Circularly symmetric, large-area, high-deposition-rate sputtering apparatus for the coating of disk substrates

Claim 2

A sputtering apparatus for deposition of a thin film on a substrate, comprising: means for exciting a plasma at the electron cyclotron resonance to create a region of plasma which is devoid of magnetic field, wherein said means includes a plurality of magnets arranged for confining the plasma in said region, said arrangement having an axis; and a plurality of antennae arranged coaxially with said plurality of magnets; at least one planar disk diode positioned coaxially with said plurality of antennae and positioned at one end of said region devoid of magnetic field; a target attached to said planar disk diode; and means for positioning a substrate parallel to said planar disk diode.

Claim 3

An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said sputtering apparatus is housed within a spool piece chamber section having an exterior and an interior, and said magnets are positioned on said exterior of said chamber section.

Claim 4

An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said magnets are channel horseshoe magnets.

Claim 5

An apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising; a second planar disk diode positioned at an opposite end of said region; and a second target attached to aid second planar disk diode.

Claim 8

A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising the steps of: providing power to a second rf planar disk diode position an opposite end of said region; and generating sputtered atoms from a second target attached to said second rf planar disk diode.

Claim 9

A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising the step of: applying a first coating selected from the group consisting of nitrides, carbides, or borides of titanium zirconium, hafnium vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, or tungsten on said substrate.

Claim 10

A method as recited in claim 7 wherein said thin film on said substrate is further coated with magnetic-recording media.

Claim 11

A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising the step of: applying a first coating selected from the group consisting of aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, or silicon carbide on said substrate.

Claim 12

A method as recited in claim 9 wherein said thin film on said substrate is further coated with magneto-optical media.

Claim 13

A sputtering apparatus for depositing thin films on substrates, said apparatus comprising: a chamber having therein a central sputtering region and an annular plasma generation region surrounding the sputtering region, wherein the sputtering and plasma generation regions are centered about a chamber axis, and wherein the plasma generation region extends along the chamber axis to a greater extent than does the sputtering region; a planar disk diode positioned in the sputtering region of the chamber on the chamber axis and having a sputtering target facing the sputtering region, wherein the planar disk diode defines a lateral boundary of the chamber in the sputtering region; positioning means for positioning a substrate within the sputtering region adjacent to the planar disk diode; and plasma generation means for forming a ring of plasma in the annular plasma generation region of the chamber for diffusion into the sputtering region of the chamber, said plasma generation means including a plurality of antennae and associated magnets surrounding the sputtering region and coaxial to the chamber axis, wherein the antennae are positioned inside the chamber, and wherein the antennae and magnets excite the plasma at the electron cyclotron resonance and confine the plasma to an area surrounding an including the sputtering region.

Claim 14

A sputtering apparatus for depositing thin films on substrates, said apparatus comprising: a chamber having therein a central sputtering region and an annular plasma generation region surrounding the sputtering region, wherein the sputtering and plasma generation regions are centered about a chamber axis, and wherein the plasma generation region extends along the chamber axis to a greater extent than does the sputtering region; a planar disk diode positioned in the sputtering region of the chamber on the chamber axis and having a sputtering target facing the sputtering region, wherein the planar disk diode defines a lateral boundary of the chamber in the sputtering region; positioning means for positioning a substrate within the sputtering region adjacent to the planar disk diode; and plasma generation means for forming a ring of plasma in the annular plasma generation region of the chamber for diffusion into the sputtering region of the chamber, said plasma generation means including a plurality of antennae and associated magnets surrounding the sputtering region and coaxial to the chamber axis, wherein the antennae are positioned inside the chamber, and wherein the antennae and magnets excite the plasma at the electron cyclotron resonance and confine the plasma to an area surrounding an including the sputtering region.

Claim 15

A sputtering apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein the antennae are positioned inside the chamber parallel to the chamber axis.

Claim 16

A sputtering apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein the magnets are channel horseshoe magnets with elongated poles that are positioned outside the chamber with their elongated poles aligned with the chamber axis, wherein the magnets are arranged so that adjacent poles of adjacent magnets are the same polarity, and wherein each antenna is positioned proximate the adjacent poles of like polarity of two adjacent magnets.

Claim 17

A sputtering apparatus as recited in claim 13 further comprising a holding rack of ferromagnetic material disposed between adjacent magnets.

Claim 18

A sputtering apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein the antennae and associated magnets are arranged in two groups disposed on opposite sides of the plane of the substrate with a gap between the two groups in the plane of the substrate to allow the substrates to be moved into and out of the chamber.

Claim 19

A sputtering apparatus as recited in claim 11 further comprising a second planar disk diode positioned in the sputtering region of the chamber on the chamber axis and forming a lateral boundary of the chamber in the sputtering region, wherein the second planar disk diode has sputtering target facing the sputtering region on the opposite side of the substrate from the other sputtering target.

Claim 20

A sputtering apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein the planar disk diode is mounted to the chamber by a mounting ring having means for attaching the mounting ring to the outside of the chamber.

Claim 21

A sputtering apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein the antennae, the magnets, and the planar disk diode are circularly symmetric with respect to the chamber axis.

Claim 22

A sputtering apparatus as recited in claim 11 further comprising transfer means for moving the positioning means into and out of the sputtering region of the chamber and for stopping the positioning means within the chamber during a sputtering operation.

Claim 23

A sputtering apparatus for depositing both electrically conductive and insulating thin films on substrates, said apparatus comprising: a chamber having therein a central sputtering region and an annular plasma generation region surrounding the sputtering region, wherein the sputtering region is cylindrical in shape with a planar disk diode forming one lateral side thereof and a circumferential periphery thereof being open to and surrounded by the plasma generation region, and wherein the cylindrical sputtering region and annular plasma generation region are coaxial to a chamber axis; a planar disk diode positioned in the sputtering region of the chamber and coaxial to the chamber axis, wherein the planar disk diode has a sputtering target facing the sputtering region in a plane normal to the chamber axis; positioning means for positioning a substrate within the sputtering region adjacent to the planar disk diode in a plane normal to the chamber axis; and plasma generation means for forming a ring of plasma in the annular plasma generation region of the chamber for diffusion into the central sputtering region of the chamber, said plasma generation means including a ring antenna array and associated multipolar magnetic array coaxial to the chamber axis and surrounding the sputtering region for exciting the plasma at the electron cyclotron resonance and confining the plasma to an area surrounding and including the sputtering region, and wherein the ring antenna array includes antennae positioned inside the chamber parallel to the chamber axis.

Claim 24

A sputtering apparatus for depositing both electrically conductive and insulating thin films on substrates, said apparatus comprising: a chamber having therein a central sputtering region and an annular plasma generation region surrounding the sputtering region, wherein the sputtering region is cylindrical in shape with a planar disk diode forming one lateral side thereof and a circumferential periphery thereof being open to and surrounded by the plasma generation region, and wherein the cylindrical sputtering region and annular plasma generation region are coaxial to a chamber axis; a planar disk diode positioned in the sputtering region of the chamber and coaxial to the chamber axis, wherein the planar disk diode has a sputtering target facing the sputtering region in a plane normal to the chamber axis; positioning means for positioning a substrate within the sputtering region adjacent to the planar disk diode in a plane normal to the chamber axis; and plasma generation means for forming a ring of plasma in the annular plasma generation region of the chamber for diffusion into the central sputtering region of the chamber, said plasma generation means including a ring antenna array and associated multipolar magnetic array coaxial to the chamber axis and surrounding the sputtering region for exciting the plasma at the electron cyclotron resonance and confining the plasma to an area surrounding and including the sputtering region, and wherein the ring antenna array includes antennae positioned inside the chamber parallel to the chamber axis.

Claim 25

A sputtering apparatus as recited in claim 20 wherein the multipolar magnetic array includes channel horseshoe magnets with elongated poles that are positioned outside the chamber with their elongated poles aligned with the chamber axis, wherein the magnets are arranged so that adjacent poles of adjacent magnets are the same polarity, and wherein each antenna of the ring antenna array is positioned proximate the adjacent poles of like polarity of two adjacent magnets.

Claim 26

A sputtering apparatus as recited in claim 21 further comprising a holding rack of ferromagnetic material disposed between adjacent magnets.

Claim 27

A sputtering apparatus as recited in claim 20 wherein antennae of the ring antenna array and associated magnets of the multipolar magnetic array are arranged in two groups disposed on opposite sides of the plane of the substrate with a gap between the two groups in the plane of the substrate to allow the substrates to be moved into and out of the chamber.

Claim 28

A sputtering apparatus as recited in claim 20 further comprising a second planar disk diode positioned in the sputtering region of the chamber on the chamber axis and forming a lateral side of the sputtering region, wherein the second planar disk diode has a sputtering target facing the sputtering region in a plane normal to the chamber axis and on the opposite side of the substrate from the other sputtering target.

Claim 29

A sputtering apparatus as recited in claim 20 wherein the planar disk diode is mounted to the chamber by a mounting ring having means for attaching the mounting ring to the outside of the chamber.

Claim 30

A sputtering apparatus as recited in claim 20 further comprising transfer means for moving the positioning means into and out of sputtering region of the chamber and for stopping the positioning means within the chamber during a sputtering operation.

Claim 31

A sputtering apparatus for depositing both electrically conductive and insulating thin films on substrates, said apparatus comprising: a chamber having therein a central sputtering region and an annular plasma generation region surrounding the sputtering region, wherein the sputtering region is cylindrical in shape with two planar disk diodes forming opposite lateral sides thereof and a circumferential periphery thereof being open to and surrounded by the plasma generation region, and wherein the cylindrical sputtering region and annular plasma generation region are coaxial to a chamber axis; two planar disk diodes positioned in facing relation in the sputtering region of the chamber and coaxial to the chamber axis, each planar disk diode having a sputtering target facing the sputtering region in a plane normal to the chamber axis; positioning means for positioning a substrate within the sputtering region between the two planar disk diodes in a plane normal to the chamber axis; and plasma generation means for forming a ring of plasma in the annular plasma generation region of the chamber for diffusion into the central sputtering region of the chamber, said plasma generation means including a plurality of antennae and associated magnets surrounding the sputtering region and coaxial to the chamber axis for exciting the plasma at the electron cyclotron resonance and confining the plasma to an area surrounding and including the sputtering region, wherein the antennae are positioned inside the chamber parallel to the chamber axis.

Claim 32

A sputtering apparatus for depositing both electrically conductive and insulating thin films on substrates, said apparatus comprising: a chamber having therein a central sputtering region and an annular plasma generation region surrounding the sputtering region, wherein the sputtering region is cylindrical in shape with two planar disk diodes forming opposite lateral sides thereof and a circumferential periphery thereof being open to and surrounded by the plasma generation region, and wherein the cylindrical sputtering region and annular plasma generation region are coaxial to a chamber axis; two planar disk diodes positioned in facing relation in the sputtering region of the chamber and coaxial to the chamber axis, each planar disk diode having a sputtering target facing the sputtering region in a plane normal to the chamber axis; positioning means for positioning a substrate within the sputtering region between the two planar disk diodes in a plane normal to the chamber axis; and plasma generation means for forming a ring of plasma in the annular plasma generation region of the chamber for diffusion into the central sputtering region of the chamber, said plasma generation means including a plurality of antennae and associated magnets surrounding the sputtering region and coaxial to the chamber axis for exciting the plasma at the electron cyclotron resonance and confining the plasma to an area surrounding and including the sputtering region, wherein the antennae are positioned inside the chamber parallel to the chamber axis.