Vacuum arc evaporation apparatus and method, and magnetic recording medium formed thereby

A method of depositing a film on to a substrate, with a vacuum arc evaporation apparatus comprising:

• a deposition vacuum chamber;
• a discharge unit having:
• an electrically grounded discharge vacuum chamber;
• an electrically ungrounded cathode target located inside the discharge vacuum chamber, wherein the discharge unit discharges an arc of a cathode material from the electrically ungrounded cathode target to form a cathode-material plasma;
• a first field generating unit composed of an electrically ungrounded anode consisting essentially of a first coil provided inside the discharge vacuum chamber for generating a first magnetic field directed in a first direction;
• a second field generating unit composed of a second coil provided along around the discharge vacuum chamber for generating a second magnetic field in a second direction, which extends substantially opposite to the first direction;
• and
• a striker;
• and
• a plasma guiding unit disposed between the deposition vacuum chamber and the discharge unit for guiding the cathode-material plasma to the deposition vacuum chamber by an induced magnetic field to deposit the cathode material on to a substrate disposed inside the deposition vacuum chamber,
• wherein the electrically ungrounded anode extends along an inner wall of the discharge vacuum chamber and is positioned downstream of the electrically ungrounded cathode target, between the plasma guiding unit and the electrically ungrounded cathode target,
• wherein the electrically ungrounded anode in its entirety is positioned downstream of the electrically ungrounded cathode target,
• wherein the first coil has a plurality of continuous windings, and the direction of a center axis of the first coil is substantially parallel with the direction from the electrically ungrounded cathode target to the first coil, and
• wherein the direction of a center axis of the second coil is substantially parallel with the direction from the electrically ungrounded cathode target to the first coil,
• the method comprising the steps of:
• evacuating the deposition vacuum chamber containing the substrate;
• generating the second magnetic field by supplying current to the second coil so that the second magnetic field extends in the second direction, toward the electrically ungrounded cathode target;
• generating the cathode material plasma by arc discharging the cathode target with the striker;
• generating the first magnetic field by supplying current to the first coil so that the first magnetic field extends in the first direction, away from the electrically ungrounded cathode target;
• and
• depositing the cathode material on the substrate by guiding the cathode-material plasma to the deposition vacuum chamber with the plasma guiding unit.