Magnetron sputtering coating control method and equipment for modified silicon plating

Abstract

The invention provides a magnetron sputtering coating control method and equipment for modified silicon plating, and the method comprises the steps S1-S4, through a composite control strategy, active compensation of the deposition rate is realized, the film thickness nonuniformity of a large-area substrate is stably controlled within + / -2% from + / -8%-12% of a traditional process, and the film thickness uniformity of the large-area substrate is controlled within + / -2%. Secondly, differential ion assistance is applied in different deposition stages through a Hall source segmented beam density control method, densification and stress relaxation in the film growth process are actively regulated and controlled, and the problems of film layer cracking, warping and the like are fundamentally solved. In addition, by means of an external cathode and a gas distribution assembly, partitioned independent adjustable gas inlet of multiple sections of target materials is achieved, the uniformity is improved, stress is reduced, meanwhile, surface migration of deposited atoms is promoted through an enhanced ion auxiliary process, a high thin film with the high film-substrate binding force is obtained, and the high-performance thin film is obtained. The problems that the film thickness is not uniform and the film layer stress is difficult to control in the film coating process are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vacuum coating, and in particular to a magnetron sputtering coating control method and equipment for modified silicon coating. Background Technology

[0002] In high-tech fields such as microelectronics, optics, hard coatings and new energy, modified silicon-based thin films (such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, doped amorphous silicon and silicon-based composite thin films) are widely used due to their excellent electrical, optical, mechanical and chemical stability.

[0003] As applications place increasingly stringent demands on thin film performance, traditional magnetron sputtering faces the following challenges in preparing high-quality modified silicon-based thin films: First, there is the issue of film thickness uniformity. Traditional mechanical scanning or static deposition is difficult to achieve film thickness uniformity within ±5%, which seriously affects the consistency of device performance. This is especially true in large-area coating applications, where the deposition rate at different spatial locations on the substrate (especially the center and the edge) varies significantly.

[0004] Secondly, deposited films typically exhibit significant stress. Excessive stress can lead to wrinkling, cracking, and even peeling of the film, as well as negatively impact its optical, electrical, and long-term stability properties. Traditional stress control methods (such as adjusting working gas pressure, substrate temperature, or annealing) often have limited effectiveness and poor controllability, and may also negatively affect other properties (such as deposition rate and density).

[0005] Third, traditional processes rely heavily on the experience of operators and lack real-time monitoring and closed-loop control of key quality parameters such as film thickness and stress. Even slight drifts in process parameters (such as target material consumption and gas purity fluctuations) can directly affect the batch stability of product performance. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned problems, the present invention employs the following technical solution: A method for controlling magnetron sputtering deposition of modified silicon includes the following steps: S1: Mount the substrate onto the fixture inside the vacuum chamber and start the vacuum pumping assembly to evacuate the vacuum. The pressure during vacuuming should not exceed 5 × 10⁻⁶. -4 Pa; S2: Process gas, which is argon, is introduced into multiple air inlets through an external air intake device; S3: Turn on the Hall source and control the sliding frame to move the substrate laterally back and forth at the first speed to perform ion cleaning on the surface of the substrate; S4: After cleaning, the substrate is coated using a cation source and a sputtering assembly. At the same time, the sliding frame is controlled to move the substrate laterally and reciprocally at a second speed. During the coating process, the Hall source is also controlled to bombard the substrate surface. Specifically, a composite control strategy is used to control the uniformity of substrate coating, and a Hall source segmented beam current density control method is used to control film stress.

[0007] Furthermore, in step S3, the parameters for turning on the Hall source for cleaning are: source voltage 150-250V, source current 3-8A, cleaning time 5-15 minutes, first velocity 20-60mm / s, and the gas flow rate of the Hall source is 5-10sccm of argon.

[0008] Furthermore, the specific steps of the composite control strategy for controlling coating uniformity include: S401: Establish a feedforward control model and obtain the mapping relationship between the substrate position and the corresponding process parameters in advance through experiments. The process parameters include the cation source power and the gas intake of the gas distribution component. S402: During the coating process, the film thickness data at multiple locations on the substrate is monitored in real time through the film thickness monitoring module; S403: Calculate the film thickness uniformity deviation based on the film thickness data, and generate a process parameter feedback correction instruction based on the film thickness uniformity deviation; S404: The output command of the feedforward control model is superimposed with the feedback correction command to generate the final process parameter control command, which dynamically adjusts the power of the cation source and the gas intake of each region in the gas distribution component to achieve film thickness uniformity control.

[0009] Further, in step S404, the specific method for adjusting the cation source power is as follows: based on the real-time position of the substrate and the film thickness uniformity deviation, when the center of the substrate moves to the area directly above the sputtering assembly, the cation source power is adjusted to 80-90% of the reference power; when the center of the substrate moves to the edge area of ​​the sputtering assembly, the cation source power is adjusted to 110-120% of the reference power; based on the real-time position of the substrate and the film thickness uniformity deviation, the process gas intake of the multi-segment target areas corresponding to different axial positions in the gas distribution assembly is independently adjusted so that the deposition rate of each area in the substrate moving direction tends to be consistent.

[0010] Furthermore, the specific steps of the Hall source segmented beam density control method include dividing the deposition stage according to the proportion of the deposited film thickness to the total target film thickness, and using different Hall source beam densities in different deposition stages, wherein: In the initial deposition stage, the film thickness accounts for 0-20% of the total thickness, and the Hall source beam density is controlled at 2.0-3.5 mA / cm². During the middle stage of deposition, the film thickness accounts for 20-80% of the total thickness, and the Hall source beam density is controlled at 1.0-2.5 mA / cm². In the later stages of deposition, the film thickness accounts for 80-100% of the total thickness, and the Hall source beam density is controlled at 0.5-1.5 mA / cm².

[0011] Furthermore, in step S4, the second speed is dynamically adjusted according to the deposited film thickness. Specifically, the method is to monitor the film thickness increment in each reciprocating movement cycle in real time, and dynamically adjust the movement speed of the next cycle according to the deviation between the current film thickness increment and the preset target increment, so that the film thickness increment in each cycle remains consistent and the deviation is controlled within ±5%.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a magnetron sputtering coating apparatus for modified silicon deposition, applied to the above-mentioned control method, comprising a vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber being connected to a vacuum pumping assembly for evacuating the vacuum chamber; a sputtering assembly, installed at the bottom center of the vacuum chamber, and including a set of external cathodes and a gas distribution assembly, the gas distribution assembly being located between two external cathodes, and each external cathode being provided with multiple target segments; a Hall source, fixedly installed in the vacuum chamber and located on one side of the sputtering assembly; a cation source, vertically arranged in the vacuum chamber and located on the other side of the sputtering assembly; a sliding frame, disposed in the vacuum chamber, for mounting a substrate fixture, and capable of driving the fixture and substrate to reciprocate laterally relative to the sputtering assembly, the Hall source, and the cation source; and a control system for executing the control method.

[0013] Furthermore, each outer wall of the vacuum chamber is provided with a closed water channel, and the bottom of the vacuum chamber is also provided with a partition, in which closed cryogenic pipes are arranged.

[0014] Furthermore, each external cathode also includes a rotating target shaft and a rotary motor. Each target shaft is equipped with a rotary motor, and multiple target segments are mounted on each target shaft. The target shaft and the rotary motor are electrically connected to the control system. The gas distribution assembly includes a gas distribution connecting frame with multiple air inlets and multiple air outlets. Each air inlet is connected to multiple air outlets via a microchannel. The air inlets are located on the side of the gas distribution connecting frame and are connected to an external gas intake device via a pipe to provide uniform reaction gas distribution. The air outlets are located above the gas distribution connecting frame and between two targets. The gas distribution assembly is configured to independently adjust the process gas flow rate for the areas where multiple target segments are located corresponding to different axial positions.

[0015] Furthermore, the control system includes a position sensor, a film thickness monitoring module, a stress monitoring module, and a control module. The position sensor is used to detect the position information of the sliding frame in real time. The film thickness monitoring module uses a multi-point optical interferometer, with measurement points covering at least three positions in the substrate movement direction. The stress monitoring module uses a laser to scan the substrate curvature to monitor the stress change of the film layer in real time. The control module is configured to execute the control method described above.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: First, this invention achieves active compensation for deposition rate through a composite control strategy combined with zoned adjustable air intake, stabilizing the film thickness non-uniformity of large-area substrates from ±8-12% in traditional processes to within ±2%. Second, by using a Hall source segmented beam density control method, differentiated ion assistance is applied at different deposition stages to actively regulate densification and stress relaxation during film growth, fundamentally solving reliability problems such as film cracking and warping, and achieving film thickness uniformity and film stress.

[0017] Secondly, this invention achieves independent and adjustable gas intake for multiple target sections through an external cathode and gas distribution assembly. This not only improves uniformity and reduces stress, but also enhances the ion-assisted process to promote the surface migration of deposited atoms, resulting in a high-density, columnar crystal-free, smooth film with strong film-substrate adhesion, which can better meet the working environment of the substrate. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of the method of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a detailed flowchart illustrating the composite control strategy of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the device of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a top view of the device of the present invention; Figure 5 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along line AA; Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the sputtering assembly; Figure 7 This is a partial structural diagram of the air distribution assembly; Figure 8 This is a top view of the air distribution assembly. Figure 9 for Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along line BB; In the figure: vacuum chamber 1, vacuum pumping assembly 2, sputtering assembly 3, external cathode 30, gas distribution assembly 31, target material 4, Hall source 5, cation source 6, sliding frame 7, tooling 8, control system 9, closed water channel 10, partition 11, closed cryogenic pipeline 12, target material shaft 300, rotary motor 301, gas distribution connecting frame 310, air inlet 311, air outlet 312, microchannel 313, position sensor 90, film thickness monitoring module 91, stress monitoring module 92, and control module 93. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0020] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "length," "width," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0021] Example 1: See appendix Figure 1-9 To address the problems of low precision in controlling film thickness uniformity and difficulty in accurately controlling internal stress in traditional methods, this invention provides a magnetron sputtering deposition control method for modified silicon, comprising the following steps: S1: Mount the substrate onto the fixture 8 inside the vacuum chamber 1, and start the vacuum pumping assembly 2 to perform vacuuming. The vacuum pumping assembly 2 is mainly to ensure that gas impurities during the sputtering coating process do not affect the substrate coating. The pressure during vacuuming does not exceed 5 × 10⁻⁶. -4 Pa; S2: Process gas, which is argon, is introduced into multiple air inlets 311 through an external air inlet device. Generally, the multiple air inlets 311 are connected to the air inlet device through separate pipes. Electronic valves are installed on the pipes. The control system 9 controls the air intake by controlling the electronic valves. Generally, the air intake flow rate and air intake duration are controlled. Generally, 8 sccm of argon gas is introduced to the working pressure of 0.3 Pa. S3: Turn on the Hall source 5 and control the sliding frame 7 to move the substrate laterally back and forth at the first speed to perform ion cleaning on the surface of the substrate. For example, after turning on the Hall source 5, the sliding frame 7 moves the substrate back and forth at 40mm / s to perform ion cleaning for 10 minutes. This step removes about 2-3 atomic layers of contaminants from the surface of the substrate, and the surface contact angle can be reduced from 72° to below 15°. S4: After cleaning, the substrate is coated using the cation source 6 and the sputtering assembly 3. At the same time, the sliding frame 7 is controlled to move the substrate laterally and reciprocally at the second speed. During the coating process, the Hall source 5 is also controlled to bombard the substrate surface. Specifically, a composite control strategy is used to control the uniformity of substrate coating, and a Hall source 5-segment beam current density control method is used to control film stress.

[0022] Through the above technical solution, step 4 is the core of the present invention. By combining the composite control strategy with the dual closed-loop control of the segmented beam density control of the Hall source 5, combined with the multi-segment air intake and air intake volume adjustment of the gas distribution component 31, and sputtering in conjunction with the multi-segment target material 4, the problems of poor film thickness uniformity and difficulty in controlling internal stress in the modified silicon-based thin film coating process are solved.

[0023] Furthermore, in step S3, the parameters for turning on the Hall source 5 for cleaning are: source voltage 150-250V, source current 3-8A, cleaning time 5-15 minutes, first velocity 20-60mm / s, and the gas flow rate of the Hall source is 5-10sccm of argon.

[0024] Using the above technical solution, argon ions are accelerated to obtain kinetic energy of approximately tens to two hundred electron volts (eV) at a source voltage of 150-250V. This energy range is carefully selected to be above the effective sputtering threshold but far below the substrate lattice damage threshold. It is sufficient to efficiently sputter away contaminant molecules such as water vapor and hydrocarbons (typically with binding energy <10eV) adsorbed on the substrate surface through momentum transfer, without bombarding the substrate surface with excessively high-energy (>300eV) ions, causing lattice defects or amorphization.

[0025] The source current of 3-8A determines the plasma density and ion beam current density. Within this range, Hall source 5 can generate a sufficiently high and stable ion current. Combined with a substrate lateral movement speed of 20-60 mm / s, this ensures that the entire substrate surface is scanned multiple times and uniformly by the ion beam within the cleaning time. This avoids local over- or under-cleaning that may occur with static cleaning, resulting in a high degree of consistency between the cleanliness and activation of the entire substrate surface (including edges). Water droplet contact angle tests show that after cleaning, the contact angle at all locations on the substrate uniformly decreases from approximately 72° to below 50°, indicating a significant and consistent improvement in surface energy, which creates conditions for the uniform deposition of subsequent thin films.

[0026] Finally, maintaining a cleaning time of 5-15 minutes is a critical window. This is sufficient to achieve deep cleaning (typically, 5-10 minutes is enough to reach saturation) while avoiding unnecessary temperature rise (due to the conversion of ion bombardment kinetic energy) and potential over-etching of the substrate caused by excessively long cleaning times. At the same time, gentle ion bombardment can generate minor compressive stress on the substrate surface, partially neutralizing or relaxing the inherent residual stress (mostly tensile stress) of the substrate itself.

[0027] Furthermore, the specific steps of the composite control strategy for controlling coating uniformity include: S401: Establish a feedforward control model and obtain the mapping relationship between the substrate position and the corresponding process parameters in advance through experiments. The process parameters include the cation source power and the gas intake of the gas distribution component. This step is completed during the equipment debugging or process development stage. Its main purpose is to enable the system to autonomously identify how to preset the process parameters for different positions of the substrate. S402: During the coating process, the film thickness monitoring module 91 monitors the film thickness data at multiple locations on the substrate in real time. This step mainly involves collecting data and measuring the film thickness at at least three preset points (such as left, middle, and right) on the substrate along the movement trajectory of the substrate using the film thickness monitoring module 91. S403: Calculate the film thickness uniformity deviation based on the film thickness data, and generate a process parameter feedback correction command based on the film thickness uniformity deviation. For example, based on the film thickness at three points, first calculate the average film thickness increment at the three points within this cycle, and then calculate the film thickness non-uniformity for this cycle based on the average film thickness increment. The formula for calculating film thickness non-uniformity is:

[0028] in: For film thickness non-uniformity, For maximum film thickness, Minimum film thickness, The average film thickness increment is calculated, and then the deviation from the target value is calculated, which is the film thickness uniformity deviation. Then, a feedback correction command is automatically generated based on the film thickness uniformity deviation. For example, if the film thickness uniformity deviation in a certain area is positive (uniformity deteriorates) and is significantly thinner, the system will generate a positive correction command for the air intake volume in that area and a slight global power positive correction command. S404: The output command of the feedforward control model is superimposed with the feedback correction command to generate the final process parameter control command, dynamically adjusting the power of the cation source 6 and the gas intake in each region of the gas distribution assembly 31 to achieve film thickness uniformity control. For example, the system queries the feedforward model based on the position x(t) of the substrate on the sliding frame 7 to obtain the feedforward power command P at that position. s and feedforward intake volume command G for each region sThe final process parameters are then synthesized as feedforward power command + global power positive correction command; and the feed rate of each region is: feedforward air intake command for each region + correction command, where the correction command is executed by the air distribution component 31, so as to ensure that each target region can be precisely controlled. This allows for simultaneous control of film thickness uniformity from both power and air intake directions.

[0029] Through the above technical solution, the film thickness uniformity is stably and repeatedly improved from the difficult-to-control ±8-12% range to within ±2-4%, meeting the stringent requirements of large-size, high-precision optical and semiconductor devices. The feedforward control model provides fast and active compensation, and through global + local, power + airflow dual-dimensional coordinated control, it has stronger and more precise control capabilities than traditional methods that only adjust a single parameter. The following are experimental comparison data of film thickness performance:

[0030] Based on the above data, the uniformity of the experimental group (±2.9%) was fundamentally improved compared to the control group (±9.8%), with an improvement of 70.4%. Furthermore, the surface roughness of the experimental group film was reduced by 60%, demonstrating that the composite control strategy of this invention (stable plasma and optimized deposition conditions) effectively promoted the surface migration of deposited atoms and suppressed the growth of three-dimensional islands, thereby obtaining a smoother and denser film.

[0031] Further, in step S404, the specific method for adjusting the power of the cation source 6 is as follows: based on the real-time position of the substrate and the film thickness uniformity deviation, when the center of the substrate moves to the area directly above the sputtering assembly 3, the power of the cation source 6 is adjusted to 80-90% of the reference power; when the center of the substrate moves to the edge area of ​​the sputtering assembly 3, the power of the cation source is adjusted to 110-120% of the reference power; based on the real-time position of the substrate and the film thickness uniformity deviation, the process gas intake of the multi-segment target material 4 in the gas distribution assembly 31 corresponding to different axial positions is independently adjusted so that the deposition rate of each area in the substrate moving direction tends to be consistent.

[0032] Through the above technical solution, in magnetron sputtering, the plasma density is highest directly above the target and gradually decreases towards the edge. This results in a naturally higher deposition rate in the center region of the substrate compared to the edge region, i.e., a center-edge effect. In this technical solution, when the substrate center moves directly above the target (the region with the highest deposition rate), the power of the cation source 6 is actively reduced to 80-90% of the baseline, thereby weakening the ion bombardment intensity and sputtering rate in that region and suppressing excessively rapid deposition. Conversely, when the substrate moves to the edge (the region with the lowest deposition rate), the power is increased to 110-120% of the baseline, enhancing the plasma density and sputtering intensity in that region to compensate for insufficient deposition, directly compensating for the spatial deposition rate difference from the energy input source.

[0033] Experimental data show that this power position compensation strategy alone can initially improve the film thickness non-uniformity from the inherent ±15% or more to about ±8%, laying a solid foundation for subsequent closed-loop feedback fine-tuning.

[0034] Furthermore, the specific steps of the Hall source 5-segment beam density control method include dividing the deposition stage according to the proportion of the deposited film thickness to the total target film thickness, and using different Hall source beam densities in different deposition stages, wherein: In the initial deposition stage, the film thickness accounts for 0-20% of the total thickness, and the Hall source beam density is controlled at 2.0-3.5 mA / cm². During the middle stage of deposition, the film thickness accounts for 20-80% of the total thickness, and the Hall source beam density is controlled at 1.0-2.5 mA / cm². In the later stages of deposition, the film thickness accounts for 80-100% of the total thickness, and the Hall source beam density is controlled at 0.5-1.5 mA / cm².

[0035] The above technical solution significantly improves film-substrate adhesion and interfacial stability in the initial deposition stage. Scratch tests show that the film using this strategy introduces beneficial compressive stress during ion bombardment. This compressive stress effectively counteracts the tensile stress that may be generated during subsequent deposition, laying the foundation for obtaining a low-stress film layer. Its critical load can be increased from 28N in the traditional process to over 50N, effectively preventing film peeling during use. This stage is the main growth stage of the film. The ion-assisted intensity is appropriately reduced from the initial high level.

[0036] In the early to mid-stage deposition, compared to the initial stage, the reduced bombardment energy decreases the newly introduced compressive stress. Simultaneously, ion bombardment helps release some of the internal stress accumulated during growth and allows atoms to align to more stable positions, avoiding excessive damage. Sustained, excessively high ion bombardment can cause lattice damage or introduce too many defects into the deposited film. The reduced intensity in the mid-stage achieves a balance between performance and safety.

[0037] Post-processing density control is crucial for achieving ultra-smooth surfaces and stabilizing the final stress state. It is essential for optical thin films (reducing light scattering), protective coatings (improving corrosion resistance), and subsequent processes (such as photolithography).

[0038] The following experimental data are based on comparative tests of 500nm thick SiO2 thin films:

[0039] Through the above comparative test, the final stress of the experimental group was -55 MPa, which proves that the segmented strategy successfully sculpted the expected low-stress film layer by: 1) introducing an appropriate amount of compressive stress as a base in the early stage; 2) reducing bombardment in the middle stage to allow stress relaxation; and 3) gently treating in the later stage to avoid new stress. This dynamic balance cannot be achieved by using a fixed beam throughout the process, resulting in either excessive stress or insufficient density.

[0040] Furthermore, in step S4, the second speed is dynamically adjusted according to the deposited film thickness. Specifically, the method is to monitor the film thickness increment in each reciprocating movement cycle in real time, and dynamically adjust the movement speed of the next cycle according to the deviation between the current film thickness increment and the preset target increment, so that the film thickness increment in each cycle remains consistent and the deviation is controlled within ±5%.

[0041] For example: assuming the total target film thickness is 500 nm and the cycle is 50, then the target film thickness increment in each cycle is 10 nm. The initial moving speed of the sliding frame 7, i.e., the second speed, is 20 mm / s. At the end of each moving cycle n, the film thickness monitoring module 91 provides the value of a point on the substrate during that cycle (usually the target film thickness increment is A, then the deviation is calculated as follows). B = A - target film thickness increment, then calculate the relative deviation rate. = If | If the deviation exceeds 5% (i.e., the deviation exceeds the allowable range of ±5%), a speed adjustment is triggered. Otherwise, the current speed is maintained. This technical solution decomposes the total film thickness error into each movement cycle for management and elimination, ensuring the linearity and accuracy of film thickness growth over time, which is fundamental to obtaining accurate total film thickness.

[0042] Example 2: See Figure 3-9The present invention also provides a magnetron sputtering coating apparatus for modified silicon deposition, applied to the above-mentioned control method, comprising a vacuum chamber 1, wherein the vacuum chamber 1 is connected to a vacuum pumping assembly 2 for evacuating the vacuum chamber; a sputtering assembly 3, installed at the bottom center of the vacuum chamber 1, and comprising a set of external cathodes 30 and a gas distribution assembly 31, wherein the external cathodes 30 are magnetic, the magnitude of which is determined by the control system 9, and the magnitude of the magnetic field affects the sputtering rate; the gas distribution assembly 31 is located between the two external cathodes 30. Furthermore, each external cathode 30 is also provided with multiple target materials 4; a Hall source 5, which is fixedly installed in the vacuum cavity 1 and located on one side of the sputtering assembly 3; a cation source 6, which is vertically arranged in the vacuum cavity 1 and located on the other side of the sputtering assembly 3; a sliding frame 7, which is arranged in the vacuum cavity 1 for mounting the substrate fixture 8 and can drive the fixture 8 and the substrate to move laterally reciprocating relative to the sputtering assembly 3, the Hall source 5 and the cation source 6; and a control system 9, which executes the control method described above.

[0043] Through the above technical solution, a single lateral reciprocating movement of the sliding frame 7 allows the substrate to sequentially pass through these three functional areas: the ion cleaning area, the sputtering coating area, and the auxiliary / post-treatment area, seamlessly completing the entire "cleaning-coating-auxiliary" process within a single vacuum cycle. This eliminates the contamination risk and time consumption associated with traditional multi-cavity transport. Furthermore, the sputtering assembly includes a set of external cathodes 30 and a gas distribution assembly 31, enabling segmented gas intake. Each independent gas inlet 311 controls the local gas flow field above a corresponding segment of the target material (4) through a microchannel 313. When the control system needs to adjust the deposition rate of a certain area (corresponding to a certain segment of the substrate), it can independently adjust the gas inlet flow rate and duration serving the target material segment in that area. The specific control method has been discussed in detail in the above method and will not be repeated here.

[0044] Furthermore, each outer wall of the vacuum chamber 1 is provided with a closed water channel 10, and the bottom of the vacuum chamber 1 is also provided with a partition 11, and a closed cryogenic pipe 12 is arranged inside the partition 11.

[0045] Through the above technical solution, a continuous, leak-free network of metal pipes, i.e., closed water channels 10, is processed or welded inside all the outer walls (side walls and top cover) of the vacuum chamber 1, forming a closed circulating water circuit. This mainly removes heat from the cavity due to radiation, plasma convection, and some of the heat conducted to the cavity walls. This is the first line of defense to prevent the cavity structure from overheating and to prevent the seals from failing. In magnetron sputtering, the bottom is the area with the most concentrated heat load—the target backplate, sputtering assembly 3, and the bottom area of ​​the cavity bombarded by sputtered particles will accumulate a large amount of heat. Through the closed cryogenic pipes 12, the low-temperature medium inside the cryogenic pipes 12, through efficient heat exchange design, quickly and forcibly removes this local high-density heat, preventing the bottom from overheating and thus stabilizing the temperature field in this area.

[0046] Furthermore, each external cathode 30 also includes a rotating target shaft 300 and a rotary motor 301. Each target shaft 300 is also installed in conjunction with the rotary motor 301. Multiple target segments 4 are mounted on each target shaft 300. The target shaft 300 and the rotary motor 301 are also electrically connected to the control system 9. The gas distribution assembly 31 includes a gas distribution connecting frame 310. The gas distribution connecting frame 310 has multiple air inlets 311 and multiple air outlets 312. Each air inlet 311 is also connected to multiple air outlets 312 through a microchannel 313. The air inlets 311 are located on the side of the gas distribution connecting frame 310 and are connected to an external gas intake device through a pipe to provide a uniform distribution of reaction gas. The air outlets 312 are located above the gas distribution connecting frame 310 and between two target segments 4. The gas distribution assembly 31 is configured to independently adjust the process gas flow rate of the areas where multiple target segments 4 are located corresponding to different axial positions.

[0047] Through the above technical solution, an air inlet 311 serves a specific set of air outlets 312 via its microchannel 313. These air outlets 312 are precisely aligned spatially with the area above one or more segments of the target material 4. The control system 9 can independently and precisely control the gas flow rate to segment A or segment B of the target material by adjusting the set value of the corresponding area. This is the physical basis for adjusting the air intake of each area in the gas distribution assembly 31 in step S404. When the substrate moves above the corresponding segment A area, the control system 9 can decide to increase or decrease the air intake in that area based on the feedforward model and real-time film thickness feedback. Increasing the air intake can improve the local gas concentration and plasma density, thereby increasing the deposition rate in that local area; conversely, the microchannel design ensures that the gas flowing out of the air outlet 312 is stable and uniform, avoiding turbulence and forming a uniform "gas curtain" along the entire length of the target material, providing a basic environment for stable sputtering.

[0048] Furthermore, the control system 9 includes a position sensor 90, a film thickness monitoring module 91, a stress monitoring module 92, and a control module 93. The position sensor 90 is used to detect the position information of the sliding frame 7 in real time. The position sensor 90 is generally installed on the track of the sliding frame 7. The film thickness monitoring module 91 and the stress monitoring module 92 are generally integrated on the tooling 8. The film thickness monitoring module 91 uses a multi-point optical interferometer, and the measurement points cover at least three positions in the direction of substrate movement. The stress monitoring module 92 uses a laser to scan the curvature of the substrate to monitor the stress change of the film layer in real time. The control module 93 is configured to execute the control method described above.

[0049] The above technical solutions transform complex process expert experience into replicable, optimizable, and traceable digital control processes, significantly reducing reliance on operator skills. Furthermore, all sensor data is fully recorded and can be used for in-depth process analysis and model optimization, accelerating the development of new processes.

[0050] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention in any other way. Any person skilled in the art may make changes or modifications to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments that can be applied to other fields. However, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling magnetron sputtering deposition of modified silicon, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Mount the substrate onto the fixture inside the vacuum chamber and start the vacuum pumping assembly to evacuate the vacuum. The pressure during vacuuming should not exceed 5 × 10⁻⁶. -4 Pa; S2: Process gas, which is argon, is introduced into multiple air inlets through an external air intake device; S3: Turn on the Hall source and control the sliding frame to move the substrate laterally back and forth at the first speed to perform ion cleaning on the surface of the substrate; S4: After cleaning, a film is deposited using a cation source and sputtering assembly. At the same time, the sliding frame is controlled to move the substrate laterally and reciprocally at a second speed. During the film deposition process, the Hall source is also controlled to bombard the substrate surface. Among them, a composite control strategy is used to control the uniformity of the substrate film deposition, and a Hall source segmented beam density control method is used to control the film stress.

2. The magnetron sputtering coating control method for modified silicon deposition according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S3, the parameters for turning on the Hall source for cleaning are: source voltage 150-250V, source current 3-8A, cleaning time 5-15 minutes, first velocity 20-60mm / s, and argon gas flow rate of 5-10sccm.

3. The magnetron sputtering coating control method for modified silicon deposition according to claim 1, characterized in that, The specific steps of the composite control strategy for controlling coating uniformity include: S401: Establish a feedforward control model and obtain the mapping relationship between the substrate position and the corresponding process parameters in advance through experiments. The process parameters include the cation source power and the gas intake of the gas distribution component. S402: During the coating process, the film thickness data at multiple locations on the substrate is monitored in real time through the film thickness monitoring module; S403: Calculate the film thickness uniformity deviation based on the film thickness data, and generate a process parameter feedback correction instruction based on the uniformity deviation; S404: The output command of the feedforward control model is superimposed with the feedback correction command to generate the final process parameter control command, which dynamically adjusts the power of the cation source and the gas intake of each region in the gas distribution component to achieve film thickness uniformity control.

4. The magnetron sputtering deposition control method for modified silicon according to claim 3, characterized in that, In step S404, the specific method for adjusting the cation source power is as follows: based on the real-time position of the substrate and the film thickness uniformity deviation, when the center of the substrate moves to the area directly above the sputtering assembly, the cation source power is adjusted to 80-90% of the reference power; when the center of the substrate moves to the edge area of ​​the sputtering assembly, the cation source power is adjusted to 110-120% of the reference power; based on the real-time position of the substrate and the film thickness uniformity deviation, the process gas intake of the multi-segment target areas corresponding to different axial positions in the gas distribution assembly is independently adjusted so that the deposition rate of each area in the substrate moving direction tends to be consistent.

5. The magnetron sputtering coating control method for modified silicon deposition according to claim 1, characterized in that, The specific steps of the Hall source segmented beam density control method include dividing the deposition stage according to the proportion of the deposited film thickness to the total target film thickness, and using different Hall source beam densities in different deposition stages, wherein: In the initial deposition stage, the film thickness accounts for 0-20% of the total thickness, and the Hall source beam density is controlled at 2.0-3.5 mA / cm². During the middle stage of deposition, the film thickness accounts for 20-80% of the total thickness, and the Hall source beam density is controlled at 1.0-2.5 mA / cm². In the later stages of deposition, the film thickness accounts for 80-100% of the total thickness, and the Hall source beam density is controlled at 0.5-1.5 mA / cm².

6. The magnetron sputtering coating control method for modified silicon deposition according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, the specific method for dynamically adjusting the second speed based on the deposited film thickness is as follows: real-time monitoring of the film thickness increment in each reciprocating movement cycle, and dynamic adjustment of the movement speed in the next cycle based on the deviation between the current film thickness increment and the preset target increment, so that the film thickness increment in each cycle remains consistent and the deviation is controlled within ±5%.

7. A magnetron sputtering coating apparatus for modified silicon deposition, applied to the magnetron sputtering coating control method for modified silicon deposition as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The system includes a vacuum chamber connected to a vacuum pumping assembly for evacuating the chamber; a sputtering assembly installed at the bottom center of the vacuum chamber, comprising a set of external cathodes and a gas distribution assembly located between two external cathodes, with multiple target segments disposed on each external cathode; a Hall source fixedly installed within the vacuum chamber and located on one side of the sputtering assembly; and a cation source vertically disposed within the vacuum chamber and located on the other side of the sputtering assembly. A sliding frame, disposed within the vacuum chamber, is used to mount a substrate fixture and can drive the fixture and substrate to move laterally reciprocating relative to the sputtering assembly, Hall source, and cation source. And a control system, which executes the control method described herein.

8. The magnetron sputtering coating equipment for modified silicon deposition according to claim 7, characterized in that, Each outer wall of the vacuum chamber is provided with a closed water channel, and the bottom of the vacuum chamber is also provided with a partition, in which closed cryogenic pipes are arranged.

9. The magnetron sputtering coating equipment for modified silicon according to claim 7, characterized in that, Each external cathode also includes a rotating target shaft and a rotary motor. Each target shaft is also installed in conjunction with the rotary motor. Multiple target segments are mounted on each target shaft, and the target shaft and rotary motor are electrically connected to the control system. The gas distribution assembly includes a gas distribution connecting frame with multiple air inlets and multiple air outlets. Each air inlet is also connected to multiple air outlets through a microchannel. The air inlets are located on the side of the gas distribution connecting frame and are connected to an external gas intake device through a pipe to provide uniform reaction gas distribution. The air outlets are located above the gas distribution connecting frame and between two targets. The gas distribution assembly is configured to independently adjust the process gas flow rate of the areas where multiple target segments are located corresponding to different axial positions.

10. The magnetron sputtering coating apparatus for modified silicon according to claim 7, characterized in that, The control system includes a position sensor, a film thickness monitoring module, a stress monitoring module, and a control module. The position sensor is used to detect the position information of the sliding frame in real time. The film thickness monitoring module uses a multi-point optical interferometer, with measurement points covering at least three positions in the substrate movement direction. The stress monitoring module uses a laser to scan the substrate curvature to monitor the stress change of the film layer in real time. The control module is configured to execute the control method according to any one of claims 1-6.

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