Sputtering apparatus

A sputtering apparatus for forming a magnetic layer on a substrate, comprising:

• a vacuum enclosure;
• a cylindrical rotatable target assembly including a hollow main body including a shell, a plurality of elongated targets and a plurality of target holders equidistantly disposed from a central rotation axis of the cylindrical rotatable target assembly, each of the plurality of target holders including a corresponding one of the plurality of targets, the plurality of the target holders including a first target holder including a first target of the plurality of the targets, the first target including a short axis and a long axis, wherein the central rotation axis of the cylindrical rotatable target assembly is parallel to the long axis of the first target, and wherein the plurality of targets are disposed on an outer surface of the shell of the hollow main body;
• a substrate holder comprising a substrate receiving surface;
• a translating mechanism that moves the substrate holder or the first target holder along a direction substantially parallel to the substrate receiving surface and perpendicular to the long axis of the first target;
• and
• a mask assembly formed with an opening between the first target holder and the substrate holder, wherein
• said mask assembly comprises a first masking part and a second masking part which are disposed substantially parallel to the substrate receiving surface,
• said opening being formed between facing edges of the first masking part and the second masking part,
• wherein the cylindrical rotatable target assembly is rotated so as to configure at least one of the targets to face toward the opening of the mask assembly,
• said first masking part and second masking part being independently movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the long axis of the first target and substantially parallel to the substrate receiving surface, or in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the substrate receiving surface,
• wherein the plurality of target holders of the cylindrical rotatable target assembly form at least a first and a second pair of two obliquely-facing target holders, the two obliquely-facing target holders obliquely facing to each other, such that the cylindrical rotatable target assembly is rotated to configure two targets of one of the first and the second pair of the two obliquely-facing target holders to face the opening of the mask assembly, said first and second pair of target holders being arranged radially opposite to each other,
• wherein the first pair of the two obliquely-facing target holders constitutes a first target holding surface having a V-shape in cross section and the second pair of the two obliquely-facing target holders constitutes a second target holding surface having an inverted V-shape in cross section, and
• wherein the plurality of the target holders further includes a second target holder including a second target of the plurality of the targets wherein,
• said first target holder is provided so that a normal line of a surface thereof is tilted by an angle between 15 degrees to 45 degrees relative to a normal line of said substrate receiving surface passing through said opening of the mask assembly, and
• said second target holder is provided so that a normal line of a surface thereof is tilted by an angle between −15 degrees to −45 degrees relative to the normal line of said substrate receiving surface.