JPH0236675B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a high speed sputtering device for extending the life of a target. The method of the invention is suitable for sputtering a wide variety of materials in magnetically enhanced and other types of sputtering equipment.

In sputtering technology, a major problem that limits target life is target corrosion. Another problem is target overheating, which can be suppressed by lowering the power density, for example. However, this solution reduces the rate of material deposition. Furthermore, when sputtering a magnetic material with a magnetically enhanced sputtering device, the target must be made relatively thin in order to prevent the plasma confinement magnetic field from deflecting, thereby degrading the plasma. Since known devices for sputtering magnetic and non-magnetic materials have the above-mentioned drawbacks,
Performance is limited because work must be frequently interrupted to replace the target material.

For example, the low sputtering speeds of currently available known equipment are particularly disadvantageous in continuous operations as applied to the manufacture of magnetic recording/playback tapes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a high speed sputtering apparatus with a long target life.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a high speed sputtering apparatus in which a target is continuously fed so that only a relatively small portion of the target is exposed to the plasma for a given period of time.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a high performance sputtering apparatus which has excellent target cooling efficiency and therefore is capable of increasing cathode/target current density.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sputtering device suitable for use in direct current (DC) or radio frequency (RF) biased sputtering equipment, including magnetic intensifiers and other types of sputtering techniques, which An object of the present invention is to provide a high performance sputtering apparatus that uses a movable target that is continuously delivered to a confinement area.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a high speed magnetically enhanced sputtering apparatus comprising a movable target made of long-life magnetic material and which does not deflect the surrounding plasma confinement magnetic field.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an efficient sputtering apparatus having the above-mentioned characteristics and suitable for depositing magnetic material on a workpiece at high speed, such as when manufacturing products such as magnetic tape. It's about doing.

The above objects and other objects can be achieved by an apparatus for sputtering a predetermined target material onto a workpiece in a vacuum at high speed, which comprises an anode and a movable cathode according to the invention in a vacuum chamber. An active plasma is formed between both electrodes. The movable cathode/target is provided away from the object to be processed. Additionally, means are provided for moving the cathode/target relative to the active plasma so that during the sputtering operation, a portion of the cathode/target is located within the active plasma for a predetermined period of time, and a remaining continuous portion is located outside the active plasma. .

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. First, the entire apparatus according to the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG.
Details of each embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8a.

As shown in Figure 1, vacuum tight
The vacuum chamber 26 is surrounded by a housing which is attached to the base plate 3 and is grounded, but this structure is conventional. Each vacuum chamber 26 is connected to a vacuum pump 5 and a gas source 23 of a suitable gas, for example argon. A workpiece 27 to be sputtered with a target material is mounted on a base 28 away from the sputtering gun device 22. The object 27 may be of a fixed type, such as a flexible tape made of a suitable plastic material known from magnetic tape manufacturing, or it may be of a movable type. Plastic tape-like movable target 27
If used, it can be guided onto the base 28 between two corresponding reels 9, which can be protected from sputtering by shields 29, as shown in phantom in FIG. The sputtering gun 22 has a movable - more on this later - cathode 10 and anode 8. Depending on the application, instead of powering the anode 8, a DC voltage device or an RF voltage device (not shown in FIG. 1 for simplicity of illustration) may be connected to the workpiece 2.
It is also possible to connect to 7, 28. In this case, as is well known, these objects to be treated serve as anodes for sputtering. An electric field is applied between anode 8 and cathode 10 in the direction shown by arrow 101.

Depending on the application, cathode 10 may be constructed entirely of a target material selected for sputtering onto a workpiece. Alternatively, only the surface portion of the cathode 10 may be made of the target material, and the other portions may be made of a suitable different material. For ease of explanation, in the following description the term "cathode/target" will be used to refer to these different embodiments of the cathode.

A special and important feature of the invention is an anode;
The object of the invention is to create a high-energy glow discharge, also called active plasma, between the cathode and the movable cathode. As shown in FIG. 1, the feature that the cathode is movable is that, for example, a movable ribbon-shaped cathode/target 10 is formed between two feed reels 11 and a take-up reel 12. In the path of the ribbon cathode/target 10, the ribbon cathode/target 10 is placed close to the anode 8, but at a predetermined interval.
There are guide (or drive) rollers 33, 34 and a cooling support structure 15 for slidingly guiding the 0. Such an arrangement is necessary in certain special sputtering applications. A suitable DC or RF potential source is connected to both the anode 8 and the cathode 10 to create a glow discharge between the electrodes. That is, a high temperature, high energy plasma is generated in the interelectrode region 44 by accelerated particles of a suitable inert gas from the gas source 23. In accordance with the present invention, the ribbon anode 10 is continuously moved through the hot plasma so that only a relatively small portion of the cathode/target 10 is exposed to the conditions within the plasma at any given time. In addition to the cooling structure 15, a separate radiative cooling device 3 is provided outside the plasma region 44 and along the path of the movable cathode 10.
5 will be provided. As a result, the cooling (efficiency) of the ribbon cathode/target is considerably improved over conventional devices in which the cathode/target is fixed, and thus the current density and sputtering speed of the device of the present invention are considerably increased, and the operating Do not be subject to unreasonable time restrictions. To prevent sputtering outside the desired area, shields 2, 29, 43 are used, which will be explained in more detail later.

When sputtering magnetic materials using magnetically enhanced sputtering techniques, additional advantages can be obtained by making the cathode/target material mobile. In particular, in the present invention, the thickness is relatively 100 (second
Magnetic targets in the form of thin flexible ribbons, hollow drums, or discs, eg, from about 1 to 50 mils (see Figure), can be utilized. Such a thin target can be easily superdensed by a plasma confinement magnetic field to obtain a glow discharge of the desired concentration and to control the glow discharge as desired, thus adjusting the desired sputtering conditions. can be produced. A further advantage is that it is possible to select the speed of the movable target depending on the required current density and to adapt the cooling rate to the material of the target. Therefore, as the current density required per unit surface of the target increases, the speed of the movable target can be increased and overheating can be prevented. This will be explained in more detail later.

FIG. 2 shows the first
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the sputtering gun device 22 shown in the figure. The device consists of an inner vacuum chamber 1 surrounded by an outer shield 2 having a side wall 2a, a top wall 2b and part of a base plate 3. An opening 2c is formed by the upper wall 2b, and the shape of this opening may be circular, rectangular, or any other suitable shape. As shown in solid line 40 in FIG. 1, opening 2c acts as an orifice for particles of target material to be accelerated by the sputtering gun and deposited on stationary or movable workpiece 27. The object to be processed 27 is provided at a predetermined distance from the opening 2c as desired. Preferably, the outer shield 2, base plate 3, and housing 21 are constructed of a non-magnetic conductive material such as stainless steel or aluminum, and are grounded. Therefore, the above member 2,
3 and 21 must be electrically insulated by known means from other members in the vacuum chamber 26 that have a high anode or cathode potential. As previously mentioned, conduit 4 connects vacuum pump 5 to vacuum chamber 26 and conduit 47 connects a source 2 of a suitable inert gas, e.g. argon.
3 to vacuum chamber 1. As can be clearly seen in FIG. 1, there is provided within the vacuum chamber 1 a stationary anode 8, preferably formed in the form of two parallel rods, made of a suitable steel material, for example. The cathode/target 10 is provided with its surface parallel to the anode 8 and at an appropriate distance therefrom. The entire ribbon cathode 10 is preferably composed of a magnetic metal material, for example 80% cobalt and 20% nickel, which is deposited on the workpiece 27 by sputtering (FIG. 1). In order to obtain the desired supersaturation state in the preferred embodiment of the magnetically enhanced sputtering apparatus, the thickness of the cathode/target 10 must be 1
00 should be relatively thin (approximately 1-50 mils). However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration, but can also be applied, for example, as is well known, to configurations in which only one side of the cathode, ie, the side facing the anode, is made of the target material.

The ends of the ribbon 10 are each wound on reels 11, 12, away from the anode 8, on two corresponding reversible feed/take-ups provided at the lower end of the inner vacuum chamber 1.
The reels 11, 12 may be driven together, such as by a belt drive 13 including a suitable reversible motor 14, or the reels 11, 12 may be driven individually by separate reel drive motors (not shown). It may be driven. However, other suitable drive systems are also applicable.

In the vicinity of the anode 8 where the ribbon 10 passes through the hot plasma region 44, the frame 16 and the ribbon 1
It is supported by a cooling support structure 15 (FIG. 3) having a top plate 17 in sliding contact with the cooling support structure 15 (FIG. 3). The support structure is made of a non-magnetic conductive material such as stainless steel or aluminum. The coolant conveying pipe 18 can be formed by, for example, creating a suitable flow path in the upper plate 17 using a drill or the like, or
It can be made by contacting the outside of this with this. In either case, the ribbon 10 can be cooled most effectively.
A suitable cooling liquid, such as cooling water, is applied to the end 19,
20 to tubes 18, which are connected by suitable tubes (not shown). As is well known, the ends 19, 20 are preferably connected to an external cooling system.

As is well known, permanent magnets 30 are utilized to confine the active plasma within region 44 to enhance sputtering. However, the sputtering method and apparatus of the present invention is applicable not only to magnetically enhanced systems, but also to diode, triode, and other types of known sputtering techniques.
As previously discussed, the present invention contemplates the use of a wide variety of target materials, including magnetic materials. In a preferred embodiment, the magnet 30 used to intensify the active plasma has a width of ribbon 10, as best seen in FIG.
It is shaped like a bar with a width equivalent to . As shown by magnetic flux lines 48, also by Brian Chapman, John
“Glow Discharge” by Villey and Sons.
The orientation of the magnets 30 is selected to provide the desired magnetic field within the plasma region 44, as described in "Processess", New York 1980, p. 268. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the direction of the magnetic flux lines 48 is approximately perpendicular to the direction of the electric field indicated by arrow 101 in FIGS. 1 and 2. Arrow 102 indicates the direction of the magnetic field created by magnet 30.

The movable cathode 10 is connected to a shielded power line 3 conductively connected to a support structure 15, for example by soldering.
2 to an external high voltage direct current (DC) source or radio frequency (RF) source 31.

Guide rollers 3 which also act as drive rolls and may also include pinch rollers shown in phantom
3 and 34 on both sides of the cooling support structure 15,
Depending on the purpose of sputtering, the ribbon cathode 8 is guided along a predetermined path while being in contact with the upper plate 17 at a desired distance from the anode 8.

Importantly, rollers 33, 34, 58, 59 and any other suitable elements (not shown) that may be necessary to convey flexible ribbon 10 along a predetermined path with the required precision are provided. is designed to apply the necessary tension to the ribbon 10 without twisting, bending, or distorting the target surface.

As shown in FIG. 2, for example, radiator cooling platters may be provided on one or both sides of the ribbon path outside the active plasma region 44.
Preferably, the ribbon 10 is further cooled by a cooling device such as platters 35. It is also possible to cool these platters 35 by circulating a suitable cooling liquid through tubes 36, 37, each connected to an external cooling system (not shown). If further cooling is desired, separate cooling tubes 38, 39 are installed inside the rollers 33, 34 in the manner described for the cooling devices 18 and 35.
may be provided. Also, as is well known, each tube 19, 2 may be connected to one or more external cooling devices (not shown) provided externally to the housing 21.
It is also possible to connect 0, 36, 37, 38 and 39. Furthermore, necessary connecting pipes and connections 4, 7, 32, 47 provided between the inside (for example 26) and the outside of the vacuum chamber are provided as shown in the figure.
It should be easy to understand that it is necessary to seal with the airtight seal 45.

Device 41 for continuously measuring the thickness of ribbon 10
A device 42 for sensing the end of the ribbon 10 can be provided at one or both ends of the path of the ribbon 10. Both devices 42, 42 may be of the conventional non-contact type, utilizing optics, such as those commonly used in magnetic tape and similar applications. For example, the ends of the ribbon 10 supported by the reels 11, 12 may be porous or transparent. When the end of the tape approaches the sensing device 42, the transparent area is detected and a control signal is sent to the reversible motor 14 to reverse its rotation and thus change the direction of tape travel between the reels 11, 12. Invert. It is likewise possible to provide a measuring device 41 which generates a control signal indicating that the target must be replenished when the thickness of the ribbon 10 reaches a predetermined minimum value.

Preferably, a grounded protective shield 43 is provided within the inner vacuum chamber 1 and connected to the shield 2, as shown in FIG. Preferably, the shield 43 is made of stainless steel or aluminum,
This helps maintain the desired pressure differential between the outer chamber 26 and the inner chamber 1, as explained below. Preferably, the pressure difference is created by supplying argon under a predetermined pressure from a gas source 23 connected into the inner vacuum chamber 1 via a throttle valve 25. The pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 is considerably higher than in the outer chamber 26, which is maintained by a vacuum pump 5 and a throttle valve 24 connected thereto. For example, the pressure in the outer chamber 26 is 0.1 to 5×
10 ^-6 millitorr, that of vacuum chamber 1 is 10~
It is 300 millitorr. Therefore, each member 11, 12, which is provided within the vacuum chamber 1 by the shield 43 but is not directly included within the active plasma region 44,
33, 34, 35, etc. from unwanted sputtering of the target material.

Anode 8, active plasma region 4 at a given moment
A portion of the ribbon cathode/target 10 residing within the shield 43 and a cooled support structure 15 having the magnet 30 and supporting said portion of the ribbon 10 are each provided within the shield 43. As explained before,
From the ground shield to the housing 2 by known technology
It is necessary to electrically insulate all the parts provided within 1. For example, each member to be insulated from the ground shield may be mounted on an insulating support bracket of a non-conductive material such as a suitable ceramic material.

This results in particular in the openings 46 provided in the shield 43 through which the ribbons 10 are respectively subjected to the high potential of the cathode in a well-known manner.
It is necessary to provide sufficient insulation from the shield 43 at 50. If desired, a second argon source 6 may be provided with a conduit 7 extending directly into the area surrounded by shield 43, as shown in FIG.

Furthermore, instead of using reversible feed/take-up reels 11, 12 and reversing the tape path each time an end of the tape is detected by detection device 42, The ribbon 10 may be formed as an endless tape that runs in a fixed direction until the detected thickness 100 reaches a minimum value.

Referring now to FIG. 4, an alternative embodiment of the cooling support structure 15 of FIG. 2 is illustrated. In FIG. 4, a basically U-shaped permanent magnet surrounds the active plasma 44 by means of an electromagnet 51, with south poles 52 and north poles 53 on either side of the plasma 44 and over the entire width of the ribbon 10. It is set up across the board. The magnets 52, 53 direct the magnetic field in the direction shown by the arrow 102, which is approximately parallel to the plane of the ribbon cathode/target 10 and thus perpendicular to the direction of the electric field 101 between the anode 8 and cathode 10. give. Magnet 51 is attached to a non-magnetic conductive support structure 54, preferably made of stainless steel, aluminum, or the like. This structure 54 also acts as a protective shield. The movable ribbon 10 is a support 5
It is supported by a flat upper surface 55 at the center of 4.

A tube 56 driving a suitable cooling liquid, such as water,
For the most efficient cooling, ribbon 10
It is provided immediately below the upper surface 55 in the vicinity of. Shield 57 surrounds support structure 54, magnet 51, anode 8 and a portion of movable cathode/target 10. The shield 57 of FIG. 4 basically corresponds to the inner shield 43 of FIG. As already mentioned when explaining FIG. 2, it functions to maintain the pressure difference.

It should be noted that the configurations of the support structure shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are only two examples of the many configurations obtainable by the present invention.

Next, a preferred method of high speed sputtering according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. First, before starting sputtering, turn on the vacuum pump 5 and fill the outer chamber 26 with a
Make a low pressure of 5 millitorr or less. After this, the inner chamber 1 is charged with argon from the gas source 23 to create a pressure higher than the pressure in the outer chamber 26, for example 20 millitorr or more. If desired, additional argon can be charged into space 44 from gas source 6. It goes without saying that the above pressure value changes depending on the purpose of sputtering. Turn on one or more external cooling devices and supply cooling liquid cooled to the desired low temperature to the tubes (19, 20, 36 in Figure 2).
to some or all of 39).

Turn on the motor 14 and move the rollers 33,
58, 59, 34, a cooling plate 17, and a cooling platter 35. roller 3
3 and 34, the corresponding motors (not shown) are also driven.

The running speed of the ribbon 10 is selected so as to satisfy the cooling conditions required depending on the target material of the ribbon cathode 10 and to obtain the current density necessary for the desired sputtering speed.

According to the high speed sputtering gun of the present invention, the cathode/target output power ranges from about 500 W to about 5 kW ^per inch of cathode/target.
or higher current densities can be obtained. For comparison, in known equipment the flow density is ^{approximately}
Limited to 250W. Also, depending on the material, size, current density and other characteristics of the ribbon, as well as the sputtering equipment and its purpose, the speed of the movable ribbon 10 can be 5 inches per minute or more to obtain the required cooling. .

Once the conditions necessary for the desired sputtering have been established in the vacuum chamber, including the desired pressure difference, cooling conditions, and other known required sputtering conditions, the power supply 31 (FIG. 2) is turned on, and the cathode 10 and A desired DC or RF voltage is sent to the anode 8 to cause a glow discharge between the electrodes. In other words,
In the sputtering apparatus of the invention, the glow discharge occurs in the space 44 between the anode 8 and the part of the movable cathode/target 10 which is supported on the plate 17 and which is always present within the active plasma 44. As the cathode/target 10 travels continuously through the active plasma, target material within the plasma region is continuously replenished. In other words, ribbon/
The target material can be cooled as desired by selecting the target speed, desired current density, and other relevant parameters depending on the target material.

For example, as can be clearly seen from FIG. 3, the -
DC voltage from 500V to -4kV and +500V at the anode
Apply a DC voltage of ~+4kV. The object to be processed 27 is maintained at zero potential. Depending on the purpose, the object to be processed 2
It is also possible to maintain 7 at an anodic potential, in which case no anode is needed. In the latter case, a potential and an active plasma are formed and maintained between the portion of the cathode 10 supported by the support structure 15 and the object 27 to be processed. In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 2, the cable 32 is connected to the movable ribbon via the conductive cooling frame 15 and thus the conductive plate 17 of the frame 15, as previously mentioned. For example, as the object to be processed 27
When using a continuously running plastic tape such as MYLAR tape, apply -2000 VD.C. and +2000 VD.C. to the cathode and anode, respectively. When utilizing the magnetic metal material described above for the ribbon cathode/target of FIG. 2, the deposition rate obtained with the sputtering gun of the present invention is 2
The sputtering speed reaches as high as 10 ⁴ Å/min, which is twice that of the known sputtering process used in the manufacture of magnetic tapes.

Thus, the present invention significantly improves cathode/target cooling over known devices, resulting in increased cathode/target current densities and faster sputtering rates. In addition, when using a fixed target, the amount of material sputtered and the length of operation time are significantly increased and extended compared to a fixed target. This is because cooling the target extends its lifespan.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of a sputtering gun device 22 according to the present invention; for the sake of simplicity, similar parts are designated by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. In this embodiment,
In place of the ribbon 10 of FIG. 2, a continuously rotating hollow drum 60 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the drum surface) is used as the movable cathode/target. In particular, the embodiment of FIG. 5, when used in the form of a flexible ribbon, may be used when the target is comprised of a material that is susceptible to mechanical damage due to its brittleness or failure due to fatigue, or a material that is inflexible and brittle. Although it is suitable if there are any Examples of such materials are tungsten, ferrite, and similar hard brittle materials.

For example, drum 60 can be made by vacuum casting tungsten or cobalt to obtain a relatively thin, hollow drum-like uniform structure of the desired thickness using known techniques. Similar to the support structure 15 of FIGS. 2 and 3, the cooling support structure 61
supports the drum 60. However, the curvature of the upper plate 62 of the support structure 61 is
Corresponds to a curvature of 0. This feature provides good contact with the movable drum surface 60 and therefore good cooling. The cooling support structure 61 slidably supports the rotating drum surface 60. Cooling tube 18, magnet 30, anode 8 and shield 43 are provided in FIG. 5 as described for sputtering gun apparatus 22 of FIG. Preferably, the drum 60 is driven by drive rollers 63, 64 located on both sides of the protective shield 43 and on the outside. If desired, pinch rollers 65, 66, shown in phantom in FIG. 5, may be used to prevent slippage between the drive rollers 63, 64 and the drum surface 60. Drive rollers 63 and 64 are indicated by arrow 69
The drum 60 can be driven by a suitable motor (not shown) to rotate the drum 60 in the direction shown or in the opposite direction.

Adjacent to the rotating drum surface 60 are fixed cooling plates 67, 68, preferably of the radiator type, similar to the cooling plate 35 of FIG. The cooling plates 67, 69 are curved to fit the drum surface 60 for more efficient cooling. Note that, depending on the size of the object to be processed and other parameters related to the purpose of sputtering, a drum length and drum diameter of, for example, several inches may be adopted.

Figures 6A and 6B are schematic diagrams of another embodiment of the invention. More specifically, the sputtering gun apparatus 22 according to this embodiment has a movable cathode/target formed in the shape of a continuously rotating disk 70 having a desired thickness of 100 mm.
and is entirely composed of a predetermined target material. For example, the disk 70 is rotated by a shaft 77 connected to a suitable motor 78 known for rotating rotary tables.
The cooling plates 71, 72 can be provided on both sides of the disk 70, adjacent to predetermined portions thereof. The remainder of movable disk 70 is spaced apart from anode 74 and slidably supported by contact cooling support structure 73. Preferably circular anode 74 is similar to anode 8 of FIG. Cooling support structure 73 is also similar to structure 61, except that it has a flat top surface 79. The cross section of the anode 74 may be circular or rectangular. The cooled support structure 73 may be provided with magnets (not shown) for creating a magnetic field 102 that enhances the active plasma 44, as previously described with respect to FIGS. 2 or 5.
A DC or RF voltage is applied to rotating disk cathode 70 and anode 74 from a power supply corresponding to power supply 31 of FIG. 2 to create electric field 101 as previously described. The cooling plates 71, 72 and the adjacent portions of the movable disk 70 cooled by these are each surrounded by a ground protection shield 76. The entire sputtering gun apparatus shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B is placed in a vacuum chamber corresponding to outer chamber 26 in FIG. Other elements that create the conditions necessary to effect a glow discharge in the region 44 between the anode 74 and the cathode 70 of the embodiment of FIGS. 6A and 6B are shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5. Similar to that of the embodiment.

In the sputtering method of FIGS. 6A and 6B, a disk cathode/target 70 is rotated by a motor 78 at a predetermined speed as indicated by arrow 75 to connect each cooling structure 73 and, if desired, a cooling plate 71. , 72 provide the necessary cooling. Thus, in the embodiment of FIGS. 6A and 6B, a portion of the rotating disk cathode/target 70 is always present within the plasma region 44 during operation, while the remaining continuous portion is cooled outside of the plasma region. In this way, the rotating disk can be cooled most efficiently. The rotational speed, disk diameter and thickness may be selected depending on the desired current density, sputtering speed, target life, etc., as well as the required cooling. In most cases, the surface speed of disk 70 is 5 inches/
More than a minute.

In particular, the embodiment of FIGS. 6A and 6B is particularly suitable for applications where target materials cannot withstand bending stresses, such as, but not limited to, the ribbon cathode target of FIG. . As is well known, the disk 70 may be made of tungsten or cobalt, for example, by vacuum casting.

In one example, disk 70 is several inches or more in diameter and rotates at a speed of 1 to 300 rpm. Also, if a voltage of 500V to 4kV is applied to the disk,
A sputtering rate of 2×10 ⁴ Å/min or higher can be obtained.

A person skilled in the art will be able to convert any of the anode, object and shield into a cooling structure by well-known means within the scope of each of the embodiments described above.

Although the embodiments of FIGS. 2-6B have been described using, for example, magnetically enhanced sputtering techniques, other types of sputtering techniques are also applicable to these and other embodiments. Instead of using the magnetic structure of FIGS. 3 and 4, as is the case, for example, in known triode sputtering devices, it is also possible to use a separate anode together with the hot filament to enhance the sputtering. It is.

As can be seen from the explanation of Figures 1 and 2, the fifth
Drum 60 in the figure and disk 70 in figures 6A and 6B
When the material is a magnetic material, it is desirable that the thickness of the target is, for example, about 1 to 50 mils.
In this way, the desired supersaturation can be obtained.

FIG. 7 shows a sputtering gun device 22 of the present invention.
2 shows yet another embodiment of the invention. 8A and 8B are 8A-8 corresponding to the plane 80 in FIG.
It is a cross-sectional view about the A line. The sputtering gun apparatus 22 of FIG. 7 comprises an anode 81 and a rod-shaped movable cathode/target 82 having its longitudinal axis 83 substantially perpendicular to a plane 80 intersecting the anode 81. Cathode 82 is preferably constructed of a magnetic material that forms an electromagnet with coil 99 shown in FIG. The top pole 84 of the cathode 82, preferably the south pole 84, is located at its surface 10.
5 is provided close to the anode 81 at a predetermined distance, while the N electrode 95 is formed at the lower end of the reaction side of the rod 82.

In the embodiment of FIG. 7, south pole 84 forms part of a magnetic circuit that enhances sputtering. The remainder of the magnetic circuit consists of magnet 8 as shown in Figure 8A.
Formed by 6. Alternatively, it may be formed of a plurality of U-shaped magnets 86a, as shown in FIG. 8B. The anode 81 and the magnetic pole 84 of the cathode 82 are surrounded by a U-shaped magnet 86 or 86a. magnet 8
6 or 86a so that the south pole 89 is on the side of the anode 81 adjacent to the south pole 84 of the movable cathode 82, and the north pole 90 is on the opposite side of the anode 81.

Cathode 82 may be constructed of a suitable magnetic alloy, such as cobalt, iron, nickel, chromium, or a magnetic target material. Alternatively, cathode 82 can be made of a non-magnetic target material such as copper or aluminum, or a suitable non-magnetic alloy. In the latter case, however, as previously mentioned, it is necessary to provide the magnet 86 so as to obtain a stronger magnetic field containing a magnetic flux 86 of the desired strength in a direction substantially parallel to the axis 83. The diameter and length of rod 82 may be selected from the range of 0.25 to several inches and several inches, respectively. For example, a shield 87 made of stainless steel or aluminum is connected to the electrode 8.
1, 84 and magnet 86 or 86a to protect each magnet from sputtering. Shield 87 is preferably grounded and may be cooled if desired.

The rod 82 is advanced in the direction of arrow 92 using the rod advancement mechanism 91. For example, this mechanism 91 may be constructed by a rack/pinion mechanism, a screw, or other known means. This mechanism can be controlled manually or by a suitable motor 92 connected to a suitable control device (not shown). Rod 82 is slidably supported by an insulating sleeve 93 made of a heat resistant material, such as a suitable ceramic material. If desired, the insulating sleeve 93 can also be provided as a cooling device, in which case a suitable cooling liquid (not shown) can be provided, as in the previous embodiments.
Drive this.

As before, the power supply 31 may be connected to the end 95 of the rod 82 by means of a shielded power supply line 32. Other elements of FIG. 7 that are similar to those in the preferred embodiment described above will not be described here.

Now, the sputtering method according to the embodiment of FIGS. 7, 8A, and 8B will be described.
When the conditions necessary for sputtering are created in the vacuum chamber 26 of FIG. 1, a glow discharge or active plasma is created between the anode 81 and the surface 105 of the upper end 84 of the rod cathode/target 82. As the surface 105 of the cathode 82 is gradually eroded by sputtering, the mechanism 91 moves in the direction of the arrow 92.
The cathode 82 advances through the active plasma.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 7, 8A, and 8B, a high intensity magnetic field of, for example, 2000 Gauss or more is obtained. It is highly advantageous that only the surface portion of the cathode 82 is eroded within the plasma 44 while other portions are outside the active plasma. In addition, the cathode 8
It is also very advantageous that the eroded portion of 2 is continuously replenished by advancing the rod 82 into the plasma. The embodiments of FIGS. 7, 8A, and 8B, as pointed out in the explanation of FIG.
As may occur, this is particularly advantageous when using target materials that are susceptible to mechanical failure, for example due to brittleness or fatigue damage, when subjected to an action such as bending.

The apparatus and method according to the embodiments of FIGS. 7, 8A, and 8 provide a movable cathode/
The apparatus and method are similar to the previously described embodiments in that the target 82 can be applied and the target material can be continuously replenished. The difference, however, is that when the cathode 82 is constructed of magnetic material, it is not oversaturated by the magnetic field, thereby forming the active portion of the magnetic structure used to enhance sputtering. The end 84 of rod 82 within the active plasma experiences high temperatures, but in the preferred embodiment this portion 84 is not cooled. Preferably, rod 82 cools portions outside the plasma region. Furthermore, the rod cathodes of FIGS. 7, 8A, and 8B, instead of allowing passage through the active plasma 44, allow the rods 82 to move into the plasma;
This differs from the previous embodiment in that it is gradually eroded.

It is further advantageous that the magnetic flux density per surface unit of the cross section of the upper end 84 of the rod 82 is very high, and therefore the strength of the magnetic field within the active plasma region 44 is also very high.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 is a schematic diagram of a sputtering apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial view corresponding to a part of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view corresponding to a part of FIG. 2; 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the part shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial view similar to FIG. 2 showing another embodiment of the present invention; and FIG.
Figures A and 6B are schematic top views and cross-sectional views, respectively, showing another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view showing still another preferred embodiment of the invention; FIG. 8B is a partial cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 8A showing an alternative configuration of the FIG. 7 embodiment. 2, 29, 43...Shield, 3...Base plate, 5...Vacuum pump, 8...Anode, 10...
... cathode, 11 ... feed reel, 12 ... take-up reel, 15 ... cooling support structure, 26 ... vacuum chamber, 23 ... gas source, 33, 34 ... guide roller, 15 ... cooling structure , 22... sputtering gun device, 44... plasma region.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An apparatus for high-speed sputtering of a predetermined target material onto an object to be processed in a vacuum, comprising: (a) a vacuum chamber having an anode, a cathode, and a means for creating active plasma between them; (b) ) the cathode is comprised of the predetermined target material and is movable through the plasma region within the vacuum chamber and spaced from the processing body; and (c) the active plasma means for moving said cathode through a region so that a portion of said anode is located within said active plasma region and a remaining continuous portion of said cathode is located outside said active plasma region; High-speed sputtering equipment with special features. 2. Claim characterized in that the means for moving the cathode are continuously moving means, and that the portion of the movable cathode that necessarily lies within the active plasma region is substantially smaller than the remaining continuous portion. Apparatus according to scope 1. 3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that a cooling means is provided close to the movable cathode. 4. The means for creating active plasma includes means for creating an electric field between the anode and the cathode, and the movable cathode having a predetermined thickness is provided within the active plasma region and is substantially parallel to the electric field. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the cathode is movable through the active plasma region in a direction substantially perpendicular to the electric field. 5. The movable cathode is constructed of a magnetic target material, and means are provided for creating a magnetic field in a direction substantially orthogonal to the electric field to enhance the active plasma, and the portion of the target that is within the active plasma region is 5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that it is saturated by the magnetic field. 6. The device of claim 5, wherein the thickness of the target material present at the cathode is less than its length and width. 7. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the cooling means comprises a first cooling means located in close proximity to the portion of the movable cathode that is present in the active plasma region for a predetermined period of time. . 8. A support structure for slidably supporting a portion of the movable cathode that is present in the active plasma region for a predetermined period of time, and the support structure is provided with the first means. Apparatus according to scope 7. 9. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the first cooling means is provided as a conductive cooling means. 10. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said cooling means comprises a second cooling means located adjacent a remaining adjacent portion of said movable cathode that is outside said active plasma region for a predetermined period of time. 11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the second cooling means is provided as a radiation cooling means. 12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising shielding means separating said means for moving said cathode and said second cooling means from within said active plasma region. 13. The cathode has an end, and means is provided for reversing the moving direction of the cathode when a portion of the cathode existing in the active plasma region moves a predetermined distance from the end. An apparatus according to claim 1. 14. Claim 13 further comprising means for monitoring the thickness of said movable cathode, said means being located outside said active plasma region and along the path of said movable cathode. The device described. 15 An apparatus for high-speed sputtering of a predetermined target material onto a workpiece in vacuum, comprising: (a) an anode, a movable cathode provided in the form of a rotating drum surface made of said predetermined target material, and an active plasma between these electrodes; (b) slidably supporting a portion of said rotating drum surface within said active plasma region and maintaining a remaining continuous portion of said drum surface within said active plasma region for a predetermined period of time; (c) means for rotating the drum surface at a predetermined speed; and (c) means for rotating the drum surface at a predetermined speed. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a first cooling means within the support means. 17. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a second cooling means outside the active plasma region and adjacent to the rotating drum. 18. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising shielding means for separating said drum surface rotating means and said second cooling means from said active plasma region. 19. According to claim 15, further comprising means for monitoring the thickness of the rotating drum surface, the monitoring means being provided along the drum surface outside the active plasma region. equipment. 20. Apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that the drum surface is arranged such that the longitudinal axis is substantially perpendicular to the electric field created between the anode and the rotating drum surface. . 21. An apparatus for high-speed sputtering of a predetermined target material onto a workpiece in vacuum, comprising: (a) an anode, a cathode provided in the form of a rotating disk of said predetermined target material, and means for creating an active plasma between these electrodes; (b) slidably supporting a portion of the rotating disk within the active plasma region and positioning a remaining continuous portion of the disk outside the active plasma region for a predetermined period of time; A high-speed sputtering apparatus comprising: support means spaced a predetermined distance from the anode to allow the disk to rotate at a predetermined speed; and means for rotating the disk at a predetermined speed. 22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a first cooling means within the support means. 23. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a second cooling means outside the active plasma region and adjacent to the rotating disk. 24. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising means for separating said means for rotating said disk and said second cooling means from said active plasma region. 25. The invention further comprises means for continuously monitoring the thickness of the rotating disk, the monitoring means being located outside the active plasma region and along the path of the rotating disk. 22. Apparatus according to paragraph 21. 26. Claim 21, characterized in that the rotating disk is arranged such that the flat surface extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the electric field formed between the anode and the rotating disk. The device described. 27 the cathode is made of a magnetic target material;
Further, means are provided for creating a magnetic field to strengthen the active plasma region, and the thickness of the movable cathode is smaller than other dimensions thereof to saturate the target material within the active plasma region. Apparatus according to claim 21.