US6126790A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of magnetically orienting thin magnetic films with a multiple-coil electromagnet
Assignee: CVC Products Inc
•
Filing: 2000-02-07
•
Granted: 2000-10-03
•
Expires: 2020-02-07
Abstract
Abstract An electromagnet assembly magnetically orients a thin magnetic film deposited onto a surface of a substrate. The magnetic orientation can take place in a low-pressure processing environment such as during the deposition of the thin magnetic film or during a subsequent operation such as annealing. The electromagnet assembly includes a plate-shaped core located adjacent to the substrate and two or more electromagnetic coils that are wrapped in different directions around the core. Electrical currents conveyed through the electromagnetic coils are controlled for orienting a substantially uniaxial magnetic field throughout a range of angular positions in a plane of the substrate surface.
Inventors
- 👤 Mehrdad M. Moslehi
- 👤 Shiyuan Cheng
- 👤 Cecil J. Davis
- 👤 Dorian Heimanson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 20:31
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/22; C23C14/34; C23C14/35; C23C14/351; H; H01; H01F; H01F41/00; H01F41/14; H01F41/18; H01F7/00; H01F7/06; H01F7/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
145 words
A method of orienting a magnetic film on a surface of a substrate comprising the steps of: orienting an electromagnet having first and second electromagnetic coils wrapped in different directions around a common core adjacent to the substrate's surface; directing a flow of electrical current through the first electromagnetic coil for producing a first uniaxial magnetic field along a first magnetic axis; directing a flow of electrical current through the second electromagnetic coil for producing a second uniaxial magnetic field along a second magnetic axis that extends in a direction different from the first magnetic axis; and regulating relative amounts of the electrical currents directed through the first and second electromagnetic coils for producing a compound uniaxial magnetic field that orients magnetic domains of the magnetic film along a compound magnetic axis that lies in a plane defined by the first and second magnetic axes.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
145 words
A method of orienting a magnetic film on a surface of a substrate comprising the steps of: orienting an electromagnet having first and second electromagnetic coils wrapped in different directions around a common core adjacent to the substrate's surface; directing a flow of electrical current through the first electromagnetic coil for producing a first uniaxial magnetic field along a first magnetic axis; directing a flow of electrical current through the second electromagnetic coil for producing a second uniaxial magnetic field along a second magnetic axis that extends in a direction different from the first magnetic axis; and regulating relative amounts of the electrical currents directed through the first and second electromagnetic coils for producing a compound uniaxial magnetic field that orients magnetic domains of the magnetic film along a compound magnetic axis that lies in a plane defined by the first and second magnetic axes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 1 in which said step of regulating relative amounts of the electrical currents includes delivering the currents in a pre-specified ratio between the first and second electromagnetic coils for maintaining the compound magnetic axis in a pre-specified orientation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 2 in which said pre-specified ratio of currents is a time-varying ratio of currents.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 2 in which said pre-specified ratio of currents is a constant ratio of currents.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 2 in which said pre-specified orientation of the compound magnetic axis encompasses a full angular range of 360 degrees.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 5 in which said first and second magnetic axes are separated by at least 30 degrees.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 including the further steps of mounting the substrate within a substrate processing chamber and processing a first layer of magnetic film on the substrate's surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method of claim 7 in which said step of regulating the relative amounts of electrical currents includes delivering the currents in a first pre-specified ratio between the first and second electromagnetic coils for producing a first compound uniaxial magnetic field that orients magnetic domains of the first layer of magnetic film along a first compound magnetic axis.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 8 including the further step of processing a second layer of magnetic film on the substrate's surface.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method of claim 9 in which said step of regulating the relative amounts of electrical currents also includes delivering the currents in a second pre-specified ratio between the first and second electromagnetic coils for producing a second compound uniaxial magnetic field that orients magnetic domains of the second layer of magnetic film along a second compound magnetic axis that is oriented differently than the first compound magnetic axis.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 10 in which the magnetic domains of the first and second layers of magnetic film are oriented along the different first and second compound magnetic axes without removing the substrate from the substrate processing chamber.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1 in which the common core has a first pair of parallel sides wrapped by the first electromagnetic coil, a second pair of parallel sides wrapped by the second electromagnetic coil, and corners between the sides.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 12 in which coolant channels are formed within the core, and further comprising the step of connecting the coolant channels to a supply of coolant through the corners of the common core.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 12 in which magnetically permeable posts are mounted in the corners of the core, and further comprising the step of adjusting the height of the corner posts above the common core to minimize skew of the compound uniaxial magnetic field.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 11 in which the step of orienting includes orienting a plate-shaped electromagnet having first and second electromagnetic coils wrapped in different directions around a plate-shaped core parallel to a plane of the substrate's surface.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3077444A
Cited
US3336154A
Cited
US4094764A
Cited
US4155825A
Cited
US4247383A
Cited
US4404534A
Cited
US4581118A
Cited
JPS60173819A
Cited
US4595482A
Cited
JPS61161704A
Cited
US4673482A
Cited
JPS62232911A
Cited
US4871433A
Cited
US4853102A
Cited
US4865709A
Cited
US4810346A
Cited
US4849250A
Cited
US5117212A
Cited
US5061838A
Cited
US5006219A
Cited
US5006218A
Cited
JPH0356671A
Cited
JPH0387365A
Cited
US5026470A
Cited
US5045166A
Cited
US5616370A
Cited
US5367277A
Cited
US5460684A
Cited
US5902466A
Cited
US5630916A
Cited
JP3056671B2
Cited
US5858180A
Cited
US5612098A
Cited
US6051113A
Cited
US6042707A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-10-03 | 2004-04-03 | 2004-10-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-10-03 | 2008-04-03 | 2008-10-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-10-03 | 2012-04-03 | 2012-10-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |