Reliability of a semiconductor device is improved, and use efficiency of a sputtering apparatus is increased. When depositing thin films over a main surface of a semiconductor wafer using a magnetron sputtering apparatus in which a collimator is installed in a space between the semiconductor wafer and a target installed in a chamber, a region inner than a peripheral part of the collimator is made thinner than the peripheral part. Thus, it becomes possible to suppress deterioration in uniformity of the thin film in a wafer plane, which may occur as the integrated usage of the target increases.

A sputtering chamber includes at least two sputtering targets, one of the at least two targets disposed on a first side a substrate conveyor extending within the chamber, and another of the at least two targets disposed on a second side of the conveyor. The at least two targets may be independently operable, and at least one of the targets, if inactivated, may be protected by a shielding apparatus. Both of the at least two targets may be mounted to a first wall of a plurality of walls enclosing the sputtering chamber.

A deposition system, and a method of operation thereof, includes: a cathode; a shroud below the cathode; a rotating shield below the cathode for exposing the cathode through the shroud and through a shield hole of the rotating shield; and a rotating pedestal for producing a material to form a carrier over the rotating pedestal, wherein the material having a non-uniformity constraint of less than 1% of a thickness of the material and the cathode having an angle between the cathode and the carrier.

Bulk acoustic wave resonator structures include a bulk layer with inclined c-axis hexagonal crystal structure piezoelectric material supported by a substrate. The bulk layer may be prepared without first depositing a seed layer on the substrate. The bulk material layer has a c-axis tilt of about 32 degrees or greater. The bulk material layer may exhibit a ratio of shear coupling to longitudinal coupling of 1.25 or greater during excitation. A method for preparing a crystalline bulk layer having a c-axis tilt includes depositing a bulk material layer directly onto a substrate at an off-normal incidence. The deposition conditions may include a pressure of less than 5 mTorr and a deposition angle of about 35 degrees to about 85 degrees.

Embodiments of method for igniting a plasma are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for igniting a plasma includes: flowing a process gas into a process chamber to increase a pressure within the process chamber to a first pressure; applying a first bias voltage from a collimator power source to a collimator disposed within the process chamber; and applying a second power to a sputtering source disposed in the process chamber above the collimator after the first pressure has been reached and the first bias voltage is applied to ignite the plasma.

Substrate processing chambers with integrated shutter garage are provided herein. In some embodiments, a pre-clean substrate processing chamber may include a chamber body, wherein the chamber body includes a first side configured to be attached to mainframe substrate processing tool, and a second side disposed opposite the first side, a substrate support configured to support a substrate when disposed thereon, a shutter disk garage disposed on the second side of the process chamber, and a shutter disk assembly mechanism comprising a rotatable shaft, and a robot shutter arm coupled to the shaft, wherein the robot shutter arm includes a shutter disk assembly support section configured to support a shutter disk assembly, and wherein the shutter disk assembly mechanism is configured to move the robot shutter arm between a storage position within the shutter garage and a processing position within the process chamber over the substrate support.

An apparatus for generating energetic particles and application of coatings in a vacuum comprising a plasma duct surrounded by a magnetic deflecting and focusing system communicating with a primary cathodic arc plasma source in a cathode chamber and a distal anode in a coating chamber. A coating chamber comprises a substrate holder off of an optical axis of the plasma source. A set of baffles are installed along the walls of cathode chambers and the plasma duct not occupied with plasma sources and in some embodiments across the plasma stream to trap macroparticles and neutrals. A plasma duct has a deflecting portion with attached cathode chamber and a tunnel portion attached to the coating chamber. The deflecting system comprises a deflecting coil surrounding the cathode chamber having an off-set deflecting conductor spaced from the plasma duct. In one embodiment a magnetron source is magnetically coupled with cathodic arc source.

A sputtering target assembly, sputtering apparatus, and method, the target assembly including a backing plate having an aperture formed therein; and a target bonded to a front surface of the backing plate. The aperture is disposed on the backing plate such that a first end of the aperture is sealed by a portion of the target that is predicted by a sputtering target erosion profile to have the highest etching rate during a corresponding sputtering process.

A plasma ashing system includes a plasma generator configured to generate a plasma from a gas source. The system further includes a plasma reaction chamber configured to house a substrate comprising a Parylene coating, wherein the plasma reaction chamber is configured to expose surfaces of the Parylene coating on the substrate to the plasma, wherein the plasma is configured to remove portions of the Parylene coating on the substrate. The system further includes a masking fixture including at least one opening and configured to shield areas of the substrate from plasma ashing, and further including a gasket between the masking fixture and the substrate.

According to one embodiment, a film formation apparatus includes a chamber having an interior to be vacuumed, a carrying unit which is provided in the chamber, and which carries a workpiece that has a processing target surface in a solid shape along a circular carrying path, a film formation unit that causes a film formation material to be deposited by sputtering on the workpiece that is being carried by the carrying unit to form a film thereon, and a shielding member which has an opening located at a side where the workpiece passes through, and which forms a film formation chamber where the film formation by the film formation unit is performed. A compensation plate that protrudes in the film formation chamber is provided, and the compensation plate has a solid shape along a shape of the processing target surface of the workpiece, and is provided at a position facing the workpiece.