Thin Solid Films 502 (2006) 15 21 www.elsevier.

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Advanced generation of rotatable magnetron technology for high performance reactive sputtering
S.J. Nadel *, P. Greene, J. Rietzel, M. Perata, L. Malaszewski, R. Hill
VACUUM COATING Technologies, Fairfield, CA, USA Available online 31 August 2005

Abstract Magnetron performance is ultimately the determining factor in the productivity of glass sputter coating technology. Maximum power density, target utilization and efficiency, coating uniformity, material deposition rates, vacuum reliability, arc and debris control, quick turnaround and ease of maintenance all contribute to the overall efficiency of any magnetron sputter source. The state of the art in magnetron sputter deposition is now based upon reactive sputtering of rotatable cylindrical magnetrons using AC power supplies. A new generation of rotatable sputter magnetrons is based upon design from first principles for optimized use with high current mid-frequency AC sputtering power supplies. Improved target designs result in more robust vacuum sealing and greater than 90% material utilization. Improved magnet fixtures and process control results in stable, high deposition rates for reactive sputtering with 3% uniformity range. Results from lifetime testing and production systems are presented. Critical performance features including current handling capability, seal lifetime, and process uniformity are discussed. D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Sputtering; Deposition process; Optical coatings

1. Introduction A rotating cylindrical magnetron can be broken down into four key components. Each component requires optimization for maximum performance when utilizing modern high-current power supplies, particularly when we move from DC or pulsed DC to mid-frequency AC supplies. First, the end block support structures provide the mechanical and vacuum connections for target rotation, cooling water and power feed. The enhanced end block presented here has been designed from first principles to sustain greater than 300 A DC or AC current, at up to 1100 V DC or 2500 V AC plasma ignition strike voltages. Second, the target tube provides the deposition material, including features to compensate for differing erosion rates at the center and turn-around sections of the magnetic field. Third, a coupling fixture provides a vacuum seal

* Corresponding author. E-mail address: steve.nadel@vact.com (S.J. Nadel). 0040-6090/$ - see front matter D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2005.07.227

between the target tube and the end blocks. In this design, the end blocks connect to the target tube with an improved, non-proprietary fixation that provides more reliable O-ring compression and eliminates the risk of target-to-spindle leaks. Finally, the water-cooled magnetic array allows higher power operation based on the use of non-soluble material. Provisions for controlling the magnet to target surface distance allow optimization of the local magnetic field strength at the target surface. Thin film uniformity can be tuned through this method. Modern cylindrical magnetrons are expected to operate reliably at power densities up to 20 W/mm of racetrack circumference, in either DC, pulsed DC or MF modes. Taking advantage of the target utilization offered by the cylindrical magnetrons, traditional production campaigns are extended from typical 2 week up to 3 or 4 weeks without interruption for vent or maintenance. Rotating and static seals and surfaces must provide reliable vacuum interfaces under such conditions for at least a 6-month to 1-year replacement cycle. Increasing demands for productivity and quality improvement require thin film uniformity control

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within a 4% range of average film thickness at the highest deposition speeds possible with mass flow or advanced closed loop control of reactive processes. Magnetic field and target tube designs must cooperate to achieve materials utilization of 70% or greater while minimizing or eliminating non-sputtered surfaces to reduce arcing and debris generation. This paper reports the results of an enhanced cylindrical magnetron design incorporating these features and capabilities [1].

2. End block structure The schematic in Fig. 1 shows the water and power input side of the end block support mechanism. A primary design objective was to minimize inductive heating generated by 300 A current for the typical 25 80 kHz operating frequencies of modern AC magnetron sputtering power supplies. Lip seals, bearings, energizers and retaining rings were all evaluated to eliminate inductive current loops. Further heat management is provided by water-cooling the spindle and using a multi-layer, electrically insulated heat shield to protect the end block. The companion drive side end block is shown Fig. 2. Differentially pumped redundant seals [2] are used in both end blocks to reduce the pressure on the vacuum-side seals to near zero. Fig. 3 shows the seal cavity, differentially pumped to 60 Torr. Due to the force of atmospheric pressure on the airside seal, this seal should fail first, causing a pressure rise in the cavity. The pressure monitor on the differentially pumped line will then offer an alarm signal, prior to a vacuum-side leak that can affect deposition processes. The pump and alarm manifold shown in Fig. 4 provides the user with notification and assistance in troubleshooting leaks at the next convenient maintenance cycle.

Fig. 2. Drive end block.

Testing of this end block design was carried out on the G85 coating system and a test tank. Both systems used a CMAGR 6000 modular cathode designed for 2.5 m substrate widths. Testing at 300 A AC was carried out for 21,000 h without seal failures. DC testing at 96,000 kW h was run using high-voltage DC processes. Stand-alone off-line accelerated testing for seal life was done for over 10,000 h on the main drive spindle. No visible wear was seen on the hard coated spindle surfaces. Lips seals were tested over 2400 h with no visible wear. After the in-house testing, more than 30 dual AC cylindrical magnetrons were installed and monitored in the field. Following the first 5000 h operation, wear on seals is under 20%, leading to a projected seal life of 10,000 h. This fulfills the first design criteria of 1-years production seal life at the minimum rating of 300 A. However, the successes and improvements in AC sputtering of cylindrical magnetrons have encouraged the introduction of an enhanced generation of MF power supplies, capable of delivering up to 180 kW AC power. Previous end block designs have been current limited to 200 300 A, preventing users from taking full advantage of the available power capabilities. The current end block design has accumulated over 500 h operation at 400 A with

Fig. 1. Water/power end block.

Fig. 3. Seal cavity.

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Fig. 4. Differentially pumped end blocks.

no failures. Further testing is underway to verify the operational lifetime of the seals at 400 A. The end block design limit is theoretically 600 A.

3. High utilization target design Inherent in all linear magnetron designs is a variation in magnetic field intensity and shape at the end and turnaround relative to the center. The magnetic field variations result in corresponding changes in plasma intensity that effect the erosion rates along the magnetron. Typically, this results in areas of deeper erosion within or immediately adjacent to the corners of the racetrack. The rotation of the cylindrical magnetron enhances this difference; in the worst case, a deep groove can erode at the end of the tube while significant target material remains in the center. (By design, these high erosion areas of the magnetron are at least 10 (25 cm) from the edge of the glass substrate to avoid distortion of the uniformity profiles.) Previous solutions for reducing the excess erosion include weakening or spreading out the magnetic field [4] or increasing the available material (dog-bone) [5,6] at the ends of the target tube. There are limits to weakening the magnetic field without a significant increase in the escape of electrons at the turn-around, which can further distort the uniformity and eventually extinguish the plasma. Material brittleness and manufacturing problems limit the extent to which the dog-bone solution can be used.

An alternative design places a ring of relatively slow sputtering metal in the high erosion position [7]. Fig. 5 shows the end of a target with a slow sputtering metal ring. Through the use of the Ti ring at the turn around, sputterthrough of the end material before the center material is eliminated. This leads to nearly 100% utilization of the target material available in the center. Target utilization is now limited only by the initial concentricity of the target and the uniformity of the sputter erosion over target life. Two experiments were conducted to demonstrate that metal sputtered from the end ring would not contaminate the coated product. Fig. 6 shows the first experimental conditions, in which a stainless steel ring was attached to a Ti tube. Fe levels in the deposited Ti films were monitored by Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis. Substrates placed

Fig. 6. Configuration for SST ring on Ti tube to test for contamination of deposited film.

Fig. 5. Slow sputtering metal end ring.

Fig. 7. Sampling configuration for evaluation of TiO2 films deposited from targets with Ti rings.

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Table 1 Film thickness and optical constants of TiO2 films deposited from target with Ti rings Sample 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 A B Location 0.5W 1.5W 2.5W 5097.5W 98.5W 99.5W Hanging off edge Hanging off edge Thickness (nm) 614 621 629 631 649 645 639 612 638 n at 550 nm 2.4602 2.4596 2.4590 2.4332 2.4499 2.4526 2.4591 2.4643 2.4557 k at 550 nm 0.00000 0.00115 0.00084 0.00189 0.00724 0.00048 0.00000 0.00207 0.00326

Fig. 9. Flat surface O-ring compression for target to spindle seal.

directly under the metal rings showed nearly 40% Fe content. However, moving inwards until we reach the edge of a full size substrate, the Fe content drops to below 0.5% (see positions F, G, H in Fig. 6). These values represent the detection limits of Fe via EDX analysis. In the second experiment, Ti rings were placed on a ceramic sub-stoichiometric TiOx target. Nominal sputtering conditions for high rate, non-absorbing TiO2 films utilize a gas ratio of 96% Argon/4% Oxygen. In these conditions, the Ti metal ring should actually sputter an absorbing film faster than the target material, giving a worst-case and easily identifiable condition for potential contamination. Fig. 7 shows the position of samples located across a full-width 2.5 m substrate, and extending past the edge of the substrate. Table 1 shows the film thickness and optical constants (n , k at 550 nm) across the sampling positions. No change in index or absorption is seen on any films taken from the edge of the glass, compared to the center. There is no indication of metallic Ti in any films. This is demonstrated in the absorption spectra shown in Fig. 8.

sensitive to manufacturing tolerances or operator assembly. Fig. 9 shows the first design to offer a full flat face sealing surface for maximum reliable O-ring compression.

5. Magnet array design The final component key to magnetron performance is the combination of pole piece and magnet array, clamped to the water support bar. Water-cooled magnets are required for the highest power operation of the magnetron. Thus, nonsoluble SmCo is used. Magnetic field uniformity is optimized by first saturating and treating the magnets to their target value. Then magnets are sorted into lots with tolerances of +1.5% of target value for each magnet bar. Tolerances between different arrays are +3%. Stainless steel

4. Target fixation The interface between the target and the end block is the component most frequently accessed by the user, and therefore most critical for robust design. The clamping between the spindle and target tube must provide a repeatable and reliable sealing surface, which is not
Fig. 10. SmCo magnet array protected by stainless steel caps.

Fig. 8. Absorption spectra in visible region for TiO2 films deposited from targets with Ti rings.

Fig. 11. Mid-span support structure attached to magnet array.

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Fig. 12. Cross magnetron width uniformity of Si3N4 films deposited on full and cut size lites.

caps protect the magnets from mechanical damage when the array is removed from the tube during a target change (Fig. 10). The array can easily be oriented for sputter up or down application. The high field intensity of the SmCo magnets allows easy ignition of the plasma, even with targets up to 6.5W (16.5 cm) diameter. This allows the use of thicker dogbone style targets. The magnet array has been extended to sputter out to the end of the target tube, without the heat generated by the plasma affecting the end block and seals. All previous cylindrical magnetron designs suffered from re-deposition and condensate build up in the last few inches of the unsputtered target area. Unless properly shielded, this could lead to debris generation or arcing. Traditionally, this was

solved through the use of target end shields that formed a dark space between the shield and the target. However, the need for close spacing to form a dark shield, required a complex set of end shields optimized for varying target thicknesses achieved with different materials and manufacturing processes. By sputtering to the end of the target tube, the new array eliminates this complexity. As cylindrical magnetrons reach lengths of 3.8 m for European style jumbo 3.2 m flat glass, controlling the deflection of the magnet bar becomes critical. Maintaining a constant distance between the magnets and the target surface is necessary for simple and repeatable optimization of the sputtered thin film uniformity. A Mid-span Support structure shown in Fig. 11 is clamped to the magnet array

Fig. 13. Cross magnetron (full and cut size lite) uniformity of SiO2 films. Vertical graph shows uniformity in direction of travel.

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Fig. 14. SnO2 film uniformity as deposited on full and cut size lites.

to fix this spacing [3]. The rollers shown ride on the inside surface of the target tube, maintaining a constant spacing.

6. Results for reactive deposition processes Various enhancements described above have been combined to produce the following results for reactive depositions processes in open loop mode. Reactive to inert gas ratios are controlled via mass flow controllers. Uniformity is adjusted through modification of magnetic field strength (using shims to adjust magnet bar spacing)

and reactive/inert gas ratio (using segmented gas distribution bars). Figs. 12 16 show uniformity profiles generated for standard materials deposited on 2.5-m-wide flat glass. All materials were deposited using Robicon AC power supplies. The TiO2 films were deposited from ceramic targets. Film thickness was determined optically, based upon measurements of optical constants used to generate models of film side b* color values versus film thickness. Measurements are taken every 10 cm across the glass, to within 50 mm of the edge of the glass. Uniformity profiles are plotted as the percent deviation of film thickness at any point on the glass,

Fig. 15. TiO2 uniformity on full size (one vs. two magnetrons) and cut size lites.

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Fig. 16. ZnO uniformity on full and cut size lites.

from the average thickness across the full width. Deposition speeds are calculated based upon measurements of the average thickness across the glass and the line speed. Cross-width profiles are shown for all materials for both full and cut size lites run consecutively. For Si3N4 and TiO2, the effect of running two magnetrons to deposit the layer are shown. For SiO2, the front to back uniformity is also shown. Generally, the uniformity profiles on all slow sputtering materials were within a 3% thickness range across the full and cut size lites, out to 50 mm from the edge. For the faster sputtering materials such as SnO2 and ZnO, this increased slightly, but is still better than 4% range, including cut size lite. The front to back uniformity is also within a 3% range. The uniformity range and deposition speeds are summarized in Table 2.

Improved magnet arrays allow simple uniformity tuning to achieve thickness uniformity of 3 4% or better on full and cut size glass. Routine maintenance can now be under the complete control of the user through in-house maintenance. Improved target clamping increases reliability and up time, and is freely available to all target vendors to simplify procurement and reduce materials costs. The combination of high operating powers, simplified uniformity tuning, reduced debris and arc generation, increased materials utilization and higher reliability provide higher yields and improved quality films at reduced operating costs.

References
[1] [2] [3] [4] R. Barrett, U.S. Patent No. 6736948, 18 May 2004. Patent applied for. Patent applied for. K. Hartig, A. Dietrich, J. Szczyrbowski, U.S. Pat. #5,364,518, November 15, 1994. [5] W. De Boscher, G. Gobin, R. De Gryse, Proc. 3rd ICCG, 2000, p. 59. [6] J. Vanderstraeten, U.S. Pat. #5,853,816, December 28, 1998. [7] E. R. Dickey, E. Bjornard, U.S. Pat. #5,725,746, March 10, 1998.

7. Conclusion More than 45 dual AC magnetrons are currently in production incorporating the features described above. These magnetrons are capable of operating at levels of at least 300 A/120 kW AC with a seal life of at least 1 year. With the use of dog-bone or Metal-ring targets, material utilizations of 90 100% can be achieved.
Table 2 Deposition rates and corresponding thin film uniformity ranges Material SiO2 Si3N4 TiO2 SnO2 ZnO Rate (nm m/min) 30 70 50 95 120 kW (AC) 70 60 90 60 75 Thickness range (% average thickness) 3 3 3 4 4