EXHIBIT C.11
`U.S. Patent No. 7,811,421
`
`Referenced cited herein:
`(cid:120) U.S. Pat. No. 7,811,421 (“’421 Patent”)
`
`(cid:120) U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,382 (“Wang”)
`
`(cid:120) D.V. Mozgrin, et al, High-Current Low-Pressure Quasi-Stationary Discharge in a
`Magnetic Field: Experimental Research, Plasma Physics Reports, Vol. 21, No. 5, 1995
`(“Mozgrin”)
`
`(cid:120) D.V. Mozgrin, High-Current Low-Pressure Quasi-Stationary Discharge in a Magnetic
`Field: Experimental Research, Thesis at Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, 1994
`(“Mozgrin Thesis”)
`
`‘421 Claims 14, 26, and 37
`
`Wang in view of Mozgrin Thesis
`
`[1pre]. A sputtering source comprising: Wang discloses a sputtering source.
`
`Wang at Title (“pulsed sputtering with a small
`rotating magnetron”)
`
`[1a] a) a cathode assembly comprising
`a sputtering target that is positioned
`adjacent to an anode; and
`
`Wang discloses a cathode assembly comprising a
`sputtering target that is positioned adjacent to an
`anode.
`
`‘421 Patent at 3:39-4:2 (“FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-
`sectional view of a known magnetron sputtering
`apparatus 100 having a pulsed power source 102. …
`The magnetron sputtering apparatus 100 also
`includes a cathode assembly 114 having a target
`116. … An anode 130 is positioned in the vacuum
`chamber 104 proximate to the cathode assembly
`114.”)
`
`Wang at 3:66-4:1 (“A grounded shield 24 … acts as
`a grounded anode for the cathode of the negatively
`biased target 14.”)
`
`Wang discloses a power supply that generates a
`voltage pulse between the anode and the cathode
`assembly that creates a weakly-ionized plasma and
`then a strongly-ionized plasma from the weakly-
`ionized plasma without an occurrence of arcing
`between the anode and the cathode assembly, an
`amplitude, a duration and a rise time of the voltage
`pulse being chosen to increase a density of ions in
`the strongly-ionized plasma
`
`[1b] b) a power supply that generates a
`voltage pulse between the anode and
`the cathode assembly that creates a
`weakly-ionized plasma and then a
`strongly-ionized plasma from the
`weakly-ionized plasma without an
`occurrence of arcing between the anode
`and the cathode assembly, an
`amplitude, a duration and a rise time of
`the voltage pulse being chosen to
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`EXHIBIT C.11
`U.S. Patent No. 7,811,421
`‘421 Claims 14, 26, and 37
`Wang in view of Mozgrin Thesis
`
`increase a density of ions in the
`strongly-ionized plasma.
`
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`Wang at Figs. 1, 6 and 7
`
`Wang at 7:58-61 (“… DC power supply 100 is
`connected to the target 14 … and supplies an
`essentially constant negative voltage to the target 14
`corresponding to the background power PB.”)
`
`Wang at 7:61-62 (“The pulsed DC power supply 80
`produces a train of negative voltage pulses.”)
`
`Wang at 3:66-4:1 (“A grounded shield 24 … acts as
`a grounded anode for the cathode of the negatively
`biased target 14.”)
`
`Wang at 7:17-31 (“The background power level PB
`is chosen to exceed the minimum power necessary
`to support a plasma... [T]he application of the high
`peak power PP quickly causes the already existing
`plasma to spread and increases the density of the
`plasma.”)
`
`Wang at 7:19-25 (“Preferably, the peak power PP is
`at least 10 times the background power PB … and
`most preferably 1000 times to achieve the greatest
`effect of the invention. A background power PB of 1
`kW [causes] little if any actual sputter deposition.”)
`
`Wang at 7:31-39 (“In one mode of operating the
`reactor, during the background period, little or no
`target sputtering is expected. The SIP reactor is
`advantageous for a low-power, low-pressure
`background period since the small rotating SIP
`magnetron can maintain a plasma at lower power
`and lower pressure than can a larger stationary
`magnetron. However, it is possible to combine
`highly ionized sputtering during the pulses with
`significant neutral sputtering during the background
`period.”)
`
`Wang at 7:3-6 (“Plasma ignition, particularly in
`plasma sputter reactors, has a tendency to generate
`particles during the initial arcing, which may
`dislodge large particles from the target or
`chamber.”)
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`EXHIBIT C.11
`U.S. Patent No. 7,811,421
`‘421 Claims 14, 26, and 37
`Wang in view of Mozgrin Thesis
`
`Wang at 7:13-28 (“Accordingly, it is advantageous
`to use a target power waveform illustrated in FIG.
`6… As a result, once the plasma has been ignited at
`the beginning of sputtering prior to the illustrated
`waveform…”)
`
`Wang at 7:47-49 (“The initial plasma ignition needs
`be performed only once and at much lower power
`levels so that particulates produced by arcing are
`much reduced.”)
`
`Wang at 7:28-30 (“…the application of the high
`peak power PP instead quickly causes the already
`existing plasma to spread and increases the density
`of the plasma”)
`
`Wang at 5:23-26 (“The illustrated pulse form is
`idealized. Its exact shape depends on the design of
`the pulsed DC power supply 80, and significant rise
`times and fall times are expected.”)
`
`14. The sputtering source of claim 1
`wherein the rise time of the voltage
`pulse is in the range of approximately
`0.01V/μsec to 1000V/μsec.
`
`The combination of Wang, Mozgrin, and the
`Mozgrin Thesis discloses the rise time of the voltage
`pulse is in the range of approximately 0.01V/μsec to
`1000V/μsec.
`
`See evidence cited in claim 1
`
`Mozgrin Thesis at 42, ¶ 1 (“…a power supply was
`selected which produces square current and voltage
`pulses with a rise time (leading edge of the pulse) of
`5 – 60 μs...”)
`
`Mozgrin Thesis at 63, Fig. 3.2
`
`One of ordinary skill in the art would have been
`motivated to combine Wang and Mozgrin Thesis.
`Wang and Mozgrin Thesis are both pulsed
`magnetron sputtering systems. If Wang’s densities
`were different than those identified in Mozgrin
`Thesis, one of ordinary skill would have been
`motivated to adjust Wang’s power levels and pulse
`characteristics so as to use Mozgrin Thesis’s plasma
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`EXHIBIT C.11
`U.S. Patent No. 7,811,421
`‘421 Claims 14, 26, and 37
`Wang in view of Mozgrin Thesis
`
`densities, e.g., so as to achieve desired sputtering.
`
`As explained with respect to claim 15, one of
`ordinary skill reading Wang would have looked to
`Mozgrin Thesis for details such as voltages and rise
`times. Finally, use of the Mozgrin Thesis’ rise time
`in Wang would have been a combination of old
`elements to yield predictable results.
`
`[17pre]. A sputtering source
`comprising:
`
`Wang discloses a sputtering source.
`
`See evidence cited in claim 1 preamble
`
`[17a] a) a cathode assembly comprising
`a sputtering target that is positioned
`adjacent to an anode;
`
`Wang discloses a cathode assembly comprising a
`sputtering target that is positioned adjacent to an
`anode.
`
`[17b] b) a power supply that generates
`a voltage pulse between the anode and
`the cathode assembly that creates a
`weakly-ionized plasma and then a
`strongly-ionized plasma from the
`weakly-ionized plasma without an
`occurrence of arcing between the anode
`and the cathode assembly, an amplitude
`and a rise time of the voltage pulse
`being chosen to increase a density of
`ions in the strongly-ionized plasma;
`and
`
`[17c] c) a substrate support that is
`positioned adjacent to the sputtering
`target; and
`
`See evidence cited in claim [1a]
`
`Wang discloses a power supply that generates a
`voltage pulse between the anode and the cathode
`assembly that creates a weakly-ionized plasma and
`then a strongly-ionized plasma from the weakly-
`ionized plasma without an occurrence of arcing
`between the anode and the cathode assembly, an
`amplitude and a rise time of the voltage pulse being
`chosen to increase a density of ions in the strongly-
`ionized plasma.
`
`See evidence cited in claim [1b]
`
`Wang discloses a substrate support that is positioned
`adjacent to the sputtering target.
`
`Wang at 3:63-66 (“A pedestal electrode 18 supports
`a wafer 20 to be sputter coated in planar opposition
`to the target 14 across a processing region 22.”)
`
`[17d] d) a bias voltage source having
`an output that is electrically plasma.
`coupled to the substrate support.
`
`Wang discloses a bias voltage source having an
`output that is electrically plasma. coupled to the
`substrate support.
`
`Wang at Fig. 1
`
`Wang at 4:32-34 (“[A]n RF bias power supply is
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`EXHIBIT C.11
`U.S. Patent No. 7,811,421
`‘421 Claims 14, 26, and 37
`Wang in view of Mozgrin Thesis
`
`connected to the pedestal electrode 18 to create a
`negative DC self-bias on the wafer 20”)
`
`26. The sputtering source of claim 17
`wherein the rise time of the voltage
`pulse is in the range of approximately
`0.01V/μsec to 1000V/μsec.
`
`The combination of Wang, Mozgrin, and the
`Mozgrin Thesis discloses the rise time of the voltage
`pulse is in the range of approximately 0.01V/μsec to
`1000V/μsec.
`
`See evidence cited in claim 17
`
`See evidence cited in claim 14
`
`[34pre]. A method for high deposition
`rate sputtering, the method comprising:
`
`Wang discloses a method for high deposition rate
`sputtering.
`
`Wang at Title (“pulsed sputtering with a small
`rotating magnetron”)
`
`Wang at 7:19-25 (“Preferably, the peak power Pp is
`at least 10 times the background power Ps, more
`preferably at least 100 times, and most preferably
`1000 times to achieve the greatest effect of the
`invention. A background power Ps of 1 kW will
`typically be sufficient to support a plasma with the
`torpedo magnetron and a 200 mm wafer although
`with little if any actual sputter deposition.”)
`
`Wang at 7:36-39 (“However, it is possible to
`combine highly ionized sputtering during the pulses
`with significant neutral sputtering during the
`background period.”)
`
`Wang discloses generating a voltage pulse between
`the anode and the cathode assembly comprising a
`sputtering target, the voltage pulse creating a
`weakly-ionized plasma and then a strongly-ionized
`plasma from the weakly-ionized plasma without an
`occurrence of arcing between the anode and the
`cathode assembly.
`
`See evidence cited in claim [1a]
`
`See evidence cited in claim [1b]
`
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`[34a] a) generating a voltage pulse
`between the anode and the cathode
`assembly comprising a sputtering
`target, the voltage pulse creating a
`weakly-ionized plasma and then a
`strongly-ionized plasma from the
`weakly-ionized plasma without an
`occurrence of arcing between the anode
`and the cathode assembly; and
`
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`EXHIBIT C.11
`U.S. Patent No. 7,811,421
`‘421 Claims 14, 26, and 37
`Wang in view of Mozgrin Thesis
`
`[34b] b) adjusting an amplitude and a
`rise time of the voltage pulse to
`increase a density of ions in the
`strongly-ionized plasma.
`
`Wang discloses adjusting an amplitude and a rise
`time of the voltage pulse to increase a density of
`ions in the strongly-ionized plasma.
`
`See evidence cited in claim [1b]
`
`37. The method of claim 34 wherein
`the rise time of the voltage pulse is in
`the range of approximately 0.01 V/μsec
`to 1000V/μsec.
`
`The combination of Wang, Mozgrin, and the
`Mozgrin Thesis discloses the rise time of the voltage
`pulse is in the range of approximately 0.01 V/μsec
`to 1000V/μsec.
`
`See evidence cited in claim 34
`
`See evidence cited in claim 14
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