Magnetron sputtering method and apparatus for compound thin films
First Claim
1. In apparatus for sputtering a compound thin film of selected coating materials onto selected substrates, an evacuable coating chamber, a thermally cooled rotating primary magnetron surrogate sputtering cathode, a plurality of controllable auxiliary coating means, said auxiliary coating means for coating the surface of said primary cathode with a plurality of selected materials, wherein said controllable auxiliary coating means cooperate to deposit upon said primary surrogate cathode a multi-element coating containing all necessary elements in controlled amounts, said multi-element coating being rotatable into a sputter plasma zone of said primary cathode which sputter deposits said selected compound thin film onto said substrates.
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Abstract
An apparatus is described for depositing a thin film (9) of compound materials on selected substrates (48) in an evacuable coating chamber. This apparatus includes a rotating primary surrogate magnetron cathode surface (19) which acts to receive, in-situ, material to be sputtered. Vapor crucibles (2) expose the rotating cathode surface (19) to material vapors (8) which condense on the thermally cooled cathode surface (19) to combine with other coatings on the cathode and are thence rotated through the associated plasma sputter zone (26P) to sputter deposit desired film (9). Auxiliary rotating magnetron cathodes (32) can deposit additional material onto rotating primary cathode (19). Molten material crucible assemblies (31) having coating rollers (34) can convey molten material onto rotating auxiliary thermally cooled cathode surfaces (32) which sputter coat primary cathode. When a selected combination of vapor crucibles (2) and auxiliary rotating cathodes (32) cooperate to coat rotating primary cathode surface (19) it is possible to deposit alloys or a large class of compound thin film materials in-situ without having to prefabricate cathodes of compound materials.
Sputter deposited film (9) uniformity is improved by use of three methods: cyclically varying power applied to the primary surrogate cathode, narrow sputter zones, and premixing of condensing vapors.
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Citations
19 Claims
- 1. In apparatus for sputtering a compound thin film of selected coating materials onto selected substrates, an evacuable coating chamber, a thermally cooled rotating primary magnetron surrogate sputtering cathode, a plurality of controllable auxiliary coating means, said auxiliary coating means for coating the surface of said primary cathode with a plurality of selected materials, wherein said controllable auxiliary coating means cooperate to deposit upon said primary surrogate cathode a multi-element coating containing all necessary elements in controlled amounts, said multi-element coating being rotatable into a sputter plasma zone of said primary cathode which sputter deposits said selected compound thin film onto said substrates.
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14. A sputtering apparatus comprising a vapor source including a material container with lid and controlled heating means, a vapor duct connected to said material container by means of a pattern of selected apertures, said vapor ducts being terminated in a plenum region, said plenum region placed adjacent to a rotating magnetron sputtering cathode surface with a minimum gap consistent with rotation accuracy of said rotating magnetron cathode surface.
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15. A sputtering apparatus comprising a molten material crucible including a molten material container with controlled heating means, with at least one roller to transfer molten material from said crucible to a rotating magnetron sputtering cathode surface in contact with said roller, with rotary means to synchronize rotation of said roller and said rotating cathode surface.
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16. In apparatus for synthesizing chemical compounds in an evacuable coating chamber, a rotating primary surrogate magnetron cathode surface coated with precursor material by a selected combination of thermal vapor sources and by material sputtered from an auxiliary rotating surrogate magnetron, the surface of said auxiliary cathode having been coated by molten material roller coaters, wherein said rotating primary surrogate cathode carries said precursor material into an associated plasma sputtering zone wherein said precursor material is converted into said chemical compound.
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17. In apparatus for synthesizing chemical compounds in an evacuable coating chamber, a rotating primary surrogate magnetron cathode surface coated with precursor material by a selected combination of thermal vapor sources and by material sputtered from an auxiliary rotating surrogate magnetron, the surface of said auxiliary cathode having been pre-coated with a selected material prior to insertion into said evacuable coating chamber, wherein said rotating primary surrogate cathode carries said precursor material into an associated plasma sputtering zone wherein said precursor material is converted into said chemical compound.
- 18. A method for sputtering a compound thin film of selected coating materials onto selected substrates, comprising providing an evacuable coating chamber containing a thermally cooled rotating primary magnetron surrogate cathode, a plurality of controllable auxiliary coating means for coating the surface of said primary cathode with a plurality of selected materials, and causing said controllable auxiliary coating means to cooperate to deposit upon the surface of said primary surrogate cathode a multi-material coating containing all the necessary materials in controlled amounts, wherein said multi-material coating on the surface of said primary surrogate cathode is rotated into a sputter plasma zone of said primary cathode, causing the selected compound thin film to be deposited on at least one substrate.
Specification