Method for sequentially processing a multi-level interconnect circuit in a vacuum chamber

An apparatus is disclosed which includes a vacuum system having a vacuum chamber in which wafers are processed on rotating turntables. The vacuum chamber is provided with an RF sputtering system and a dc magnetron sputtering system. A gas inlet introduces various gases to the vacuum chamber and creates various gas plasma during the sputtering steps. The rotating turntables insure that the respective wafers are present under the sputtering guns for an average amount of time such that consistency in sputtering and deposition is achieved. By continuous and sequential processing of the wafers in a common vacuum chamber without removal, the adverse affects of exposure to atmospheric conditions are eliminated providing higher quality circuit contacts and functional device

Generation of tunable q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser based on graphite flakes saturable absorber

Pulsed fiber laser has tremendous application in laser processing and laser sensor. The key element to produce a passively Q-switched fiber laser is by using a saturable absorber (SA). Passively Q-switched fiber laser is the most desirable pulse in laser technology due to its ability to generate optical pulses in microsecond and nanosecond. The aim of this study is to construct a single ring erbium-doped fiber (EDF) laser based on graphite flakes SA to produce short pulse laser. Graphite flakes SA were prepared by mechanical exfoliation techniques and was transferred onto a fiber ferrule tip. The saturable absorption property of the graphite was measured using twin detector method which resulted in a modulation depth of 23.82% with a saturation intensity of 0.031 MW/cm2. Surface morphology, elemental analysis and absorbance characteristics of the graphite flakes were analyzed by the field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS). The result showed that the carbon element on the SA has a very strong peak intensity. The two different EDF coefficient of 6.43 dB/m and 18.93 dB/m (EDF M-5 and EDF I-12) showed a repetition rate of 41.62 kHz and 60.00 kHz with a pulse width of 6.45 μs and 3.38 μs, respectively at a pump power of 268.8 mW. The wavelength tunability of passively Q-switched fiber laser for EDF M-5 and EDF I-12 were optimized at fixed pump power where the tuning range of EDF M-5 occurred between 1544 nm to 1560 nm and 1552 nm to 1570 nm for EDF I-12. The passively Q-switched fiber laser with different EDF coefficients were successfully constructed in a single ring configuration with more selection of wavelength that is up to L band by using higher EDF coefficient

Magnetic field strength influence on the reactive magnetron sputter deposition of Ta2O5

Reactive magnetron sputtering enables the deposition of various thin films to be used for protective as well as optical and electronic applications. However, progressing target erosion during sputtering results in increased magnetic field strengths at the target surface. Consequently, the glow discharge, the target poisoning, and hence the morphology, crystal structure and stoichiometry of the prepared thin films are influenced. Therefore, these effects were investigated by varying the cathode current Im between 0.50 and 1.00 A, the magnetic field strength B between 45 and 90 mT, and the O2/(Ar+O2) flow rate ratio between 0 and 100%. With increasing oxygen flow ratio a sub-stoichiometric TaOx oxide forms at the metallic Ta target surface which further transfers to a non-conductive tantalum pentoxide Ta2O5, impeding a stable DC glow discharge. These two transition zones (from Ta to TaOx and from TaOx to Ta2O5) shift to higher oxygen flow rates for increasing target currents. Contrary, increasing the magnetic field strength (e.g., due to sputter erosion) mainly shifts the TaOx to Ta2O5 transition to lower oxygen flow rates while marginally influencing the Ta to TaOx transition. To allow for a stable DC glow discharge (and to suppress the formation of non-conductive Ta2O5 at the target) even at a flow rate ratio of 100% either a high target current (Im >= 1 A) or a low magnetic field strength (B <= 60 mT) is necessary. These conditions are required to prepare stoichiometric and fully crystalline Ta2O5 films. Our investigations clearly demonstrate the importance of the magnetic field strength, which changes during sputter erosion, on the target poisoning and the resulting film quality.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, 1 tabl

Multilevel metallization method for fabricating a metal oxide semiconductor device

An improved method is described of constructing a metal oxide semiconductor device having multiple layers of metal deposited by dc magnetron sputtering at low dc voltages and low substrate temperatures. The method provides multilevel interconnections and cross over between individual circuit elements in integrated circuits without significantly reducing the reliability or seriously affecting the yield

Advanced coatings through pulsed magnetron sputtering

Pulsed magnetron sputtering (PMS) has become established as the process of choice for the deposition of dielectric materials for many applications. The process is attractive because it offers stable arc free operating conditions during the deposition of, for example, functional films on architectural and automotive glass, or antireflective/antistatic coatings on displays. Recent studies have shown that pulsing the magnetron discharge also leads to hotter and more energetic plasmas in comparison with continuous dc discharges, with increased ion energy fluxes delivered to the substrate. As such, the PMS process offers benefits in the deposition of a wide range of materials. The present paper describes three examples where PMS has led to either significant enhancement in film properties or enhanced process flexibility: in low friction titanium nitride coatings, in Al doped zinc oxide transparent conductive oxide coatings sputtered directly from powder targets and in thin film photovoltaic devices based on copper (indium/gallium) diselenide. These examples demonstrate the versatility of PMS and open up new opportunities for the production of advanced coatings using this technique

Sputter deposition of porous thin films from metal/NaCl powder targets

A method to deposit porous thin films is elucidated. For this purpose, NaCl powder was mixed with a metal powder, cold pressed, and used as a target material in order to deposit a metal/NaCl thin film by DC magnetron sputtering. The thin film was immersed in water after deposition to remove the salt and to obtain a porous film. The low thermal conductivity of the target results in target heating and salt sublimation. In this way, the salt content in the layer and hence the film porosity are controlled by the discharge power. This procedure was carried out for Cu and Ti. The study focuses on the deposition of porous Cu thin films. From scanning transmission electron microscopy images, two film structures were observed. Films with a density higher than approximate to 40% of the bulk density exhibit a homogeneous spongelike microstructure with pores around 20nm. At lower density, a noncontinuous, fractured layer is formed. The blocks between the observed cracks manifest itself in the form of columnar pores. The lowest measured density was approximate to 23% of the bulk density. This approach combines the flexibility of powder targets and the scalability of magnetron sputtering and avoids the usage of aggressive chemicals