A magnetically enhanced HDP-CVD plasma source includes a hollow cathode target and an anode. The anode and cathode form a gap. A cathode target magnet assembly forms magnetic field lines that are substantially perpendicular to a cathode target surface. The gap magnet assembly forms a cusp magnetic field in the gap that is coupled with the cathode target magnetic field. The magnetic field lines cross a pole piece electrode positioned in the gap. This pole piece is isolated from ground and can be connected with a voltage power supply. The pole piece can have a negative, positive, or floating electric potential. The plasma source can be configured to generate volume discharge. The gap size prohibits generation of plasma discharge in the gap. By controlling the duration, value and a sign of the electric potential on the pole piece, the plasma ionization can be controlled. The magnetically enhanced HDP-CVD source can also be used for chemically enhanced ionized physical vapor deposition (CE-IPVD). Gas flows through the gap between hollow cathode and anode. The cathode target is inductively grounded, and the substrate is periodically inductively grounded.

A vacuum apparatus to deposit a compound layer on at least one plate shaped substrate by sputtering. The apparatus including a vacuum chamber with side walls around a central axis. The chamber includes at least one inlet for a process gas, at least one inlet for an inert gas, a substrate handling opening, a pedestal including an electrostatic chuck formed as a substrate support in a central lower area of a sputter compartment, a magnetron sputter source including the target at the frontside and a magnet-system at the backside of the source, an anode looping around the target and at least an upper part of the pedestal and a pump compartment connected to a bottom of the sputter compartment by a flow labyrinth. A vacuum pump system is connected to the pump compartment.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. In embodiments, a magnetron assembly for use in a PVD chamber includes: a base plate having a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a central axis; a magnet plate rotatably coupled to the base plate, wherein the magnet plate rotates with respect to the base plate about an offset axis; a magnet assembly coupled to the magnet plate offset from the offset axis and configured to rotate about the central axis and the offset axis; a first motor coupled to the base plate to rotate the magnet assembly about the central axis; and a second motor coupled to the magnet plate to control an angular position thereof and to position the magnet assembly in each of a plurality of fixed angular positions defining a plurality of different fixed radii.

Method and apparatus that forms low resistivity tungsten film on substrates. In some embodiments, a method of reducing resistivity of tungsten includes generating a plasma in a processing volume of a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber with a process gas of krypton and using an RF power with a frequency of approximately 60 MHz and a magnetron, applying bias power at frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz to a substrate, and sputtering a tungsten target to deposit a tungsten thin film on the substrate. At least approximately 90% of the deposited tungsten thin film has a <110> crystalline orientation plane approximately parallel to a top surface of the substrate.

A method of sputtering a layer on a substrate includes positioning an HEDP magnetron in a vacuum with an anode, cathode target, magnet assembly, substrate, and feed gas; applying a plurality of unipolar negative direct current (DC) voltage pulses from a pulse power supply to a pulse converting network (PCN), wherein the PCN comprises at least one inductor and at least one capacitor; and adjusting an amplitude, pulse duration, and frequency associated with the plurality of unipolar negative DC voltage pulses and adjusting a value of at least one of the at least one inductor and the at least one capacitor, thereby causing a resonance mode associated with the PCN. The substrate is operatively coupled to ground by a first diode, thereby attracting positively charged ions sputtered from the cathode target and plasma to the substrate. A corresponding apparatus and computer-readable medium are also disclosed.

A high density plasma processing apparatus. The apparatus comprising: a process chamber containing a gaseous medium; a length of antenna extending through the process chamber; a housing enclosing the antenna from the process chamber; and one or more magnets. In use, the antenna excites the gaseous medium within the process chamber to generate a plasma; and wherein the one or more magnets are configured such that the plasma is propagated as a sheet across the process chamber in an orthogonal direction relative to the length of the antenna.

A system and method for reducing particle contamination on substrates during a deposition process using a particle control system is disclosed here. In one embodiment, a film deposition system includes: a processing chamber sealable to create a pressurized environment and configured to contain a plasma, a target and a substrate in the pressurized environment; and a particle control unit, wherein the particle control unit is configured to provide an external force to each of at least one charged atom and at least one contamination particle in the plasma, wherein the at least one charged atom and the at last one contamination particle are generated by the target when it is in direct contact with the plasma, wherein the external force is configured to direct the at least one charged atom to a top surface of the substrate and to direct the at least one contamination particle away from the top surface of the substrate.

Provided is a fabrication method for a composite planar pH sensor modified by graphene film including: slotting into substrate, setting copper foil on both sides, and setting leads on the copper foil; coating graphene film on the copper foils using micro mechanical stripping method to form the first graphene film and the second graphene film; depositing Sb layer and Sb.sub.2O.sub.3 layer successively on the first graphene film by magnetron sputtering method, and coating Nafion™ perfluorinated sulfonic acid membrane on the Sb.sub.2O.sub.3 layer by spin-coating method to fabricate pH working electrode; depositing Ag layer on the second graphene film and dipping in FeCl.sub.3 solution to form AgCl layer; coating the third graphene film on the AgCl layer to fabricate reference electrode. The composite planar pH sensor modified by graphene film may be used in pH measurement for solid, semisolid, mash and solution samples.

A method of sputtering a layer on a substrate using a high-energy density plasma (HEDP) magnetron includes positioning the magnetron in a vacuum with an anode, cathode target, magnet assembly, substrate, and feed gas; applying unipolar negative direct current (DC) voltage pulses from a pulse power supply with a pulse forming network (PFN) to a pulse converting network (PCN); and adjusting an amplitude and frequency associated with the plurality of unipolar negative DC voltage pulses causing a resonance mode associated with the PCN. The PCN converts the unipolar negative DC voltage pulses to an asymmetric alternating current (AC) signal that generates a high-density plasma discharge on the HEDP magnetron. An increase in amplitude or pulse duration of the plurality of unipolar negative DC voltage pulses causes an increase in the amplitude of a negative voltage of the asymmetric AC signal in response to the PCN being in the resonance mode, thereby causing sputtering discharge associated with the HEDP magnetron to form the layer from the cathode target on the substrate. A corresponding apparatus and computer-readable medium are disclosed.

A magnetically enhanced HDP-CVD plasma source includes a hollow cathode target and an anode. The anode and cathode form a gap. A cathode target magnet assembly forms magnetic field lines that are substantially perpendicular to a cathode target surface. The gap magnet assembly forms a cusp magnetic field in the gap that is coupled with the cathode target magnetic field. The magnetic field lines cross a pole piece electrode positioned in the gap. This pole piece is isolated from ground and can be connected with a voltage power supply. The pole piece can have a negative, positive, or floating electric potential. The plasma source can be configured to generate volume discharge. The gap size prohibits generation of plasma discharge in the gap. By controlling the duration, value and a sign of the electric potential on the pole piece, the plasma ionization can be controlled. The magnetically enhanced HDP-CVD source can also be used for chemically enhanced ionized physical vapor deposition (CE-IPVD). Gas flows through the gap between hollow cathode and anode. The cathode target is inductively grounded, and the substrate is periodically inductively grounded.