US 12,325,909 B2
EM source for enhanced plasma control
Alexander Jansen, San Jose, CA (US); Keith A. Miller, Mountain View, CA (US); Prashanth Kothnur, San Jose, CA (US); Martin Riker, Milpitas, CA (US); David Gunther, Santa Clara, CA (US); and Emily Schooley, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/861,969.
Application 17/861,969 is a continuation of application No. 16/930,794, filed on Jul. 16, 2020, granted, now 11,692,262.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/874,503, filed on Jul. 16, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0341029 A1, Oct. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. C23C 14/35 (2006.01); C23C 14/34 (2006.01); H01J 37/34 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 14/354 (2013.01) [C23C 14/3407 (2013.01); C23C 14/3471 (2013.01); H01J 37/3455 (2013.01); H01J 37/3458 (2013.01); H01J 37/3461 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A plasma cathode assembly comprising:
a cathode housing having a top, sidewalls and a backing plate enclosing an interior volume with a center axis, the backing plate configured to support a target with an outer diameter during a sputtering process;
a first EM coil inside the interior volume of the cathode housing, the first EM coil having a first inner diameter and a first outer diameter defining a first coil width, and a first bottom surface and a first top surface defining a first coil thickness;
a second EM coil inside the interior volume of the cathode housing, the second EM coil having a second inner diameter and a second outer diameter defining a second coil width and a second bottom surface and a second top surface defining a second coil thickness, wherein the first EM coil is within the second inner diameter, the second inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the target, and the second outer diameter is outside of the outer diameter of the target; and
a plurality of permanent magnets within the first inner diameter of the first EM coil, the plurality of permanent magnets rotating about the center axis of the cathode housing, the first EM coil and the second EM coil configured to enable a tangential magnetic field to be formed directly below the coils by the plurality of permanent magnets having a “D” shape.