Systems and processes for utilizing phosphorus fluoride in place of or in combination with, phosphine as a phosphorus dopant source composition, to reduce buildup of unwanted phosphorus deposits in ion implanter systems. The phosphorus fluoride may comprise PF3 and/or PF5. Phosphorus fluoride and phosphine may be co-flowed to the ion implanter, or each of such phosphorus dopant source materials can be alternatingly and sequentially flowed separately to the ion implanter, to achieve reduction in unwanted buildup of phosphorus solids in the implanter, relative to a corresponding process system utilizing only phosphine as the phosphorus dopant source material.

Systems and processes for utilizing phosphorus fluoride in place of or in combination with, phosphine as a phosphorus dopant source composition, to reduce buildup of unwanted phosphorus deposits in ion implanter systems. The phosphorus fluoride may comprise PF3 and/or PF5. Phosphorus fluoride and phosphine may be co-flowed to the ion implanter, or each of such phosphorus dopant source materials can be alternatingly and sequentially flowed separately to the ion implanter, to achieve reduction in unwanted buildup of phosphorus solids in the implanter, relative to a corresponding process system utilizing only phosphine as the phosphorus dopant source material.

A film forming apparatus for forming a film on a substrate by using a magnetron sputtering method. The film forming apparatus includes: a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate; a target holder configured to hold a target made of a ferromagnetic material to face the substrate holder; a magnet provided on a surface of the target holder opposite to the substrate holder, and configured to leak a magnetic field to a front surface of the target held by the target holder that is a surface close to the substrate holder; and a magnetic field strength measurement device configured to measure a strength of the magnetic field.

A film forming apparatus for forming a film on a substrate by using a magnetron sputtering method. The film forming apparatus includes: a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate; a target holder configured to hold a target made of a ferromagnetic material to face the substrate holder; a magnet provided on a surface of the target holder opposite to the substrate holder, and configured to leak a magnetic field to a front surface of the target held by the target holder that is a surface close to the substrate holder; and a magnetic field strength measurement device configured to measure a strength of the magnetic field.

A device for viewing and/or illuminating a target surface in an evacuated chamber having condensable vapor therein, the device comprising: a first section with a through hole having a first end with a first opening and a second end with a second opening; and a second section having a chamber comprising a first portion with a first opening, a second portion with a second opening and a gas inlet, where the second opening is covered with a first window, said first section is attached with the first end to the first portion of the chamber allowing free passage between the chamber and the first section, said gas inlet is connectable to a gas reservoir for feeding a gas into the chamber for prohibiting the first window in the chamber for being contaminated of the condensable vapor.

A film forming apparatus includes a processing container, a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate inside the processing container, a cathode unit disposed above the substrate holder, and a gas introducing mechanism configured to introduce a plasma generating gas into the processing container. The cathode unit includes a target, a power supply configured to supply electric power to the target, a magnet provided on a rear side of the target, and a magnet driving part configured to drive the magnet. The magnet driving part includes an oscillation driver configured to oscillate the magnet along the target, and a perpendicular driver configured to drive the magnet in a direction perpendicular to a main surface of the target independently of driving performed by the oscillation driver. Sputtered particles are deposited on the substrate by magnetron sputtering.

A film forming apparatus includes a processing container, a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate inside the processing container, a cathode unit disposed above the substrate holder, and a gas introducing mechanism configured to introduce a plasma generating gas into the processing container. The cathode unit includes a target, a power supply configured to supply electric power to the target, a magnet provided on a rear side of the target, and a magnet driving part configured to drive the magnet. The magnet driving part includes an oscillation driver configured to oscillate the magnet along the target, and a perpendicular driver configured to drive the magnet in a direction perpendicular to a main surface of the target independently of driving performed by the oscillation driver. Sputtered particles are deposited on the substrate by magnetron sputtering.

A structure including a metal nitride layer is formed on a workpiece by pre-conditioning a chamber that includes a metal target by flowing nitrogen gas and an inert gas at a first flow rate ratio into the chamber and igniting a plasma in the chamber before placing the workpiece in the chamber, evacuating the chamber after the preconditioning, placing the workpiece on a workpiece support in the chamber after the preconditioning, and performing physical vapor deposition of a metal nitride layer on the workpiece in the chamber by flowing nitrogen gas and the inert gas at a second flow rate ratio into the chamber and igniting a plasma in the chamber. The second flow rate ratio is less than the first flow rate ratio.

An apparatus for coating surfaces of objects by a gas deposition method under vacuum conditions in process chambers, including at least one treatment chamber for receiving the objects to be coated and at least one additional process chamber, connected to the at least one treatment chamber, for conducting gases to be deposited and/or discharging portions of non-deposited partial gas quantities. A measuring unit for detecting the coating thickness on a surface or sections of the surface of the process chambers is arranged in at least one additional process chamber. The measuring unit is connectable to a control and evaluation unit. The measuring unit detects ACTUAL data of the coating thickness on a surface of the at least one additional process chamber as measured value and these ACTUAL data are forwarded to an evaluation device, in which these ACTUAL data are compared with NOMINAL data.

A system and a method for detecting abnormality of a thin-film deposition process are provided. In the method, a thin-film is deposited on a substrate in a thin-film deposition chamber by using a target, a dimension of a collimator mounted between the target and the substrate is scanned by using at least one sensor disposed in the thin-film deposition chamber to derive an erosion profile of the target, and abnormality of the thin-film deposition process is detected by analyzing the erosion profile with an analysis model trained with data of a plurality of erosion profiles derived under a plurality of deposition conditions.