Magnetron sputtering source and chamber therefor

An apparatus comprising a sputter-coating chamber with a magnetron sputtering source having a circular disk-shaped or annular and planar target and a substrate holder for receiving a circular disk-shaped or annular substrate, said target having a surface to be sputtered that is substantially parallel to a substrate received in said substrate holder, said magnetron sputtering source having means for generating a closed loop, tunnel-shaped magnetron magnetic field that is coaxial about a central axis of said target, a radial distance RH of a circular locus of maximum magnetic field strength of said magnetron magnetic field parallel to said surface and a maximum radius r of the circular disk-shaped or annular substrate on said substrate holder being 1.2 r≦RH≦5 r, and wherein said surface of said target is made of a material with at least two elements of different weight.

An apparatus comprising a sputter-coating chamber with a magnetron source having a circular disk-shaped or annular and planar target and a substrate holder for holding a circular disk-shaped or annular substrate coaxially with the target and parallel to a sputtering surface of the target, said magnetron source having means for generating at least one sputtering erosion loop with a radius RE in said surface coaxially to said target and wherein, for the radius RE and for a maximum radius r of a substrate held on said substrate holder, 1.2 r≦RE≦5 r, and wherein said surface is made of a material with at least two elements of different weight.

A magnetron sputter-coating chamber with a magnetron source and with a substrate mounting for receiving a substrate spaced from and parallel to a target having a surface, and wherein said substrate mounting is adapted to hold a circular or annular substrate with a maximum radius r and wherein a distance d between said surface and a substrate on said substrate mounting fulfills:

• r/2≦d≦3 r, and wherein said surface consists of a material with at least two elements of different weight.

A magnetron sputter-coating chamber apparatus comprising a magnetron sputtering source having a circular disk-shaped or annular and planar target about a central axis and defining for a sputtering surface of said target, a substrate holder for holding a circular disk-shaped or annular substrate coaxial to said axis and spaced from said surface and substantially parallel to said surface, said surface having a loop of sputtering excavation coaxial to said axis defining for a circular locus of maximum erosion depth at a radius RE with respect to said axis, a substrate held within said substrate holder having a distance d from said target surface and a difference of said radius RE of said locus and of a maximum substrate radius r being ΔRE, wherein 0.33 d≦ΔRE≦4 d and wherein said surface consists of a material with at least two elements of different weight.

A magnetron sputter-coating chamber apparatus with a circular disk-shaped or annular and planar target about a central axis, a substrate holder for holding a circular disk-shaped or annular substrate distant from and parallel to sputter surface of said target, a sputter source having at least one tunnel-shaped magnetic field loop substantially coaxial to said axis and upon said surface defining a circular locus of maximum magnetic field strength parallel to said surface with a radius RH with respect to said axis and wherein said radius RH is larger by an amount ΔRH than a maximum radius of a substrate held in said substrate holder and wherein further said substrate in said substrate holder is spaced by an amount d from said target surface and wherein 0.33 d≦ΔRH≦4 d and wherein said surface is of a material which has at least two elements of different weight.

A magnetron sputter-coating chamber apparatus with a planar target having a sputtering surface, a substrate holder for holding a substrate distant from and parallel to surface, a magnetron sputtering source having at least two concentric erosion areas of sputtering in said surface that are mutually separate from each other, an outer one of said erosion areas forming a circular loop about a central axis and defining for a circular locus of maximum erosion, a next inner one of said al least two erosion areas defining for a locus of maximum erosion, wherein the radial distance of said circular locus and of said locus is ΔρH and wherein for a distance d between the substrate and surface ΔρH≦2 d, wherein said surface consists of a material with at least two elements of different weight.

A sputter-coating chamber apparatus with a planar target having a sputtering surface, a substrate holder for holding a substrate distant from and parallel to surface and comprising at least two concentric patterns of tunnel-shaped magnetic fields upon said surface and radially distant from each other, at first one of said patterns defining for a circular locus of maximum magnetic field strength to said surface and a second one of said patterns adjacent and inside said first pattern defining a locus of maximum magnetic field strenth parallel to said surface, said circular locus having a radial distance from said locus of ΔρH and said substrate held in said substrate holder having a distance d from said surface, wherein ΔρH≦2 d, wherein said surface consists of a material with at least two elements of different weight.