Patent Application
20100006423
This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 10-2008-0066723, filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Jul. 9, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a magnetron sputtering apparatus, and more particularly, to a magnetic field generation control circuit capable of preventing a target from being magnetized and performing uniform deposition on a substrate, a magnetron sputtering apparatus having the magnetic field generation control circuit, and a magnetron sputtering method using the magnetic field generation control circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the fabrication process of a semiconductor or liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film process is typically performed to pattern a specific thin film or form a circuit pattern on an object to be processed, which is a parent material such as a wafer or a glass substrate. In the fabrication process of an LCD, a metal layer for forming a gate line and a data line and a transparent conductive film for forming a pixel electrode and a common electrode are deposited on a glass substrate using a sputtering method, and patterned to form a specific circuit pattern.
According to the sputtering method, a process gas, such as argon or helium, is injected into a process chamber in a vacuum atmosphere to create a plasma atmosphere. The plasma ions are collided with a target, and atoms emitted from the target are deposited on a substrate. Lately, the sputtering method has been advanced. A magnetron sputtering method of causing plasma ions to impinge around the target is used.
According to the above constitution, the magnet 50 generates a stronger magnetic field than a specific force and magnetizes the target 200 to generate a magnetic field required for a process. In this situation, when a plasma atmosphere is created in the process chamber 100 under vacuum, plasma ions may impinge around the magnetized target 200.
Since a specific amount or more of plasma ions are gathered around the target 200 and collide against the target 200, a comparatively large amount of atoms of the target 200 can be emitted from the target 200 and deposited on the substrate 140 at a comparatively high rate. Such a magnetron sputtering apparatus facilitates control of the amount of deposited metal (such as nickel) and can be easily applied to a large substrate, and thus has been widely used.
Unlike metal induced crystallization (MIC) or metal induced lateral crystallization (MILC), according to super grain silicon (SGS) crystallization, metal must be deposited on a substrate at a low concentration of, for example, 1011 to 1016 or less atom/cm2. Thus, it is very important to control the uniformity and rate of deposition on the substrate 140. However, in the sputtering apparatus as shown in
According to the conventional art, it is impossible to guarantee the deposition uniformity of metal deposited on the substrate 140 during the process due to the magnetized target 200. In addition, when metal is deposited on the large substrate 140, a separated magnetic field of the target 200 cannot be generated for a partial area. Thus, it is impossible to modify the deposition uniformity of a thin film deposited on the substrate 140.
Aspects of the present invention provide a magnetic field generation control unit that selectively controls magnetic field generation toward a target according to whether a sputtering process is performed on a substrate to prevent the target from being magnetized when the sputtering process is not performed and to generate a magnetic field toward the target and perform uniform deposition on the substrate when the sputtering process is performed, a magnetron sputtering apparatus having the magnetic field generation control unit, and a magnetron sputtering method using the magnetic field generation control unit.
Additional aspects of the present invention provide a magnetic field generation control unit that reciprocates a target below a magnetron, which is a magnetic field generator, during a sputtering process and thus can uniformly deposit target material on a substrate; a magnetron sputtering apparatus having the magnetic field generation control unit; and a magnetron sputtering method using the magnetic field generation control unit.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a magnetic field generation control unit is provided. The magnetic field generation control unit includes: a magnetic field generator to provide a specific magnetic field to a target having a metal material to be deposited on a substrate; and a magnetic field generator control module electrically connected with the magnetic field generator, to receive an electrical signal, and to selectively supply a current capable of generating the magnetic field to the magnetic field generator.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the magnetic field generator further include: an inner ferrite formed in the shape of a bar having a specific length; a coil wound around the inner ferrite; and an outer ferrite surrounding the coil and having an external surface coated with nickel.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the magnetic field generator further includes: an inner ferrite having a bar shape having a specific length; an inner coil wound around the inner ferrite; an outer coil wound around the inner coil; and an outer ferrite surrounding the outer coil and having an external surface coated with nickel.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the magnetic field generation control unit further comprises only one magnetic field generator, and the one magnetic field generator is spaced apart from one surface of the target by a specific distance.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the magnetic field generation control unit further comprises a plurality of the magnetic field generators parallel to each other and spaced apart from one surface of the target by a specific distance.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the magnetic field generation control unit further includes a process controller electrically connected with the magnetic field generator control module to control a process of depositing the metal material on the substrate, and the process controller transfers the electrical signal to the magnetic field generator control module when the process of depositing the metal material on the substrate is performed.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a magnetron sputtering apparatus having a magnetic field generation control unit is provided. The apparatus includes: a process chamber having a substrate support on which a substrate is placed; a target installed above the substrate support in the process chamber, including a metal material to be deposited on the substrate, and arranged so as to be movable along a specific reciprocating movement path; a magnetic field generator installed above the target in the process chamber, to provide a specific magnetic field to the target; a process controller to control a process of depositing the metal material on the substrate; and a magnetic field generator control module electrically connected with the process controller and the magnetic field generator, to receive an electrical signal indicating whether the process is performed from the process controller, to selectively move the target, and to selectively supply a current capable of generating the magnetic field to the magnetic field generator.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the magnetron sputtering apparatus further includes a movement unit connected with the target, the movement unit including a fixing frame to fix both sides of the target, a guide frame to guide a sliding movement of the fixing frame, and a linear motor to slide the fixing frame.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the magnetic field generator control module includes a movement controller and a current supply controller, the movement controller is electrically connected with the linear motor, and the current supply controller is electrically connected with the magnetic field generator. When the process of depositing the metal material on the substrate is performed, the magnetic field generator control module receives the electrical signal indicating that the process is performed from the process controller, reciprocate the target using the movement controller, and supply the specific current to the magnetic field generator using the current supply controller.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a length direction of the magnetic field generator may cross the reciprocating movement path at right angles.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a length of the magnetic field generators may be in the same direction as the reciprocating movement path.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a magnetron sputtering method using a magnetic field generation control unit is provided. The method includes: determining, at a process controller, whether a process of depositing a metal material of a target on a substrate is performed; and determining, at a magnetic field generator control module, whether to supply a current for generating a magnetic field to a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field from the target according to whether the process is performed.
Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.
As shown in
The process chamber 100 has a gas inlet pipe 110 on one side, through which inert gas is injected, and a gas outlet pipe 120 on another side, through which gas is exhausted. The target 200 is connected with a movement unit 300.
The movement unit 300 includes a fixing frame 310 that fixes both sides of the target 200, a guide frame 320 that guides the sliding movement of the fixing frame 310, and a linear motor 330 that slides the fixing frame 310. A sliding protrusion 311 is formed on the fixing frame 310, and a sliding hole 321 in which the sliding protrusion 311 is inserted is formed in the guide frame 320 to guide the sliding movement of the fixing frame 310. As a result, the target 200 can be reciprocated along the reciprocating movement path in a specific reciprocating section by the linear motor 330.
The process controller 500 controls the process. For example, the process controller 500 may put the substrate 140 on the substrate support 130, create a vacuum required for the process in the process chamber 100 or inject the inert gas into the process chamber 100, thereby allowing the sputtering process to proceed. The magnetic field generator 400 is fixed on a fixing plate 490 installed in the upper part within the process chamber 100 to be disposed above the target 200.
As shown in
The magnetic field generator 400 may be a single coil type as shown in
The magnetic field generator 401 may be a dual coil type as shown in
The magnetic field generator control module 600 includes a movement controller 620 and a current supply controller 610 electrically connected with the process controller 500 as shown in
When the process of depositing the metal material on the substrate 140 is performed, the magnetic field generator control module 600 may receive the electrical signal indicating that the process is performed from the process controller 500, reciprocate the target 200 using the movement controller 620, and supply a specific current to the magnetic field generator 400 or 401 using the current supply controller 610 such that a specific magnetic field can be generated.
Operation of the magnetron sputtering apparatus shown in
The process controller 500 transfers an electrical signal indicating that the process is performed to the magnetic field generator control module 600 while preparing the process as described above. In operation 200, the magnetic field generator control module 600 determines whether the sputtering process is performed based on the electrical signal.
If the sputtering process is performed as described above, the movement controller 620 of the magnetic field generator control module 600 may control the movement unit 300 to operate. In operation 300, the linear motor 330 of the movement unit 300 operates such that the target 200 can reciprocate along the reciprocating movement path in a specific section at a specific rate as shown in
The current supply controller 610 of the magnetic field generator control module 600 supplies a specific current to the magnetic field generator 400 or 401. In operation 400, the magnetic field generator 400 or 401 supplied with the current generates a specific magnetic field.
The current supply controller 610 supplies the current to the magnetic field generator 400 or 401. A magnetic field can be generated from the lower surface of the target 200 to have a strength of 200 to 800 gauss by a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator 400 or 401. While the target 200 reciprocates along the reciprocating movement path below the magnetic field generator 400 or 401, the magnetic field generator 400 or 401 may magnetize the target 200 using the specific magnetic field.
The inert gas is injected into the process chamber 100 under vacuum, such that plasma can be generated in the process chamber 100. The plasma ions are gathered around the magnetized target 200 and collide against the target 200, and atoms emitted from the target 200 due to the collision may be deposited on the upper surface of the substrate 140 at a high rate.
If no electrical signal is received from the process controller 500, the magnetic field generator control module 600 determines that the sputtering process is not performed. The movement controller 620 of the magnetic field generator control module 600 then prevents the linear motor 330 from operating, thereby stopping movement of the target 200. In operation 210, the current supply controller 610 of the magnetic field generator control module 600 stops the current from being supplied to the magnetic field generator 400 or 401. As a result, the magnetic field generator 400 or 401 will not generate a magnetic field.
Consequently, the magnetic field generator control module 600 can prevent the target 200 from being magnetized by the magnetic field generator 400 or 401 while the sputtering process is not performed. In addition, when the dual coil type magnetic field generator 401 is used as shown in
A magnetron sputtering apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
Referring to
The magnetic field generator 700 or 701 is fixed on a fixing plate 490 installed in the upper part within the process chamber 100 to be disposed above the target 200. As shown in
As shown in
The magnetic field generator 701 may be a dual coil type as shown in
The magnetic field generator control module 600 includes a movement controller 620, a current supply controller 610 and a current value input unit 630 electrically connected with the process controller 500 as shown in
When a process of depositing a metal material on a substrate 140 is performed, the magnetic field generator control module 600 may receive an electrical signal indicating that the process is performed from the process controller 500, reciprocate the target 200 using the movement controller 620, and supply a specific current to the magnetic field generator 700 using the current supply controller 610 such that a specific magnetic field is generated.
Operation of the magnetron sputtering apparatus shown in
If the sputtering process is to be performed, the current value input unit 630 of the magnetic field generator control module 600 inputs the values of currents to be separately supplied to the magnetic field generators 700 into the current supply controller 610 and sets the current values in operation 250.
The separate currents may be supplied from the current supply controller 610 to the respective magnetic field generators 700 disposed above the target 200. The current value input unit 630 selectively inputs the values of the currents to be supplied to the magnetic field generators 700 into the current supply controller 610, and the magnetic field generators 700 are aligned in parallel in the movement direction of the target 200. The current value input unit 630 may input the values of the currents into the current supply controller 610 such that currents can be supplied only to the magnetic field generators 700 corresponding to the width of the target 200.
Since only the magnetic field generators 700 corresponding to various widths of the target 200 are operated, targets having various widths can be easily magnetized. In addition, the magnetic field generators 700 can generate magnetic fields using different currents due to the current value input unit 630. As a result, the uniformity of a thin film deposited on the substrate 140 after the sputtering process may be easily modified in the following process.
In operation 300, the movement controller 620 of the magnetic field generator control module 600 controls the movement unit 300 to operate. The linear motor 330 of the movement unit 300 operates to reciprocate the target 200 along the reciprocating movement path in a specific section at a specific rate as shown in
The current supply controller 610 of the magnetic field generator control module 600 may supply the currents according to the current values input from the current value input unit 630 to the respective magnetic field generators 700 or 701. The magnetic field generators 700 or 701 supplied with the currents then generate a specific magnetic field. The current supply controller 610 supplies the currents to the magnetic field generators 700 or 701. A magnetic field can be generated from the lower surface of the target 200 to have a strength of 200 to 800 gauss by the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generators 700 or 701.
While the target 200 reciprocates along the reciprocating movement path a below the magnetic field generators 700 or 701, the magnetic field generators 700 or 701 may magnetize the reciprocating target 200 using the specific magnetic field. In addition, inert gas is injected into the process chamber 100 under vacuum, such that plasma can be generated in the process chamber 100. Subsequently, the plasma ions are gathered around the magnetized target 200 and collide against the target 200, and atoms emitted from the target 200 due to the collision may be deposited on the upper surface of the substrate 140 at a high rate.
If no electrical signal is received from the process controller 500 in operation 200, the magnetic field generator control module 600 may determine that the sputtering process is not performed. The movement controller 620 of the magnetic field generator control module 600 prevents the linear motor 330 from operating, thereby stopping movement of the target 200. In operation 210, the current supply controller 610 of the magnetic field generator control module 600 stops current from being supplied to the magnetic field generators 700 or 701.
Thus, a magnetic field is not generated from the magnetic field generators 700 or 701. Consequently, the magnetic field generator control module 600 can prevent the target 200 from being magnetized by the magnetic field generators 700 or 701 while the sputtering process is not performed. In addition, when the dual coil type magnetic field generator 701 is used as shown in
According to aspects of the present invention, magnetic field generation toward a target is selectively controlled according to whether a sputtering process is performed, and thus it is possible to prevent the target from being magnetized after the sputtering process. In addition, according to aspects of the present invention, a target is reciprocated below a magnetron, which is a magnetic field generator, during a sputtering process, such that a target material can be uniformly deposited on a substrate.
Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in this embodiment without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-66723 | Jul 2008 | KR | national |
