Sputtering machines, substrate holders, and sputtering processes with magnetic biasing
AssigneeVirginia Commonwealth University
InventorsSantiago Vargas Giraldo, Carlos Eduardo Castano Londono
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Sputtering machines and substrate holders for such systems are described which include one or more magnets apart from the magnets typical of sputtering guns. The added magnets produce a magnetic field bias which is a new means for controlling depositional flux, ionization degree of a sputtered species, and microstructure properties of deposited coatings. An exemplary substrate holder may have a magnet or magnet array near or next to the surface supporting the substrate, and the magnet may assume multiple different magnetic field configurations depending on the desired properties of the resulting magnetic field bias within the reaction chamber.
Claims19
A substrate holder for a sputtering machine or process, comprising
- a surface arranged to hold or support a powder substrate while the powder substrate is coated by target material from at least one sputtering gun;
- at least one magnet for generating one or more magnetic fields at or beside the surface, wherein the at least one magnet is separate from any magnets of the at least one sputtering gun, and wherein the at least one magnet is positioned behind the surface;
- and
- a piezoelectric actuator configured to vibrate the surface with vibrations configured to lift and transfer momentum to particles of the powder substrate so that the particles advance along a path that exposes them to the sputtered species.
A sputtering machine, comprising
- one or more sputtering guns comprising at least one first magnet;
- at least one substrate holder, comprising
- a surface arranged to hold or support a powder substrate while the powder substrate is coated by target material from at least one gun of the one or more sputtering guns;
- at least one second magnet for generating one or more magnetic fields at or beside the surface, wherein the at least one second magnet is separate from magnets of the one or more sputtering guns including the at least one first magnet;
- and
- a piezoelectric actuator configured to vibrate the surface with vibrations configured to lift and transfer momentum to particles of the powder substrate so that the particles advance along a path that exposes them to the sputtered species,
- wherein the at least one second magnet is one or more of
- positioned behind the surface,
- arranged in a parallel configuration with the at least one first magnet of the one or more sputtering guns, and
- arranged in an antiparallel configuration with the at least one first magnet of the one or more sputtering guns.
A method of physical vapor deposition (PVD), comprising
- sputtering a powder substrate with at least one target material from at least one sputtering gun comprising at least one first magnet;
- and
- controlling at least deposition flux during the sputtering using a magnetic field at or beside a surface holding or supporting the powder substrate, wherein the magnetic field is from at least one second magnet that is separate from any magnets of the at least one sputtering gun including the at least one first magnet;
- and
- lifting and transferring momentum to particles of the powder substrate by vibrating the surface with a piezoelectric actuator so that the particles advance along a path that exposes them to the sputtered species,
- wherein the at least one second magnet is one or more of
- positioned behind the surface,
- arranged in a parallel configuration with the at least one first magnet of the at least one sputtering gun, and
- arranged in an antiparallel configuration with the at least one first magnet of the at least one sputtering gun.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.