Method for controlling plasma density or the distribution thereof

Magnetron source, comprising a target configuration with a sputter surface, a magnet configuration generating above said sputter surface a magnetic field which forms, in top view onto said sputter surface, at least one magnet field loop, and, viewed in a cross-sectional direction upon said target configuration a tunnel-shaped arc magnetic field with a tunnel-shaped bend between two magnetic polarity footprint areas, and further comprising an electrode configuration which generates, when supplied by a positive electric potential with respect to an electric potential applied to said target configuration an electric field which crosses at an angle to said magnetic field of said at least one magnet field loop, said magnet configuration further comprising a magnet arrangement, generating along a limited segment of said magnet field loop a magnetic field at one polarity footprint area, which is different from the magnetic field generated along the remainder of said footprint area generated by said magnet configuration.

Magnetron source, comprising a target configuration with a sputter surface, a magnet configuration generating above said sputter surface at least one magnetic field which forms in top view onto said sputter surface at least one magnetic field loop and, viewed in a cross-sectional direction upon said target configuration, a tunnel-shaped arc magnet field and further comprising an electrode configuration which generates, when supplied by a positive electric potential with respect to an electric potential applied to said target configuration, an electric field which crosses at an angle to said magnetic field of said magnet field loop and further comprising a shunting member for shunting said magnet field in a limited segment area along said magnet configuration, said segment having an extent IB selected to be

• 0<IB≦4d
• wherein d stands for the average distance of footprint areas of polarity of said tunnel-shaped magnet field generated by said magnet configuration on said sputter surface.

Magnetron source, comprising a target configuration with a sputter surface, a magnet configuration generating above said sputter surface a magnetic field which forms, in top view onto said sputter surface at least one magnet field loop and, viewed in a cross-sectional direction upon said target configuration, a tunnel-shaped arc magnet field, and further comprising an electrode configuration, which generates, when supplied by a positive electric potential with respect to an electric potential applied to said target configuration, an electric field which crosses at an angle to said magnetic field of said magnet field loop, further comprising a mechanical member in a segment area of said magnet field loop, said segment having an extent IB selected to be

• 0<IB≦4d
• wherein d stands for the average distance of footprint areas of polarity of said tunnel-shaped magnet arc field on said sputter surface, said mechanical member interacting with at least one of said magnetic field and of said electric field in said segment area.

A method for manufacturing magnetron sputter-coated workpieces comprising the steps of:

• applying a substrate to be magnetron sputter-coated adjacent a magnetron source having a target cathode arrangement;
• generating above said target cathode arrangement at least one plasma loop by means of an electron trap established by generating, on one hand, a magnetic field which forms, in top view onto the target cathode arrangement, a magnet field loop and, viewed in a cross-sectional direction upon said target cathode arrangement, a tunnel-shaped arc magnet field with a tunnel-shaped bend between two magnetic polarity footprint areas and, on the other hand, an electric field which crosses at an angle to said magnetic field of said magnet field loop and further establishing at only one polarity footprint area of said tunnel-shaped arc field and only in a limited segment along said plasma loop, a strength of magnetic field which is different from the strength of said magnetic field along the remainder of said magnet field loop, thereby selecting said segment to be substantially shorter in direction of said plasma loop, than the extent of said plasma loop.