초록 ▼

A magnetron sputtering source which is capable of very low pressure operation is disclosed. The source comprises a dish-shaped sputter target behind which is mounted a primary magnet for confining a plasma discharge adjacent to the front surface of the sputter target. A bucking magnet, positioned ad

A magnetron sputtering source which is capable of very low pressure operation is disclosed. The source comprises a dish-shaped sputter target behind which is mounted a primary magnet for confining a plasma discharge adjacent to the front surface of the sputter target. A bucking magnet, positioned adjacent to the perimeter of the sputter target and, preferably, at the same level as the target, is used to prevent the magnetic field created by the primary magnet from spreading out at near the edge of the sputter target. This enables the source to operate at very low pressure and reduces the impedance of the discharge.

대표청구항 ▼

A magnetron sputtering system for depositing a selected material onto a substrate, said system comprising: a chuck for holding a generally flat wafer-type substrate disposed generally in a first plane, said substrate having a first surface on which the selected material is to be deposited facing out

A magnetron sputtering system for depositing a selected material onto a substrate, said system comprising: a chuck for holding a generally flat wafer-type substrate disposed generally in a first plane, said substrate having a first surface on which the selected material is to be deposited facing outwardly from said chuck; a single, generally dish-shaped sputter target having a front surface disposed generally in a second plane and comprising a selected material to be sputtered and a back surface, said dish-shaped target having a perimeter, said second plane being substantially parallel to said first plane and separated therefrom by a fixed distance while said system is in operation; a first closed-loop magnet means positioned proximate said sputter target back surface for creating a closed-loop magnetic tunnel adjacent to said sputter target front surface, said first closed-loop magnet means having inner and outer edges relative to a central axis of said dish-shaped sputter target and having opposite magnetic polarities at said inner and outer edges, said first closed-loop magnet means comprising a plurality of magnets each having a first magnetic pole and a second magnetic pole of opposite magnetic polarity to said first pole, each of said magnets having a magnetic polar axis passing through both said first pole and said second pole, each said polar axis disposed generally in a third plane generally parallel to said second plane; a second closed-loop magnet means positioned proximate said sputter target perimeter, said second closed-loop magnet means having inner and outer edges relative to said central axis and having opposite magnetic polarities at said inner and outer edges, said second closed-loop magnet means comprising a plurality of bucking magnets each having a first magnetic pole and a second magnetic pole of opposite magnetic polarity to said first pole, each of said bucking magnets having a magnetic polar axis passing through both said first pole and said second pole, each said polar axis disposed generally in a fourth plane generally parallel to said third plane, the magnetic polarity at the inner edge of said second closed-loop magnet means being the same as the magnetic polarity of said outer edge of said first closed-loop magnet means such that the magnetic field generated by said second closed-loop magnet means prevents said closed-loop magnetic tunnel from intersecting said sputter target perimeter, and the magnetic field intensity generated by each of said bucking magnets being fixed during operation of the system.