A sputtering apparatus includes a chamber for containing a feed gas. An anode is positioned inside the chamber. A cathode assembly comprising target material is positioned adjacent to an anode inside the chamber. A magnet is positioned adjacent to cathode assembly. A platen that supports a substrate is positioned adjacent to the cathode assembly. An output of the power supply is electrically connected to the cathode assembly. The power supply generates a plurality of voltage pulse trains comprising at least a first and a second voltage pulse train. The first voltage pulse train generates a first discharge from the feed gas that causes sputtering of a first layer of target material having properties that are determined by at least one of a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of pulses in the first voltage pulse train. The second voltage pulse train generates a second discharge from the feed gas that causes sputtering of a second layer of target material having properties that are determined by at least one of a peak amplitude, a rise time, and a duration of pulses in the second voltage pulse train.

A magnetically enhanced low temperature high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (LT-HDP-CVD) source has a hollow cathode target and an anode, which form a gap. A cathode target magnet assembly forms magnetic field lines substantially perpendicular to the cathode surface. A gap magnet assembly forms a magnetic field in the gap that is coupled with the cathode target magnetic field. The magnetic field lines cross the pole piece electrode positioned in the gap. The pole piece is isolated from ground and can be connected to a voltage power supply. The pole piece can have negative, positive, floating, or RF electrical potentials. By controlling the duration, value, and sign of the electric potential on the pole piece, plasma ionization can be controlled. Feed gas flows through the gap between the hollow cathode and anode. The cathode can be connected to a pulse power or RF power supply, or cathode can be connected to both power supplies. The cathode target and substrate can be inductively grounded.

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.

An electrically and magnetically enhanced ionized physical vapor deposition (I-PVD) magnetron apparatus and method is provided for sputtering material from a cathode target on a substrate, and in particular, for sputtering ceramic and diamond-like coatings. The electrically and magnetically enhanced magnetron sputtering source has unbalanced magnetic fields that couple the cathode target and additional electrode together. The additional electrode is electrically isolated from ground and connected to a power supply that can generate positive, negative, or bipolar high frequency voltages, and is preferably a radio frequency (RF) power supply. RF discharge near the additional electrode increases plasma density and a degree of ionization of sputtered material atoms.

An ionized physical vapor deposition (I-PVD) source includes an electrically and magnetically enhanced radio frequency (RF) diode, which has magnetic field lines directed substantially perpendicular to a cathode that terminate on an electrode positioned between an anode around the cathode. The anode forms a gap and the electrode is positioned behind the gap. An RF power supply connected to the cathode generates RF discharge. The cathode is inductively grounded to prevent forming a constant voltage bias during RF discharge. The electrons drift between the cathode and the gap, thereby producing ionization and forming high density plasma. The electrons drift and energy are controlled by applying different voltage potentials to the electrode. The I-PVD source is positioned in a vacuum chamber to form an I-PVD apparatus that generates ions from sputtered target material atoms and deposition. During sputtering, the substrate is biased. The I-PVD source performs chemically enhanced ionized physical vapor deposition (CE-IPVD).

A method for producing a transparent conductive film includes: forming a transparent conductive coating on at least one surface of an organic polymer film substrate in the presence of inert gas by RF superimposed DC sputtering deposition using an indium-based complex oxide target with a high horizontal magnetic field of 85 to 200 mT at a surface of the target in a roll-to-roll system, wherein the indium-based complex oxide target has a content of a tetravalent metal element oxide of 7 to 15% by weight as calculated by the formula {(the amount of the tetravalent metal element oxide)/(the amount of the tetravalent metal element oxide+the amount of indium oxide)}100(%), wherein the transparent conductive coating has a thickness in the range of 10 to 40 nm, and the transparent conductive coating has a specific resistance of 1.310.sup.4 to 2.810.sup.4 .Math.cm.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, a process kit shield used in a substrate processing chamber may include a shield body having an inner surface and an outer surface, a process kit shield impedance match device coupled between the shield body and ground, wherein the process kit shield impedance match device is configured to adjust a bias voltage of the process kit shield, a cavity formed on the outer surface of the shield body, and one or more magnets disposed within the cavity.

The present invention is a plasma generation source and a thing that is in its application and it is for getting high quality thin film by generating even high density plasma in high vacuum and like this plasma generation source applying like this plasma generation source to sputtering system, neutral particle beam source, thin film deposition system combining sputtering system and neutral particle beam source. According to the present invention, it generates plasma by using microwave through the microwave irradiating equipment and magnetic field by more than one pair of the belt type magnets and above goal can be accomplished maximizing plasma confinement effect by inducing electron returning trajectory in accordance with above continuous structure on belt type magnet.

Systems and methods provide a solution for efficiently generating high density plasma for a physical vapor deposition (PVD). The present solution includes a vacuum chamber for a PVD process. The system can include a target located within the vacuum chamber for sputtering a material onto a wafer. The system can include a resonant structure formed by an antenna and a plurality of capacitors. The resonant structure can be configured to provide a pulsed output at a resonant frequency. The resonant structure can be configured to generate, via the antenna and based on the pulsed output, a plasma between the target and a location of the wafer to ionize the material sputtered from the target.

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.