Device for cathodic sputtering at a high deposition rate

Claim 1

A device for cathodic sputtering at a high deposition rate on a substrate comprising : a pumped enclosure adapted to be at a low pressure p less than atmospheric pressure ; a cup-shaped anode within said enclosure, said anode having a circular bottom portion including a centered orifice; a target within said enclosure, said target being positioned within said cup-shaped anode and having a single, flat sputtering surface defined by a perimetric edge, said surface being parallel to, opposed to, and spaced from said bottom portion; means for providing a plasma creating electrical discharge between said target and said anode, said target being at a negative potential relative to said anode; conduit means for admitting a gas at a high pressure P higher than said low pressure p into the space between said sputtering surface of said target and said bottom portion of said anode; means within said enclosure for holding said substrate outside of said cup-shaped anode, said substrate being opposed to and spaced from said orifice, communication between said sputtering surface and said substrate being established solely via said orifice, a high gas-pressure gradient P-p being established between said sputtering surface and said substrate; means located externally of said anode for producing a magnetic field H of at least a kilogauss parallel to said sputtering surface of said target, said parallel magnetic field being substantially confined to the space between said sputtering surface and said bottom portion of said cup-shaped anode; a suppressor screen place around said perimetric edge of said sputtering surface and spaced equidistantly therefrom, said suppressor screen around said perimetric edge being within said cup-shaped anode; and means for bringing said substrate to a negative potential with respect to said anode wherein plasma is created by an arc imposed by static electrical potentials applied between said substrate and said anode.

Claim 2

A device for cathodic sputtering at a high deposition rate on a substrate comprising : a pumped enclosure adapted to be at a low pressure p less than atmospheric pressure ; a cup-shaped anode within said enclosure, said anode having a circular bottom portion including a centered orifice; a target within said enclosure, said target being positioned within said cup-shaped anode and having a single, flat sputtering surface defined by a perimetric edge, said surface being parallel to, opposed to, and spaced from said bottom portion; means for providing a plasma creating electrical discharge between said target and said anode, said target being at a negative potential relative to said anode; conduit means for admitting a gas at a high pressure P higher than said low pressure p into the space between said sputtering surface of said target and said bottom portion of said anode; means within said enclosure for holding said substrate outside of said cup-shaped anode, said substrate being opposed to and spaced from said orifice, communication between said sputtering surface and said substrate being established solely via said orifice, a high gas-pressure gradient P-p being established between said sputtering surface and said substrate; means located externally of said anode for producing a magnetic field H of at least a kilogauss parallel to said sputtering surface of said target, said parallel magnetic field being substantially confined to the space between said sputtering surface and said bottom portion of said cup-shaped anode; a suppressor screen place around said perimetric edge of said sputtering surface and spaced equidistantly therefrom, said suppressor screen around said perimetric edge being within said cup-shaped anode; and means for bringing said substrate to a negative potential with respect to said anode wherein plasma is created by an arc imposed by static electrical potentials applied between said substrate and said anode.