Arc Handling Considerations for DC Sputtering Power Supplies

Sputtering is an important physical vapor deposition (PVD) method in the manufacture of many products. However, sputtering processes are prone to arcing, which can cause damage to the work piece. Therefore, arcs must be detected and extinguished in a timely manner to minimize damage. Instantaneous arc rate and total arcs per process step are useful data for assessing PVD chamber health, and determining when maintenance is required. Arc handling is now a standard feature of many PVD power supplies. It is beneficial for the PVD power supply to include a digital communication interface to allow the host control system to access the arc sensor data and to dynamically configure the arc handling settings. The sputtering process arcing problem will be reviewed, including references to early experimental work implying the influence of oxides in the glow to arc transition, as well as selected history of the evolution of arc handling for sputtering processes. PVD power supplies, with the ability to report arc frequency and total arc count, will be discussed. Finally, automated target conditioning enabled by integrated arc handling will be presented. It gradually increases output power in an adaptive manner, minimizing arcing, until the target is fully conditioned.