直流磁控溅射中磁场强度和阴极电压对圆平面靶刻蚀形貌的影响

本文借助Comsol和Matlab软件模拟了直流磁控溅射圆平面靶系统的磁场分布和荷电粒子分布,对不同磁场强度和阴极电压条件下的荷电粒子分布进行了模拟分析,通过比较靶面离子流密度分布曲线发现:当磁场强度增强时,靶面离子流密度分布曲线会变得更加陡窄;当阴极电压变化时,靶面离子流密度分布曲线几乎没有变化.说明靶材的刻蚀形貌会随磁场强度增强而变窄,而阴极电压变化对靶材的刻蚀形貌没有影响.上述结论对直流磁控溅射工艺参数优化具有一定的理论指导意义.     

磁控溅射设备中铜靶刻蚀形貌的仿真计算研究

提出了一种铜靶刻蚀形貌模拟方法,基于靶材溅射率与靶材表面磁场水平分量成正比的假设,以美国应用材料公司的小行星PVD磁控溅射装置为算例,实现了复杂运动轨迹铜靶刻蚀形貌的模拟,仿真计算结果与实际设备中铜靶刻蚀形貌有较好的一致性,为通过磁场分布研究靶材刻蚀形貌提供了一种理论方法。     

矩形平面磁控溅射装置薄膜沉积仿真

薄膜厚度沿矩形靶长度方向分布的均匀度是衡量矩形平面磁控溅射装置镀膜质量的重要指标。为了分析气压和靶基板间距对该指标的影响,本文采用Monte Carlo方法,在假设靶材沿跑道均匀刻蚀的前提下,对靶材原子沉积过程进行了计算机仿真。模型假设靶材原子出射能量满足Thompson分布,出射角度以余弦定律处理;假设背景气体速度为麦克斯韦分布,并采用舍选法对各个速度分量进行了抽样;应用可变硬球模型对碰撞过程进行了处理。通过仿真发现,随着气压增大,尽管薄膜的均匀度越好,但是靶材原子到达基板的能量会降低;而靶与基板间距越大,薄膜的均匀度和靶材原子到达基板的能量都会降低。另外,通过对矩形靶端部磁场改进,可以削弱靶材的反常刻蚀现象,在提高靶材利用率的同时,可以有效提高薄膜均匀度。     

不同非平衡度磁场环境中溅射等离子体的诊断与分析

采用Langmuir探针对两种不同非平衡度磁场环境中(K值分别为2.78和6.41)的溅射等离子体进行诊断,并使用高斯仪测量靶材表面的磁感应强度,结合靶材表面磁场分布的Ansys软件模拟,分析了等离子体在非平衡磁场环境中的运动规律。结果表明:磁控阴极内侧(靶材表面中部)的溅射等离子体主要参数(离子密度、电子密度及电子温度)在两种不同非平衡度磁场中都具有随靶基距增大而逐渐减小的趋势,大量带电粒子从磁控阴极外端向远离靶材表面的区域运动;K为2.78时的等离子体参数在靶材表面的刻蚀环正上方60 mm范围内明显高于K为6.41时,前者靶材表面的磁感应强度大于后者;向外发散的磁力线数量随K值的增大而增多。     

矩形平面磁控溅射阴极的磁场模拟及结构设计

文章模拟分析了结构参数对磁控溅射阴极磁场分布的影响,设计了一种新型的矩形平面磁控溅射阴极,并对设计的阴极磁场进行模拟分析,结果表明有效提高了靶材表面磁场分布的均匀性.采用在阳极框内侧安装高磁导率的导磁板的方法,改变了阴极体和阳极框之间缝隙的磁场分布,解决了缝隙处的连续放电现象.本研究为磁控溅射阴极的设计提供了依据.     

磁控溅射薄膜生长全过程的计算机模拟研究

本文通过建立多尺度模型,结合模拟了磁控溅射中溅射原子的产生、溅射原子的碰撞传输、以及最终成膜的全过程,研究了基板温度、溅射速率、磁场分布和靶材-基板间距对薄膜生长过程与薄膜性能的影响.模拟结果显示,提高基板温度或降低溅射速率都会增加初期生长阶段薄膜的相对密度;磁场对靶的利用率有显著的影响,而对薄膜最终形貌的影响不大;增大靶材-基板间距会降低薄膜的粗糙度.     

矩形平面磁控溅射装置若干参数的探讨

矩形平面磁控溅射装置中存在着诸如磁场、电场、气压、靶材、基片温度及速度、几何结构等参数间的相互影响，并且最终决定了沉积薄膜的性能。为了方便矩形平面磁控溅射装置的设计，就如下参数进行探讨：磁感应强度的设计与计算；电压、电流和气压的关系；基片温度及速度；膜厚均匀度。     

磁控过程的计算机模拟

本文基于蒙特卡罗方法,并结合SRIM软件,编制程序跟踪模拟了磁控溅射各物理过程的粒子状态.以铝靶材为例,得到了粒子在磁控溅射各物理过程的状态分布,讨论了工作参数对薄膜沉积过程的影响.模拟结果表明:溅射原子的能量主要分布在20 eV以下,当原子沉积到基片表面时,其能量主要分布在15 eV以下,但有两个分布峰值,两个分布峰值对应着快慢两种不同形式的沉积过程.原子沉积到基片 表面的位置大致服从正态分布,气压p和靶基距离d影响正态分布的方差,也即影响沉积原子在基片表 面分布的均匀性.功率与沉积速度呈良好的线性关系,在工作气压为1 Pa,靶基距离为60mm的条件下,当入射粒子的能量为250 eV时,模拟得到的功率效率最大.     

工作参数对平面磁控溅射系统沉积速率的影响

为了分析磁场、阴极电压、气压和靶基板间距等工作参数对沉积速率的影响,本文对磁控放电过程和沉积过程进行了讨论,并着重对沉积速率计算的无碰撞模型和碰撞模型进行了研究.靶功率是影响沉积速率的关键因素,通过对磁控放电特性分析发现,随着磁场、电压的增大,等离子体阻抗降低,放电电流和靶功率增大,随着气压的增大,放电电流和靶功率先增大后减小;采用碰撞模型对沉积速率进行模拟发现,在靶功率恒定的情况下,沉积速率随着气压和靶基板间距的增大而减小.因此,在气压和靶基板间距保持恒定的情况下,沉积速率会随着磁场和电压的增大而增大;而在磁场、电压和靶基板间距保持恒定的情况下,沉积速率随着气压的增大,先增大后减小.上述结论对于薄膜制备效率和质量的提高具有一定的理论指导意义.     

工作气压对室温磁控溅射CIGS膜的影响

研究了工作气压对磁控溅射法制备CIGS薄膜的影响,采用X射线衍射,扫描电镜,X射线萤光光谱和X射线能量色散谱分析了膜层的组织和成分.研究发现,工作气压升高,薄膜沉积速率降低.当工作气压低于0.2Pa时,薄膜致密均一;高于0.2Pa表面出现Cu2-xSe相,并随气压升高在膜表面的覆盖面积增大.对气压影响薄膜表面形貌的机理采用成膜动力学理论进行了讨论.     

Evolution of etch profile in etching of CoFeB thin films using high density plasma reactive ion etching

Inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching of CoFeB magnetic thin films patterned with Ti hard mask was studied in a CH₃OH/Ar gas mix. As the CH₃OH concentration increased, the etch rates of CoFeB thin films and Ti hard mask decreased but the etch profiles improved with high degree of anisotropy. The effects of coil rf power, dc-bias voltage and gas pressure on the etch characteristics were investigated. The etch rate increased with increasing coil rf power, dc-bias voltage and decreasing gas pressure. The degree of anisotropy in the etch profile of CoFeB films improved with increasing coil rf power and dc-bias voltage. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the chemical compounds containing Co and Fe components were formed during the etching. However, it was expected that the formation of these compounds could not increase the etch rates of the films due to low volatile compounds despite the improvement in etch profile.     

Etch characteristics of indium zinc oxide thin films in a C2F6/Ar plasma

Dry etching of indium zinc oxide (IZO) thin films was performed using inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching in a C₂F₆/Ar gas. The etch characteristics of IZO films were investigated as a function of gas concentration, coil rf power, dc-bias voltage to substrate, and gas pressure. As the C₂F₆ concentration was increased, the etch rate of the IZO films decreased and the degree of anisotropy in the etch profile also decreased. The etch profile was improved with increasing coil rf power and dc-bias voltage, and decreasing gas pressure. An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirmed the formation of InF₃ and ZnF₂ compounds on the etched surface due to the chemical reaction of IZO films with fluorine radicals. In addition, the film surfaces etched at different conditions were examined by atomic force microscopy. These results demonstrated that the etch mechanism of IZO thin films followed sputter etching with the assistance of chemical reaction.     

Etch characteristics of IrMn thin films using an inductively coupled plasma of CH3OH/Ar

An inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching of IrMn magnetic thin films patterned with Ti hard mask was studied in a CH₃OH/Ar gas mix. As the CH₃OH concentration increased, the etch rates of IrMn thin films and Ti hard mask decreased, while the etch profiles improved with high degree of anisotropy. The effects of coil rf power, dc-bias voltage to substrate and gas pressure on the etch characteristics were investigated. The etch rate increased and the etch profile improved with increasing coil rf power, dc-bias voltage and decreasing gas pressure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the chemical reaction between IrMn films and CH₃OH gas occurred, leading to the clean and good etch profile with high degree of anisotropy of 90°.     

Computer-aided development of a magnetron source with high target utilization

Target erosion in the straight section of a conventional and a novel rectangular magnetron cathode is simulated and tested. The simulation includes modeling the magnetic field, tracing electron trajectories with a fourth-order Runge-Kutta numerical method, predicting ionization distribution with a Monte-Carlo method etc. It is shown that the conventional and the novel magnetron cathodes yield a target utilization of ∼32% and 67% in the straight section, respectively. We demonstrate that the highly improved utilization is mainly due to a multi-zero-point feature of the magnetic field in the novel magnetron, i.e., the position of zero-point for the vertical component of the magnetic flux density shifts continuously from the inner side to outer side of the target with an increase in the distance from the target surface.     

Inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching of titanium thin films using a Cl2/Ar gas

Inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching of titanium thin films patterned with a photoresist using Cl₂/Ar gas was examined. The etch rates of the titanium thin films increased with increasing the Cl₂ concentration but the etch profiles varied. In addition, the effects of the coil rf power, dc-bias voltage and gas pressure on the etch rate and etch profile were investigated. The etch rate increased with increasing coil rf power, dc-bias voltage and gas pressure. The degree of anisotropy in the etched titanium films improved with increasing coil rf power and dc-bias voltage and decreasing gas pressure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the formation of titanium compounds during etching, indicating that Ti films etching proceeds by a reactive ion etching mechanism.     

Etch characteristics of FePt magnetic thin films using inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching

Etch characteristics of L10 FePt thin films masked with TiN films were investigated using an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reactive ion etching in a CH₃OH/Ar plasma. As the CH₃OH gas was added to Ar, the etch rates of FePt thin films and TiN hard mask gradually decreased, and the etch profile of FePt films improved with high degree of anisotropy. With increasing ICP rf power and dc-bias voltage to substrate and decreasing gas pressure, the etch rate increased and the etch profile becomes vertical without any redepositions or etch residues. Based on the etch characteristics and surface analysis of the films by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, it can be concluded that the etch mechanism of FePt thin films in a CH₃OH/Ar gas does not follow the reactive ion etch mechanism but the chemically assisted sputter etching mechanism, due to the chemical reaction of FePt film with CH₃OH gas.     

Inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching of ZnO films in HBr/Ar plasma

The etching characteristics of ZnO thin films were examined in an HBr/Ar gas mix using an inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching system. The etch rate and etch profile were systematically investigated as a function of gas concentration. In addition, the effects of etch parameters such as coil rf power, dc-bias voltage, and gas pressure were studied. As the HBr concentration increased, the etch rate of the ZnO films gradually decreased while the etch profile was improved. Surface analyses including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy were employed to elucidate the etch mechanism of ZnO in an HBr/Ar chemistry.     

Characteristics of a magnetron cold cathode gauge

The discharge characteristics of a cold-cathode gauge of the non-inverted magnetron type were studied in ultra-high vacuum. The experimental magnetron cell of length 56 mm and diameter 32 mm was made of stainless steel. The cathode with a diameter of 6 mm was placed along the anode axis. The diameter of the anode was 25 mm and the length was 50 mm. Discharge current versus voltage and magnetic field was measured in the pressure range between 1×10⁻⁸ and 1×10⁻⁶ mbar. It was found that the current at first slowly increased with increasing voltage, reached a maximum at a certain voltage, and decreased rapidly with further increase of the voltage. The voltage, at which the current reached the maximum, depended on the magnetic field density and slightly on the pressure. A novel type of a cold cathode gauge with a self-adjusting power supply is suggested.     

A study of the surface reaction on the etched ITO thin films by using inductively coupled plasma

In this study, we investigated the etching characteristics of indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films at CF₄/Ar plasma. The maximum etch rate of 29.8 nm/min for the ITO thin films was obtained at CF₄/Ar (=80/20) gas mixing ratio. The standard conditions were the RF power of 800 W, the DC-bias voltage of −150 V, the process pressure of 2 Pa, and the substrate temperature of 40 °C. Corresponding to these etching conditions, chemical reaction of the etched ITO surface has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement to investigate the chemical reactions between the surfaces of ITO thin film and etch species. The preferential losses on the etched surfaces were investigated using atomic force microscopy.