Magnetron sputtering apparatus and process

A magnetron sputtering system for sputter depositing at least one selected material on a substrate and effecting reaction of said material with a reactive plasma, comprising:

• a vacuum chamber;
• a rotatable drum mounted within said chamber and adapted for mounting substrates thereon for rotating the substrates past associated selected work stations;
• said drum and said vacuum chamber defining therebetween a relatively narrow elongated reaction volume;
• at least one linear magnetron sputter device positioned at a first work station location adjacent the circumference of said drum and comprising a target of selected material adapted for generating a first plasma throughout the reaction volume for sputter depositing the at least one selected material onto said substrates at a relatively low ambient partial pressure of said reactive gas;
• and at least one ion source device positioned at a second work station location adjacent the circumference of said drum and adapted for applying a reactive gas in interaction with the plasma associated with the sputter device for generating a second plasma in said reaction volume to effect reaction of ions of said reactive gas with said sputter-deposited material.

A magnetron sputtering system adapted for sputter depositing at least a first material on a web or substrates mounted thereon and for selectively oxidizing said material in reactive gas, comprising:

• a rotating drum;
• unwind and wind roll means internal to said drum and adapted for traversing a flexible web through an opening in and about the external circumference of said drum continuously or intermittently;
• at least a first linear magnetron sputter device or first group of linear magnetron sputter devices positioned at selected work stations about the periphery of the circumference of said drum for selectively depositing at least a first material onto said drum or substrates mounted thereon, the cathode of said magnetron being surrounded by baffle means for substantially enclosing a sputter chamber region between said cathode and said associated workpiece station;
• and at least a second ion source device or group of said second devices positioned at associated work stations and adapted for oxidizing said sputter deposited material at a relatively high partial pressure of said reactive gas.

A low temperature, high formation rate process for forming single layer films and multi-layer composites on substrates, comprising:

• providing a vacuum chamber having a rotatable cylindrical workpiece mounting support formed therein and at least a first linear magnetron sputter device positioned adjacent the circumference of the drum for depositing a selected material onto the workpiece and at least a first oxidizer device positioned adjacent the periphery of the cylindrical support for oxidizing said sputter-deposited material;
• pulling a vacuum in said chamber;
• rotating said support;
• and selectively and sequentially operating said devices to deposit a layer of said material on said substrate and oxidize said layer.

A sputter coating system comprising:

• a vacuum chamber;
• a movable workpiece carrier mounted within said vacuum chamber and adapted for mounting substrates thereon for moving the substrates past at least first and second physically spaced work stations;
• a linear magnetron-enhanced sputter device positioned at said first work station and including a target of selected material and means for generating an associated plasma within said device and adjacent said work station and substantially throughout an extended region of the chamber including the physically spaced second work station, for sputter depositing material on said substrates traversing the first work station;
• and a linear magnetron-enhanced ion source positioned at said second work station and adapted for using electrons from said plasma associated with said sputter device and applying reactive gas to form along a relatively narrow zone adjacent the workpiece carrier a second plasma comprising ions of the reactive gas, the ion source further comprising means for applying a directed potential between said ion source and said plasma associated with said sputter device for accelerating the reactive ions to the substrates for effecting a selected reaction with the sputter-deposited material;
• and means adapted for reciprocating the substrate carrier past the work stations a plurality of times to achieve the desired film coating thickness.

A process for forming single layer films and multi-layer composite films on substrates, comprising:

• providing a vacuum chamber having a movable workpiece carrier thereon and at least one magnetron-enhanced sputter cathode device positioned adjacent the workpiece carrier for sputter depositing a selected material onto the workpiece;
• providing at least one ion source device positioned adjacent the workpiece carrier for providing a selected reaction with the selected material;
• pulling a vacuum in the chamber;
• moving the carrier past the devices;
• selectively operating the sputter cathode device to deposit a layer of the selected material on the substrate;
• and selectively operating the ion source device in sequence with the sputter cathode device for substantially completing the selected reaction during a single pass of the carrier.

A process for forming single layer films and multi-layer composite films on substrates, comprising:

• providing a vacuum chamber having a rotatable cylindrical workpiece carrier therein and at least one magnetron-enhanced sputter cathode device positioned adjacent the circumference of the carrier for sputter depositing a selected material onto the workpiece;
• providing at least one ion source device positioned adjacent the circumference of the workpiece carrier for providing a selected reaction with the workpiece during travel thereof along a fractional circumferential surface zone of the carrier comprising substantially less than one-half the circumference of the carrier;
• pulling a vacuum in said chamber;
• rotating the carrier;
• selectively operating the sputter cathode device to deposit a layer of the selected material on said substrate;
• and selectively operating the ion source device in sequence with said sputter cathode device for substantially completing the selected reaction during one pass of the workpiece along the surface zone.

A process for forming on concave substrates single layer films and multi-layer composite films of selected variable thickness profile in the direction from the center to the edge of the substrate, comprising providing a linear magnetron-enhanced sputter cathode device having an associated sputtering zone of relatively elongated height and relatively narrow width;

• providing a rotatable cylindrical workpiece carrier adjacent the sputtering cathode device and supporting the substrate along the circumference thereof for traversing past the sputtering device;
• providing a linear magnetron-enhanced ion source device having an associated reaction zone of relatively elongated height and relatively narrow width for providing a selected reaction with the deposited coating along a fractional circumferential zone of the carrier substantially less than one-half the circumference of the carrier;
• rotating the cylindrical workpiece carrier;
• selectively operating the sputtering cathode device to deposit at least a layer of selected material on the rotating substrate;
• and selectively operating the ion source device to effect the selected reaction and complete the selected reaction during a single traversal of the workpiece through the fractional circumferential zone.