Seagate Technology Incorporated

Conner Peripherals, Inc.

Gary L Payne

Dennis R Hollars

Robert B Zubeck

Delbert F Waltrip

Josef Bonigut

Robert M Smith

David B Pearce

Kenneth Lee

An apparatus in accordance with the present invention provides a single or multi-layer coating to the surface of a plurality of substrates. The apparatus may include a plurality of buffer and sputtering chambers, and an input end and an output end, wherein said substrates are transported through said chambers of said apparatus at varying rates of speed such that the rate of speed of a pallet from said input end to said output end is a constant for each of said plurality of pallets. A high throughput sputtering apparatus having a plurality of integrally matched components in accordance with the present invention may further include means for transporting a plurality of substrates through said sputtering chambers at variable velocities; means for reducing the ambient pressure within said sputtering chambers to a vacuum level within a pressure range sufficient to enable sputtering operation; means for heating said plurality of substrates to a temperature conducive to sputtering said coatings thereon, said means for heating providing a substantially uniform temperature profile over the surface of said substrates; and control means for providing control signals to and for receiving feedback input from, said sputtering chambers, means for transporting, means for reducing, and means for heating, said control means being programmable for allowing control over said means for sputtering, means for transporting, means for reducing and means for heating.

Sputtering magnetron

A high throughput sputtering apparatus which provides a single or multi-layer coating to the surface of a plurality of substrates. The apparatus comprises a plurality of buffer and sputtering chambers which include an input end and an output end. The substrates are transported through the chambers at varying rates of speed such that the rate of speed of a pallet from the input end to the output end is a constant for each of the pallets. The high throughput sputtering apparatus also includes a transport system which transports the substrates through the sputtering chambers at variable velocities, a high capacity vacuum pump system which evacuates the ambient pressure within the sputtering chambers to a vacuum level within a pressure range sufficient to enable sputtering operation, a substrate heating system which heats the substrates to a temperature conducive to sputtering the coatings thereon and provides a substantially uniform temperature profile over the surface of the substrates; and an electronic control system which provides control signals to and for receiving feedback input from other components of the apparatus. The electronic control system is programmable to control the sputtering chambers, the transport system, the vacuum pump system, and the substrate heating system. The substrate heating system efficiently maintains a desired substrate temperature by minimizing radiative heat losses as the substrates proceed through the sputtering apparatus. The high throughput sputtering apparatus provides substrates to be sputtered in a rapid and uniform heating process to optimize film integrity during the sputtering steps, provides successive layers of thin films on the substrates, and removes the sputtered substrates without contaminating the environment.

Heating system for high throughput sputtering

Apparatus and method for high throughput sputtering

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Gary L Payne