Applied Materials Gmbh & Co Kg

Michael Konig

Stefan Bangert

Wolfgang Buschbeck

Andreas Lopp

Tobias Stolley

Markus Hanika

Ralph Lindenberg

Karl-Albert Keim

Harald Rost

Jurgen Schroeder

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

The invention relates to a drive mechanism for a vacuum treatment apparatus by which substrate holders can be transported around an axis (A&#x2014;A) from an entrance airlock to an exit airlock. A stationary supporting column () is disposed in the center and on it a rotatory drive chamber () is borne which has control rods () for a rotation and a radial displacement of the substrate holders. In the rotatory drive chamber (), a motor () and rotatory displacement drives for the control rods () are arranged on the supporting column (), the control rods being in active connection each with a corresponding substrate holder. To solve the problem of carrying substrates through the vacuum treatment apparatus, even substrates of great area, smoothly, at a slight angle to the vertical, not fastened to the substrate holders, it is provided that a) the motor () is joined to a stationary bearing carrier () in which a rotatory star-shaped array of cantilevers () is mounted, b) the cantilevers () are articulated at one end to bell-crank levers (), each of which has a pivot pin (), c) the other end of each of the bell-crank levers () is articulated to one of the control rods (), and that d) the pivot pins () of the bell-crank levers () are guided in a first stationary radial cam () whose shape determines the radial movements of the control rods (). A periodic, variable superposition of the radial movements is performed by variable tangential movements produced by a second stationary radial cam () with a bell-crank lever which is joined by a link () to the drive chamber ().

Drive mechanism for a vacuum treatment apparatus

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Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Michael Konig