Method and apparatus for magnetically enhanced sputtering
US6296742A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 10, 1999 |
| Grant date | Oct 2, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 10, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K3/57
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In magnetically enhanced sputtering, pulses are applied having a very high instantaneous power, of the order of at least 0.1 kW-1 MW. In such sputtering regions exist in which electrons are trapped by the magnetic field generated by magnets cooperating with the electric field between the anode (part of the wall enclosing the chamber in which sputtering is performed) and the cathode (which at the same time is the target, from which material is to be sputtered). An ionization of the gas in the chamber will then for lower applied power occur preferably in those regions causing a non-uniform erosion of the target. For very high power in the pulses or power density in the pulses the gas in these regions, and in regions adjacent thereto, will enter another state of complete ionization, which considered in energy terms is located above the unwanted state of an electric arc which is formed for a lower supplied power. The region in which this another state exists will be more homogeneous and have a wider extension than the ionized regions produced for a lower supplied power. This results in a more uniform erosion of the target and a more uniform coating of the substrate. The high power puls…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.