Apparatus for inductively-coupled-plasma-enhanced ionized physical-vapor deposition

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention provides an apparatus and method for processing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer using physical-vapor deposition (PVD) (particularly plasma sputtering) that substantially eliminates or reduces disadvantages and problems associated with previously developed PVD techniques for deposition of various material layers.
More specifically, the present invention provides a system and method for performing an inductively-coupled-plasma-assisted PVD or an ionized PVD process for depositing a material layer on a work piece such as a silicon wafer.
Within a PVD process chamber, a plurality of antenna segments axially surround a target/cathode assembly.
The antenna segments are arranged cylindrically around (or conformally with respect to the cathode periphery) and substantially vertically aligned with the target/cathode.
A first radio-frequency (RF) power source couples to half of the antenna segments to create a first inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) source, a second RF power source couples the remaining antenna segments to create a second inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) source.
The two inductive or ICP sources are then operated concurrently to produce a combined multi-zone inductively coupled source, that generates a rotating and time-varying inductively-coupled magnetic field approximately parallel to the target/cathode, that couples additional electrical energy into the plasma medium from the RF power sources, and increases the ionization ratio of the PVD sputter species.
The ICP source also provides a capability for establishing enhanced plasma density in the PVD plasma medium.
The system and method of this invention can be used to produce a much higher ionization ratio for the sputter species to allow ionized PVD collimation or programmable (adjustable) electrical collimation for improved step coverage and bottom coverage depositions on substrates with high-aspect-ratio topography features.
Moreover, the system and method of this invention can be used to perform PVD processes at reduced operating pressures (down to 0