Magnetron method and apparatus for producing high density ionic gas discharge

A magnetron gas discharge processing apparatus for processing a surface of a substrate, comprising:

• an evacuable chamber for containing a reactant gas therein;
• first and second permanent magnets, a respective one of which is located at opposite ends of the substrate surface, for generating a magnetic field (B) in said chamber across the substrate surface and parallel thereto, said first magnet including a passageway therein;
• means for generating an electric field (E) in said chamber perpendicular to the substrate surface;
• and
• means for generating a plasma stream outside said first and second permanent magnets and adjacent said first permanent magnet, said plasma stream entering said magnetic field through said passageway, said plasma stream interacting with said magnetic and salt electric fields to create an E.times.B electron drift region adjacent to the substrate surface, said E.times.B region beginning substantially at the substrate surface and extending outwardly a predetermined distance therefrom;
• said plasma generating means and said passageway being oriented to transport said plasma stream through said passageway into said magnetic field and to enter laterally into said E.times.B region between the substrate surface and said predetermined distance therefrom parallel to said magnetic field with minimal movement of said plasma stream perpendicular to said magnetic field in travelling from said plasma generating means to said E.times.B region;
• whereby a high density plasma stream is transported to said E.times.B region, to provide high density magnetron gas discharge processing of the substrate.

A method for generating a high density ionic gas discharge for processing a surface of a substrate, comprising the steps of:

• generating a magnetic field (B) across the substrate surface;
• generating an electric field (E) perpendicular to the substrate surface;
• generating a plasma stream;
• and
• transporting the generated plasma stream adjacent to the substrate surface, to create an E.times.B electron drift region adjacent to a substrate surface beginning substantially at the substrate surface and extending outwardly a predetermined distance therefrom;
• said transporting step further comprising the step of transporting the generated plasma stream to enter laterally into the E.times.B region between the substrate surface and the predetermined distance therefrom parallel to the generated magnetic field with minimal movement of the plasma stream perpendicular to the generated magnetic field in travelling from the plasma generator to the E.times.B region.