Spark eliminating sputtering target and method for using and making same
First Claim
1. A substantially nonsparking magnetron sputtering target having regions of sputtering and nonsputtering for a direct current sputtering process, comprising:
- an electrically conducting magnetron target material for use in a magnetron sputtering process;
insulation means for electrically insulating said nonsputtering regions of said magnetron target from a sputtering gas plasma created during said magnetron sputtering process, said insulation means selected from the group consisting of
1) a substantially nonsputtering, electrically insulating material substituted for said nonsputtering regions of said target, and
2) a substantially nonsputtering, electrically insulating material covering said nonsputtering regions of said target which are exposed to said gas plasma during sputtering, said insulation means being of sufficient thickness to substantially prevent catastrophic sparking during sputtering; and
a layer of support material over said coating of said electrically insulating material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed toward reducing catastrophic sparking in various sputtering processes, and especially reactive DC magnetron sputtering processes. Nonsparking sputtering targets and methods for making such targets having regions of sputtering and nonsputtering are disclosed in both planar and cylindrical forms wherein various means for electrically insulating the nonsputtered regions of the target from the sputtering gas plasma are provided. The means for insulating includes covering the regions of nonsputtering with an electrically insulating material. Corresponding methods of eliminating or substantially reducing such sparking are disclosed whereby various nonsparking planar and cylindrical targets are utilized in conventional DC magnetron reactive sputtering processes. Alternately, or in combination with particular nonsparking targets, the present invention includes alterations to the sputtering chamber to alleviate such sparking. Furthermore, the present invention is also directed toward DC reactive magnetron sputtering of either a planar or a rotatable, cylindrical target containing silicon, wherein the target is sputtered in an atmosphere containing oxygen.
273 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A substantially nonsparking magnetron sputtering target having regions of sputtering and nonsputtering for a direct current sputtering process, comprising:
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an electrically conducting magnetron target material for use in a magnetron sputtering process; insulation means for electrically insulating said nonsputtering regions of said magnetron target from a sputtering gas plasma created during said magnetron sputtering process, said insulation means selected from the group consisting of
1) a substantially nonsputtering, electrically insulating material substituted for said nonsputtering regions of said target, and
2) a substantially nonsputtering, electrically insulating material covering said nonsputtering regions of said target which are exposed to said gas plasma during sputtering, said insulation means being of sufficient thickness to substantially prevent catastrophic sparking during sputtering; anda layer of support material over said coating of said electrically insulating material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of forming a substantially nonsparking, magnetron sputtering target for a direct current sputtering process comprising at least one layer of electrically conducting target material residing on a backing member for various sputtering applications, said method comprising:
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preparing a surface of said backing member for contacting said target material; depositing a sufficient amount of said target material upon said surface of said backing member wherein an exposed outer surface of said target material is formed; defining nonsputtered regions on said exposed surface of said target material; removing said target material from said nonsputtered regions of said exposed surface of said target material wherein regions of removal are formed in said nonsputtered regions; and depositing a quantity of a substantially, nonsputtering, electrically insulating material upon said regions of removal formed on said exposed surface of said target material, said nonsputtering, electrically insulating material having a thickness sufficient to substantially prevent catastrophic sparking when used in magnetron sputtering.
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5. A substantially nonsparking magnetron sputtering target for a direct current, reactive magnetron sputtering process having regions of sputtering and nonsputtering, comprising:
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an electrically conducting target material in the form of a cylinder; and a means for electrically insulating said nonsputtering regions of said target from a sputtering gas plasma created during said magnetron sputtering process including at least one curved, electrically isolated and conducting shield proximately covering said nonsputtering regions such that said shield is immediately adjacent but spaced from said target material, said target material extending continuously past said shield without a change in target material. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A method of substantially reducing catastrophic sparking during sputtering of a magnetron target in a direct current, reactive sputtering process in the form of a cylinder in which a sputtering gas plasma is formed during operation, said magnetron target comprising at least one layer of electrically conducting target material having at least two sides one of which is exposed, said method comprising:
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defining at least one nonsputtered region and at least one sputtered region on said exposed side of said magnetron target material layer, said one nonsputtered region and said one sputtered region separated by a boundary; and insulating said one nonsputtered region from said sputtering gas plasma by positioning at least one curved, electrically isolated shield in proximate relation to said nonsputtered regions of said magnetron target such that said shield is immediately adjacent but spaced from said magnetron target and said target material extends continuously past said shield without a change in target material. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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Specification