Artificial latticed multi-layer film deposition apparatus

• US 6,270,633 B1
• Filed: 10/28/1999
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Shigeru, Okamoto, Masafumi, Onaka, Kazuhiro, Maekawa, Sumio
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam
• Assistant Examiner(s): VERSTEEG, STEVEN H
• Application Number:
  US09/367,259
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.12, 204/298.09, 204/298.11, 204/298.15, 204/298.17, 204/298.23, 204/298.26, 204/298.28, 204/298.29
• US Class Current: 204/192.12
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 25/00 Nanomagnetism, e.g. magnetoimpedance, anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance or tunneling magnetoresistance
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/352 using more than one target C23C14/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/18 by cathode sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/302 for applying spin-exchange-coupled multilayers, e.g. nanostructured superlattices spin-exchange-coupled multilayers H01F10/32
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3408 Planar magnetron sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3447 Collimators, shutters, apertures
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/01 Manufacture or treatment

Abstract

The present invention relates to an artificial latticed multi-layer film deposition apparatus for depositing on a substrate a gigantic magneto-resistive effect film (GMR film) having an artificial lattice structure formed of magnetic metal films and non-magnetic metal films alternately laminated one over the other and its object is to provide the artificial latticed multi-layer film deposition apparatus to enable easy and secure deposition of an artificial latticed multi-layer film having GMR characteristics. In order to achieve the above object, an artificial latticed multi-layer film deposition apparatus of the present invention comprises a target (23) having a magnetron magnet (25) on the bottom surface thereof, a cylindrical chimney (26) covering at least the above target (23) and leaving the end thereof situated opposite to the target (23) open and a chimney top (29) that closes by sealing the end of the chimney (26) left open and also has a chimney top opening (30) on the surface thereof opposing to the target (23), in which, at the time when a substrate (33) passes above the chimney top (29), molecules are generated from the upper surface of the target (23) in the form of a plasma ring (34a, 34b) and sputtered on the substrate (33) for film deposition.

Claims

1. An artificial latticed multi-layer film deposition apparatus comprising:

a target;

a magnetron magnet disposed on a lower side of said target;

a chimney put in place covering said target, said chimney having an end left open formed at an end thereof situated opposite to said target;

a disc shaped dome disposed above said chimney; and

a substrate disposed on a lower surface of said disc shaped dome,

wherein a plasma ring is generated from an upper surface of said target by an excitation of said magnetron magnet;

said disc shaped dome is disposed in such a way as allowed to pass over said target a multiple number of times;

a configuration of said plasma ring has a straight line section perpendicular to the moving direction of said substrate; and

molecules sputtered by said plasma ring are deposited on said substrate,

wherein said plasma ring is substantially trapezoidal in shape on said upper surface of said target.

2. An artificial latticed multi-layer film deposition apparatus comprising:

a target;

a magnetron magnet disposed on a lower side of said target;

a chimney put in place covering said target, said chimney having an end left open formed at an end thereof situated opposite to said target;

a disc shaped dome disposed above said chimney; and

a substrate disposed on a lower surface of said disc shaped dome,

wherein a plasma ring is generated from an upper surface of said target by an excitation of said magnetron magnet;

said disc shaped dome is disposed in such a way as allowed to pass over said target a multiple number of times;

a configuration of said plasma ring has a straight line section perpendicular to the moving direction of said substrate;

molecules sputtered by said plasma ring are deposited on said substrate,

a chimney top disposed between said chimney and said substrate so as to close by sealing said end of chimney left open, wherein said disc shaped dome is made rotatable around a center axis thereof, said substrate moves by following a circular path centered around said center axis as said disc shaped dome rotates, and said chimney top has a chimney top opening formed at a position opposing to said target; and

a configuration of said chimney top opening is formed by being surrounded with two arcs, each having a radius different from the other and having a same center as the other with said center coinciding with the center axis of said disc shaped dome, and with two straight lines passing said center axis of said disc shaped dome,

wherein a relationship between a length “

a”

measured in a direction tangent to the moving direction of said substrate and a length “

b”

measured in a radial direction of the moving direction of said substrate satisfies an inequality of “

b/a>

1”

.

3. An artificial latticed multi-layer film deposition apparatus comprising:

a target having an upper surface;

a magnetron magnet disposed on a lower side of said target;

a chimney put in place covering said target, said chimney having an end left open formed at an end thereof situated opposite to said target;

a chimney top put in place sealing said end left open; and

a substrate disposed above an upper side of said chimney top,

wherein said chimney top has a chimney top opening formed at a position opposite to said target;

said substrate is disposed in such a way as allowed to pass over said chimney top opening a multiple number of times;

a plasma ring is generated from the upper surface of said target by an excitation of said magnetron magnet, wherein said plasma ring does not touch said chimney top; and

molecules sputtered by said plasma ring pass through said chimney top opening and are deposited on said substrate,

wherein a distance between said chimney top and said substrate is shorter than a mean free path of said molecules.

4. An artificial latticed multi-layer film deposition apparatus comprising:

a target having an upper surface;

a magnetron magnet disposed on a lower side of said target;

a chimney put in place covering said target, said chimney having an end left open formed at an end thereof situated opposite to said target;

a chimney top put in place sealing said end left open; and

a substrate disposed above an upper side of said chimney top,

wherein said chimney top has a chimney top opening formed at a position opposite to said target;

said substrate is disposed in such a way as allowed to pass over said chimney top opening a multiple number of times;

a plasma ring is generated from the upper surface of said target by an excitation of said magnetron magnet, wherein said plasma ring does not touch said chimney top; and

molecules sputtered by said plasma ring pass through said chimney top opening and are deposited on said substrate; and

means for applying DC positive charges to said chimney and chimney top.

5. An artificial latticed multi-layer film deposition apparatus comprising:

a target having an upper surface;

a magnetron magnet disposed on a lower side of said target;

a chimney put in place covering said target, said chimney having an end left open formed at an end thereof situated opposite to said target;

a chimney top put in place sealing said end left open; and

a substrate disposed above an upper side of said chimney top, wherein said chimney top has a chimney top opening formed at a position opposite to said target;

said substrate is disposed in such a way as allowed to pass over said chimney top opening a multiple number of times;

a plasma ring is generated from the upper surface of said target by an excitation of said magnetron magnet, wherein said plasma ring does not touch said chimney top; and

molecules sputtered by said plasma ring pass through said chimney top opening and are deposited on said substrate; and

means for cooling said chimney and chimney top.

6. An artificial latticed multi-layer film deposition apparatus comprising:

a target having an upper surface;

a magnetron magnet disposed on a lower side of said target;

a chimney put in place covering said target, said chimney having an end left open formed at an end thereof situated opposite to said target;

a chimney top put in place sealing said end left open; and

a substrate disposed above an upper side of said chimney top,

wherein said chimney top has a chimney top opening formed at a position opposite to said target;

said substrate is disposed in such a way as allowed to pass over said chimney top opening a multiple number of times;

a plasma ring is generated from the upper surface of said target by an excitation of said magnetron magnet, wherein said plasma ring does not touch said chimney top; and

molecules sputtered by said plasma ring pass through said chimney top opening and are deposited on said substrate; and

an atomic absorption spectrometry apparatus, which is installed between said chimney top and said substrate and has a function of controlling a number of said molecules.

7. An artificial latticed multi-layer film deposition apparatus comprising:

a target;

a magnetron magnet disposed on a lower side of said target;

a chimney put in place covering said target, said chimney having an end left open formed at an end thereof situated opposite to said target;

a disc shaped dome disposed above said chimney; and

a substrate disposed on a lower surface of said disc shaped dome,

wherein a plasma ring is generated from an upper surface of said target by an excitation of said magnetron magnet;

said disc shaped dome is disposed in such a way as allowed to pass over said target a multiple number of times;

a configuration of said plasma ring has a straight line section perpendicular to the moving direction of said substrate;

molecules sputtered by said plasma ring are deposited on said substrate, and an atomic absorption spectrometry apparatus, which is installed between said chimney and said disc shaped dome and has a function of controlling a number of said molecules.

8. An artificial latticed multi-layer film deposition apparatus comprising:

a target;

a magnetron magnet disposed on a lower side of said target;

a chimney put in place covering said target, said chimney having an end left open formed at an end thereof situated opposite to said target;

a disc shaped dome disposed above said chimney; and

a substrate disposed on a lower surface of said disc shaped dome,

wherein a plasma ring is generated from an upper surface of said target by an excitation of said magnetron magnet;

said disc shaped dome is disposed in such a way as allowed to pass over said target a multiple number of times;

a configuration of said plasma ring has a straight line section perpendicular to the moving direction of said substrate; and

molecules sputtered by said plasma ring are deposited on said substrate, wherein said plasma ring forms a substantially trapezoidal shape on said upper surface of said target; and

said magnetron magnet is disposed in parallel to a moving direction of said substrate and also disposed along a straight line passing a rotation shaft of said disc shaped dome.

9. A production method of an artificial latticed multi-layer film comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a film deposition apparatus having;

a target,

a magnetron magnet disposed on a lower side of said target, and

a chimney put in place covering said target, said chimney having an end left open formed at an end thereof situated opposite to said target;

(b) disposing a substrate above an upper side of a chimney top opening formed on said end left open at a position opposing to said target;

(c) generating a plasma ring from an upper surface of said target by an excitation of said magnetron magnet, wherein said plasma ring does not touch said chimney top; and

(d) depositing molecules sputtered by said plasma ring and passed through said chimney top opening on said substrate while said substrate is passing over the upper side of said chimney top opening a multiple number of times;

wherein said film deposition apparatus furter comprises a disc shaped dome disposed above an upper side of said chimney, said substrate is disposed on a lower surface of said disc shaped dome; and

at said step (c), said plasma ring is generated so as to have a configuration with a straight line section perpendicular to a moving direction of said substrate, and

wherein said film deposition apparatus further comprises a chimney top disposed between said chimney and said substrate so as to seal said end left open;

said chimney top has a chimney top opening formed thereon at a position opposite to said target;

a configuration of said chimney top opening is formed by being surrounded with two arcs, each having a radius different from the other and having same center as the other with said center coinciding with a center axis of said disc shaped dome, and with two straight lines passing said center axis of said disc shaped dome; and

at said step (d), said disc shaped dome rotates by centering around the center axis thereof; and

said substrate moves by following a circular path centered around said center axis as said disc shaped dome rotates.

10. The production method of an artificial latticed multi-layer film according to claim 9,

wherein said substrate moves at a variable speed; and

a width of said chimney top opening measured in a moving direction of said substrate increases in proportion to the moving speed of said substrate.

11. A production method of an artificial latticed multi-layer film comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a film deposition apparatus having;

a target,

a magnetron magnet disposed on a lower side of said target, and

a chimney put in place covering said target, said chimney having an end left open formed at an end thereof situated opposite to said target;

(b) disposing a substrate above an upper side of a chimney top opening formed on said end left open at a position opposing to said target;

(c) generating a plasma ring from an upper surface of said target by an excitation of said magnetron magnet, wherein said plasma ring does not touch said chimney top; and

(d) depositing molecules sputtered by said plasma ring and passed through said chimney top opening on said substrate while said substrate is passing over the upper side of said chimney top opening a multiple number of times;

wherein said film deposition apparatus fbrther comprises a disc shaped dome disposed above the upper side of said chimney;

said substrate is disposed on a lower surface of said disc shaped dome;

said magnetron magnet is disposed in parallel to a moving direction of said substrate and also disposed along a straight line passing a rotation shafi of said disc shaped dome; and

at said step (c), said plasma ring is generated substantially trapezoidal in shape on said upper surface of said target and including a straight line section perpendicular to a moving direction of said substrate.