A collimator that is biasable is provided. The ability to bias the collimator allows control of the electric field through which the sputter species pass. In some implementations of the present disclosure, a collimator that has a high effective aspect ratio while maintaining a low aspect ratio along the periphery of the collimator of the hexagonal array of the collimator is provided. In some implementations, a collimator with a steep entry edge in the hexagonal array is provided. It has been found that use of a steep entry edge in the collimator reduces deposition overhang and clogging of the cells of the hexagonal array. These various features lead to improve film uniformity and extend the life of the collimator and process kit.

Methods and apparatus for physical vapor deposition are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for physical vapor deposition (PVD) includes: a linear PVD source to provide a stream of material flux comprising material to be deposited on a substrate; and a substrate support having a support surface to support the substrate at a non-perpendicular angle to the linear PVD source, wherein the substrate support and linear PVD source are movable with respect to each other along an axis that is perpendicular to a plane of the support surface of the substrate support sufficiently to cause the stream of material flux to move over a working surface of the substrate disposed on the substrate support during operation.

A shield encircles a sputtering target that faces a substrate support in a substrate processing chamber. The shield comprises an outer band having a diameter sized to encircle the sputtering target, the outer band having upper and bottom ends, and the upper end having a tapered surface extending radially outwardly and adjacent to the sputtering target. A base plate extends radially inward from the bottom end of the outer band. An inner band joined to the base plate at least partially surrounds a peripheral edge of a substrate support. The shield can also have a heat exchanger comprising a conduit with an inlet and outlet to flow heat exchange fluid therethrough.

A film forming apparatus includes: a chamber main body defining a chamber; a slit plate partitioning the chamber into a first space and a second space below the first space, the slit plate having a slit penetrating therethrough; a holder holding a target in the first space; a stage for supporting a substrate, the stage being movable in a moving direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the slit in a moving area including an area directly below the slit; and a mechanism for moving the stage along the moving direction. In order to suppress scattering of particles from the target to another area other than the moving area in the second space through the slit, the stage has one or more protruding portions which provide upwardly and/or downwardly bent portions in a path around the stage between the slit and the another area in the second space.

Methods for depositing a low resistivity nickel silicide layer used in forming an interconnect and electronic devices formed using the methods are described herein. In one embodiment, a method for depositing a layer includes positioning a substrate on a substrate support in a processing chamber, the processing chamber having a nickel target and a silicon target disposed therein, the substrate facing portions of the nickel target and the silicon target each having an angle of between about 10 degrees and about 50 degrees from the target facing surface of the substrate, flowing a gas into the processing chamber, applying an RF power to the nickel target and concurrently applying a DC power to the silicon target, concurrently sputtering silicon and nickel from the silicon and nickel targets, respectively, and depositing a Ni.sub.xSi.sub.1-x layer on the substrate, where x is between about 0.01 and about 0.99.

A method for depositing a layer (2) of a coating which is reflective or anti-reflective to DUV radiation onto a surface (3a) of a substrate (3) for a DUV optical element includes: transferring a coating material (M) into the gas phase in a coating source (4), moving the substrate relative to the coating source along a predetermined movement path (5), and varying a coating rate (RB) and/or a rotation speed (?(t)) of a spin axis (7) of the substrate during the movement along the movement path. A covering element (6) is arranged between the coating source (4) and the surface and covers the surface at least partially during the movement of the substrate. Also disclosed is an optical element for the DUV wavelength range, with a substrate and a reflective or anti-reflective coating (B) applied to the substrate, having at least one layer deposited by the disclosed method.

A sputtering apparatus (100) according to this invention includes a shutter (50) configured to move between a shutter-closed position (50a) in which the to-be-deposited object (2) is covered from the target (1), and a shutter-moved-out position (50b) in which the shutter is moved out of the shutter-closed position (50a) to an exhaust pump (30) side and stays on the exhaust pump side during thin film deposition. A plate-shaped reflector (60, 70) is arranged between the exhaust pump (30) and the shutter (50) in a moved-out state in which the shutter is arranged at the shutter-moved-out position (50b), and is configured to reflect radiation of heat directing to the exhaust pump (30) from the shutter (50) in the moved-out state.

The invention provides a deposition equipment with a shielding mechanism, which includes a reaction chamber, a carrier, a cover ring and a shielding mechanism. The shielding mechanism includes a first bearing arm, a second bearing arm, a first shielding plate and a second shielding plate. The first and second shielding plates are respectively placed on the first and second bearing arms. There are corresponding alignment units between the lower surface of the first and second shielding plates and the upper surface the carrier, so that the first and second shielding plates can be aligned with the carrier. There is also a corresponding alignment unit between the upper surface of the first and second shielding plates and the lower surface the cover ring, so that the cover ring can be aligned with the first and second shielding plates to define a cleaning space in the reaction chamber.

A film forming system comprises a chamber, a stage, a holder, a cathode magnet, a shield, a first moving mechanism, and a second moving mechanism. The chamber provides a processing space. The stage is provided in the processing space and configured to support a substrate. The holder is configured to hold a target that is provided in the processing space. The cathode magnet is provided outside the chamber with respect to the target. The shield has a slit and is configured to block particles released from the target around the slit. The first moving mechanism is configured to move the shield between the stage and the target along a scanning direction substantially parallel to a surface of the substrate mounted on the stage. The second moving mechanism is configured to move the cathode magnet along the scanning direction.

A sputtering source includes two facing plate shaped targets and a magnet arrangement along each of the targets. An open coating outlet area from the reaction space between the targets is limited by facing rims of the two plate shaped targets. Catcher plates along each of the rims respectively project in a direction from the rims towards each other into the open coating outlet area, thereby restricting the open coating outlet area as limited by the mutually facing rims of the two plate shaped targets.