IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,727,404
Granted Patent B2
US 12,727,404 · App. 19/001,089 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Deposition system and method

Inventors: Chia-Hsi Wang (Hsinchu, TW); Yen-Yu Chen (Hsinchu, TW)
Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
H10P14/6329C23C14/3407C23C14/35C23C14/541H01J37/3423H01J37/3497H10P72/0434H10P72/0602H10P74/203
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,727,404
App. No.
19/001,089
Granted
Sep 1, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A deposition system is provided capable of extending the chamber running time by preventing the target and other components from deformation due to thermal stress from the sputtering process by maintaining the temperature within the predetermined temperature range. The deposition system includes a substrate process chamber, a target within the substrate process chamber, and a plurality of grooves formed on the target in a circular formation. The plurality of grooves includes a first groove on a center portion of the target and a second groove on a periphery portion of the target.

Claims (47)

1 . A target, comprising:

a center area including a center;

a periphery area extends around the center area;

an edge spaced apart from the center area, the edge extends around the periphery area and the center area;

a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;

a plurality of curved grooves that extend into the first surface of the target, each respective curved groove of the plurality of curved grooves terminates before reaching the second surface, the plurality of curved grooves are curved and extend from the center to the edge by extending across the center area and the periphery area, and each respective curved groove of the plurality of curved grooves converges with other respective curved grooves of the plurality of curved grooves at the center, the plurality of curved grooves are configured to, in operation, overlap an orbital pattern of at least one magnet when depositing a material onto a semiconductor substrate present within a substrate process chamber;

a plurality of first circular grooves that intersect the plurality of curved grooves, the plurality of first circular grooves include:

a first group of the plurality of first circular grooves that are concentric with each other; and

a second group of the plurality of first circular grooves that are concentric with each other and are spaced apart from the first group of the plurality of first circular grooves;

a plurality of second circular grooves that intersect the plurality of curved grooves, the first group of the plurality of first circular grooves, and the second group of the plurality of first circular grooves.

2 . The target of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of curved grooves are in an impeller shaped formation.

3 . The target of claim 1 , wherein a first density of the plurality of curved grooves within the center area is greater than a second density of the plurality of curved grooves within the periphery area.

4 . The target of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second circular grooves are concentric about the center of the center area.

5 . The target of claim 4 , wherein the edge is concentric about the center of the center area.

6 . A target, comprising:

a center area including a center;

a periphery area extends around the center area;

an edge spaced apart from the center area, the edge extends around the periphery area and the center area;

a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; and

a plurality of first circular grooves that extend into the first surface of the target, wherein each respective first circular groove of the plurality of first circular grooves is concentric with each other;

a plurality of second circular grooves that extend into the first surface of the target, wherein each respective second circular groove of the plurality of second circular grooves is concentric with each other and is eccentric relative to the respective first circular grooves of the plurality of first circular grooves, and wherein:

the plurality of first circular grooves is configured to, in operation, overlap at least one respective orbital pattern of at least one of a first magnet or a second magnet when depositing a material onto a semiconductor substrate present within a semiconductor substrate process chamber, and

the plurality of second circular grooves is configured to, in operation, overlap at least one respective orbital pattern of at least one of the first magnet or the second magnet when depositing the material onto the semiconductor substrate present within the semiconductor substrate process chamber.

7 . The target of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of first circular grooves are concentric about the center of the center area.

8 . The target of claim 7 , wherein the edge is concentric about the center of the center area.

9 . The target of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of second circular grooves are concentric about a point offset from the center of the center area.

10 . The target of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first grooves intersects at least one of the plurality of second grooves.

11 . The target of claim 6 , wherein:

the plurality of first circular grooves are concentric about a first point offset from the center of the center area; and

the plurality of second grooves are concentric about a second point offset from the center of the center area.

12 . The target of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of third circular grooves that are concentric about the center of the center area, and at least one of the plurality of third circular grooves intersect at least one of the plurality of first circular grooves and intersect at least one of the plurality second circular grooves.

13 . A method, comprising:

depositing a material from a target onto a semiconductor substrate in a semiconductor substrate process chamber, the depositing including:

moving a first magnet within a cooling space;

circulating coolant in the cooling space to expose a top surface of the target to the coolant circulated through the cooling space, the top surface delimits the cooling space and includes:

a plurality of curved grooves that are exposed to the coolant circulated through the cooling space;

a plurality of first circular grooves that extend into the first surface of the target, wherein each respective first circular groove of the plurality of first circular grooves is concentric with each other; and

a plurality of second circular grooves that extend into the first surface of the target, wherein each respective second circular groove of the plurality of second circular grooves is concentric with each other and is eccentric relative to the respective first circular grooves of the plurality of first circular grooves;

depositing a film of the material on the semiconductor substrate.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein moving the first magnet within the cooling space includes rotating the magnet within the cooling space.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising moving a second magnet within the cooling space.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein moving the second magnet within the cooling space includes rotating the second magnet around the first magnet.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of first circular grooves is configured to, in operation, overlap at least one respective orbital pattern of at least one of the first magnet or the second magnet when depositing a material onto the semiconductor substrate present within the semiconductor substrate process chamber, and

the plurality of second circular grooves is configured to, in operation, overlap at least one respective orbital pattern of at least one of the first magnet or the second magnet when depositing the material onto the semiconductor substrate present within the semiconductor substrate process chamber.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of curved grooves have an impeller shaped formation.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein respective outermost first circular grooves of the first group and the second group have a first diameter and a respective outermost second circular groove of the plurality of second circular grooves has a second diameter greater than the first diameter.

20 . The target of claim 2 , wherein a first density of the plurality of curved grooves within the center area is greater than a second density of the plurality of curved grooves within the periphery area.

Continuity (2)
Continuation 17461725 · Aug 30, 2021
Related Publication 20250132148A1 · Apr 24, 2025
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