A movable structure includes a processing chamber configured to perform processing under a vacuum environment; a fixed portion disposed in the processing chamber; a movable portion that is movable with respect to the fixed portion; a transmission/reception module provided at the fixed portion and having a hermetically sealed structure; and a sensor module provided at the movable portion and having a hermetically sealed structure. The transmission/reception module and the sensor module perform transmission and reception of signals in a non-contact manner.

Embodiments of methods and systems for an inductively coupled plasma sweeping source for an IPVD system. In an embodiment, a method includes providing a large size substrate in a processing chamber. The method may also include generating from a metal source a sputtered metal onto the substrate. Additionally, the method may include creating a high density plasma from a high density plasma source and applying the high density plasma in a sweeping operation without involving moving parts. The method may also include controlling a plurality of operating variables in order to meet one or more plasma processing objectives.

A semiconductor device is manufactured by modifying an electromagnetic field within a deposition chamber. In embodiments in which the deposition process is a sputtering process, the electromagnetic field may be modified by adjusting a distance between a first coil and a mounting platform. In other embodiments, the electromagnetic field may be adjusted by applying or removing power from additional coils that are also present.

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.

A semiconductor device is manufactured by modifying an electromagnetic field within a deposition chamber. In embodiments in which the deposition process is a sputtering process, the electromagnetic field may be modified by adjusting a distance between a first coil and a mounting platform. In other embodiments, the electromagnetic field may be adjusted by applying or removing power from additional coils that are also present.

A method of depositing a layer on a substrate includes applying a first magnetic field to a cathode target, electrically coupling the cathode target to a first high power pulse resonance alternating current (AC) power supply, positioning an additional cylindrical cathode target electrode around the cathode, applying a second magnetic field to the additional cylindrical cathode target electrode, electrically coupling the additional cylindrical cathode target electrode to a second high power pulse resonance AC power supply, generating magnetic coupling between the cathode target and an anode, providing a feed gas, and selecting a time shift between negative voltage peaks associated with AC voltage waveforms generated by the first high power pulse resonance AC power supply and the second high power pulse resonance AC power supply. An apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, cathode target magnet assembly, first high power pulse resonance AC power supply, additional electrode, additional electrode magnet assembly, second high power pulse resonance AC power supply, and feed gas.

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.

A magnetron sputter reactor for sputtering deposition materials such as tantalum, tantalum nitride and copper, for example and its method of use, in which self-ionized plasma (SIP) sputtering and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) sputtering are promoted, either together or alternately, in the same or different chambers. Also, bottom coverage may be thinned or eliminated by ICP resputtering in one chamber and SIP in another. SIP is promoted by a small magnetron having poles of unequal magnetic strength and a high power applied to the target during sputtering. ICP is provided by one or more RF coils which inductively couple RF energy into a plasma. The combined SIP-ICP layers can act as a liner or barrier or seed or nucleation layer for hole. In addition, an RF coil may be sputtered to provide protective material during ICP resputtering. In another chamber an array of auxiliary magnets positioned along sidewalls of a magnetron sputter reactor on a side towards the wafer from the target. The magnetron preferably is a small, strong one having a stronger outer pole of a first magnetic polarity surrounding a weaker outer pole of a second magnetic polarity and rotates about the central axis of the chamber. The auxiliary magnets preferably have the first magnetic polarity to draw the unbalanced magnetic field component toward wafer. The auxiliary magnets may be either permanent magnets or electromagnets.

A movable structure includes a processing chamber configured to perform processing under a vacuum environment; a fixed portion disposed in the processing chamber; a movable portion that is movable with respect to the fixed portion; a transmission/reception module provided at the fixed portion and having a hermetically sealed structure; and a sensor module provided at the movable portion and having a hermetically sealed structure. The transmission/reception module and the sensor module perform transmission and reception of signals in a non-contact manner.

Magnet assemblies comprising a housing with a top plate each comprising aligned openings are described. The housing has a bottom ring and an annular wall with a plurality of openings formed in the bottom ring. The top plate is on the housing and has a plurality of openings aligned with the plurality of openings in the bottom ring of the housing. The magnet assembly may also include a non-conducting base plate and/or a conductive cover plate. Methods for using the magnet assembly and magnetic field tuning are also described.