PVD Chamber Shutter Layout to Limit Aluminum Pad Oxide Regrowth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing PVD systems struggle to effectively prevent the regrowth of an oxide layer on aluminum pads during the transfer from a pre-cleaning module to a deposition chamber, leading to increased contact resistance in semiconductor devices.
Innovation Solution
A PVD apparatus with a shutter mechanism divides the chamber into two compartments, allowing simultaneous maintenance of a first plasma for etching the substrate and a second plasma for cleaning the target, reducing the time between etching and deposition and minimizing oxide regrowth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the wafer is transferred from the pre-cleaning module to the deposition chamber, then the oxide layer removal is complete, but the oxide layer regrows on the aluminum pads during transfer time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the pre-cleaning module and deposition chamber into a single integrated chamber, eliminating the physical transfer step between modules. The wafer remains on the substrate support throughout the entire process, allowing continuous operation without interruption. This merging resolves the contradiction by removing the transfer time that causes oxide regrowth while maintaining effective oxide layer removal through the sequential plasma processing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous plasma processing by keeping the wafer in a controlled environment throughout the entire process. The substrate support remains in position while different plasma conditions are applied sequentially - first for oxide removal, then for deposition. This continuity eliminates idle transfer time and prevents oxide regrowth by maintaining the wafer in a protected atmosphere throughout the process.
2Productivity
If a shutter is deployed to divide the chamber into two compartments, then simultaneous plasma maintenance is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single chamber into two distinct compartments using a deployable shutter mechanism. This segmentation allows independent control of plasma conditions in each compartment - the first compartment for oxide removal and the second for deposition. The shutter can be positioned to isolate each compartment, enabling simultaneous or sequential processing with optimized parameters for each step, thereby improving productivity while maintaining a relatively simple overall chamber structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method significantly reduces the time for oxide regrowth, thereby minimizing contact resistance and improving the efficiency of semiconductor device manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
a first plasma in the first compartment to remove material from the electrically conductive feature
Implementation Method 2
a second plasma in the second compartment to clean the target
Implementation Method 3
operating the PVD apparatus to deposit an electrically conductive deposition material onto the electrically conductive feature by PVD
Data Source
AI summary
A PVD apparatus can be operated in a cleaning mode to remove material from an electrically conductive feature formed on a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate with the electrically conductive feature formed thereon is positioned on a substrate support in a chamber of the PVD apparatus. A shutter is deployed within the chamber to divide the chamber into a first compartment in which the semiconductor substrate and the substrate support are positioned, and a second compartment in which a target of the PVD apparatus is positioned. A first plasma is generated in the first compartment to remove material from the electrically conductive feature and a second plasma is simultaneously generated in the second compartment to clean the target.