US 4,784,739 A · Method of producing a thin film by sputtering and an opposed target type sputtering apparatus

Abstract

A method and apparatus for producing a thin film, such as a magnetic thin film and a metallic thin film on a substrate, such as plastic film, by the employment of a pair of opposed targets spaced apart from one another in a vacuum sputtering gas atmosphere, and magnetic field generating units for generating the perpendicular magnetic field extending perpendicularly to the surface of the targets for confining plasma in the space, and a reflecting electrode arranged adjacent to and in front of the magnetic field generating units and around the periphery of the targets for reflecting electrons toward the space between the opposed targets. The magnetic field generating units are arranged around the outer periphery of each of the opposed targets, and are capable of generating an auxiliary magnetic field for capturing the electrons. The combination of the reflecting of the electrons and the auxiliary magnetic field promotes a uniform erosion of the entire surfaces of the targets and enables a control of the thickness of the deposited film on a substrate having a large width.

Claims29

Dependent claims

An opposed target type sputtering apparatus for producing a film on a substrate, comprising:

means for defining a closed vacuum chamber supplied therein with sputtering gas;
a pair of targets arranged so as to be spaced apart from and opposed to one another within said closed vacuum chamber, each of said targets having a sputtering surface thereof;
means for stationarily supporting said pair of targets so as to define a predetermined space between said pair of opposed targets;
means for applying an electric power to said pair of targets to cause sputtering from the surfaces of said targets;
magnetic field generating means arranged around each of said pair of targets for generating a perpendicular magnetic field extending in a direction perpendicular to said sputtering surfaces of said opposed targets and coincident with an opposing direction of said pair of targets;
means for holding said substrate at a position beside said space extending between said pair of opposed targets;
reflecting electrode means arranged at at least one of first and second positions for reflecting electrons discharged from said surfaces of said pair of targets during the sputtering, said first position being a position adjacent to and in front of said magnetic field generating means and said second position being a position adjacent to a periphery of each of said pair of opposed targets.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of producing a thin film by sputtering and an opposed target type sputtering apparatus

Life of this patent

Method of producing a thin film by sputtering and an opposed target type sputtering apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29