TIMARIS - Singulus Technologies AG

TIMARIS
PVD Cluster Tool for Magnetic Storage &
Semiconductor Wafer Production
Smart Solutions to Drive the F uture.

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TIMARIS – PVD Cluster Tool from SINGULUS
SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES
(SINGULUS), founded in 1996,
continues to expand its activities
in the segments Semiconductor,
Solar and Optical Disc.
SINGULUS’ business unit Nano
Deposition Technologies is a
renowned manufacturer of advanced
thin-film deposition equipment
for MRAM and Thin-Film Head
production. It is the trusted partner
in the respective industry and
extends its leadership in the
thin-film deposition technology
for Semiconductor applications.
SINGULUS has already established
and qualified the second generation
of the TIMARIS PVD Cluster Tool
platform in the market and is offering
a complete portfolio of process
modules for different applications.
As today, seven different process
modules are available to configure
a TIMARIS system according to
customer needs. These modules
include the Multi-Target-Module
(MTM), Oxidation-Process-Module
(OPM), Pre-Clean-Module (PCM),
Combi-Process-Module (CPM),
Flexible-Target-Module (FTM) and
Static-PVD-Module (sPVD-M) as
well as the new Rotating-Substrate-
Module (RSM).
The TIMARIS PVD modules (MTM,
FTM, RSM, sPVD-M) incorporate the
full scope of sputtering techniques
as: DC magnetron sputtering, pulsed
DC magnetron sputtering and RF
magnetron sputtering as well as
combinations of these modes are
selectable by recipe.

Multi Target Module
Top: Target Drum with
10 rectangular cathodes;
Drum design ensures
easy maintenance;
Bottom: Main part of the
chamber containing LDD
equipment
Oxidation Module
Low Energy Remote
Atomic Plasma Oxidation;
Natural Oxidation;
Soft Energy
Surface Treatment
Thin-Film Heads (TFH)
_ High Moment Material
(Writer Material)
_ TMR (Reader Material)
_ GMR (Reader Material)
_ Deposition of seed and gap layers
Semiconductor
_ MRAM
_ Sensors
_ High-k dielectrics
_ Metal gates
_ Phase-change material deposition
_ SAW/BAW film deposition
_ In-circuit Inductors
Ultra-High-Vacuum Design:
High Throughput (e.g. MRAM):
High Effective Up-time:
Reliability:
All TIMARIS applications require
the deposition of ultra-thin metallic
and insulating film stacks down to
a thickness of one (1) nanometer
and below with very precise material
thickness and high uniformity
specifications.
The MTM is the key component
of the TIMARIS platform; it
incorporates the Linear Dynamic
Deposition (LDD, US patent US
7,799,179 B2) technology in
combination with ten (10) sputter
targets in one vacuum chamber.
Base Pressure < 5*10-9 Torr
(Deposition Chamber)
up to 18 Wafer/h (see page 11)
Maintenance friendly Design
Solid and well Engineered Design,
no fast moving Parts
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Cassette Module
(according to Customer
Specification)
Soft-Etch Module
(PreClean, Surface
Treatment)
Transport Module
(UHV wafer handler)
The FTM module uses Linear
Dynamic Deposition in combination
with up to four cathodes. The LDD
technology is especially designed
for deposition of ultra-thin films,
magnetic films, high-quality metallic,
conductive and insulating films and is
the key to deliver world class material
uniformity across large wafer sizes,
combined with an exceptional
precise control of ultra-thin
layer thickness down to 1 % of
a nanometer.

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Linear Dynamic Deposition (LDD)
Deposition Technique:
Linear PVD Magnetron and
linear movement of wafer
Linear Dynamic Deposition (LDD)⋅
_ Short target-substrate distance:
_ Best coating efficiency
_ Low cost of owner ship
_ Thickness adjusted by wafer speed:
_ Precise thickness control &
repeatability
_ Ultra thin film < 0.1 nm; smallest
thickness step: < 0.01 nm
_ Special LDD capabilities
_ Deposition of thickness wedges
_ Preparation of concentration
gradients
_ Multi-directional coating:
_ Smooth films and interfaces
_ Stationary Aligning Magnetic
Field (AMF):
_ Magnetic pre-alignment of easy
axis direction
_ Leakage field of cathode parallel
to wafer travel direction:
_ Ideal symmetry for magnetic
film applications
_ Robust and reliable design

Multi-Target-Module with
10 DC/RF Cathodes
Multiple film stack deposition, without
the need to break ultra-high vacuum,
is one of the key advantages of the
MTM process module. Additional
features as wafer heating for hot
substrate deposition or a collinear
Aligning Magnetic Field (AMF) can
be activated to align the magnetic
Easy Axis during deposition of
ferromagnetic films.
The Linear Dynamic Deposition (LDD)
technology enables the capability to
deposit wedge films with a different
film thickness across the wafer and
to deposit alloy films with adjustable
concentration gradients across one
wafer. Both features allow a very
cost effective development of film
stacks and accelerate the devices
development.
The LDD technology is the key to
delivering world class material uniformity
across large wafers and exceptional
precise control of ultra thin layer
thickness down to 1 %
of a nanometer.
Details:
_ DC/RF magnetron
_ All sputter deposition modes
selectable by recipe for all
10 cathodes
_ LDD technology
_ RF bias option
_ Ultra-High-Vacuum technology,
base pressure < 5*10 -9 Torr
_ Wafer heating and cooling
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Multi-Target-Module

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Flexible-Target-Module (FTM)
Flexible-Target-Module with
4 DC/RF Cathodes
The Flexible-Target-Module (FTM)
incorporates Linear Dynamic
Deposition (LDD) technology in
combination with up to four sputter
targets in one vacuum chamber.
The FTM incorporates the same
functionalities like the Multi-Target-
Module (MTM) as the substrate
heating, the Aligning Magnetic Field
and the capability to deposit wedge
films with a different film thickness
across the wafer and to deposit alloy
films with adjustable concentration
gradients across one wafer. The only
difference of the FTM is the number
of targets.
Details:
_ DC/RF magnetron
_ All sputter deposition modes
selectable by recipe for all
4 cathodes
_ LDD technology
_ RF bias option
_ Ultra-High-Vacuum technology,
base pressure < 5*10 -9 Torr
_ Wafer heating and cooling

Rotating-Substrate-Module
(RSM)
The Rotating-Substrate-Module
(RSM) is a dedicated PVD module
for R&D for different Semiconductors
and other applications.
Rotating-Substrate-Module (RSM)
Essential technical features are:
_ Up to 12 PVD cathodes in one
chamber
_ Rotating substrate deposition
_ Co-sputtering
_ DC-, pulsed DC-, RF-sputtering
_ Wafer heating
_ Base pressure < 10 -8 Torr
_ In-situ aligning magnetic field
_ Alternative equipment
_ Ion source
_ Surface metrology
_ Low R&D costs
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Pre-Clean-Module PCM)
Pre-Clean-Module
The Pre-Clean-Module (PCM) is used
to clean the wafer prior to deposition.
This is a standard technique employing
sputter etch technology by applying
RF power to the wafer. Typically the
process removes residual water
and other molecules and native
oxides by adjusting the etching
process parameters. Optionally,
this module can also be equipped
with an ECWR plasma source.
This additional plasma source
provides a more flexible etching
process (higher etch rates, lower
etching energies). The module
geometry (large plasma source,
rotational symmetric pump system)
ensures a high uniformity of
the etching.
Details:
_ Wafer cleaning, removal of native
oxides by sputter etch
_ ECWR plasma source as option
_ Variable distance between and
ion source
_ Ultra-High-Vacuum technology,
base pressure < 1*10 -8 Torr

Oxidation-Process-Module
The Oxidation-Process-Module
(OPM) is required to oxidize ultra-thin
metallic films into insulating films of
very high quality. Such films are
required in Tunnel Magneto Resistance
layer stacks as tunneling barriers.
The barrier material of choice is
nowadays MgO, but Al 2 O 3 and other
materials have been considered.
The oxidation can be performed by
using a remote plasma provided by
a ECWR plasma source. This source
generates oxygen ions and radicals
of very low adjustable energy.
Alternatively, the oxidation can be
performed by the so-called natural
oxidation by exposing the metal film
Oxidation-Process-Module (OPM)
to pure oxygen of low pressure
(10 Torr down to 0.1 m Torr). The
module geometry (large plasma
source, rotational symmetric pump
system) ensures a high uniformity
of the oxidation. Other applications
for the OM are surface treatment
of wafers by different activated
gases (e.g. N 2 ).
Details:
_ Low energy remote plasma
oxidation
_ Natural oxidation
_ Surface treatment by low
energetic ions
_ Variable distance between
substrate and ion source
_ Ultra-High-Vacuum technology,
base pressure < 1*10 -8 Torr
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Static-PVD-Module (sPVD-M)
Static-PVD-Module
The Static-PVD-Module (sPVD-M)
comprises a standard magnetron
cathode with optimized target
utilization for high rate sputter
deposition of metallic and nonconducting
materials for multiple
applications. DC magnetron as well
as RF magnetron sputter modes are
selectable through a recipe menu.
The module is envisaged to be used
for deposition of films with high
deposition rate that do not require
the extremely high uniformity that can
be achieved by the LDD technology.
Details:
_ DC and RF sputter deposition
selectable by recipe
_ Variable distance between
substrate and sputter target
_ Ultra-High-Vacuum technology,
base pressure < 1*10 -8 Torr

Combination-Process-Module
The Combination-Process-Module
(CPM) comprises both technologies,
of oxidation and pre-clean in one
module. This is a cost-efficient
option, since only one module for
two process steps is required. It is
mainly envisaged for R&D purposes,
where a high throughput is of less
importance. The process performance
is identical with the Oxidation-
Module and the Pre-Clean-Module.
Combi-Process-Module (CPM)
Details:
_ Low energy remote plasma
oxidation
_ Natural oxidation
_ Surface treatment by low
energetic ions
_ Wafer cleaning, removal of native
oxides by sputter etch
_ Variable distance between
substrate and ion source
_ Ultra-High-Vacuum technology,
base pressure < 1*10 -8 Torr
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Typical TIMARIS configuration
for 300 mm MRAM wafer
production with full throughput,
consisting of:
_ 2 Multi-Target-Modules
_ 1 Oxidation-Module
_ 1 Pre-Clean-Module
_ 1 Transport Module (Brooks)
including two FOUP Loadports
_ Multiple wafer handling
_ Throughput: up to 20 Wafer*
_ Software integration:
GEM/SECSII Interface
* standard MRAM layer stack
Typical TIMARIS configuration
for 150/200 mm Thin-Film
Head wafer production. The
footprint shown is for a tool for
TMR (GMR) sensor fabrication
and consists of:
_ 1 Multi-Target-Module
_ 1 Oxidation-Module
_ 1 Pre-Clean Module
_ 1 Transport Module (Brooks)
_ Multiple wafer handling
_ Throughput: 9 wafers for a standard
TMR layer stack
_ Software integration:
GEM/SECSII Interface
_ Variants: HMM film deposition
(no oxidation module)
300 mm
Wafer
150 mm
200 mm
Wafer

TIMARIS configuration
for 300 mm MRAM and
semiconductor wafer
production, consisting of:
_ 1 Multi-Target-Module
_ 3 Flexible-Target-Modules
_ 1 Pre-Clean-Module
_ 1 Oxidation-Module
_ 1 Transport Module (Brooks)
including three FOUP Loadports
_ Multiple wafer handling
_ Software integration:
GEM/SECSII Interface
Typical TIMARIS configuration
for R&D purposes and/or low
volume production. All wafer
up to 300 mm wafer can be
handled. The footprint shown
consists of:
_ 2 Rotating-Substrate-Modules
_ 1 Combi-Process-Module
_ 1 Transport Module
all Wafer
up to
300 mm
all Wafer
up to
300 mm

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SINGULUS Serves Customers Worldwide
SINGULUS Headquarters, Kahl/Main SINGULUS STANGL SOLAR, Fürstenfeldbruck
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sales@singulus.de
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05/2012 - MetaCom Printed in Germany - Technical alterations reserved