Electromagnets in the physical vapor deposition chamber

Abstract

There is a need for systems and methods that allow for improved uniformity of deposition during PVD processes. A physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber deposits films with high thickness uniformity. The PVD chamber includes an electromagnet coil that, when energized with DC power, can modify a plasma at the edge of a processing region of the PVD chamber. The coil is disposed within a vacuum-enclosed portion of the PVD chamber but outside the processing region of the PVD chamber.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to semiconductor manufacturing, and more particularly to electromagnets in physical vapor deposition chambers. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, physical vapor deposition (PVD) is a process utilized to deposit a variety of different materials. As semiconductor devices continue to shrink, the requirements for the various films included in such devices generally become more stringent.

[0003] Radio frequency (RF) filters, a key component of wireless communication devices, are one example of semiconductor devices that continue to shrink for better performance. As they shrink, the deposition uniformity of the films that make up such filters must be tightly controlled. For example, bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators enable precise filtering of RF signals received by mobile phones from cellular base stations. With the increasing number of signals received by smartphones (including cell, Wi-Fi, and GPS) and the overcrowding of available frequencies, BAWs must be highly frequency selective to avoid slowing or interrupting operation.

[0004] The resonant frequency of a BAW device is inversely proportional to the thickness of the BAW's piezoelectric layer and the thickness of the electrodes above and below the piezoelectric layer. This relationship means that the deposition uniformity of the piezoelectric and electrode layers is critical for BAW device performance repeatability. For example, the target within-wafer uniformity of an aluminum nitride (AlN) piezoelectric layer can be around 0.5%. In contrast, achieving less than 1% within-wafer uniformity of deposited metal films using conventional PVD techniques has long been a challenge.

[0005] Deposition in a PVD process chamber is controlled by several variables including chamber vacuum level, composition of process gas, density and uniformity of the plasma, bias applied to the wafer, etc. In addition to the variables mentioned above, the uniformity and quality of films deposited by PVD also depends heavily on the geometry of the PVD process chamber, such as the magnetic profile and configuration of the magnetron rotating over the target, the shape of the process kit components within the chamber, target-to-wafer spacing, etc. However, with the exception of target-to-wafer spacing, such geometric factors generally cannot be changed without significant time and cost to redesign some or all of such components. Furthermore, solutions based on redesigned process kit components are static and cannot be tailored or otherwise modified for individual process chambers. As a result, improving film uniformity by chamber redesign is a time-consuming and costly process. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In light of the above, there is a need in the art for systems and methods that enable improved uniformity of deposition during PVD processes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One or more embodiments described herein provide a PVD chamber capable of depositing films with high thickness uniformity. Specifically, the PVD chamber includes a coil of electromagnets that, when energized with direct current (DC) power, can modify a plasma at an edge portion of a processing region of the PVD chamber. The coil is disposed outside the processing region of the PVD chamber within a vacuum-containing portion of the PVD chamber.

[0008] According to various embodiments, a physical vapor deposition system includes a vacuum processing chamber including a sputtering target, a substrate support disposed within the vacuum processing chamber configured to position a substrate adjacent to the sputtering target, a deposition shield disposed within the vacuum processing chamber, a processing region disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and bounded by a surface of the target, a surface of the substrate support, and an inner surface of the deposition shield, and a coil portion of an electromagnet, the coil portion being disposed within the vacuum processing chamber outside of the processing region.

[0009] According to various embodiments, a method of physical vapor deposition in a vacuum chamber includes positioning a substrate in a processing region of the vacuum chamber, the processing region being disposed between a surface of a sputtering target in the vacuum chamber, a surface of a substrate support in the vacuum chamber, and an inner surface of a deposition shield disposed in the vacuum chamber; generating a plasma in the processing region; and, when the plasma is present in the processing region, applying direct current (DC) power to a coil portion of an electromagnet, the coil portion being disposed within the vacuum chamber outside the processing region.

[0010] So that the above-mentioned features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the present disclosure briefly summarized above can be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted, however, that the accompanying drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, as other equally effective embodiments may be recognized. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a coil portion of an electromagnet, the coil portion of which is mounted to a surface of one of the deposition shields of the PVD chamber of FIG. 1, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a coil portion of an electromagnet and an associated annular structure that allows for cooling of the coil portion by a cooling fluid, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a coil portion of an electromagnet and electrical leads connected thereto, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a neighboring portion of two separately powered coils disposed in a PVD chamber, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 is a flow diagram of process steps for depositing a film on a substrate by a PVD process, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] For ease of understanding, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is intended that elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation.

[0013] In the following description, numerous specific details are described to provide a more complete understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that one or more of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be practiced without one or more of these specific details. In other instances, well-known features are not described in order not to obscure one or more of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber 100 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The PVD chamber 100 is configured to deposit material onto a substrate 101 as part of the process of manufacturing electronic circuits such as integrated circuit chips and displays. More specifically, the PVD chamber 100 deposits material from a sputtering target 110 onto the substrate 101 during a PVD or "sputtering" process in which high energy ions bombard the sputtering target 110, causing particles of the target material to be ejected from the sputtering target 110 and deposited as a film on the substrate 101. Examples of materials that can be deposited in the PVD chamber 100 include, but are not limited to, various metals such as aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), tantalum (Ta), and / or tantalum nitride (TaN), tungsten nitride (WN), and / or tantalum nitride (TbN). 2 N, WN, or WN 2 ), titanium nitride (TiN), aluminum nitride (AlN), scandium aluminum nitride (ScAlN or Sc x Al 1-x N), and other metal compounds.

[0015] The PVD chamber 100 includes a chamber wall 102. As shown, the PVD chamber 100 further includes a substrate support 103 coupled to a lift mechanism 104, one or more deposition shields 120, and a coil portion 130 of an electromagnet, which are disposed within the chamber wall 102. The PVD chamber 100 further includes a sputtering target 110 mounted or coupled to the chamber wall 102. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the sputtering target 110 is electrically isolated from the chamber wall 102 by an insulator 106 disposed on an adapter 107 that is mounted to the chamber wall 102. Collectively, the sputtering target 110, the deposition shield 120, and the substrate support 103 (when raised to a processing position adjacent the target 110) enclose a processing region 105 in which a plasma is formed during a deposition process performed in the PVD chamber 100.

[0016] The PVD chamber 100 further includes one or more vacuum pumps 151 fluidly coupled to the PVD chamber 100 via respective valves 152, a gas source 153 fluidly coupled to the PVD chamber 100, a DC power source 154 electrically coupled to the sputtering target 110, and a DC power source 155 electrically coupled to the coil portion 130. The vacuum pump 151 is configured to generate a target level of vacuum during a deposition process performed on the substrate 101 within the PVD chamber 100. The gas source 153 is configured to supply one or more process gases during such deposition process. The DC power source 154 is electrically coupled to the sputtering target 110 during the deposition process such that the sputtering target 110 has a suitable charge such that a plasma is generated in the processing region 105. The DC power source 155 is electrically coupled to the coil portion 130 during the deposition process such that a magnetic field is generated in the processing region 105 that can improve uniformity of deposition on the substrate 101, as described in more detail below. In some embodiments, the substrate support 103 may also be coupled to a DC or radio frequency (RF) power source (not shown) to improve the uniformity or other film properties of the material deposited on the substrate 101 .

[0017] The DC power supply 155 may be any suitable power supply configured to deliver DC power to the coil portion 130. In some embodiments, the DC power supply 155 is configured to output DC power at a constant power level to the coil portion 130 during the PVD process. In other embodiments, the DC power supply 155 is configured to output timed pulses of DC power to the coil portion 130. Additionally, in some embodiments, the DC power supply 155 may be configured to selectively output DC power with different polarities. Thus, in such embodiments, the DC power supply 155 may output positive DC power in some situations and negative DC power in other situations, depending on commands or inputs from a controller associated with the PVD chamber 100. As a result, the polarity of the magnetic field generated by the coil portion 130 may be changed when beneficial to the PVD process.

[0018] In some embodiments, the DC power supply 155 is configured to output DC power at variable power levels to the coil portion 130. Thus, the magnetic field generated by the coil portion 130 can be altered in magnitude when beneficial to the PVD process. For example, in one such embodiment, the DC power supply 155 is configured as a programmable power supply that generates a variable DC output in response to a command, such as a command from a controller of the PVD chamber 100. The variable DC output can be realized by the DC power supply 155 via a pulsed DC output of different power amplitudes. Furthermore, the variable DC output can follow an output profile that varies with time. For example, the variable DC output can follow a profile that includes a particular power rise profile during a start period of the PVD process and a power fall profile during a finish period of the PVD process. Alternatively or additionally, the variable DC output can vary with time according to any suitable function, including a step function, a sinusoidal function, or any other suitable time-varying function. Thus, in one such embodiment, the controller of the PVD chamber 100 can initiate a particular variable DC output with a single command to the DC power supply 155. In other embodiments, the DC power supply 155 is configured as a controllable power supply configured to generate a particular DC output in response to a particular input value. In such embodiments, a controller associated with the PVD chamber 100 can send inputs that can be changed in real time, thereby directly controlling the DC power output of the DC power supply 155 during the PVD process in the PVD chamber 100.

[0019] The sputtering target 110 is a solid metal or other material to be deposited, and is sometimes coupled to and supported by a backing plate (not shown). During operation, the sputtering target 110 is typically utilized as a cathode and is negatively charged, for example, by being electrically coupled to a DC power supply 154. In addition, a magnetron 112 is disposed outside the PVD chamber 100 and adjacent to the sputtering target 110, and is typically enclosed in a water-cooled chamber (not shown). The magnetron 112 is rotated during the PVD process to trap electrons on the negatively charged sputtering target 110, thereby increasing the target sputtering rate and thus creating a higher deposition rate on the substrate 101.

[0020] The deposition shield 120 protects the chamber walls 102 and other components within the PVD chamber 100 from deposition of sputtered material. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the deposition shield 120 includes an upper shield 121 mounted on an adapter 107, a lower shield 122, and a cover ring 123, although the PVD chamber 100 may include other technically feasible configurations of multiple deposition shields or a single deposition shield without going beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0021] The coil portion 130 is an electromagnet coil disposed outside the processing region 105 in the PVD chamber 100. According to various embodiments, during a PVD process in the PVD chamber 100, direct current (DC) power is applied to the coil portion 130 to generate a magnetic field (not shown) that extends into the processing region 105. As a result, the distribution and density of the plasma in the processing region 105 can be changed, thereby changing the deposition rate on the surface of the substrate 101. In particular, since the magnetic field generated by the coil portion 130 is strongest near the periphery of the processing region 105 and the substrate 101, the largest change in deposition rate caused by the magnetic field occurs near the periphery of the substrate 101. Thus, the issue of center-to-edge uniformity of the film deposited on the substrate 101 can be addressed by changing the strength of the magnetic field generated by the coil portion 130 by changing the current flowing through the coil portion 130.

[0022] The coil portion 130 may be a technically feasible conductive coil that is substantially centered about a center point 103A of the substrate support 103, i.e., the distance from the center point 103A to the center of the coil portion 130 is substantially equal around the center point 103A. In some cases, the distance from the center point 103A to the center of the coil portion 130 may be offset, such that the center point 103A is not the central axis of the coil portion 130, or the coil portion 130 is not circular in plan view, i.e., from an overhead perspective. In these cases, the configuration of the coil portion 130 is modified to address deposition non-uniformities across the substrate surface. For example, if the deposition thickness or other characteristics of the sputter-deposited film are offset from symmetry around the center of the substrate, the magnetic field generated by the coil portion may be offset in the opposite direction by physically displacing all or a portion of the coil in the opposite direction. Similarly, if the substrate has an annular non-uniformity in thickness or other properties of the sputter-deposited film, the current in the coil portion 130, or the spatial alignment of the coil portion relative to the center point 103A, can be used to widen the annular region or reduce the radial extent. In some embodiments, the coil portion 130 overlaps a plane 109 that corresponds to the location of the substrate 101 when the substrate support 103 positions the substrate in a processing position, i.e., the location of the substrate 101 during the PVD process. Thus, in such embodiments, the plane 109 passes through the coil portion 130, as shown in FIG. 1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, each turn of the coil portion 130 does not contact other turns of the coil portion 130. In other embodiments, the turns of the coil portion 130 contact one or more other turns of the coil portion 130. The number of turns included in the coil portion 130 is based on the target strength of the magnetic field to be generated by the coil portion 130. Furthermore, the target intensity may be a function of numerous factors including the diameter of the substrate 101, the distance of the coil portion 130 from the processing region 105, the magnitude of the DC current applied to the coil portion 130, the duration of the PVD process, etc. Although the embodiment of the coil portion 130 shown in FIG. 1 includes 10 turns, the coil portion 130 may include any suitable number of turns depending on at least the factors discussed above.Accordingly, various configurations of coil portion 130 may be implemented in different embodiments of the present disclosure, as described below in conjunction with FIGS.

[0023] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a coil portion 130 in which the coil portion 130 is mounted to a surface 201 of one of the deposition shields 120 of a PVD chamber 100, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the coil portion 130 is mounted to a surface 201 of the bottom shield 122 that faces the chamber wall 102, thereby surrounding the substrate support 103. As shown, the coil portion 130 can be positioned on the bottom shield 122 so as to overlap the surface 109, i.e., portions of its turns are on either side of the surface 109. In addition, the coil portion 130 can include multiple layers 211 and 212 of turns 210, here a first turn of a first radius and a second turn of a different radius. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the coil portion 130 includes two layers 211 and 212, but in other embodiments, the coil portion 130 can include turns 210 of more than two such layers or less than two layers. Additionally, although in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the turns 210 are formed from a wire or other conductor having a circular cross-section, in other embodiments the turns 210 may be formed from a wire or conductor having a square or rectangular cross-section.

[0024] In some embodiments, the coil portion 130 is mounted to another suitable surface within the PVD chamber 100 instead of the surface 201 of the bottom shield 122. For example, the coil portion 130 can be mounted to a different surface of the bottom shield 122 or to a surface of another deposition shield 120 outside of the processing region 105. Thus, in alternative embodiments, the coil portion 130 is mounted to the outer surface 202 of the top shield 121, the lower surface 203 of the bottom shield 122, etc.

[0025] Because the coil portion 130 of the electromagnets described herein is disposed within a vacuum-contained portion of the PVD chamber 100, cooling of the coil portion 130 is limited. As a result, the amount of DC power applied to the coil portion 130 by the DC power supply 155 may be limited due to the possibility of the coil portion 130 overheating during longer duration regimes. In some embodiments, the coil portion 130 is mounted on or within a structure of the PVD chamber 100 that allows a cooling fluid to reduce heating of the coil portion 130. One such embodiment is shown in FIG.

[0026] 3 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of coil portion 130 and an associated annular structure 300 that allows for cooling of coil portion 130 by a coolant, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, coil portion 130 is mounted on a surface of or positioned within annular structure 300 that is disposed within PVD chamber 100.

[0027] The annular structure 300 is a substantially annular-shaped structure disposed outside the processing region 105 adjacent the deposition shield 120. Although only a portion of the annular structure 300 is shown in cross section in FIG. 3, the annular structure 300 extends around the periphery of the deposition shield 120. As shown, the annular structure 300 is disposed between the chamber wall 102 and the deposition shield 120. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the annular structure 300 is coupled to and suspended below the adapter 107 by one or more pylons 302. In such an embodiment, the one or more pylons can each be configured as a machined part of the adapter 107 or can be a separately assembled part that is coupled to the adapter 107. Alternatively, the annular structure 300 can be suspended in the PVD chamber 100 using one or more supports coupled to an inner surface of the chamber wall 102.

[0028] The annular structure 300 includes at least one conduit 303 for delivering coolant within the annular structure 300 and a cavity 310 in which the coil portion 130 is disposed. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the conduit 303 includes multiple channels 304 separated from one another by partitions 306. Alternatively, the conduit 303 includes three or more channels 304. In some embodiments, each of the channels 304 is fluidly coupled to a supply conduit 305 formed within one of the pylons 302 and a return conduit (not shown) also formed within one of the pylons 302. The supply conduit 305 and the return conduit are then fluidly coupled to a coolant recirculation system, such as a pump and a heat exchanger. Alternatively, in some embodiments, one of the channels 304 is fluidly coupled to the supply conduit 305 and the other of the channels 304 is fluidly coupled to the return conduit. In such an embodiment, the flow of cooling liquid in one of the channels 304 may be configured to flow in one direction around the annular structure 300 and in the opposite direction in the other of the channels 304, thereby distributing cooling more evenly around the circumference of the annular structure 300.

[0029] In some embodiments, the coil portion 130 is disposed in a cavity 310, which is fluidically isolated from the conduit 303 by a cover 311. The cover 311 can be one or more welded metal strips that seal the cavity 310 from the conduit 303 and are partially supported by and welded to the partition 306. For example, the cover 311 can be constructed of two separate parts, thereby including separate pieces that cover each of the channels 304, such that the cover 311 is less likely to flex or otherwise deflect when subjected to stresses associated with thermal cycling. In some embodiments, the cavity 310 is fluidically isolated from the vacuum-containing portion of the PVD chamber 100 by a cover plate 307. Thus, in such an embodiment, the cavity 310 may be isolated from the vacuum of the PVD chamber 100 when a vacuum is present in the PVD chamber 100 and maintained at a pressure different from the pressure of the sputtering chamber, e.g., atmospheric pressure or above atmospheric pressure, to enhance conductive heat transfer from the cavity 310 to the annular structure 300 and thus to the coolant flowing through the conduit 303.

[0030] The conduit 303 is fluidly isolated from the vacuum-accommodated portion of the PVD chamber 100, for example, by a cover plate (not shown) or by a portion 308 of the annular structure 300. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the portion 308 of the annular structure 300 fluidly isolates the conduit 303 from the vacuum-accommodated portion of the PVD chamber 100. As a result, there are two welds that isolate the cooling liquid in the conduit 303 from the vacuum-accommodated portion of the PVD chamber 100: a weld that seals the conduit 303 from the cavity 310, and a weld that seals the cavity 310 from the vacuum-accommodated portion of the PVD chamber 100. Therefore, failure of the two welds must occur before the cooling liquid in the conduit 303 can leak into the vacuum-accommodated portion of the PVD chamber 100. Alternatively, in some embodiments, some or all of the annular structure 300 is formed via a 3D printing process. In such an embodiment, the conduit 303 may be formed without a separately welded cover 311 , which further reduces the possibility of leakage of coolant from the conduit 303 .

[0031] 3, the coil portion 130 includes a wire or other conductor that is substantially square in cross section. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the coil portion 130 can include a conductor that is circular or rectangular in cross section.

[0032] In some embodiments, even if the cavity 310 is disposed within the PVD chamber 100, the cavity 310 is exposed to the atmosphere. One such embodiment is shown in FIG. 4 , which is a schematic cross-sectional view of the coil portion 130 and an electrical lead 401 connected thereto, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, taken at a cross-section other than that of FIG. 3 . Additionally, FIG. 4 shows a channel 402 through which the electrical lead 401 passes from the coil portion 130 to the DC power source 155. Although only a single electrical lead 401 is shown in FIG. 4 for clarity, typically two power connections extend between the coil portion 130 and the DC power source 155, such that current can flow through the wire of the coil portion 130 and around the substrate support 103. As shown, the channel 402 is formed in the adapter 107 and one of the pylons 302. Thus, the channel 402 allows electrical connection of the coil portion 130 through the adapter 107 and the pylon 302. 4, the channel 402 is at atmospheric pressure and is fluidly coupled to the cavity 310. As a result, the cavity 310 is also at atmospheric pressure. As a result, if any coolant leaks from any of the channels 304 around the cover 311, the cavity 310 will fill and then spill outside the PVD chamber 100, which can be easily detected, and the heat transfer between the wire of the coil portion 130 and the annular structure 300 will be enhanced compared to when the coil portion 130 is at vacuum.

[0033] In some embodiments, the coil portion 130 includes two separately powered coils configured to generate a magnetic field having opposite magnetic polarities, i.e., the north magnetic pole of the magnetic field generated by the first separately powered coil is positioned near the south magnetic pole of the magnetic field generated by the second separately powered coil. One such embodiment is shown in FIG.

[0034] 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a neighboring portion of two separately powered coils 510 and 520 disposed within a PVD chamber 500, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As with the previously described embodiments, the coils 510 and 520 are disposed within the PVD chamber 500 outside the processing region 105, for example, between an outer surface 503 of a deposition shield 501 and a chamber wall 502 of the PVD chamber 500. In some embodiments, the coils 510 and 520 are separately powered, i.e., each can be electrically coupled to a different respective DC power source. Thus, the coil 510 is coupled to a first DC power source 555 and the coil 520 is coupled to a second DC power source 556.

[0035] As a result of coils 510 and 520 being powered separately, the polarity of coil 510 can be opposite to the polarity of coil 520. For example, if a DC current is applied to coil 510 such that it flows into the page of FIG. 5 at each cross section 511 of coil 510, the north magnetic pole of the electromagnet that includes coil 510 will be in the +Y direction. Furthermore, if a DC current is applied to coil 520 such that it flows out of the page of FIG. 5 at each cross section 521 of coil 520, the north magnetic pole of the electromagnet that includes coil 520 will be in the -Y direction. Therefore, modulating the current through coil 520 can produce a change in the shape and strength of the magnetic field generated by the electromagnet that includes coil 510. As discussed above, the change in the shape and strength of the magnetic field in processing region 105 directly affects the rate of deposition of material on a substrate in PVD chamber 500 at the edge region of the substrate.

[0036] In Figure 5, coil 510 and coil 520 are shown physically separated from one another. In other embodiments, coil 510 and coil 520 may be in physical contact with one another, but are electrically insulated from one another, for example, by an insulating coating therebetween. Thus, in some embodiments, coil 510 and coil 520 may each be disposed in a single cavity of an annular structure, such as cavity 310 of Figure 3. Alternatively, in some embodiments, coil 510 and / or coil 520 are formed as thin films deposited on the surface of deposition shield 501.

[0037] 6 is a flow diagram of process steps for depositing a film on a substrate using a PVD process, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Although the method steps are described with reference to the PVD chamber shown in FIGS. 1-5, one skilled in the art will understand that the method steps may be performed in any suitably configured deposition system.

[0038] Method 600 begins in step 601, where a substrate 101 is positioned in a processing region 105 of a PVD chamber 100. For example, in some embodiments, a controller associated with the PVD chamber 100 or a system including the PVD chamber 100 positions the substrate 101 on a substrate support 103. The controller then raises the substrate support 103 to a processing position adjacent the processing region 105.

[0039] In step 602, the controller generates a plasma in the processing region 105 as part of the PVD process. For example, the controller causes the gas source 153 to introduce one or more process gases into the PVD chamber 100 and the DC power supply 154 to apply DC power to the sputtering target 110.

[0040] In step 603, while plasma is present in the processing region 105, the controller causes the DC power supply 155 to apply DC power to the coil portion 130, thereby modifying the magnetic field in the processing region 105. In some embodiments, in step 603, a coolant is also flowed through the annularly configured channel in which the coil portion 130 is mounted. In such embodiments, the flow of coolant can be continuous, i.e., the flow of coolant continues when no plasma is present in the processing region 105.

[0041] In the embodiment described above, a plasma is first generated in the processing region 105, and then DC power is applied to the coil portion 130. In an alternative embodiment, DC power is applied to the coil portion 130 prior to or simultaneously with the initial generation of plasma in the processing region 105.

[0042] Implementations of method 600 enable a PVD process that can modify the thickness uniformity of material deposited on substrate 101 without redesigning one or more components in the PVD chamber. That is, the application of DC power to coil portion 130 provides one or more additional process tuning parameters for adjusting the thickness uniformity of the PVD deposited film. In particular, center-to-edge thickness uniformity issues can be addressed by increasing or decreasing the DC power applied through coil portion 130, changing the polarity of the power applied to coil portion 130, and / or changing the time-varying profile of the power applied to coil portion 130.

[0043] Aspects of the present embodiments may be embodied as a system, method, or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects, all of which may be referred to generally herein as a "circuit," "module," or "system." Additionally, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable medium(s) having computer-readable program code embodied therein.

[0044] Any combination of one or more computer readable media may be utilized. A computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of computer readable storage media include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this specification, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0045] While the forgoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope of the disclosure, the scope of which is determined by the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. A vacuum processing chamber configured to deposit material from a sputtering target, comprising: a substrate support disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and configured to position a substrate adjacent to the sputtering target; a deposition shield disposed within the vacuum processing chamber; a processing region disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and bounded by a surface of the sputtering target, a surface of the substrate support, and an inner surface of the deposition shield; a coil portion of an electromagnet, the coil portion being disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and outside the processing region; an annular structure disposed within the vacuum processing chamber outside the processing region, the coil portion disposed in a cavity formed in the annular structure, and a cover plate fluidly separating the coil portion from the vacuum when a vacuum is present within the vacuum processing chamber; a vacuum processing chamber including Including, A physical vapor deposition (PVD) system, wherein the annular structure is coupled to a body of the vacuum processing chamber via a number of pylons.

2. The PVD system of claim 1 , wherein the annular structure includes a conduit for flowing a cooling fluid within the annular structure.

3. 1. A vacuum processing chamber configured to deposit material from a sputtering target, comprising: a substrate support disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and configured to position a substrate adjacent to the sputtering target; a deposition shield disposed within the vacuum processing chamber; a processing region disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and bounded by a surface of the sputtering target, a surface of the substrate support, and an inner surface of the deposition shield; a coil portion of an electromagnet, the coil portion being disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and outside the processing region; an annular structure disposed within the vacuum processing chamber outside the processing region, the coil portion being disposed in a cavity formed in the annular structure; a vacuum processing chamber including Including, A physical vapor deposition (PVD) system, wherein the annular structure is coupled to a body of the vacuum processing chamber via a number of pylons, and a conduit is fluidly coupled to a supply conduit formed within at least one of the number of pylons and a return conduit formed within at least one of the number of pylons.

4. The PVD system of claim 2 , wherein the conduit comprises multiple channels fluidly separated from one another by partitions.

5. The PVD system of claim 4 , wherein the divider is configured to support a water cover that fluidly separates the coil portion from the conduit.

6. 1. A vacuum processing chamber configured to deposit material from a sputtering target, comprising: a substrate support disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and configured to position a substrate adjacent to the sputtering target; a deposition shield disposed within the vacuum processing chamber; a processing region disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and bounded by a surface of the sputtering target, a surface of the substrate support, and an inner surface of the deposition shield; a coil portion of an electromagnet, the coil portion being disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and outside the processing region; an annular structure disposed within the vacuum processing chamber outside the processing region, the coil portion being disposed in a cavity formed in the annular structure; a vacuum processing chamber including Including, A physical vapor deposition (PVD) system, wherein the annular structure includes a cover plate that fluidly isolates the coil portion from a vacuum when a vacuum is present in the vacuum processing chamber, and is coupled to a body of the vacuum processing chamber via a number of pylons.

7. The PVD system of claim 1 , wherein the cavity is fluidly coupled to an atmosphere outside the vacuum processing chamber during processing of a substrate within the vacuum processing chamber.

8. 1. A vacuum processing chamber configured to deposit material from a sputtering target, comprising: a substrate support disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and configured to position a substrate adjacent to the sputtering target; a deposition shield disposed within the vacuum processing chamber; a processing region disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and bounded by a surface of the sputtering target, a surface of the substrate support, and an inner surface of the deposition shield; a coil portion of an electromagnet, the coil portion being disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and outside the processing region; an annular structure disposed within the vacuum processing chamber outside the processing region, the coil portion being disposed in a cavity formed in the annular structure; a vacuum processing chamber including Including, A physical vapor deposition (PVD) system, wherein the annular structure is coupled to a body of the vacuum processing chamber via a number of pylons.

9. 1. A vacuum processing chamber configured to deposit material from a sputtering target, comprising: a substrate support disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and configured to position a substrate adjacent to the sputtering target; a deposition shield disposed within the vacuum processing chamber; a processing region disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and bounded by a surface of the sputtering target, a surface of the substrate support, and an inner surface of the deposition shield; a coil portion of an electromagnet, the coil portion being disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and outside the processing region; an annular structure disposed within the vacuum processing chamber outside the processing region, the coil portion being disposed in a cavity formed in the annular structure; a vacuum processing chamber including Including, A physical vapor deposition (PVD) system, wherein the coil portion is coupled to the deposition shield.

10. The PVD system of claim 9 , wherein the coil portion is coupled to an outer surface of the deposition shield.

11. The PVD system of claim 1 , further comprising a direct current (DC) power supply coupled to said coil portion.

12. 12. The PVD system of claim 11, wherein the DC power supply comprises one of a programmable power supply configured to generate a variable DC output in response to a command to select an output profile, or a controllable power supply configured to generate a variable DC output in response to an input value.

13. 1. A vacuum processing chamber configured to deposit material from a sputtering target, comprising: a substrate support disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and configured to position a substrate adjacent to the sputtering target; a deposition shield disposed within the vacuum processing chamber; a processing region disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and bounded by a surface of the sputtering target, a surface of the substrate support, and an inner surface of the deposition shield; a coil portion of an electromagnet, the coil portion being disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and outside the processing region; an annular structure disposed within the vacuum processing chamber outside the processing region, the coil portion being disposed in a cavity formed in the annular structure; a vacuum processing chamber including: Additional coil parts for additional electromagnets and Including, A physical vapor deposition (PVD) system, wherein the additional coil section is disposed within the vacuum processing chamber outside of the processing region.

14. 1. A vacuum processing chamber configured to deposit material from a sputtering target, comprising: a substrate support disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and configured to position a substrate adjacent to the sputtering target; a deposition shield disposed within the vacuum processing chamber; a processing region disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and bounded by a surface of the sputtering target, a surface of the substrate support, and an inner surface of the deposition shield; a coil portion of an electromagnet, the coil portion being disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and outside the processing region; an annular structure disposed within the vacuum processing chamber and outside the processing region; and a vacuum processing chamber including Including, A physical vapor deposition (PVD) system, wherein the coil portion is coupled to a first DC power source and an additional coil portion is coupled to a second DC power source.

15. 1. A method of physical vapor deposition in a vacuum chamber, the method comprising: positioning a substrate in a processing region of the vacuum chamber, the processing region being disposed between a surface of a sputtering target of the vacuum chamber, a surface of a substrate support within the vacuum chamber, and an inner surface of a deposition shield disposed within the vacuum chamber; generating a plasma in the processing region; applying direct current (DC) power to a coil portion of an electromagnet within the vacuum chamber when the plasma is present in the processing region; Including, The method of claim 1, wherein the coil portion is disposed in a cavity formed in an annular structure positioned within the vacuum chamber outside the processing region, the cavity having a cover plate that fluidly isolates the coil portion from a vacuum when a vacuum is present within the vacuum processing chamber, and the annular structure is coupled to a body of the vacuum processing chamber via a number of pylons.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising supplying a cooling fluid to a conduit disposed within the annular structure when the plasma is present in the processing region.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein applying the DC power to the coil portion comprises applying pulsed DC power to the coil portion from a variable output DC power supply.

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