Richard David Ruby

US Patent:

6824653, Nov 30, 2004

Filed:

Feb 21, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/371463

Inventors:

Yury Oshmyansky - Camarillo CA
Sergey Mishin - Goleta CA
Richard C. Ruby - Menlo Park CA

Assignee:

Agilent Technologies, Inc - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

C23C 1434

US Classification:

20419212, 20429812, 20429816, 20429817, 20429806, 20429808

Abstract:

A magnetron with mechanisms for smoothly and continuously adjusting a DC power applied to its targets to compensate for the changes in the sputtering characteristics of the targets that occur with target aging. A magnetron according to the present teachings includes a set of concentric targets for sputtering a film onto a wafer in response to an AC power and a DC power applied to the targets and a power controller that adjusts the DC power. The adjustments to the DC power enable the magnetron to maintain uniformity in the thicknesses of films formed with the magnetron throughout the life of its targets.

US Patent:

20040163952, Aug 26, 2004

Filed:

Feb 21, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/371862

Inventors:

Yury Oshmyansky - Camarillo CA, US
Sergey Mishin - Goleta CA, US
Richard Ruby - Menlo Park CA, US
John Larson - Palo Alto CA, US

International Classification:

C23C014/34

US Classification:

204/298180, 204/298170, 204/298190

Abstract:

A magnetron with mechanisms for controlling the magnetic field that acts on its targets in such a manner as to provide control over erosion patterns and independent control of stress, uniformity, deposition rate, and coupling coefficient of a deposited film. A magnetron according to the present teachings includes a set of targets each for eroding a material for deposition onto a wafer contained in the magnetron and a mechanism for adjusting a racetrack position on each target. The racetrack position defines the areas of the targets from which a predominant amount of the material is eroded. The control of racetrack position enables precise control of erosion characteristics and control over stress, uniformity, deposition rate, and coupling coefficient.