Method and apparatus for metal allot sputtering
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorPaul Stephen McLeod
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for sputter deposition of metal alloys with improved compositional uniformity is provided, wherein a first, narrow width target is provided with a sputtering surface comprised of a metal alloy including metal elements having different angular distributions of sputtered atoms, and a wider width substrate having a deposition surface is moved past the sputtering surface, whereby the deposition surface traverses all arrival angles of the sputtered atoms thereby compensating for the different angular distributions of the sputtered atoms. The inventive methodology finds particular utility in the manufacture of magnetic and magneto-optical (MO) recording media.
Claims20
A method of sputter depositing a layer of a substantially uniform composition metal alloy on a deposition surface of a substrate, which method comprises the sequential steps of:
- (a) providing a first target including a planar sputtering surface having a first width and comprised of at least a first metal alloy including at least two metal component elements, each element providing different angular distributions of sputtered atoms;
- (b) providing a substrate having a planar deposition surface for receiving said sputtered atoms for deposition thereon of a layer of said first metal alloy, said deposition surface including opposed first and second edges defining a second width which is at least twice that of said first width of said sputtering surface;
- and
- (c) sputtering said first target while moving said deposition surface past said sputtering surface from said first edge thereof to said second edge thereof, and/or from said second edge thereof to said first edge thereof, to deposit said layer of first metal alloy thereon, whereby said deposition surface traverses all arrival angles of said sputtered atoms during its motion past said sputtering surface, thereby compensating for said different angular distributions of said sputtered atoms and substantially eliminating non-uniform deposition of said metal component elements of said first metal alloy;
- wherein:
- step (a) further comprises providing said first target within a process chamber, said first target being located immediately adjacent an entrance/exit aperture thereof for inserting and withdrawing said substrate from said process chamber;
- step (b) further comprises inserting said substrate into said process chamber via said entrance/exit aperture;
- and
- step (c) comprises sputtering at least a first portion of said sputtering surface of said first target to deposit a layer of said first metal alloy on said substrate surface during said inserting of said substrate into said process chamber.
An apparatus for sputter deposition of a substantially uniform composition metal alloy film on a substrate deposition surface, comprising:
- (a) a process chamber defining an interior space and including a substrate entrance/exit aperture at one end thereof for inserting and withdrawing a said substrate from said process chamber;
- (b) a first target means positioned within said interior space immediately adjacent said entrance/exit aperture, said first target means including a planar sputtering surface having a first width and comprised of at least a first metal alloy including at least two metal component elements, each of said metal component elements having different angular distributions of sputtered atoms;
- and
- (c) substrate mounting and moving means for inserting and withdrawing a substrate from said process chamber via said entrance/exit aperture, said mounting and moving means being adapted to provide a substrate having a planar deposition surface which moves past said sputtering surface for receiving sputtered atoms therefrom for deposition thereon of a layer of said first metal alloy during said inserting and/or withdrawing via said entrance/exit aperture, said substrate deposition surface including opposed first and second edges defining a second width which is substantially greater than said first width of said sputtering surface, whereby said substrate deposition surface during its motion past the sputtering surface during said inserting and/or withdrawing via said entrance/exit aperture traverses all arrival angles of said sputtered atoms of said metal component elements, thereby substantially eliminating non-uniform deposition of said metal component elements on said substrate deposition surface due to said different angular distributions of sputtered atoms.
Apparatus for sputter deposition of a substantially uniform composition metal alloy layer on a planar deposition surface of a substrate, comprising:
- a process chamber including therein a first, relatively narrow sputtering target located immediately adjacent an entrance/exit aperture thereof utilized for inserting and withdrawing a said substrate therefrom and a second, relatively wider sputtering target spaced from said first sputtering target, said first sputtering target having a planar sputtering surface composed of a first target material comprised of a metal alloy including at least two metal elements each having different angular distributions of sputtered atoms;
- and
- means for compensating for said different angular distributions of sputtered atoms from said first sputtering target to thereby form a substantially uniform composition metal alloy layer on said substrate deposition surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.