Applied Materials Gmbh & Co Kg

Leybold Systems Gmbh

Applied Films Gmbh & Co.

Applied Materials, Inc.

Jörg Krempel-Hesse

Hans Georg Wolf

Rolf Adam

Andreas Jischke

Dieter Haas

Stefan Bangert

Wolfgang Buschbeck

Michael Liehr

Andreas Lopp

Tobias Stolley

Uwe Schüssler

Oliver Heimel

Markus Hanika

Martin Bahr

Hans Buchberger

Uwe Schüβler

Andreas Geiss

Michael Konig

Harald Rost

Jurgen Schroeder

Karl-Albert Keim

Uwe SCHÜßLER

Frank Fuchs

To be able to realize a relatively wide magnetron sputter cathode, it is proposed that on the vacuum side of a carrier () is disposed the sputter target () with a backing plate (), which maintains a gap () from the carrier (). The backing plate () is developed as a cooling plate. In it are located cooling means channels (), which, via an inlet () through the carrier (), are supplied with cooling fluid, which can flow out again via an outlet () through the carrier (). On the atmospheric side is located a magnet configuration ().

Magnetron sputter cathode

A machine for coating a transparent substrate for the production of display screens comprises a coating chamber that has a modular design. Each of the modulesfeatures a chamber section, a first supportthat is arranged removably in or at the chamber section, and a second supportthat is arranged removably at the first support. Whereas the first supportbears the cathodes, the second supportis formed as a cover at which are arranged the pumps for producing a vacuum in the coating chamber. Carriersandcan be removed laterally from the chamber sectionto such an extent that areasaccessible to persons can be formed between the module components. In this way, the components of the machine are readily accessible, for example for maintenance purposes. Work can be done simultaneously on the cathodes and in the chamber interior.

Machine for coating a substrate, and module

Claimed is a sputtering target system comprising a plurality of backing plates to be individually cooled. Each backing plate is provided on its back side with a meandering groove that is closed off by a sealing plate. The sealing plate is welded around its circumference to the backing plate and at the same time is welded to at least one ridge located at a distance from the frame, which separates two grooved sections from one another. The sealing plate thus welded to the backing plate not only closes off the grooves to form a cooling channel, but also is used for reinforcement of the otherwise relatively flat backing plate.

Cooled backing plate for a sputtering target, and sputtering target comprising a plurality of backing plates

The invention relates to a method for operating a magnetron sputter cathode, in particular a tube cathode or several tube cathodes forming an array. In such cathodes a target passes through a magnetic field, whereby induction currents flow in the target which distort the magnetic field. This results in the nonuniform coating of a substrate. By having the relative movement between magnetic field and target alternately reverse its direction, the effect of the magnetic field distortion can be compensated. This yields greater uniformity of the coating on a substrate to be coated.

Method for operating a sputter cathode with a target

In a sputter cathode with a plate-shaped target (8) and with a trough-shaped yoke (3), arranged behind the target (8), with middle web (5) and with magnets (7, 7', . . . ) for producing a closed tunnel of field lines (15, 15', . . . ) curved in an arc in front of the target surface as well as with three sheet-metal blanks (9, 10, 11) consisting of one layer of a compound plate e.g. of an aluminum/iron compound plate, which blanks are placed into the plane between the target (8) and the front surfaces (12, 13) of the trough edge of the yoke (3), which front surfaces face the target (8), all sheet-metal blanks (9, 10, 11) of magnetically conductive material together form gaps (a, a') extending approximately parallel to the front surfaces (12, 13), which gaps (a, a') are filled out between the sheet-metal blanks (9, 10, 11) by the other layer (21) of the compound plate.

Sputter cathode

A sputtering cathode based on the magnetron principle, with a target of the material to be sputtered having a minimum of one component, with a magnetic system located beneath the target and having magnetic sources of different polarization which form a minimum of one self-enclosed tunnel of arcuate magnetic lines of force, having the poles of the sources facing away from the target connected to each other via a magnetic yoke made of a material of low retentivity, the bodies forming the sources of the magnetic fields being right prisms, and preferably right parallelepipeds, the base edges of which run parallel to the target plane, with the magnetic lines of force of the sources running at inclined angles relative to the base surfaces of the bodies.

Sputtering cathode based on the magnetron principle

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Eckartsborn, Germany

Jörg Krempel-Hesse