Sliding anode magnetron sputtering source
AssigneeOerlikon Solar IP AG, Trubbach
InventorsWalter Haag, Pius Gruenenfelder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A magnetron sputtering source includes a plurality of electrodes and a switching circuit. The switching circuit sequentially connects each of the plurality of electrodes to a ground reference, making it anodic, while connecting the remaining of the plurality of electrodes as cathodes. A method of operating the magnetron sputtering source includes steps of: providing a plurality of target arrangements; causing each of the plurality of target arrangements to act as a cathode; and sequentially causing each of the plurality of cathodes to temporarily act as an anode.
Claims16
A magnetron sputtering source comprising:
- a plurality of electrodes;
- and
- a switching circuit for sequentially connecting each of said plurality of electrodes as an anode and connecting the remaining of said plurality of electrodes as cathodes,
- wherein the switching circuit provides a delay after disconnecting any of said plurality of electrodes from a ground reference before connecting any other one of said plurality of electrodes to the ground reference, and
- wherein during the delay none of said plurality of electrodes acts as an anode and at least one of said plurality of electrodes acts as a cathode.
A method of operating a magnetron sputtering source comprising steps of:
- providing a plurality of target arrangements;
- causing each of said plurality of target arrangements to act as a cathode;
- and
- sequentially causing each of said plurality of target arrangements to temporarily act as an anode for a predetermined on-time by connecting each of said plurality of target arrangements to a ground reference,
- wherein after disconnecting any of said plurality of target arrangements from the ground reference a delay is provided for before connecting any other one of said plurality of target arrangements to the ground reference, and
- wherein during the delay none of said plurality of target arrangements acts as an anode and at least one of said plurality of electrodes acts as a cathode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.