into the chamber, a plasma generator configured to generate plasma from the gas, the plasma generator configured to deposit the deposition particles on the substrate through the plasma, at least one permanent magnet on the target being rotatable and configured to distribute the plasma on the target through a magnetic field, and a coil assembly on an outer wall of the chamber and assembly including first through third side coils inclined and being configured to generate first through third vectors, respectively, and the coil assembly being configured to generate a magnetic field vector guiding the plasma through a combination of the first through third vectors.

Claims (163)

1 . A plasma process apparatus, comprising:

a chamber comprising a plasma processing space;

a substrate stage included in the chamber, the substrate stage comprising a seating surface on which a substrate is seated;

a target over the substrate stage, the target comprising deposition particles to be deposited on the substrate;

a gas supplier configured to supply gas into the chamber;

a plasma generator configured to generate plasma from the gas that is supplied by the gas supplier, the plasma generator configured to deposit the deposition particles on the substrate through the plasma;

at least one permanent magnet on the target, the at least one permanent magnet being rotatable and configured to distribute the plasma on the target through a magnetic field; and

a coil assembly on an outer wall of the chamber, the coil assembly comprising a first side coil, a second side coil, and a third side coil that are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal direction, the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil being configured to generate a first vector, a second vector, and a third vector, respectively, and the coil assembly being configured to generate a magnetic field vector guiding the plasma through a combination of the first vector, the second vector, and the third vector,

wherein the predetermined angle of each of the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil is greater than or less than 0 degree,

wherein the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil cross each other, and

wherein degrees between directions of the first vector, the second vector, and the third vector are 120 degree when viewed from a plan view.

2 . The plasma process apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coil assembly further includes a three-phase four-legged inverter configured to control currents in the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil.

3 . The plasma process apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined angle of each of the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil is within a range of −90 degree to less than 0 degree and greater than 0 degree to 90 degree.

4 . The plasma process apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coil assembly further comprises a fourth side coil to an Nth side coil configured to generate a fourth vector to an Nth vector, respectively, and

wherein the coil assembly is further configured to generate the magnetic field vector based on a combination of the first vector to the Nth vector.

5 . The plasma process apparatus of claim 1 , wherein first current, second current, and third current flowing in the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil, respectively, form three phases with each other.

6 . The plasma process apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coil assembly is further configured to control the magnetic field vector in synchronization with a rotation of the at least one permanent magnet.

7 . The plasma process apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the magnetic field vector satisfies:

B

→

=

[

B

x

B

y

B

z

]

=

kN

[

(

kNI

xy

⁢

cos

⁢

θ

)

⁢

cos

⁢

wt

(

kNI

xy

⁢

cos

⁢

θ

)

⁢

sin

⁢

wt

(

kN

⁢

3

⁢

I

z

⁢

sin

⁢

θ

)

]

,

where Bx is a X-direction magnetic field vector, By is a Y-direction magnetic field vector, Bz is a Z-direction magnetic field vector, k is a proportionality constant, N is a winding number of the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil, Ixy is a horizontal direction current, Iz is a vertical direction current, 0 is the predetermined angle, w is a rotational angular velocity of the at least one permanent magnet, and t is time.

8 . The plasma process apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil comprises:

a first curvature coil and a second curvature coil extending along a circumference of the chamber and spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction; and

straight coils connecting first ends of the first curvature coil and second ends of the second curvature coil to each other.

9 . The plasma process apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil comprises at least one of a full pitch winding structure and a short pitch winding structure.

10 . A plasma process apparatus, comprising:

a chamber comprising a plasma processing space;

a substrate stage included in the chamber, the substrate stage comprising a seating surface on which a substrate is seated;

a target over the substrate stage, the target comprising deposition material;

a gas supplier configured to supply gas into the chamber;

a plasma generator configured to generate plasma from the gas that is supplied by the gas supplier, the plasma generator configured to deposit the deposition material on the substrate through the plasma;

at least one permanent magnet on the target, the at least one permanent magnet being rotatable and configured to distribute the plasma on the target through a magnetic field;

a coil assembly on an outer wall of the chamber, the coil assembly having a first side coil, a second side coil, and a third side coil inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal direction, the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil being configured to generate a first vector, a second vector, and a third vector, respectively, and the coil assembly being configured to generate a magnetic field vector to guide the plasma through a combination of the first vector, the second vector, and the third vector; and

a current supply device configured to control currents that flow through the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil based on a rotational angle of the at least one permanent magnet and be synchronized with a predetermined angular velocity of the at least one permanent magnet,

wherein the predetermined angle of each of the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil is greater than or less than 0 degree,

wherein the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil cross each other, and

wherein degrees between directions of the first vector, the second vector, and the third vector are 120 degree when viewed from a plan view.

11 . The plasma process apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the current supply device comprises a three-phase four-legged inverter configured to control currents that flow in the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil.

12 . The plasma process apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined angle of each of the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil is within a range of −90 degree to less than 0 degree and greater than 0 degree to 90 degree.

13 . The plasma process apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the coil assembly further comprises a fourth side coil to an Nth side coil that generate a fourth vector to an Nth vector, respectively, and

wherein the coil assembly is further configured to generate the magnetic field vector through a combination of the first vector to the Nth vector.

14 . The plasma process apparatus of claim 10 , wherein first current, second current, and third current flowing in the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil form three phases with each other.

15 . The plasma process apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the coil assembly is further configured to control the magnetic field vector in synchronization with the rotational angle of the at least one permanent magnet, and

wherein the magnetic field vector satisfies:

B

→

=

[

B

x

B

y

B

z

]

=

kN

[

(

kNI

xy

⁢

cos

⁢

θ

)

⁢

cos

⁢

wt

(

kNI

xy

⁢

cos

⁢

θ

)

⁢

sin

⁢

wt

(

kN

⁢

3

⁢

I

z

⁢

sin

⁢

θ

)

]

where, Bx is a X-direction magnetic field vector, By is a Y-direction magnetic field vector, Bz is a Z-direction magnetic field vector, k is a proportionality constant, N is a winding number of the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil, Ixy is a horizontal direction current, Iz is a vertical direction current, θ is the predetermined angle, w is a rotational angular velocity of the at least one permanent magnet, and t is time.

16 . The plasma process apparatus of claim 10 , wherein each of the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil comprises:

a first curvature coil and a second curvature coil extending along a circumference of the chamber and spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction; and

straight coils connecting first ends of the first curvature coil and second ends of the second curvature coil to each other.

17 . The plasma process apparatus of claim 10 , wherein each of the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil comprises at least one of a full pitch winding structure and a short pitch winding structure.

18 . A plasma process apparatus, comprising:

a chamber comprising a plasma processing space;

a substrate stage included in the chamber, the substrate stage comprising a seating surface configured to support a substrate;

a target on the substrate stage, the target comprising deposition particles to be deposited on the substrate;

a gas supplier configured to supply gas into the chamber;

a plasma generator configured to generate plasma from the gas that is supplied by the gas supplier, the plasma generator configured to deposit the deposition particles on the substrate through the plasma;

at least one permanent magnet on the target, the at least one permanent magnet being rotatable at a predetermined angular velocity to distribute the plasma on the target through a magnetic field; and

a coil assembly below the target on an outer wall of the chamber, the coil assembly comprising a first side coil, a second side coil, and a third side coil that are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal direction and generate a first vector, a second vector, and a third vector, respectively, the coil assembly being configured to generate a magnetic field vector to guide the plasma in synchronization with the predetermined angular velocity through a combination of the first vector, the second vector, and the third vector,

wherein first current, second current, and third current flowing in the first to third side coils form three phases with each other,

wherein the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil have a ring shape,

wherein the predetermined angle of each of the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil is greater than or less than 0 degree,

wherein the first side coil, the second side coil, and the third side coil cross each other, and

wherein degrees between directions of the first vector, the second vector, and the third vector are 120 degree when viewed from a plan view.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 3, 2023
From: KIM, JAESUK; PARK, SANGWOOK; YUN, GUKROK; OH, KYOUNGWHAN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 064141/0205 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2022-0180848 · Dec 21, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240212980A1 · Jun 27, 2024
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