[ Best Paper of This Month ]

Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers - Vol. 32, No. 2, pp.57-62

ISSN: 2508-5107 (Online)

Print publication date 15 Apr 2023

Received 16 Dec 2022 Revised 28 Jan 2023 Accepted 27 Mar 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7735/ksmte.2023.32.2.57

Improvement on Plasma Intensity Uniformity in Rectangular DC Magnetron Sputter by Optimizing Structures of Substrate Electrode

Dong-Woo Ko^a ; Se-Hwan Jang^a ; Jae-Hyun Kim^a ; Kwan-Yong Lee^b ; Young-Joo Kim^a^{, *}

aDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University
bThinflim Technology Team, Samsung Display Co.

Correspondence to: ^*Tel.: +82-2-2123-6852 E-mail address: yjkim40@yonsei.ac.kr (Young-Joo Kim).

Abstract

DC magnetron sputtering is widely used for thin film deposition in the field of displays. By adding magnet arrays to a large rectangular magnetron sputtering system, while the ionization and deposition rate are increased, the film properties can be nonuniform, and the local target erosion rate can be increased. Film properties strongly depend on uniform plasma density and energy. Although the ferromagnetic shield has been used to decrease the magnetic field locally, the plasma remains nonuniform at the corners of the rectangular shape target. In this study, a plasma simulation was conducted to analyze the plasma distribution in a DC magnetron sputtering system. The plasma uniformity was improved by optimizing the thickness and shape of the substrate electrode, carefully controlling the distance between the target and substrate electrode based on Paschen’s law, leading to the reduction of local high plasma intensity.

Keywords:

DC magnetron sputtering, Paschen’s law, Substrate electrode, Plasma simulation

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Dong-Woo Ko

M.S. in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University. His research interest is Thin Film Deposition.

E-mail: 04954@yonsei.ac.kr

Se-Hwan Jang

Ph.D candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University. His research field are Multiwavelength Digital Holography and DC Magnetron Sputtering.

E-mail: shjang93@yonsei.ac.kr

Jae-Hyun Kim

M.S. Candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University. His research interest is Photolithographic Fabrication on Patterned Quantum Dot Film of the Multi-wavelength for Digital Holographic Application.

E-mail: jhkim62@yonsei.ac.kr

Kwan-Yong Lee

Researcher in the Samsung Display Co.. His research interest is Display Manufacturing Development.

E-mail: lucky7.lee@samsung.com

Young-Joo Kim

Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University. His research fields include OLED/u-LED displays, Simulation on Optical and Thermal Devices and Materials, Fabrication of Nano/Micro Engineering Components.

E-mail: yjkim40@yonsei.ac.kr