Controlling particles in sputter deposition modules

摘要

Focusing on external and internal sources of contaminants has led to continuing improvements in the particle performance of PVD tools. As IC geometries continue to shrink because of market demands for high-speed products, control of process-related particles that can cause catastrophic device failure remains a critical concern of the semiconductor industry. Achieving low defect densities at all process steps is essential to both ensuring high product yields and minimizing manufacturing costs. Because many of today's devices require numerous layers of interconnects, the physical vapor deposition (PVD) metallization process is a particular area of interest. Process costs accumulate with each layer deposited; therefore, any improvement in PVD particle control that increases device yields can have a significant effect on profitability.