Container-shaped physical vapor deposition targets

Details Container-shaped physical vapor deposition targets Container-shaped physical vapor deposition targets

2002-08-19

2004-05-04

VerSteeg, Steven (Department: 1753)

Chemistry: electrical and wave energy

Apparatus

Coating, forming or etching by sputtering

Reexamination Certificate

active

06730198

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention pertains to container-shaped physical vapor deposition targets, and to methods of forming container-shaped physical vapor deposition targets.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An exemplary sputtering process utilizing a container-shaped physical vapor deposition target is described with reference to FIG.
1
. Specifically,
FIG. 1
illustrates a sputtering apparatus
10
, having a container-shaped physical vapor deposition target
12
incorporated therein. Apparatus
10
further comprises a substrate holder
14
and a substrate
16
provided on holder
14
. Substrate
16
can comprise, for example, a semiconductive material wafer. In operation, atoms and/or ions are displaced from an interior region of target
12
and directed toward substrate
16
. The displaced materials are illustrated by arrows
18
in the diagram of
FIG. 1. A
voltage differential or bias can be provided between target
12
and substrate
16
, as shown, to draw charged materials from target
12
to substrate
16
. The materials displaced from target
12
are deposited on an upper surface of substrate
16
to form a thin film (not shown) on substrate
16
. In an exemplary process, target
12
can comprise copper. Copper ions and/or copper atoms can be sputter-deposited from target
12
onto substrate
16
to form a thin film of copper across an upper surface of substrate
16
.
Target
12
is one example of a container-shaped physical vapor deposition target. For purposes of interpreting this disclosure and the claims that follow, a container-shaped physical vapor deposition target is defined as a physical vapor deposition target having a closed-ended cavity extending therein, and wherein a predominate feature of the target is the cavity. For instance, the target
12
of
FIG. 10
has a closed-ended cavity
20
extending therein (with the closed-end being labeled
22
in FIG.
1
), and cavity
20
is a predominate feature of the target.
FIG. 2
shows a bottom-view (relative to the view of
FIG. 1
) of target
12
, and shows a configuration of target
12
wherein the target comprises a circular outer periphery surrounding cavity
20
.
It can be difficult to form container-shaped targets, and accordingly it is desired to develop new methodologies for forming container-shaped targets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the invention encompasses a method of forming a container-shaped physical vapor deposition target. A conductive material is provided in a container-shape. The container-shape comprises an interior region and an exterior region, and the conductive material comprises an interior surface along the interior region as well as an exterior surface along the exterior region. A sputtering material is electrolytically deposited on at least one of the interior and exterior surfaces of the container-shaped conductive material.
In another aspect, the invention encompasses a container-shaped physical vapor deposition target. The target includes a first conductive material in a container-shape, with the container-shape comprising an interior region and an exterior region. The first conductive material comprises an interior surface along the interior region of the container-shape and an exterior surface along the exterior region of the container shape. The physical vapor deposition target further includes a second conductive material on an entirety of at least one of the interior and exterior surfaces of the first conductive material, with the second conductive material having at least one different metallurgical property than the first conductive material.


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Niemczyk, T. et al., “Preparation of Cathodes for Use in Demountable Hollow Cathode Lamps”, Appl. Spectroscopy. vol. 33, No. 1, Jan.-Feb. 1979, pp. 61-62.
Ashtiani, K. et al., “A New Hollow-Cathode Magnetron Source for 0.10 &mgr;m Copper Applications”, Proceedings of IEEE 2000 Internatl. Interconnect Tech. Conf., Burlingame, CA, Jun. 5-7, 2000, pp. 37-39.

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