Sputtering of aligned magnetic materials and magnetic dipole ring used therefor

A sputter reactor, comprising:

• a vacuum chamber including sidewalls extending generally parallel to a central axis of said vacuum chamber;
• a target comprising at least a surface composed of a magnetizable material and configured to be connected to a power supply for creating a plasma within said vacuum chamber;
• a pedestal in opposition to said target for supporting on a support surface thereof a substrate to be sputter coated within said vacuum chamber;
• and
• a magnetic layer disposed in said pedestal adjacent said support surface and substantially uniformly magnetized in a predetermined direction extending along said support surface.

A magnetron sputter reactor, comprising:

• a vacuum chamber having sidewalls and sealable at one end by a target to be sputtered, thereby forming therein a processing space;
• a magnetron disposed on a side of said target opposite said processing space and rotatable about a central axis of said chamber;
• a pedestal for supporting on a support surface in opposition to said target a substrate to be sputter coated, said pedestal being separated from said target by a throw that is at least 75% of a diameter of said substrate;
• a grounded shield disposed inside said sidewalls around said processing space;
• a grounded collimator disposed in said processing space inside said shield between said target and said support surface;
• and
• a magnetic ring positioned around said pedestal and creating a magnetic field perpendicular to said central axis in a plane of said support surface.

A method of sputtering a magnetic material in a sputter reactor processing vacuum chamber having a target comprising a magnetizable material in opposition to a substrate support surface in said chamber, comprising the steps of:

• placing in an interior of said vacuum chamber a magnetic dipole ring producing a substantially uniform magnetic field in a first direction along said substrate support surface;
• placing a substrate on said support surface with a second direction of said substrate intended to conform to a desired magnetic direction to be aligned with said first direction;
• and
• exciting a plasma in said chamber to sputter said target and coat a surface of said substrate with said magnetic material.

A method of depositing a magnetic material with a preferred alignment on a substrate, comprising the steps of:

• providing around a substrate support surface within a deposition chamber a magnetic dipole ring producing a substantially uniform magnetic field in a first direction along said substrate support surface;
• placing a substrate on said substrate support surface with a predetermined direction of said substrate aligned with said first direction of said chamber;
• and
• depositing a magnetizable material onto said substrate placed on said substrate support surface.

A method of depositing a layer of magnetized NiFe or alloys thereof, comprising the steps of:

• providing a magnetron sputter reactor having sidewalls arranged around a central axis and including a target having at least a surface portion facing an interior of said reactor comprising nickel and iron;
• placing onto a support surface in reactor a substrate to be coated with said nickel and iron;
• applying a magnetic field in a predetermined direction perpendicular to said central axis at said support surface;
• and
• exciting a plasma in said sputter reactor to sputter said nickel and iron from said target onto said substrate to form a magnetized layer thereon.

An annular cover ring for use in a plasma deposition reactor having a pedestal for supporting on an upper horizontally extending support surface thereof a substrate to be coated and a magnetic ring disposed around said pedestal, comprising:

• an annular roof portion covering a periphery of said pedestal and extending radially outwardly from said pedestal;
• an annular first projection extending downwardly from said roof portion along a side of said pedestal;
• an annular second projection extending downward from roof portion radially outside of said first projection, a downwardly facing vault formed by said roof portion and said first and second projections to accommodate therein said magnetic ring;
• and
• at least three attachments formed in said second projection detachably mounting said magnetic ring within said vault.

A sputter shield for use in a plasma sputter reactor having a central axis and placeable within and supportable on sidewalls of said reactor, comprising:

• an annular outer wall having at least an annular first wall portion extending along said central axis and including attachments for detachably engaging a ring assembly fittable between said outer wall and said sidewalls;
• an annular bottom wall connected to said outer wall and extending perpendicular to said central axis;
• and
• an annular inner wall connected to said bottom wall, disposed within said first portion of said outer wall, extending along said central axis, and having a terminating end.