Patent Application
20080191629
This invention relates to plasma technology and, more particularly, to ion beam sources/thrusters based on a plasma accelerator with closed-loop electron drift and a narrow zone of acceleration. More particularly, it includes embodiments that extend the efficiency of the aforementioned devices, by increasing the ion beam power density per unit area and suppressing contamination of the treated articles (substrates).
An ion source is a device producing a beam of charged particles (heavier than electrons) suitable for transport to an experimental setup or to an application, such as accelerator injection, ion implantation, fusion driving, or ion propulsion. The critical element is formation of a beam, rather than simply plasma generation. The ion beam may be used for various purposes in thin film technologies, including but not limited to cleaning substrates, surface activation, polishing, etching, direct deposition of thin films, and ion beam sputter depositions utilizing various targets.
Though different types of ion sources exist, thin film technologies most commonly utilize ion sources with grids or closed electron drift.
Closed electron drift sources consist of three subgroups: 1. stationary plasma thrusters (SPT); 2. plasma accelerators with closed electron drift and a narrow acceleration zone (anode layer thrusters); and 3. end hall ion sources. (see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,032, filed on Oct. 20, 1986).
Since their discovery, plasma accelerators with a closed electron drift and a narrow acceleration zone have been the basis for a wide variety of ion sources, named anode layer accelerators.
Devices utilizing plasma accelerators with closed electron drift and a narrow acceleration zone can be used for thin film technology and plasma chemistry. These sources are capable of generating ion beams with different configurations, shaped, for example, as rings and ellipses. They can be used for ion treatment of metal and nonmetal targets, as well as cleaning, etching and activation of surfaces. In addition, they can process materials without an additional electron emitter, although in the case of nonconductive and dielectric targets, under compensation of the ion beam by electrons results in a positive charge at the surface. The positive charge at the surface repels the incoming ion beam and thus reduces the efficiency of ion treatment.
The strong magnetic field traps electrons in the discharge channel 404, but the electrons oscillate and drift in the direction perpendicular to the E×B plane in the presence of magnetic (B) and electric field (E). In other words, the electrons are induced to drift circumferentially in the discharge channel 404. Drifting electrons repeatedly collide with the operational gas atoms delivered into the discharge channel 404, thus creating ion flux that is accelerated outward through the ion-emitting slit/aperture 410 of the discharge channel 404 due to the strong electrical field between anode 406 and cathode 402.
The size of these ion sources can be easily scaled from centimeters to meters in length and configured in various emission shapes. Due to their simplicity and robustness these ion sources, as described above, have become popular for large area web and glass treatment. However, there are problems with the current design of these ion sources, which prevent their wide acceptance for use in thin film technology. During treatment of the dielectric substrates these sources may produce magnetron style discharge outside of the source (frequently this discharge is explained as a diffuse mode of operation of the ion source). This same effect may occur at higher operational pressures. This discharge will sputter cathode material and contaminate the treated articles. As discussed above, the main reasons for the creation of the magnetron discharge and subsequent erosion of the pole pieces of the cathode and contamination of the treated articles (substrates) is a higher process pressure and/or uncompensated charge of the substrates. This phenomena is explained in the paper “Autocompensation of an ion beam in an accelerator with an anode sheath” Bizyukov, A at.el Published in Technical Physics Letters, Volume 23, Number 5, May 1997, pp. 403-404(2). Publisher: MAIK Nauka Interperiodical
For many applications, the above described contamination is unacceptable. Thus, there are a number of designs directed towards reducing contamination of the treated parts.
For example U.S. Patent Publication No 20050040031, published Aug. 16, 2004, describes reducing the amount of substrate contamination by using a shield configuration that blocks the contaminants from impinging the substrate after the substrate passes through the etching beam while the substrate is moving in front of the ion source. This approach will reduce but not eliminate contamination resulting from a dynamic mode, i.e. the substrate moving in relation to the ion source. This approach is not applicable for the process in a static mode, i.e. when the substrate and ion source are not moving relative to each other.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,664,739, filed on Jun. 22, 2002, which describes reducing erosion of the component parts of the ion source. This is achieved by coating the cathode surfaces with material that, during operation of the source, will form a material that will increase electron emission. This invention claims only to reduce contamination but not to eliminate it to the point where it is possible to work with all substrates.
There are additional inventions that attempt to reduce contamination and increase ion beam effectiveness by optimizing the magnetic field of the ion source. U.S. Pat. No. 6,919,672 filed on Apr. 10, 2003 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,864,486 dated Mar. 8, 2005 are some of the examples of this approach. These inventions are, in general, related to the optimization of the magnetic field and the pole pieces of the ion source.
The current invention is an improvement of ion sources based on the plasma accelerator with closed electron drift and a narrow acceleration zone, also commonly referred as Anode Layer Ion Sources.
An ion source comprising a plasma accelerator with a closed electron drift and a narrow zone of acceleration, having an azimuthally closed discharge channel that extends continuously about a main axis is disclosed. The discharge channel has a top and bottom end and a slit at the top end of the discharge channel, where the slit extends continuously about the main axis, and is tilted at an angle greater than zero and less than 90° relative to the main axis. In one embodiment the angle is in the range of about 10-45°. In one embodiment the device further contains a magnetic lens configured to magnetically focus the ion beam exiting the discharge channel, where the magnetic lens is positioned outside the discharge channel along the slit.
In one embodiment, the device further contains a self sustaining hollow cathode positioned outside the magnetic lens on a side of the magnetic lens opposite the discharge channel, where the hollow cathode is configured to allow the ion beam to pass, and allow for the formation of a self sustaining plasma within the hollow cathode in the presence of both the ion beam and a positive potential at a surface of a substrate being treated by the ion beam. In one embodiment, the hollow cathode is configured such that the self sustaining plasma counteracts the positive potential formed at a surface of a substrate being treated by the ion beam. In one embodiment a magnetic system is provided within the hollow cathode, where the magnetic system is configured to increase the intensity of the plasma formed inside the hollow cathode. The device contains an anode present within the discharge channel, where a voltage in the range of about 700-15000 volts is applied to the anode.
In one embodiment, the device contains a self sustaining hollow cathode located outside the discharge channel along the slit, where the hollow cathode is configured to allow the ion beam to pass, and where the hollow cathode is configured to form a self sustaining plasma within the hollow cathode in the presence of both the ion beam and a positive potential at a surface of a substrate being treated by the ion beam. The hollow cathode is configured such that the self sustaining plasma counteracts the positive potential formed at the surface of the substrate being treated by the ion beam. In one embodiment the hollow cathode further comprises a magnetic system within the hollow cathode, wherein the magnetic system is configured to increase the intensity of the plasma formed inside the hollow cathode.
In another embodiment, an ion source comprising a self sustaining hollow cathode is disclosed, where the hollow cathode is configured to allow the ion beam to pass, and where the hollow cathode is configured to form a self sustaining plasma within the hollow cathode in the presence of both the ion beam and a positive potential at a surface of a substrate being treated by the ion beam. The hollow cathode is configured such that the self sustaining plasma counteracts the positive potential formed at a surface of the substrate being treated by the ion beam. In one embodiment, a magnetic system is present within the hollow cathode, wherein the magnetic system is configured to increase the intensity of plasma formed inside the hollow cathode.
A method of focusing an ion beam generated in a plasma accelerator with a closed electron drift and a narrow zone of acceleration, having an azimuthally closed discharge channel which extends continuously about a main axis is disclosed. The discharge channel has a top and bottom end and has a slit providing an exit hole along the top end of the discharge channel, where the slit extends continuously about the main axis. The method comprises tilting the slit to an angle which is greater than zero and less than 90° relative to the main axis. In one embodiment, the angle is in the range of about 10-45°. In one embodiment, a magnetic lens is positioned outside the discharge channel along the slit and is used to magnetically focus the ion beam exiting the discharge channel.
In another embodiment, a method of neutralizing the effects of a positive potential formed at surface of a substrate to be treated is disclosed. The method comprises providing a self sustaining hollow cathode positioned between the ion beam source and the substrate where the hollow cathode is configured to allow the ion beam exiting the discharge channel or the magnetic lens to pass through the hollow cathode onto the substrate.
The present invention is an ion beam source that produces an ion beam with high current and power density and charge and current compensated (neutralized) ion flux that allows for high efficiency and high rate ion beam processing of dielectric or electrically isolated products and conductive materials, while at the same time minimizing contamination of the substrate and reducing erosion of the cathodes (pole pieces).
As shown in
which generates an ion beam with an average energy in the range of about ε=(0.3−0.4)eU. The direction of the velocity of the corresponding ion beam is along axis x 144.
The magneto conductive housing 102 forms inner 116 and outer 118 pole pieces that sandwich the ion-emitting slit/aperture 110 located at the top end of the discharge channel, through which the ion beam 112 is accelerated. The ion source 100 also contains a means for creation of a magnetic field 108 in the azimuthally-closed channel 102 of the magneto-conductive housing 102. The magnetic field inside of the discharge channel, established by magnetic means 108 and magnetic pole pieces 116 and 118, is in the range of about 1-3 KGs (Kilogauss). In addition, the magnetic pole pieces 116 and 118 are part of the cathode 102 of the ion source 100 and, along with the cathode 102, are at ground potential. The emitted ion beam may be directed onto a substrate 114.
As discussed above, the discharge channel 104 of the ion source 100 is surrounded by the magneto-conductive housing 102 that contains inner 116 and outer 118 magnetic pole pieces and an electrically isolated anode 106.
As discussed above, the distance L between the anode 106 and the internal part of the pole pieces 116 and 118 is designed based on the following relationship,
where e and m are the charge and mass of the electron, U is the voltage generated by the power supply,
is the electron cyclotron frequency, B is the mean magnetic field induction at the anode surface, c is the speed of light, and
is the ratio of the total frequency of the collision between the electrons and atoms to the frequency of the ionization of the atoms by the electrons.
In order to focus the beam 112 onto a small spot on the surface of the substrate 114, the inner 116 and outer 118 magnetic poles and the ion-emitting slit/aperture 110 are tilted at angle in the range of about 10°-45° relative to the main axis 142 of the ion source.
This ballistic type of focusing, in the case of a circular ion source, forms an ion beam 112 having an emission surface unwrapped on a contour and provides a cone shaped beam 112 having a crossover point 130. This converged beam 112 forms a small spot at the crossover point, and may be aligned so that the crossover occurs at the surface of the substrate.
In addition to the tilt angle of the inner 116 and outer 118 pole pieces and the slit/aperture 110, the ion source 100 may be attached to a magnetic lens 132, positioned near the slit/aperture 110 of the ion source. The magnetic lens 132 can be used to further focus the ion beam 112. As the ion beam exits the discharge channel 104 it passes the inner 116 and outer 118 pole pieces where electrical field is practically absent, but there is a strong magnetic field B⊥ that is perpendicular to the direction of the ion beam flux. (see e.g.
The combination of magnetic and ballistic focusing systems can achieve a beam having a current density in the range of about (20-500
When processing a substrate such as a dielectric or an electrically isolated surface, an ion beam 112, with incomplete ion beam charge compensation by electrons, positively charges the surface of the treated article. The electrical field of the positive potential on the surface can reach the level of the positive potential of the anode. An increase in the positive potential at the surface causes a reduction in the velocity of the ion beam 112, thus decreasing the efficiency of the ion beam treatment.
To overcome the problem associated with charging the substrate surface due to incomplete neutralization of the ion beam 112, the ion beam 112 is passed through a hollow cathode 126 comprising a metallic azimuthally enclosed cavity 128 with an aperture 138 for the exit of the ion beam.
The hollow cathode 126 works by enabling a small fraction of the ions from the ion beam 112 to collide with the atoms of a neutral gas present in the hollow cathode 126. These collisions ionize the atoms of the neutral gas leading to the generation of primary electrons inside the hollow cathode 126 and the generation of a primary plasma. As a result, a self-sustaining gas discharge is formed inside of the hollow cathode during treatment of the dielectric and electrically isolated articles, resulting in charge compensation of the ion beam. The gas discharge is self sustaining because an additional power supply is not required to induce the formation of the gas discharge in the hollow cathode. The potential difference between the hollow cathode and the substrate enables the formation of the gas discharge, as discussed below.
In general, the amount and energy of the electrons generated in the hollow cathode 126 are not sufficient to neutralize the ion beam charge and sustain a plasma. However, in the presence of an electrical field between the hollow cathode and the substrate, the primary electrons gain enough energy to further ionize the gas and thus generate secondary electrons. The secondary electrons then collide with additional neutral gas atoms, generating additional ions and electrons, creating an avalanche effect by repeating the cycle.
At the same time, the positive ions present in the primary plasma strike the inner surface of the hollow cathode, generating additional electrons. This ionization and electron generation results in an amplification of the number of electrons present in the hollow cathode until an intensive plasma discharge is reached. After formation of the primary plasma inside the hollow cathode, the electrical field distribution is not the same as it would have been in vacuum without the presence of plasma. A strong electrical field condensed to a narrow area adjacent to the internal surface of the hollow cathode forms, due to a plasma shielding effect. The electrons, present in the intensive discharge inside the hollow cathode, counteract the potential formed on the surface of the substrate.
The generated electrons oscillate multiple times in the cavity of the hollow cathode, colliding and ionizing gas, until they enter the opening of the hollow cathode and move toward the treated substrate. The hollow cathode is configured to retain the electrons for as long as possible, thus increasing their ability to ionize the gas.
In one embodiment, as shown in
For substrate processing, the ion source 100 is positioned inside of a vacuum chamber. An operation gas is introduced into the ion source 100. Plasma discharge is ignited in the cross-magnetic and electrical fields when voltage is applied between anode 106 and cathode 102. The discharge is ignited and it is well sustained at a pressure of the operational gasses in the range of about 1×10−5-5×10−3 Torr and a discharge voltage of greater than about U=700 V on the anode. In one embodiment the voltage on the anode is in the range of about U=700V to 15000V. The surface of the samples to be treated may be positioned in the focus or crossover point (smallest possible illumination spot for the converging beam) or near the focus or crossover point. One example of the positioning of the ion source 100 of the invention is shown in
An argon ion beam for the ion milling of an aluminum nitride (AlN) film was generated. The ion source had a round ion emitting aperture with an outside diameter of 30 mm. The operational gas was Ar at a pressure of 4.5×10−5 Torr. The anode voltage was 3 KV, the discharge current was 27 mA. An ion beam was directed at the AlN film deposited on a Si wafer. The treated part was fixed relative to the ion source (static mode). The average ion milling rate of the AlN film was 3500 A/min. The outside diameter of the spot etched in the AlN film was 5 mm. Following 30 minutes of operation in static mode the AlN film was found to contain no contamination. The potential of the surface of the AlN film did not exceed 100 V, which corresponds to a less than 10% loss in beam energy and essentially no loss of the ions in the ion beam.
Although the invention has been shown in the form of specific embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments. The embodiments discussed above were given only as examples. Changes and modifications are possible and the invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent designs included within the scope of the invention.
