Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for reducing the intensity and frequency of arcs which occur during a sputtering process

US5616224A · kind A · utility

39Cited by
5References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 9, 1995
Grant dateApr 1, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 9, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2237/0206
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus for reducing the intensity and frequency of arcing in a reactive DC sputtering process when the process uses an arc-suppression system which interrupts or reverses the voltage applied to the sputtering target. A plasma having required properties is introduced into the vicinity of the sputtering target by means of a separate plasma applicator which operates independently of the target.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.