Rotating cylindrical magnetron structure for large area coating
First Claim
1. In a magnetron of a type having a target surface formed on an outside of a cylinder that is positioned within walls of a vacuum chamber and which contains a magnet structure within it that extend substantially its full length, a mechanism for supporting, rotating, cooling and energizing the target structure, comprising:
- first and second extensions from opposite ends of the target cylinder and rigidly attached thereto, said extensions being cylindrically shaped with axial center lines coincident with that of said target cylinder,means within said target cylinder for restraining said magnet structure from rotating therewith, and wherein said magnet structure includes a plurality of rollers carried thereby and riding on an inside surface of said target cylinder, thereby to maintain separation between said magnetic structure and the inside surface of said target structure,a first support structure attached to said vacuum chamber walls and rotatably carrying said first extension in a manner that restrains movement of thereof in an axial direction,a second support structure attached to said vacuum chamber walls and rotatably carrying said second extension in a manner that allows movement thereof in an axial direction,means provided as part of said first support structure for both supplying and withdrawing cooling fluid from within said target cylinder,means provided as part of either of said first or second support structures for rotating the target cylinder, andmeans provided as part of said second support structure and including an electrical brush contacting said second target cylinder extension for electrically energizing said target surface.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Mechanisms for supporting, rotating, cooling and energizing a cylindrical target structure in a magnetron through supports at each end of the target structure. Two specific configurations are described. Particular arrangements of magnets are provided within the target cylinder. Two adjacent rotating target cylinders may optionally be employed in order to increase the rate of depositing sputtered material on a substrate. The various features of this invention are particularly adapted for a large-scale cylindrical magnetron used for sputtering coatings on architectural glass panels, automobile windshields and the like, but are also advantageous for use in coating very small substrates.
132 Citations
10 Claims
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1. In a magnetron of a type having a target surface formed on an outside of a cylinder that is positioned within walls of a vacuum chamber and which contains a magnet structure within it that extend substantially its full length, a mechanism for supporting, rotating, cooling and energizing the target structure, comprising:
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first and second extensions from opposite ends of the target cylinder and rigidly attached thereto, said extensions being cylindrically shaped with axial center lines coincident with that of said target cylinder, means within said target cylinder for restraining said magnet structure from rotating therewith, and wherein said magnet structure includes a plurality of rollers carried thereby and riding on an inside surface of said target cylinder, thereby to maintain separation between said magnetic structure and the inside surface of said target structure, a first support structure attached to said vacuum chamber walls and rotatably carrying said first extension in a manner that restrains movement of thereof in an axial direction, a second support structure attached to said vacuum chamber walls and rotatably carrying said second extension in a manner that allows movement thereof in an axial direction, means provided as part of said first support structure for both supplying and withdrawing cooling fluid from within said target cylinder, means provided as part of either of said first or second support structures for rotating the target cylinder, and means provided as part of said second support structure and including an electrical brush contacting said second target cylinder extension for electrically energizing said target surface.
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2. A cylindrical magnetron constructed in a vacuum chamber enclosure, comprising:
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at least two cylindrically shaped target structures positioned adjacent each other and rotatable about individual longitudinal axes thereof, and each of said target structures containing an elongated magnetic element positioned therein toward their bottom and which are held non-rotatable therewith, the magnetic element of one of said target structures having poles arranged in north-south-north poles order across a cross-section thereof and the magnetic element of another of said target structures having its poles arranged in a south-north-south order across a cross-section thereof, whereby an extension of a plasma created within the magnetron between the target structures is avoided.
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3. A cylindrical magnetron constructed in a vacuum chamber enclosure, comprising:
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at least one elongated cylindrically shaped hollow target structure supported within said vacuum chamber in a manner to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof, means operably connected with said target structure for rotating the target structure about its said longitudinal axis, a magnet structure within said target structure that extends substantially its full length and is restrained from rotation therewith, and a plurality of rollers carried by said magnet structure and riding on an inside surface of said target structure, thereby to maintain separation between said magnetic structure and the inside surface of said target structure. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5)
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6. In a magnetron of a type having a target surface formed on the outside of a hollow cylinder that is positioned within metallic walls of a vacuum chamber and which contains a magnet structure within it that extends substantially its full length, a mechanism for supporting, rotating, cooling and energizing the target structure, comprising:
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first and second metallic extensions from opposite ends of the target cylinder and rigidly attached thereto, said extensions being cylindrically shaped with axial center lines coincident with that of said target cylinder, first and second metallic support structures mechanically and electrically connected with said vacuum chamber walls and spaced apart a distance to carry said first and second target cylinder extensions, respectively, means provided as part of said second support structure for rotating the target cylinder, an elongated hollow tube positioned within the target cylinder along substantially its entire length and extending at least through said first cylindrical extension and out of an open end thereof, said tube having an outside diameter such that a liquid path is provided around an outside surface thereof between an inside surface of said first extension and said target cylinder, a liquid passage being provided adjacent said second cylindrical extension between said liquid path and an interior of said tube, a first non-electrically conductive part carried by said first support structure and including two adjacent liquid chambers separated by a wall having an opening therein, said hollow tube extending through said first chamber and opening into said second chamber by passing through said wall opening with its said outside surface being sealed with said wall, the open end of said first cylindrical extension opening into said first chamber, a liquid supply conduit connected to one of said first and second chambers and a liquid exhaust conduit connected to another of said first and second chambers, thereby to provide a closed fluid path from a liquid supply through the first non-electrically conductive part to within the target cylinder and out again through the first non-electrically conducive part and the exhaust conduit, a second non-electrically conductive part carried by said second support structure and rotatably supporting said second cylindrical extension in a manner to electrically insulate the second cylindrical extension from the second support structure, and means provided as part of said second support structure and including an electrical brush contacting said second cylindrical extension for applying an electrical potential to said target surface with respect to said vacuum chamber metallic walls. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification