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Patent EP0328257A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0328257A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Magnetron sputtering apparatus and process
Assignee: Optical Coating Laboratory Inc
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Filing: 1989-01-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-01-19
Abstract
Abstract A sputter coating system (10) is disclosed comprising: a vacuum chamber; a movable substrate support mounted within said vacuum chamber (11) and adapted for mounting substrates (15) thereon for moving the substrates past at least first and second physically spaced work stations (30); a linear magnetron-enhanced sputter device positioned at said first work station (26) and including a target of selected material and means for generating an associated plasma within said device and adjacent said work station and substantially throughout an extended region of the chamber including the physically spaced second work station, for sputter depositing material on said substrates (15) traversing the first work station; and an ion source device positioned at said second work station (28) and adapted for using electrons from said plasma associated with said sputter device and applying reactive gas to form along a relatively narrow zone adjacent the substrate support a second plasma comprising ions of the reactive gas, the ion source device further comprising means for applying a directed potential between said ion source and said plasma associated with said sputter device for accelerating the reactive ions to the substrates for effecting a selected reaction with the sputter-deposited material.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael A. Scobey
- 👤 James W. Seeser
- 👤 Richard Ian Seddon
- 👤 Russel R. Austin
- 👤 Paul M. Lefabvre
- 👤 Barry W. Manley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 03:59
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/22; C23C14/34; C23C14/35; C23C14/352; C23C14/0021; C23C14/0036; C23C14/0047; C23C14/0073; C23C14/0078; C23C14/06; C23C14/08; C23C14/083; C23C14/10; C23C14/3407; C23C14/50; C23C14/505; C23C14/56; C23C14/562; C23C14/58; C23C8/00; C23C8/02; H; H01; H01J; H01J2237/00; H01J2237/02; H01J2237/022
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
187 words
A sputter coating system comprising: a vacuum chamber; a movable substrate support mounted within said vacuum chamber and adapted for mounting substrates thereon for moving the substrates past at least first and second physically spaced work stations; a linear magnetron-enhanced sputter device positioned at said first work station and including a target of selected material and means for generating an associated plasma within said device and adjacent said work station and substantially throughout an extended region of the chamber including the physically spaced second work station, for sputter depositing material on said substrates traversing the first work station; and an ion source device positioned at said second work station and adapted for using electrons from said plasma associated with said sputter device and applying reactive gas to form along a relatively narrow zone adjacent the substrate support a second plasma comprising ions of the reactive gas, the ion source device further comprising means for applying a directed potential between said ion source and said plasma associated with said sputter device for accelerating the reactive ions to the substrates for effecting a selected reaction with the sputter-deposited material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
187 words
A sputter coating system comprising: a vacuum chamber; a movable substrate support mounted within said vacuum chamber and adapted for mounting substrates thereon for moving the substrates past at least first and second physically spaced work stations; a linear magnetron-enhanced sputter device positioned at said first work station and including a target of selected material and means for generating an associated plasma within said device and adjacent said work station and substantially throughout an extended region of the chamber including the physically spaced second work station, for sputter depositing material on said substrates traversing the first work station; and an ion source device positioned at said second work station and adapted for using electrons from said plasma associated with said sputter device and applying reactive gas to form along a relatively narrow zone adjacent the substrate support a second plasma comprising ions of the reactive gas, the ion source device further comprising means for applying a directed potential between said ion source and said plasma associated with said sputter device for accelerating the reactive ions to the substrates for effecting a selected reaction with the sputter-deposited material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
The system of Claim 1, wherein said workpiece carrier is cylindrical and rotatably moves the substrates past the first and second work stations and wherein said selected reaction occurs along a circumferential zone of the carrier comprising substantially less than one-half the circumference of the carrier.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The sputter coating system of Claim 2, wherein the sputter device and the ion source device are positioned outside the cylindrical carrier.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The sputter coating system of Claim 2, wherein the sputter device and the ion source device are positioned inside the cylindrical carrier.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
The sputter coating system of Claim 2, further comprising substrate support means rotatably mounted at the circumference of said cylindrical carrier for rotatably presenting selected substrates or surface segments thereof to the work station.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The sputter coating system of Claim 5, wherein the rotatable mounting means comprises a planetary gear arrangement which is rotatable in conjunction with rotation of the cylindrical carrier.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The sputter coating system of Claim 1, wherein said workpiece carrier is substantially flat and said movement is substantially linear.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
78 words
The sputter coating system of Claim 1, wherein the workpiece carrier is a flexible web, and further comprising: a rotatable drum; unwind and wind roll means adapted for at least one of continuously or intermittently traversing the flexible web about the circumference of said drum; and the linear magnetron sputter device and the ion source device being positioned about the periphery of said drum for forming at least a first material on said web or substrates mounted thereon.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The sputter coating system of any of Claims 1-8, wherein the ion source device is a linear magnetron device.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The sputter coating system of any of Claims 1-8, wherein the ion source device is an ion gun.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
46 words
The sputter coating system of any of Claims 1-8, wherein the ion source device is adapted for the inlet of a reactive atmosphere selected to at least partially convert said selected material to at least one of an oxide, nitride, hydride or carbon-containing alloy or compound.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
19 words
The system of any of Claims 1-8, wherein the ion source device is adapted for oxidizing said selected materials.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
The sputter coating system of any of Claims 1-8, further comprising at least a plurality of sputter devices for sequentially or simultaneously sputter depositing at least one material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
The sputter coating system of any of Claims 1-8, further comprising at least a plurality of ion source device for reacting selected reactive gas with the sputter deposited material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
124 words
A process for forming single layer films and multi-layer composite films on substrates, comprising: providing a vacuum chamber having a movable workpiece carrier therein and at least one magnetron-enhanced sputter cathode device positioned adjacent the workpiece carrier for sputter depositing a selected material onto the workpiece; providing at least one ion source cathode device positioned adjacent the workpiece carrier for providing a selected reaction with the selected material; pulling vacuum in the chamber; moving the carrier past the devices; selectively operating the sputter cathode device to deposit a layer of the selected material on the substrate; and selectively operating the ion source cathode device in sequence with the sputter cathode device for substantially completing the selected reaction during a single pass of the carrier.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
124 words
A process for forming single layer films and multi-layer composite films on substrates, comprising: providing a vacuum chamber having a movable workpiece carrier therein and at least one magnetron-enhanced sputter cathode device positioned adjacent the workpiece carrier for sputter depositing a selected material onto the workpiece; providing at least one ion source cathode device positioned adjacent the workpiece carrier for providing a selected reaction with the selected material; pulling vacuum in the chamber; moving the carrier past the devices; selectively operating the sputter cathode device to deposit a layer of the selected material on the substrate; and selectively operating the ion source cathode device in sequence with the sputter cathode device for substantially completing the selected reaction during a single pass of the carrier.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
78 words
The process of Claim 15, wherein the workpiece carrier is a rotating cylindrical carrier supporting the workpiece along the circumference thereof for traversing the workpieces past the sputter cathode device and the ion source cathode and wherein the selected reaction occurs along a fractional circumferential surface zone of the carrier comprising a distance substantially less than one-half the circumference of the carrier and the selected reaction is substantially completed during translation of said workpiece through said fractional distance.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
32 words
The process of Claim 16, further comprising substrate support means rotatably mounted at the circumference of said cylindrical carrier for rotatably presenting selected substrates or surface segments thereof to the work station.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of Claim 17, wherein the rotatable mounting means comprises a planetary gear arrangement which is rotatable in conjunction with rotation of the cylindrical carrier.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of Claim 15, wherein the workpiece carrier is substantially flat and the movement is substantially linear.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
50 words
The process of Claim 15, further comprising operating the sputter cathode device to sputter deposit layers of selected materials on the substrate and selectively and sequentially operating the ion source cathode device to react at least selected ones of the layers prior to sputter deposition of the next successive layer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of Claim 15, further comprising: providing at least a plurality of ion source cathode devices.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of Claim 15, further comprising: providing at least a plurality of sputter devices.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of Claim 21, further comprising: providing at least a plurality of ion source cathode devices.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
83 words
The process of any of Claims 15-23, further comprising selectively and sequentially operating the sputter cathode and the ion source cathode devices to form a composite coating comprising at least a plurality of layers, the composition of each said layer being selected from at least one of a first metal, a second metal, an oxide of the first metal, an oxide of the second metal, mixtures of the first and second metals and an oxide of mixtures of the first and second metals.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
68 words
The process of any of Claims 15-23, further comprising selectively operating selected ones of the sputter cathode devices to sputter deposit layers of selected materials on said substrate and selectively operating selected ones of ion source cathode devices in conjunction with supplying selected reactant gas thereto for effecting the selected reaction with at least selected ones of the layers prior to sputter deposition of the next successive layer.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
31 words
The deposition process of any of Claims 15-23, wherein the selected reaction involves converting the selected layers to at least one of oxide, nitride, hydride, sulfide or carbon-containing compound or mixture.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
15 words
The deposition sputtering process of any of Claims 15-23, wherein the selected reaction is oxidation.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
157 words
The process of Claim 16, adapted for forming on concave substrates single layer films and multi-layer composite films of selected variable thickness profile in the direction from the center to the edge of the substrate, wherein the linear magnetron-enhanced sputter cathode device has an associated sputtering zone of relatively elongated height and relatively narrow width and wherein the linear magnetron-enhanced ion source cathode device has an associated reaction zone of relatively elongated height and relatively narrow width for providing a selected reaction with the deposited coating along a fractional circumferential zone of the carrier substantially less than one-half the circumference of the carrier; and further comprising rotating the cylindrical workpiece carrier selectively operating the sputtering cathode device to deposit at least a layer of selected material on the rotating substrate and selectively operating the ion source cathode device to effect and complete the selected reaction during a single traversal of the workpiece through the fractional circumferential zone.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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