Collimated deposition apparatus

A magnetron sputtering apparatus for depositing a film on a workpiece, comprising:

• a vacuum chamber,
• stationary workpiece holding means situated within said vacuum chamber for holding a workpiece to be sputter coated in a stationary position,
• stationary sputtering means for emitting particles used to form a film on said workpiece into said vacuum chamber, said sputtering means generally opposing said workpiece to be coated, said sputtering means comprising a stationary sputter target from which said sputtered particles are uniformly emitted and having an area larger than the workpiece to be coated, said area including the central portion of the sputter target, said sputter target having a first surface which faces said workpiece and a second surface, said sputtering means further comprising a rotating closed loop magnet positioned adjacent to the second surface of said sputter target,
• stationary collimator means interposed between said workpiece and said sputtering means for limiting the angles of the particles which pass through said collimator means,
• said collimator means comprising a plurality of substantially identical individual collimator cell, said collimator cells having an aspect ratio in the range of 0.5:1 to 4:1, said collimator means being spaced apart from said workpiece by a distance of at least one inch,
• pressure reducing means for maintaining a reduced pressure within said vacuum chamber such that there is no substantial scattering of said particles between said collimator means and said workpiece.

A magnetron sputtering apparatus for depositing a non-metallic film on a workpiece, comprising:

• a vacuum chamber,
• workpiece holding means situated within said vacuum chamber for holding said workpiece to be sputter coated with a non-metallic film;
• sputtering means for emitting particles used to form said non-metallic film on said workpiece in said vacuum chamber, said sputtering means generally opposing said workpiece to be coated, and
• collimator means interposed between said workpiece and said sputtering means for limiting angles of the particles which pass through said collimator means, wherein said collimator means is made of a metallic material which has a thermal coefficient of expansion which is sufficiently similar to said non-metallic film, such that there is no substantial flaking of said non-metallic film within said vacuum chamber during the useful life of said collimator means.

A method of sputter coating a non-metallic film onto a workpiece, comprising the steps of:

• selecting a collimation filter constructed of a metallic material which has substantially the same thermal coefficient of expansion as the non-metallic film being coated onto the workpiece;
• positioning the workpiece in a vacuum chamber in an opposing relationship to a sputtering source which emits particles toward said workpiece and which is larger than said workpiece;
• positioning the collimation filter between the workpiece and the sputtering source;
• and
• passing the particles emitted from said sputtering source through the collimation filter interposed between said workpiece and said sputtering source.