AVS 50th International Symposium
    Manufacturing Science and Technology Tuesday Sessions
       Session MS-TuP

Paper MS-TuP10
Measurement of Energy Flux at the Substrate in a Magnetron Sputter System Using an Integrated Sensor

Tuesday, November 4, 2003, 5:30 pm, Room Hall A-C

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: S.D. Ekpe, University of Alberta, Canada
Authors: S.D. Ekpe, University of Alberta, Canada
S.K. Dew, University of Alberta, Canada
Correspondent: Click to Email
Knowledge of the energy flux in a sputter deposition system is essential in predicting the properties of the growing film. The use of discrete sensors such as thermocouples for heat measurement has a potential contact problem due to the temperature jump between the surface of the wall and the surrounding gas especially at very low pressures. Embedded sensors such as a microfabricated polysilicon thin film thermistor eliminates the problem associated with the discrete sensors. In this study, the fabricated sensor is calibrated using ohmic self-heating before the deposition plasma is switched on, and also after the plasma is switched off (passive mode). At low pressures (up to 20 mTorr), pressure has an insignificant effect on the thermal resistance of the sensor. For substrate temperatures of up to 250°C, the sensor response is linear with input power. Values of steady state energy flux measured with the sensor range from 5 to 46 mW/cm@super2@ for aluminum and 14 to 114 mW/cm@super2@ for copper depending on the process conditions, and compare well with those determined theoretically. Magnetron power was varied between 75 and 300 W, gas pressure 5 - 10 mTorr and substrate-target distance 10.8 - 21 cm.