Sputtering apparatus
First Claim
1. A sputtering apparatus comprising a vacuum vessel having an evacuation system for evacuating said vacuum vessel, a substrate holding member disposed within said vacuum vessel for mounting a substrate on which a film is to be deposited, at least one magnetron cathode disposed in opposed relation to the substrate and having a rectangular planar target used to deposit the film on a surface of the substrate, a gas control system for supplying a gas in the interior of said vacuum vessel and thereby maintaining the inner pressure thereof at a predetermined value, and a power source system for supplying electrical power to said magnetron cathode, the improvement comprising;
- a magnet assembly having a first magnet unit having at least a looped peripheral magnet with N and S poles arranged to form a first closed loop locus for drift electron motion in a first direction, said drift electron motion producing a first ion current generation region on a surface of said target when said drift electrons collide with said supplied gas in said first closed loop locus,a second magnet unit having at least a looped peripheral magnet with S and N poles arranged to form a second closed loop locus for drift electron motion in a second direction opposite said first direction, said drift electron motion producing a second ion current generation region on a surface of said target when said drift electrons collide with said supplied gas in said second closed loop locus,wherein said first magnet unit is disposed adjacent said second magnet unit with poles of opposite polarity adjacent each other such that said oppositely directed drift electron motions hybridize along said adjacent poles of opposite polarity, said adjacent poles of opposite polarity spaced such that any line of magnetic force formed between them does not interfere with said hybridization.
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Accused Products
Abstract
At least one magnetron cathode provided in a sputtering apparatus comprises a magnet assembly in which first and second types of magnet units whose N and S poles are oppositely disposed are alternately disposed adjacent to each other. Two types of loop loci in which drift electron motions are directed in the opposite directions are alternately formed adjacent to each other by said first and second magnet units on a surface of the target. Consequently, a hybrid orbit is formed, and an ion current generation region is enlarged. Furthermore, a moving mechanism for reciprocating the magnet assembly is provided in the magnetron cathode. The above configuration solves the problem involving generation of non-uniform ion bombardment of the target, and achieves a magnetron sputtering electrode capable of depositing a thin film on a relatively large rectangular substrate in a stationary state without moving the substrate. Thus, reduction in the size of the apparatus, waste of the rectangular target due to non-uniform erosion, heterogeneity of the thin film on the substrate, and reduction of generation of dust particles can be obtained.
61 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A sputtering apparatus comprising a vacuum vessel having an evacuation system for evacuating said vacuum vessel, a substrate holding member disposed within said vacuum vessel for mounting a substrate on which a film is to be deposited, at least one magnetron cathode disposed in opposed relation to the substrate and having a rectangular planar target used to deposit the film on a surface of the substrate, a gas control system for supplying a gas in the interior of said vacuum vessel and thereby maintaining the inner pressure thereof at a predetermined value, and a power source system for supplying electrical power to said magnetron cathode, the improvement comprising;
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a magnet assembly having a first magnet unit having at least a looped peripheral magnet with N and S poles arranged to form a first closed loop locus for drift electron motion in a first direction, said drift electron motion producing a first ion current generation region on a surface of said target when said drift electrons collide with said supplied gas in said first closed loop locus, a second magnet unit having at least a looped peripheral magnet with S and N poles arranged to form a second closed loop locus for drift electron motion in a second direction opposite said first direction, said drift electron motion producing a second ion current generation region on a surface of said target when said drift electrons collide with said supplied gas in said second closed loop locus, wherein said first magnet unit is disposed adjacent said second magnet unit with poles of opposite polarity adjacent each other such that said oppositely directed drift electron motions hybridize along said adjacent poles of opposite polarity, said adjacent poles of opposite polarity spaced such that any line of magnetic force formed between them does not interfere with said hybridization. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification