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US 4,395,323 AGranted
Apparatus for improving a sputtering process
AssigneeDenton Vacuum Inc.
InventorsRichard A. Denton, Bawa Singh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides, in a sputtering apparatus, an anode means interposed between the cathode and the substrate (upon which material is to be deposited) which acts to intercept electrons so that they do not impinge on the substrate and which is formed to permit the material dislodged from the cathode (by impinging ions) to pass beyond the anode and be deposited on the substrate. While the present invention can be usefully employed without the aid of a magnetic field, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention is made part of a planar magnetron.
Claims6
In a sputtering device, the combination of:
- vacuum chamber means adapted to be in a substantial state of vacuum;
- planar cathode means disposed within said vacuum chamber means and comprising a material to be deposited on a substrate;
- electrical conducting means formed into a mesh like structure whereby said mesh like structure forms a mesh anode means;
- said mesh anode means disposed wihtin said vacuum chamber means in close proximity to said cathode means;
- electrical voltage generating means connected to both said cathode means and mesh anode means to provide a sufficient voltage difference therebetween to cause a gaseous glow discharge between said cathode means and said anode means;
- and substrate holding means characterized by being electrically floating and located in said vacuum chamber means on the side of said mesh anode means away from said cathode means and out of the gaseous glow discharge between said cathode and anode, whereby when said gaseous glow discharge is in effect, particles of cathode material are dislodged therefrom and pass through said mesh anode means to be deposited on said substrate means and whereby a majority of the electrons resulting from said gaseous glow discharge are intercepted by said mesh anode means.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.