Rotary cathode for magnetron sputtering apparatus

A magnetron sputtering apparatus, comprising:

• a cathode source assembly comprising:
• a rotatable hollow drive shaft;
• and
• a non-rotatable coolant conduit in the hollow drive shaft;
• and
• a cathode target section removably coupled to the cathode source section, the cathode target section comprising:
• a rotatable target cylinder with an outer surface and an inner surface, the target cylinder having a proximal end and a distal end, the target cylinder coupled to the drive shaft;
• a non-rotatable interior structure in the target cylinder and extending from the proximal end to the distal end, the interior structure having an outer surface, and an inner passageway in fluid communication with the coolant conduit;
• an outer passageway defined between the inner surface of the target cylinder and the outer surface of the interior structure;
• a non-rotatable magnet array in the outer passageway and supported by the interior structure;
• and
• an end cap affixed at the distal end of the target cylinder, the end cap having a radial outer edge;
• an aperture partially defined at a junction of the radial outer edge of the end cap and the inner surface of the target cylinder, the aperture configured to direct a fluid toward the inner surface of the target cylinder at the distal end;
• and
• a fluid pathway at least partially defined by the end cap, the pathway providing fluid communication between the outer passageway and the inner passageway through the aperture;
• wherein the aperture changes position along the radial outer edge of the end cap with respect to the non-rotatable interior structure as the target cylinder rotates;
• wherein during a coolant fill operation, the cathode target section is filled with a liquid coolant while the target cylinder is rotating such that substantially all trapped gas is removed from the cathode target section;
• and
• wherein during a blow down operation, compressed gas is fed into the cathode target section while the target cylinder is rotating such that substantially all trapped liquid coolant is removed from the cathode target section.