Resistive heating of powered coil to reduce transient heating/start up effects multiple loadlock system

摘要

A method and apparatus for pre-heating a coil used to generate a plasma field in a processing chamber in a semiconductor fabrication system. The coil is pre-heated in the chamber prior to sputter depositing material onto a substrate and workpiece. The coil is pre- heated to a predetermined temperature, which is preferably equal to or greater than the equilibrium temperature attained by the coil during sputter deposition processes. Pre-heating may be effected with a preheating current having a frequency lower than the minimum frequency required to ignite a plasma, or when the processing chamber contains an atmosphere which prevents formation of a plasma. The coil may pre-heated for a predetermined time period.