Selectable dual position magnetron

A multi-position magnetron, comprising:

• a rotary shaft extending along a rotation axis;
• a plate fixed to said rotary shaft;
• an arm pivotable on said plate about a pivot axis displaced from said rotation axis rotary shaft and pivoting independently of a rotation angle of said rotary shaft;
• a magnetron fixed to said plate, a center of said magnetron being offset from said pivot axis, whereby dependent upon pivoting of said arm, said rotary shaft causes said center to rotate in a single direction about said rotation axis at a selected one of a plurality of radii from said rotation axis.

A multi-position magnetron for a plasma sputter reactor, comprising:

• a bracket fixable to a rotary drive shaft extending along a central axis and rotatable therewith;
• a pivoting mechanism fixed on said bracket and pivotally supporting a pivot arm about a pivot axis;
• a magnetron supported on said pivot arm away from said pivot axis;
• and
• biasing means coupling said bracket and said pivot arm acting in opposition to centrifugal force exerted on said magnetron by rotation of said rotary drive shaft.

A multi-position magnetron for a plasma sputter reactor, comprising:

• a bracket fixable to a rotary drive shaft extending along a central axis and rotatable therewith;
• a magnetron;
• a support mechanism supporting said magnetron on said bracket and allowing radial movement of said magnetron about said central axis;
• and
• biasing means coupling said bracket and said support mechanism acting in opposition to centrifugal force exerted on said magnetron by rotation of said rotary drive shaft.

A dual position magnetron for scanning a target having a central axis in a plasma sputter reactor, comprising:

• a bracket affixable to a rotary shaft rotatable about said central axis;
• a pivot mechanism fixed on said bracket and pivotally supporting a pivot plate about a pivot axis;
• a magnetron fixed to said pivot plate away from said pivot axis;
• a spring coupling said bracket and said pivot plate and urging said magnetron toward said central axis in opposition to centrifugal force exerted on said magnetron by rotation of said rotary shaft.

A magnetron sputter reactor, comprising:

• a vacuum chamber arranged around a central axis;
• a sputter target sealing one end of the vacuum chamber;
• a pedestal for supporting a substrate in opposition to a front side of said target;
• a rotary drive shaft extending along and rotatable about said central axis;
• a bracket fixed to said rotary drive shaft and rotatable therewith;
• a pivot plate;
• a pivoting mechanism fixed to said bracket and pivotally supporting said pivot plate about a pivot axis displaced from said central axis;
• a magnetron supported on said pivot plate adjacent to a back side of said target;
• and
• a spring coupling said bracket and said pivot plate and biasing said magnetron to pivot about said pivot axis towards said central axis.

A multi-position magnetron for a plasma sputter reactor, comprising:

• a bracket fixable to a rotary drive shaft extending along a central axis of the chamber and rotatable therewith;
• a pivoting mechanism fixed on said bracket and pivotally supporting a pivot arm about a pivot axis, whereby a variable pivot angle is provided between the bracket and the pivot arm;
• and
• a magnetron supported on said pivot arm away from said pivot axis, wherein a point on the magnetron is displaced from the central axis by a selected radius determined by the variable pivot angle during a complete rotation of the rotary drive shaft about the central axis in a predetermined rotation direction.