EP1759036A1

EP1759036A1 - Coating device for coating a substrate and coating method

Info

Publication number: EP1759036A1
Application number: EP05744763A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jörg Vetter
Original assignee: Metaplas Ionon Oberflaechenveredelungstechnik GmbH
Current assignee: Oerlikon Metaplas GmbH
Priority date: 2004-06-24
Filing date: 2005-05-06
Publication date: 2007-03-07
Also published as: WO2006000862A1; EP1609882A1; JP5264168B2; JP2008503652A; US20070256927A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a coating device (1) comprising a process chamber (2) for coating a substrate (S) by cathode sputtering, said process chamber (2) having an inlet (3) and an outlet (4) for a process gas for building up and maintaining a gas atmosphere, and an anode (5) and a cathode (6) with a target (61) from the target material (62) to be sputtered, in addition to an electric power source (7) for generating an electric voltage between the anode (5) and the cathode (6), wherein the electric power source (7) comprises an electric sputtering source (8) by means of which the target material (62) of the cathode (6) is converted into vapor by sputtering. Ionization means (9) for generating an electric ionization voltage (91) is provided so that the sputtered target material (62) can be ionized at least partly, wherein a filter device (10) having a magnetic guidance component (11) is provided, said filter device (10) being configured and arranged in such a way that the sputtered ionized target material (622) is fed through the magnetic guidance component (11) to a surface of the substrate (S) to be coated and the sputtered non-ionized target material (623, 62434) is filtered through the filter device (10) before it reaches the surface of the substrate (S).

Description

Coating apparatus for coating a substrate, and a method for coating

The invention relates to a charging device for coating a substrate, a method for coating, and a coated substrate according to the preamble of the independent claim of the respective category.

For applying layers or layer systems to a wide variety of substrates from the prior art, a whole series of different chemical, mechanical and physical techniques are known, which have their legitimacy depending on the requirements and application and have corresponding advantages and disadvantages.

For applying relatively thin layers, in particular methods are known in which the surface of a target is converted into the vapor form in an arc, wherein the vapor thus formed can then be deposited as a coating on a substrate. Here are the methods of anodic and cathodic vacuum arc evaporation to call. A disadvantage of this method is The fact that in the evaporation of the target, for example, a target containing carbon or a metal such as copper, always macroparticles, so-called droplets occur that must be elaborately filtered out, if, for example, the uniformity of the applied layer highest quality standards. As a rule, the filtering of the droplets is insufficient, which of course negatively affects the quality of the resulting layers.

In particular, for the presentation of ultrathin defect-free layers is therefore often resorting to the known methods of sputtering by means of an ionized process gas, such as argon. These sputtering methods, in their different variants, are familiar to the person skilled in the art under the term "sputtering".

The particle emission of droplets is naturally much lower in sputtering than in arc vaporization, since the target material is rather "gently" released by individual ionized atoms of the process gas under the action of an electric field from the target and converted into the vapor form. That is, during sputtering, the support material is not transferred to the gas phase by melting portions of the surface of the target as in arc vapor deposition.

However, even when sputtering, ie when the surface of a target is sputtered by an ionized process gas, there is a certain risk of particle emissions from parasitic discharges, e.g. by the formation of so-called "microbows" due to more or less spontaneous electrical discharges due to electrically inhomogeneous conditions. Among other things, due to the aforementioned parasitic discharges within the particle emissions, droplets in a size of about 10 nm-500 nm may arise, and the size of the droplets may in certain cases also be significantly larger or smaller.

The abovementioned particle emissions, even if these are significantly lower in comparison to the emissions during arc vaporization in size and in the circumference, are in particular in the production of ultrathin layers, or when extremely smooth surface such as optical or electronic components such as lenses, hard drives, etc. often unacceptable.

The object of the invention is therefore to propose a coating apparatus and a method for coating by means of cathode sputtering with which substrates, in particular optical, micromechanical and electronic components, can be coated substantially defect-free, so that the coated surfaces meet the highest quality requirements.

The objects of the invention which solve these objects in terms of apparatus and method are characterized by the features of the independent claim of the respective category.

The dependent claims relate to particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention.

The coating device according to the invention with a process chamber for coating a substrate by means of cathode sputtering, which process chamber for establishing and maintaining a gas atmosphere has an inlet and an outlet for a process gas, comprises an anode and a cathode with a target of the target material to be sputtered, an electrical energy source for Generating an electrical voltage between the anode and the cathode, wherein the electrical energy source comprises an electrical sputtering source, with which the target material of the cathode can be converted by atomization into a vapor form. Furthermore, ionizing means are provided for generating an electrical ionization voltage, so that the atomized target material is at least partially ionizable, wherein a filter device is provided with a magnetic guide component, which filter device is configured and arranged such that the atomized ionized target material by the magnetic guide component of a Surface of the substrate to be coated can be supplied and the atomized non-ionized target material can be filtered out by the filter device before reaching the surface of the substrate.

With the coating device according to the invention it is thus possible to supply to a surface of a substrate to be coated essentially only the ionized portion of the atomized target material and to filter out non-ionized portions before reaching the substrate to be coated. In particular, this prevents droplet-shaped accumulations of particles, so-called droplets, which have detached themselves from the target at the cathode during the atomization process, from reaching the surface of the substrate. The number of ionized sputtered particles is massively increased by ionizing the sputtered material, most of which is in the gas phase, through the ionizing agents by applying a leaching voltage, thereby increasing the ionized particle content by up to 50%, depending on the process control % and 75%, or more specifically over 75%. This can be achieved by using high, preferably pulsed ionization voltages in the range of, for example, 1000 V for ionization at extremely high electrical currents of, for example, 1000 A. This corresponds to electrical power in the megawatt range, being used with pulse frequencies of the ionization voltage up to a few kHz, preferably with pulse frequencies up to 100Hz, in particular, for example, with a pulse frequency of 50Hz. This sputtering technique, which ionizes sputtered target material of the cathode with the aid of ionizing agents, a process which is also familiar under the term "post-ionization", is often also referred to as "high-performance sputtering", a sputtering technique known per se, which is described, for example, in WO 02/103078 is described in detail, in which with high electrical power, the atomized, often largely electrically neutral material is post-ionized. The ionizing means may, for example, simply comprise a voltage source which is, for example, electrically connected to the anode and the cathode so that, for example, a suitable pulsed voltage can be applied between the anode and the cathode, whereby atomized target material can be ionized. In this case, the sputtering source and the ionizing agent can be formed by one and the same voltage source, which is effected by suitable control and / or regulation of this voltage source, for example alternately or simultaneously atomization of the target and post-ionization of the sputtered material. Of course, it is also possible that two or more voltage sources are used, which are all connected in common between the anode and cathode, where, for example, a voltage source only for atomization of the material and another voltage source is a suitable ionisierungsspannung for post-ionization of the sputtered target material for Provides.

Of course, the ionization means may of course also comprise one or more separate electrodes, so that the electrical ionization voltage is completely or partially isolated from the electrical sputtering source. For example, the ionizing means may comprise a galvanically separated from the anode and the cathode electrode system to which the electrical ionisierungsspannung can be applied for post-ionization.

The examples of ionizing agents explained above are, of course, to be understood only by way of example, ie this listing of examples of possible embodiments of ionizing agents is in no way conclusive. Rather, it is essentially only important that a sufficient degree of ionized target material is provided by the ionizing agent, which can then be guided by means of the magnetic guiding component for coating onto the substrate. In very special cases, the post-ionization, for example, by other ionization sources, such as ionizing radiation, such as X-rays, laser radiation or can be achieved in other ways.

By massively increasing the degree of ionization of the sputtered target material to a value of e.g. 70% ionized target material, one obtains a sufficiently high yield of coating material, which can be guided by the magnetic guide component of the inventive filter device for coating the substrate on the surface in a predeterminable way. The non-ionized particles and particles, e.g. the droplets are essentially not influenced by the magnetic field of the magnetic guide component in their movement and are therefore not supplied by the filter device to the substrate to be coated.

In the simplest case, the filter device is simply formed by one or more magnetic field generating sources, which are the magnetic guide components which form a magnetic field designed to guide the ionized sputtered particles, so that they by the magnetic field of the magnetic field generating sources on a predetermined, suitably curved path , are guided on the surface to be coated of the substrate. The non-ionized particles, particularly the droplets which are substantially non-ionized by the electrical ionization voltage, are virtually unaffected by the magnetic field of the magnetic guide components and therefore do not follow the curved path of the magnetic field in their motion, such that the non-ionized particles not reach the surface, but in the process chamber, for example on the walls, or, for example, on suitably mounted collecting devices, for example on collecting trays or collecting trays, are deposited. In a preferred embodiment, the filter device comprises at least one section which is designed in the form of a hose extending along a longitudinal axis and has an inlet opening and an outlet opening for the atomized target material. In this case, the hose may consist of a single section, or of a plurality of composite sections, which may be directly juxtaposed or arranged at a certain distance from each other.

In particular, the tube may consist of a single suitably curved section, the tube being arranged with respect to the target or cathode and with respect to the substrate such that the atomized particles enter the tube through an entrance opening, the ionized ones Particles are guided by the magnetic guide component in the hose so that they leave the tube in the direction of the substrate to be coated again through an outlet opening, so that the ionized particles in the tube can be guided by the magnetic guiding component for coating on the substrate.

The non-ionized particles, such as the droplets, do not follow the curved course and therefore are deposited on the walls of the tube and do not reach the surface of the substrate to be coated. This variant of the coating device according to the invention has, among other things, the particular advantage that the process chamber is not contaminated substantially or only slightly by the target material not deposited on the substrate. Preferably, the tube is arranged in the process chamber so that it can be replaced without dismantling the magnetic guide component.

In a specific embodiment, the hose with target and Zerstäuubungsquelle is configured and arranged so that the hose itself is provided substantially entirely outside the process chamber and the outlet opening of the hose with an opening of the process chamber cooperates such that the ionized target material from the hose into the interior the chamber for coating a arranged in the process chamber substrate is feasible. This variant has the special Advantage that the coating chamber can be kept relatively small and the tube is particularly easy to replace.

If the hose consists of a plurality of individual sections, which are arranged spaced apart, for example, the individual sections as such need not necessarily be curved. Rather, in a specific embodiment, the arrangement of a plurality of sections forms a total of a curved path, which follow by suitable design and arrangement of the magnetic guide component, the ionized particles in the direction of the substrate. The individual sections can be designed individually or even individually, even though the entire arrangement forms a more or less curved path. This makes it possible, for example, in case of maintenance, e.g. to exchange only individual sections. In particular, even complex curved geometries can be easily assembled or disassembled by the sectional construction of the arrangement.

In a preferred embodiment, the hose has at least one bend with a predefinable bend angle with respect to the longitudinal axis in a plane of curvature. Thus, the hose may e.g. be bent at any angle. Special bending angles are below 45 °, between 30 ° and 180 °, preferably between 70 ° and 120 °, in particular, the hose may have a bend of about 90 °.

Particularly good filter results can be achieved if the tube has a more complicated curvature geometry. Thus, the tube may have multiple bends with respect to a plane of curvature, possibly but not necessarily in opposite directions. Also, the tube may have bends with respect to at least two different planes of curvature. Thus, for example, in a predefinable section with respect to the longitudinal axis, a helical curvature is conceivable. In principle, however, any suitable geometry for the curvature of the tube is conceivable, which makes it possible to direct a sufficiently high proportion of the ionized atomized particles onto the substrate to be coated. The hose itself may be of any suitable material depending on the application and requirements and constructed in any suitable manner. Preferably, but not necessarily, the tube is formed of suitable plastics or composites or may be metal or metal mesh, which may be magnetic or non-magnetic. If the hose itself is wholly or partly constructed of magnetic materials, then the hose itself may be part of the magnetic guide component and contribute to the guidance of the ionized particles.

The magnetic guiding component for generating a magnetic guiding field which provides typical field strengths up to a few 1000 Gauss, in particular up to 1000 Gauss, in particular between 10 and 500 Gauss, can e.g. an electric magnetic coil, preferably comprise a Helmholtz coil. In an example that is important for practice, several coils are provided, so that the magnetic field generated by the magnetic guiding component can be adapted particularly well to the ionized particles to be guided. Thus, e.g. Control means may be provided so that the shape and strength of the magnetic guide field generated by the magnetic guide component can be controlled and / or regulated both as a function of location, as well as in dependence on time. So it is e.g. it is possible to selectively control or regulate the amount of coating material which is to reach the substrate per unit of time by correspondingly controlling the magnetic field of the magnetic guiding component, the atomisation of the target being e.g. under stable conditions.

As a result, among other things, it is possible, as will be described in more detail below, to coat various substrates by sputtering one and the same target under different conditions. Or to coat one and the same substrate, for example, from the sputtering of two or more different targets with coating material, wherein the different targets may in particular consist of different target materials and preferably leads from each target a separate filter device to the substrate to be coated. That's it It is possible to coat a substrate simultaneously or successively with different or identical materials, wherein the parameters of the layer to be applied, such as layer thickness, layer composition, physical and chemical properties, etc., can be adjusted in a particularly simple manner by controlling and / or regulating the magnetic guide component ,

In this case, of course, the magnetic guide component for generating a magnetic guide field also comprise one or more permanent magnets or form combinations of coils and permanent magnets or current-carrying wires or any other suitable magnetic field generating component, wherein the magnetic guide component in particular well known to those skilled Polschuhmagneten or any suitable combination may comprise said magnetic guide components.

In a preferred embodiment of the coating device according to the invention, at least one retaining screen is provided as a particle trap for filtering non-ionized sputtered target material. This particle trap can be provided, for example, in the vicinity of the substrate at an outlet opening of the hose of the filter device. Of course, the particle trap may of course also be arranged at any point within the hose or, for example, as a retaining screen at the inlet opening of the hose. In particular, a plurality of particle traps may be provided in a hose. In a specific embodiment, an inner side of the tube has a rib-shaped structure, which rib-shaped structure is designed such that it acts as a particle trap, so that non-ionized target material and / or ionized or non-ionized process gas can be filtered out.

In a particular embodiment, the tube is completely missing and the filter device is formed only from a suitably arranged system of one or more particulate traps in conjunction with the magnetic guide component. It goes without saying that all of the previously described embodiments of particle traps can also be used advantageously in suitable combinations, and the enumeration of possible particle traps is not conclusive.

For controlling and / or regulating the concentration of ionized process gas, e.g. Argon, another noble gas or any other suitable process gas, such. Nitrogen, oxygen, etc., may be provided for neutralizing the process gas, in particular for the neutralization of argon, an electron source for injection of electrons, with which ions of the process gas and / or the sputtered material are neutralized, wherein the neutralization of the sputtered material preferably takes place at the end of the tube or at the end of the magnetic guide component.

In order to optimize the coating process of the substrate with the ionized particles, in a particular embodiment the substrate and / or a substrate holder for the substrate can be set to a predeterminable electrical positive or negative potential.

For specific applications, the process chamber includes a sputtering chamber in which the cathode is disposed and a coating chamber in which the substrate is disposed. The sputtering chamber and the coating chamber are connected to one another by the filter device, although further connections between the sputtering chamber and the coating chamber may also exist. In this case, in the sputtering chamber and in the process chamber, the same gas atmosphere prevail or else the gas atmosphere in the process chamber and in the sputtering chamber may be more or less different as required, and appropriate means may be provided for possibly gaseous atmosphere in the respective ones Chambers separately or jointly to taxes and / or rules. In this case, more than one cathode and / or more than one anode can be provided in one and the same process chamber or in one and the same sputtering chamber, as already explained above, so that, for example, simultaneously or successively different cathodes of the same or different target material can be atomized , so that, for example, a substrate can be coated simultaneously or in a predeterminable sequence with different materials.

Of course, it is also possible that the coating device is designed such that at least two different substrates in one and the same coating chamber or in different coating chambers are coatable.

For this purpose, a coating device according to the invention can comprise more than one sputtering chamber and / or more than one coating chamber.

In principle, all suitable target materials are suitable as target material for coating the substrate, the target preferably comprising carbon or carbon compounds, or else metals or metal alloys, in particular copper.

To improve the sputtering properties of the inventive coating device is preferred, but not necessary, provided a magnet system comprising the cathode and corresponding cooling and holding means, and the magnet system is preferably designed as a magnetron, the magnetron may be a balanced or an unbalanced magnetron. The use and the use of magnetrons of all kinds in the context of the coating technique described here, often referred to as Sputtem, is well known to those skilled in the art and therefore need not be described in detail.

It goes without saying that the coating device according to the invention for coating a substrate is not limited to specific atomization techniques, ie sputtering techniques. Rather, all variants of sputtering can be beneficial in the Coating device according to the invention are used when only the concentration of the ionized sputtered target material can be increased by the ionization to a sufficient predetermined concentration. In particular, the above-explained preferred embodiments of the coating device according to the invention are only exemplary and in no way is this list conclusive. Rather, all meaningful possible combinations of the described embodiments for certain applications are also possible and can be used advantageously for coating substrates.

The method according to the invention for coating a substrate by means of cathode sputtering is carried out in a coating device with a process chamber, the coating device comprising a sputtering chamber having an inlet and an outlet for a process gas in which a gas atmosphere is established. The coating apparatus further comprises an anode and a cathode having a target of a target material which is atomized to coat the substrate and an electrical energy source with which an electrical voltage is generated between the anode and the cathode, the electrical energy source having an electrical sputtering source with which the target material of the cathode is converted by atomization into a vapor form, and ionizing means for generating an electrical ionisierungsspannung is provided, with which the sputtered target material is at least partially ionized. In this case, a filter device is provided with a magnetic guide component, which filter device is designed and arranged such that the atomized ionized target material is at least partially supplied by the magnetic guide component of a surface of the substrate to be coated and the atomized non-ionized target material through the filter device before reaching the Surface of the substrate is filtered out to a predetermined proportion.

According to the invention, a substrate, in particular an optical or electronic component, in particular a computer hard disk, by means of coated coating device according to the invention and / or according to the inventive method. It goes without saying that, of course, in addition to the aforementioned specific examples, all other substrates, such as mechanical and technical components, which highest quality standards are placed on the coated surface or even in the field of aesthetic applications, such as jewelry or ornaments of all kinds the method according to the invention or the coating device according to the invention can advantageously be used.

In this case, the coating device according to the invention and the method according to the invention are in particular in the field of micromechanics, microelectronics, e.g. can be used particularly advantageously in medical technology and / or for coating elements of nanosensors or for nanomotors.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the schematic drawing. Show it:

1 shows a simple embodiment of a coating device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment according to FIG. 1 with a hose; FIG.

FIG. 2a shows a hose arranged outside the process chamber; FIG.

3 shows a filter device with a multiply bent hose;

FIG. 4 shows a coating device with a separate atomization chamber and coating chamber; FIG. 5 shows a coating device with two atomization units;

1 shows a schematic representation of a simple embodiment of a coating device according to the invention, which is referred to below by the reference numeral 1. The coating apparatus 1 for coating a substrate S, e.g. for coating a surface of a computer hard disk S or a sensitive optical component S, comprises a process chamber 2 for establishing and maintaining a gas atmosphere, which process chamber 2 has an inlet 3 and an outlet 4 for a process gas, which in the present case is argon. In the coating apparatus 1, an anode 5 and a cathode 6 are arranged, which is connected to an electrical energy source 7 with electrical sputtering source 8 and form a sputtering arrangement, with which the target material 62 of the cathode 6 can be converted by atomization into the vapor form.

In this process, which is well known as sputtering, ions of the process gas, in this case argon ions, are accelerated in the electric field between anode 5 and cathode 6, the positively charged ions of the process gas encountering the negatively charged cathode 6 and a small number of positively charged target ions 622 produce the target material 62, a much larger number of individual neutral, ie non-ionized atoms 623 of the target material 62 are generated from the target 61 and, for example microbows produce small, substantially uncharged droplets 624 of the target material, so-called droplets 624.

To the electrode pair of anode 5 and cathode 6 is still a pulse-shaped electrical ionisierungsspannung 91, the ionizing means of the 9th is created, created. The ionization voltage 91 is typically up to about 1000 V or more, currents of up to 1000 A or higher may occur, typical pulse frequencies for the ionization voltage 91 being, for example, in the range of 50 Hz. As a result of the applied ionization voltage 91, the non-ionized target atoms 623 knocked out of the target 61 are ionized to a considerable extent so that positively charged target ions 622 are formed from the uncharged target atoms 623. The degree of ionization achieved in this way in the vapor form of the target material can be up to 70% and more with appropriate process control.

Furthermore, in the process chamber 2, the substrate S to be coated is arranged on a substrate holder 100, which can either be electrically insulated or, in particular, electrically conductively connected to a wall of the process chamber 2 or an electrical energy source, which is not shown here.

According to the invention, a filter device 10 is provided which, in the present case, comprises only one magnetic guiding device 11 as an essential component. The magnetic guiding device 11 comprises two pairs of Helmholtz coils, which are designed and arranged such that ionized target ions 622, which penetrate at a speed V from the target into the magnetic guiding field of the magnetic guiding device 11 generated by the Helmholtz coils, pass through the magnetic guiding component 11 a surface of the substrate S are supplied. Uncharged particles and in particular the essentially uncharged droplets 624 can not be influenced by the magnetic guiding field of the guide component 11 in their path and therefore are not impacted by the magnetic guide component 11, ie here by the magnetic guide field generated by the Helmholtz coils, on the surface of the substrate to be coated S guided. Much more The uncharged droplets 624 follow their original direction and either hit one of the Helmholtz coils or are deposited, for example, on a wall of the process chamber, whereby the droplets 624 are filtered out.

FIG. 2 shows a further exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, wherein the filter device 10 comprises, in addition to the magnetic guide components 11, a hose 12 extending along a longitudinal axis L. The ionized target material 622 atomized from the target 61 and the droplets 624 enter the tube 12 through the inlet opening 121. The ionized particles 622 of the target material are guided by the magnetic guide component 11 as in the embodiment of FIG. 1 for coating on the surface of the substrate S, which is arranged in the vicinity of the outlet opening 122 of the tube 12. The substantially uncharged droplets 624 are virtually unaffected in their trajectory by the magnetic guide component 11 and are deposited on an inner wall of the tube 12. By using the tube 14, even better filtering of the droplets 624 is possible.

In this case, the filtering effect can be further improved by the filter device 10 by a more complicated design of the geometry of the tube 12. The tube 12 shown in Fig. 2 in this case has a curvature α of about 90 °. Of course, the angle of curvature α may also have a value greater than or less than 90 ° as required.

FIG. 2 a shows an exemplary embodiment of a coating device 1 according to the invention, in which the tube 12 is arranged outside the process chamber 2. The tube 12 with target 6 and Zerstäuubungsquelle 8 is designed and arranged so that the tube 12 itself is provided substantially entirely outside the process chamber 2 and the outlet opening 121 of the tube 12 cooperates with an opening of the process chamber 2 such that the ionized target material 622 from the tube 12 into the interior of the process chamber 2 for coating in the process chamber. 2 arranged substrate S is feasible. This variant has the particular advantage that the coating chamber 2 can be kept relatively small and the tube 12 is particularly easily replaceable.

Complicated geometries of the tube 12, such as the multiple bent tube 12 shown in FIG. 3, allow the production of highly uniform layers of particularly high quality, as well as droplets which, for example after reflection at a suitable location within the tube 12, form the surface of the substrate S can still reach, in the complicated geometry of the tube 12 of FIG. 3 can also be filtered out. Furthermore, the guide device 10 may additionally comprise one or more retaining apertures 13 as a particle trap. In this case, the retaining panel 13, e.g. be arranged in the tube 12 as shown in Figure 3. In addition, it is possible for the tube to vary in diameter or shape along its longitudinal axis, whereby particle traps can likewise be realized for filtering out unwanted particles, or the tube 12 can have on its inside a ribbed structure which acts as a paticle trap for non-ionized particles.

But also in embodiments of the inventive coating device 1, in which no tube 12 is provided, such. In the coating apparatus 1 according to FIG. 1, suitable retaining apertures 13 may be provided as particle trap for the droplets along the path of the ionized target material 622.

FIG. 4 shows a coating device 1 with a separate atomization chamber 21 and two coating chambers (22, 22 '). exemplified. In the sputtering chamber 21, the anode 5 and the cathode 6 is arranged, so that in the sputtering chamber 21, the target material 62 is atomized and, as already explained in detail, nach¬ ionized. The ionizing means 9 are not shown in FIG. 4 for the sake of clarity. Two substrates S and S 'to be coated are arranged in two different coating chambers 22 and 22'. The sputtering chamber 21 together with the coating chambers 22 and 22 'as a whole, the process chamber 2 of the coating device 1. Each of the chambers may have its own, not shown here inlet 3 and outlet 4 for a process gas. This makes it possible, depending on the requirements in the various chambers to produce different gas atmospheres. In particular, by suitable separate control and / or regulation of the two magnetic guide components 11 and 11 'of the two different filter devices 10 and 10', the coating of the two substrates can be controlled independently of each other and independently of the sputtering of the target 61 in the sputtering chamber 21 that, for example, another coating, for example with different properties or a different composition, than on the substrate S 'is applied to the substrate S. Thus, inter alia, the rate of the ionized particles available for coating can be reduced by partially directing the particle flow in the tube 13, 13 'by suitably setting the magnetic guide field so that it reaches the surface of the substrate S, S'. at a particulate trap, not shown in Fig. 4, or be intercepted by the walls of the tube 13, 13 '.

It is also conceivable that, for example, a special controllable and / or regulatable electron source is provided in the hose or at another suitable location, so that the concentration of the ions 622 of the target material in the hose can be adjusted, whereby the progressing coating process can be set. It goes without saying that, for example, more than two coating chambers can be provided or that different substrates S and S ¹ can be coated by different filter devices 10 and 10 'in a common process chamber, in which possibly also the atomization of anode , Cathode and ionizing agent can be housed.

FIG. 5 shows a coating device 1 with two atomizing arrangements with cathodes 6, 6 'and anodes 5, 5'. For reasons of clarity, the process chamber 2 is shown only hinted. The two sputtering arrangements with cathodes 6, 6 'and anodes 5, 5' can each be accommodated in a separate sputtering chamber 21 (not shown in FIG. 5), the substrate S being arranged in a corresponding separate coating chamber 22, which is shown in FIG. 5 also not shown, can be arranged. It is understood that the two atomization units can also be arranged in a common sputtering chamber 21 and the substrate can be placed in a separate coating chamber 22. In a specific case, the entire arrangement shown in Fig. 5 may also be accommodated in one and the same process chamber 2, or e.g. a sputtering unit may be mounted together with the substrate S in a process chamber, while the second sputtering unit is provided in a separate sputtering chamber 21.

In the exemplary embodiment of a coating device according to the invention according to FIG. 5, the substrate can be coated simultaneously or sequentially with two identical or different materials from two different targets. It is also possible here, depending on the requirements and if the substrate and the atomizing units are arranged in different chambers to produce the same or different gas atmospheres in the different chambers. In particular, by suitable separate control and / or regulation of the two magnetic guide components 11 and 11 "of the two different filter devices 10 and 10 'and / or the two sputtering arrangements, the coating of the substrate independently of one another and independently of the sputtering of the respective other target 61, 61 ', so that a high degree of flexibility is achieved with regard to the layers and their properties to be applied to the substrate, For example, the rate of the ionized particles available for coating from one of the two atomizing units can be reduced by the fact that in the tube 13, 13 'is partially deflected by suitable adjustment of the magnetic guide field of the particle flow so that it is intercepted before reaching the surface of the substrate S at a not shown in Fig. 5 particulate trap or through the walls of the tube 13, 13' or it can, as before explained, an electron source may be provided in the hose.

It goes without saying that e.g. also different substrates S and S 'can be coated, e.g. by combining the embodiment of FIG. 4 with the features of the example of FIG. 5. Also, the substrate S may be coated with more than two sputtering assemblies simultaneously or sequentially.

With the coating device according to the invention for coating a substrate by means of cathode sputtering, a device is thus available with which a wide variety of substrates can be provided with layers which meet the highest quality requirements. In particular, ultra-thin layers, such as those required in electronics, optics, micromechanics, microelectronics, or in nanosensor technology or nanomotive technology, or in aesthetic or other applications, can be made free for the first time by the use of the high-performance sputtering technique known per se Droplets are manufactured whose formation, eg by micro arc discharges, can not be completely prevented even during sputtering. By means of the filter device according to the invention, in particular, these droplets can be reliably filtered out. Due to the fact that substantially only electrically charged ions of the coating material reach the surface of the substrate to be coated by the guiding field of the magnetic guiding component, activation and cleaning of the surfaces to be coated is additionally achievable, so that surfaces of the highest quality with the coating device according to the invention and the method according to the invention , which are practically completely free of defects, even in extremely thin design in the thickness range of a few angstroms to a few nanometers can be produced, with the maximum producible layer thickness of course, in principle, can also be significantly larger.

Claims

claims

A coating apparatus for coating a substrate (1) by sputtering, comprising a process chamber (2) for establishing and maintaining a gas atmosphere having an inlet (3) and an outlet (4) for a process gas, and

- An anode (5) and a cathode (6) with a target (61) from the target material to be sputtered (62);

- An electrical energy source (7) for generating an electrical voltage between the anode (5) and the cathode (6), wherein

- The electrical energy source (7) comprises an electrical sputtering source (8), with which the target material (62) of the cathode (6) can be converted by sputtering in a vapor form,

- And ionizing means (9) are provided for generating an electrical ionisierungsspannung (91), so that the atomized target material (62) is at least partially ionizable,

characterized in that

a filter device (10) with a magnetic guide component (11) is provided, which filter device (10) is designed and arranged such that the atomized ionized target material (622) is guided by the magnetic guide component (11) of a surface of the substrate (1) to be coated. can be fed and the atomized non-ionized target material (623, 624) by the filter device (10) before reaching the surface of the substrate (S) is ausfilterbar.

2. Coating device according to claim 1, wherein the filter device (10) comprises at least one, in the form of along a longitudinal axis (L) extending hose (12) formed portion having a Inlet opening (121) and an outlet opening (122) for the sputtered target material (62).

3. Coating device according to claim 2, wherein the hose (12) with respect to the longitudinal axis (L) in a plane of curvature at least one bend with a predetermined bending angle (α).

A coating apparatus according to any one of claims 2 or 3, wherein the tube (12) has a plurality of bends in opposite directions with respect to a plane of curvature.

A coating apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the tube (12) has bends with respect to at least two different planes of curvature.

6. Coating device according to one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the tube (12) in a predeterminable portion with respect to the longitudinal axis (L) is formed spirally.

7. Coating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the magnetic guide component (11) for generating a magnetic guide field comprises an electric magnetic coil, preferably a Helmholtz coil.

A coating apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the magnetic guide component (11) comprises a permanent magnet for generating a magnetic guide field.

9. Coating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein for filtering non-ionized sputtered target material (623, 624) at least one retaining screen (13) is provided as a particle trap.

10. Coating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein for neutralizing the process gas and / or the sputtered Material, in particular for the neutralization of argon, an electron source for the injection of electrons is provided, with which ions of the process gas can be neutralized.

11. Coating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the substrate (1) and / or a substrate holder (100) is adjustable to a predeterminable electrical positive or negative potential.

12. Coating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the process chamber (2) comprises a sputtering chamber (21), in which the cathode (6) is arranged, and a coating chamber (22), in which the substrate (S) is arranged.

13. Coating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein more than one cathode (6) and / or more than one anode (5) is provided.

14. Coating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the coating device is designed such that at least two different substrates (S) are coatable.

Coating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein more than one sputtering chamber (21) and / or more than one coating chamber (22) is provided.

A coating apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the target (61) comprises carbon or carbon compounds.

17. Coating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the target (61) comprises metals or metal alloys, in particular copper.

18. Coating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, preferably at the cathode (6), a magnetron (600) is provided.

19. Coating device according to one of the preceding claims wherein, preferably at the cathode (6), a balanced magnetron (601) is provided.

20. Coating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, preferably at the cathode (6), an unbalanced magnetron (602) is provided.

21. A method for coating a substrate (S) by sputtering in a coating apparatus (1) comprising

- A process chamber (2) having an inlet (3) and an outlet (4) for a process gas for establishing a gas atmosphere;

- An anode (5) and a cathode (6) with a target (61) of a target material (62), which is atomized to coat the substrate (S);

- An electrical energy source (7), with which an electrical voltage between the anode (5) and the cathode (6) is generated, wherein

- the electrical energy source (7) has an electrical sputtering source (8), with which the target material (62) of the cathode (6) is converted by atomization into a vapor form,

- And an ionizing means (9) for generating an electrical ionisierungsspannung (91) is provided, with which the sputtered target material (62) is at least partially ionized,

characterized in that

a filter device (10) with a magnetic guide component (11) is provided, which filter device (10) is designed and arranged such that the atomized ionized target material (622) the magnetic guide component (11) is at least partially supplied to a surface of the substrate (S) to be coated and the atomized non-ionized target material (623, 624) through the Filterein direction (10) before reaching the surface of the substrate (S) to a predetermined Part is filtered out.

22. Substrate, in particular an optical or electronic component, in particular a computer hard disk, which is coated by means of a coating device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 20 or by a method according to claim 21.