Teijin Limited

Akio Kushara

Sadao Kadokura

Kazuhiko Honjyo

A method and apparatus for producing a thin film, such as a magnetic thin film and a metallic thin film on a substrate, such as plastic film, by the employment of a pair of opposed targets spaced apart from one another in a vacuum sputtering gas atmosphere, and magnetic field generating units for generating the perpendicular magnetic field extending perpendicularly to the surface of the targets for confining plasma in the space, and a reflecting electrode arranged adjacent to and in front of the magnetic field generating units and around the periphery of the targets for reflecting electrons toward the space between the opposed targets. The magnetic field generating units are arranged around the outer periphery of each of the opposed targets, and are capable of generating an auxiliary magnetic field for capturing the electrons. The combination of the reflecting of the electrons and the auxiliary magnetic field promotes a uniform erosion of the entire surfaces of the targets and enables a control of the thickness of the deposited film on a substrate having a large width.

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Iwakuni, Japan

Akio Kushara