AVS 46th International Symposium
    Vacuum Metallurgy Division Tuesday Sessions
       Session VM+TF-TuM

Paper VM+TF-TuM5
Simulations and Experimental Measurements of a Hollow Cathode Magnetron Ionized Metal Plasma Deposition System

Tuesday, October 26, 1999, 9:40 am, Room 620

Session: Ionized Plasma and Chemical Vapor Deposition
Presenter: G.I. Font, Novellus Systems, Inc.
Authors: G.I. Font, Novellus Systems, Inc.
K.F. Lai, Novellus Systems, Inc.
Q. Lu, Novellus Systems, Inc.
M.J. Kushner, University of Illinois, Urbana
Correspondent: Click to Email
The hollow cathode magnetron (HCM) is a novel new plasma source used for ionized metal deposition. The HCM employs geometric, electrostatic, and magnetic confinement to produce a high density plasma (>1e+12 #/cm3). This plasma serves as a source of ions for sputtering the target and metal ions for deposition on a wafer. In the results reported here, numerical simulations of the HCM using a copper target were performed using the Hybrid Plasma Equipment Model (HPEM) developed at the University of Illinois. The HPEM iteratively combines particle and fluid transport models for ions, electrons, and neutrals to simulate HCM performance. The model includes sputtering of the target by metal and argon ions, secondary electron emission, magnetic confinement of electrons, and thermalization and ionization of sputtered neutrals. The numerical results are compared with experimental Langmuir probe and wafer deposition profile measurements. The numerical results are found to systematically track the experimental measurements. In both experiments and modeling of an HCM, the magnetic field configuration resulted in a confined 'beam' of plasma emanating from the HCM. The physics of the operation of the HCM is described as supported by numerical and experimental results.