EP0365249A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method and apparatus for sputtering
Assignee: Canon Anelva Corp
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Filing: 1989-10-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-10-16
Abstract
Abstract A magnetron discharge type sputtering apparatus for sputtering a target with plasma. The apparatus comprises a target (I), a magnetic field application unit (3; 31, 32) disposed at the back surface of said target and rotating means (5, 6) for rotating a magnetic field (30) produced on the surface of the target by said magnetic field application unit. The magnetic field application unit is arranged such that erosion produced in the target by the sputtering tends to be deeper in an edge portion of an erosion area than a central portion thereof. In addition a method of magnetron discharge sputtering using plasma generated by magnetron discharge for sputtering a target (I), wherein erosion produced in the target by the sputtering is deeper in a peripheral portion of the erosion area of the target than a central portion thereof.
Inventors
- 👤 Yasuhiko Akao
- 👤 Takehiro Sakurai
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 23:19
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/34; H01J37/3411; H01J37/345; H01J37/3455; C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/22; C23C14/34; C23C14/3407; H01J37/3402; H01J37/3405; H01J37/3408
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
85 words
I. A magnetron discharge sputtering apparatus for sputtering a target with plasma, comprising a target (I); a magnetic field application unit disposed at a back surface of said target; and rotation means (5, 6) for rotating a magnetic field (30) produced at the surface of said target by said magnetic field application unit, said magnetic field application unit being arranged such that erosion produced in said target by said sputtering is deeper in a peripheral portion of an erosion area than a central portion thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus according to claim I, wherein said erosion depth is at a maximum at a position radially spaced from the center of said target by a distance corresponding to 50 to 85% of the radius of said target.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
81 words
Apparatus according to claim I or 2, wherein said magnetic field application unit comprises magnetic poles arranged such that, when there are n plasma groups on a circle of radius r from the center of rotation of the rotating magnetic field, plasma in each plasma group provides an equal erosion rate and an i-th plasma group is found on said circle over an arc L ri , the value of varies with the position on said target in the radial direction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
162 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said magnetic field application unit comprises magnetic poles, the arrangement of the magnetic poles and the strength of the magnetic field being such that, when the magnetic field produced by the magnetic field application unit is rotated, there are n plasma groups on a circle of a radius r from the center of rotation of the rotating magnetic field and an erosion rate D, (A/min.) of various parts of the target on the circle of radius r is given by where R ri (A/min.) is an erosion rate under a stationary magnetic field provided by plasma in an i-th plasma group found on a circle of radius r, R ri increases according to the increase of the magnetic field strength and θ ri is the ratio of the circumferential length of the i-th plasma to the distance r from the center of rotation, the erosion rate D, becomes larger as the radius r becomes larger.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
116 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said magnetic field application unit has magnetic poles arranged such that, when there are n plasma groups on a circle of radius r from the center of rotation of the rotating magnetic field, plasma in each plasma group provides an equal erosion rate, an i-th plasma group is found on said circle over an arc L ri and the value of an equation where θ ri is an angle subtended by said arc is equal at each position on said target in the radial direction, there is a relationship 8r 1 i > θ r2 i for two radii r 1 and r 2 (r, > r 2 ).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said magnetic field application unit comprises permanent magnets.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
44 words
A method of magnetron discharge sputtering using plasma generated by magnetron discharge for sputtering a target (I), wherein erosion produced in said target by said sputtering is deeper in a peripheral portion of an erosion area of said target than a central portion thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein said erosion becomes progressively deeper as one goes from the central portion toward the peripheral portion of the erosion area of said target.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said target is sputtered such that said erosion has a maximum depth at a position radially spaced apart from the center of said target by a distance corresponding to 50 to 85% of the radius of said target.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
18 words
A method of magnetron discharge sputtering using an apparatus according to any one of claims I to 6.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
II. An object which has been produced using an apparatus according to any one of claims I to 6.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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