Method of producing recording media and its apparatus

• US 5,244,554 A
• Filed: 06/18/1991
• Issued: 09/14/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Showa Denko KK
• Original Assignee: Denki Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshino, Nobuyuki, Hirai, Shuichi, Yamagata, Noriaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam X.
• Application Number:
  US07/716,927
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.12, 204/192.15, 204/192.16, 204/192.2, 204/192.3, 204/192.32, 204/298.25, 204/298.26, 204/298.31, 204/298.33, 204/298.35, 156/345, 156/643, 156/646
• US Class Current: 204/192.2
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/564 Means for minimising impurities in the coating chamber such as dust, moisture, residual gases
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/568 Transferring the substrates through a series of coating stations C23C14/562 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of producing recording media which comprises steps of arranging substrates for recording media on a carrier which is purified by etching with a plasma state gas; and forming a plurality of sputtered layers on the substrates.

An apparatus for producing recording media which comprises a sputtering chamber which forms a recording layer; and a treatment chamber which precedes the sputtering chamber, and in which a carrier to be arranged with substrates for the recording media is purified by a plasma state gas.

Claims

1. A method of producing recording media which comprises steps of:

subjecting a substrate carrier in a plasma processing system containing a plasma to a plasma etching when the substrate carrier does not carry any substrates;

arranging substrates for recording media on the substrate carrier; and

forming a plurality of sputtered layers on the substrates.

2. The method of producing recording media according to claim 1, wherein the step of subjecting comprises introducing a gas selected from at least one member of the group consisting of argon, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon tetrachloride, and air, into a chamber in which the substrate carrier is subjected to a plasma.

3. The method of producing recording media according to claim 1, wherein the plasma is in a treatment chamber having a pressure between 10² and 10^-3 Torr, further comprising the step of flowing the plasma through the treatment chamber.

4. The method of producing recording media according to claim 1, wherein the plasma is generated by an alternative current power source having a voltage of 200 to 800 V, or by a direct current power source having a voltage of 300 to 1,000 V.

5. The method of producing recording media according to claim 1, wherein the plasma is generated by an output of an electric current with an electric current density of 0.2 to 5 W/cm², using a high frequency power source.

6. The method of producing recording media according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is purified by the plasma so that an impurity the major components of which are carbon and water, is removed from the carrier.

7. A method of producing recording media which comprises the steps of:

transferring an unloaded substrate carrier for magnetic recording media to an etching chamber;

sealing the etching chamber;

purifying the substrate carrier by generating a plasma in the etching chamber;

transferring the substrate carrier out of the etching chamber;

arranging substrates for magnetic recording media on the substrate carrier;

transferring the substrate carrier arranged with the substrates to a heating chamber and heating the substrate carrier in the heating chamber;

transferring the substrate carrier arranged with the substrates into a first sputtering chamber and sputter coating the substrates whereby a sublayer and a magnetic layer are successively formed on the substrates;

transferring the substrate carrier arranged with the substrates to a separation chamber;

sealing the separation chamber from the first sputtering chamber;

transferring the substrate carrier arranged with the substrates to a second sputtering chamber and sputter coating therein a sputtered protective layer on the sputtered magnetic layer of the substrates, thereby forming magnetic recording media;

removing the magnetic recording media from the substrate carrier; and

repeating, in the same order, the above steps.

8. An etching treatment device for purifying a substrate carrier with a plasma and adapted to be incorporated in an apparatus for producing recording media which comprises;

a gas intake pipe for a plasma;

a gas exhaust pipe for the plasma;

an etching chamber having etching chamber walls which enclose the etching treatment device, the gas intake pipe and the gas exhaust pipe being connected to the etching chamber; and

wall electrodes connected to the etching chamber walls, and carrier electrodes connected to the substrate carrier which are electrically insulated with the walls, means for applying an electric voltage between the walls and the substrate carrier; and

means for loading substrates onto the substrate carrier, said means for loading disposed between the etching chamber and a deposition chamber.

9. The etching treatment device according to claim 8, wherein the electrodes which apply an electric voltage between the walls and the substrate carrier for carrying the substrates for recording media, are composed of a first electrode connected to the substrate carrier and a second electrode connected to the walls, which is provided opposing to the first electrode.

10. The etching treatment device according to claim 8, wherein the walls are electrically insulated with the substrate carrier by a ceramic material.

11. The etching treatment device according to claim 8, wherein a distribution pipe is provided, which possesses a great number of gas flowing holes connected to a supply pipe of gases for generating a plasma, and an exhaust pipe opposing the distribution pipe.