HIPIMS in full face erosion circular cathode for semiconductor applications

One of the great hopes for HIPIMS applications was their potential use and adoption by the semiconductor industry. Production of highly ionized particles has been of interest for deep in-trench filling as ionized particles can be directed by an electric field down the deep trench. However the technological reality is that the semiconductor industry has not been enthusiastic about this approach. The established technologies exist for a good reason and any new technology has to be proven beyond a doubt before being adopted. With regards to magnetron sputtering for semiconductor applications, the market is clearly dominated by circular sources where the magnetic field trap rotates in order to produce a clean target (Full Face Erosion, or FFE) as well as to maintain properties such as the uniformity and fill coverage from bump to valley. There are several interesting phenomena taking place when a moving plasma and a high power pulsed plasma are combined. Both mechanisms have a very strong effect on the electric field map and offer both the challenge and the possibility of using strong transient electric field variations as part of the control mechanism of the discharge. The current paper presents data on the characterisation of a 300 mm diameter FFE cathode unit adapted for use with a high pulsed power generator. Comparative data on DC and HIPIMS mode is provided with regards to deposition distribution, coating properties, defects and trench filling.