Patent · US Expired

Ultra-high vacuum apparatus and method for high productivity physical vapor deposition.

US6039848A · kind A · utility

31Cited by
22References
33Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 27, 1997
Grant dateMar 21, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 27, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC23C14/564
  • WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A magnetron sputtering system is provided that uses a backing plate assembly having an insulating spacer ring coupled between and hermetically sealed to the backing plate and an extender ring. The insulating spacer ring can be constructed from a ceramic material, and the extender ring can be constructed from a metal material. The use of this backing plate assembly allows the backing plate assembly to be coupled directly to the chamber walls with a metal-to-metal contact, while the backing plate remains electrically isolated from the chamber walls. This allows the sealing of a vacuum chamber in the magnetron sputtering system using a seal suitable for creating an ultra-high vacuum in the vacuum chamber.

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