Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.

Aes Global Holdings Pte Ltd.

Douglas Pelleymounter

Uwe Krause

Joshua B Pankratz

A sputtering system and method are disclosed. The system includes first power source coupled between a first and second power leads, and the first power source provides a first voltage that alternates between positive and negative during each of multiple cycles. The system also includes a second power source coupled between the second power lead and a third power lead, and the second power source provides a second voltage that alternates between positive and negative during each of the multiple cycles. A controller of the system controls the first power source and the second power source to phase-synchronize the first voltage with the second voltage, so both, the first voltage and the second voltage, are simultaneously negative during a portion of each cycle and simultaneously positive during another portion of each cycle.

Rate enhanced pulsed DC sputtering system

A coating system that reduces parasitic currents that may cause crazing in coatings on a substrate. In one example, the system includes a pair of low impedance shunt paths to ground for parasitic AC currents generated from the plasma in the chamber. The low impedance shunts may be provided through a balanced triaxial connection between a power supply of each chamber and the magnetrons of each chamber. In another example, potential differences between adjacent chambers are minimized through synchronized power supply signals between chambers.

Apparatus, system and method to reduce crazing

A sputtering system and method are disclosed. The system includes first power source coupled to a first magnetron and an anode, and the first power source provides a first anode voltage that alternates between positive and negative during each of multiple cycles. The system also includes a second power source coupled to the second magnetron and the anode, and the second power source provides a second anode voltage that alternates between positive and negative during each of the multiple cycles. A controller of the system controls the first power source and the second power source to phase-synchronize the first anode voltage with the second anode voltage, so both, the first anode voltage and the second anode voltage, are simultaneously negative during a portion of each cycle and simultaneously positive relative to the first and second magnetrons during another portion of each cycle.

A pulsed direct current sputtering system and method are disclosed. The system has a plasma chamber with two targets, two magnetrons and one anode, a first power source, and a second power source. The first power source is coupled to the first magnetron and the anode, and provides a cyclic first-power-source voltage with a positive potential and a negative potential during each cycle between the anode and the first magnetron. The second power source is coupled to the second magnetron and the anode, and provides a cyclic second-power-source voltage. The controller phase-synchronizes and controls the first-power-source voltage and second-power-source voltage to apply a combined anode voltage, and phase-synchronizes a first magnetron voltage with a second magnetron voltage, wherein the combined anode voltage applied to the anode has a magnitude of at least 80 percent of a magnitude of a sum of the first magnetron voltage and the second magnetron voltage.

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Northfield, MN, United States of America

Douglas Pelleymounter