Film deposition using 1-inch-sized HIPIMS system — Toward minimal fabrication semiconductor production system

A copper film was coated using a high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) source with a target diameter of 25.4 mm. This process is a coating process for a half-inch-scaled semiconductor manufacturing system. To realize the stable plasma production, the following issues were considered: (1) a water-cooled plasma generation system, (2) plasma generation using an external magnet near the plasma source, and (3) facilitation of the expansion of the sputtered metallic species (atoms and ions) to the substrate. A high magnetic flux density of 0.3 T at the target surface is used to produce plasma at a source voltage less than 600 V with negative polarity, where the glow is not transited to an arc discharge during the pulse. To enhance the deposition rate of the prepared films, a long pulse duration of 600 μs at a repetition frequency of 120 Hz is used. The argon and sputtered copper ions are in a glow plasma region, and a high deposition rate of 2.5 μm/min is realized on a 0.5-inch silicon-wafer.