Steag Hamatech Ag

Novellus Systems Incorporated

Mingwei Jiang

Ken Lee

Larry D Hartsough

Ke Ling Lee

Ronald R Cochran

Robert Martinson

Gil Lavi

David J Harra

A plasma sputtering system that may be used to deposit a film on a substrate such as an optical disk is disclosed. In one embodiment, the sputtering system includes a main vacuum chamber. A plurality of sputtering chambers and a load lock chamber are connected to the main vacuum chamber. An assembly of a horizontal unprocessed substrate, an inner mask, and an outer mask are pressed onto a substrate transport tray that is positioned in the load lock. The tray supports the substrate and the masks throughout the processing of the substrate. A vertical lift lowers the tray from the load lock onto a carousel. The carousel transports the tray, substrate and masks to the sputtering chambers and then back to the load lock for unloading. Other lifts raise the tray, processed substrate, and masks from the carousel to the sputtering chambers. The tray is selectively pressed against the lower access aperture of the load lock and sputtering chambers so as to isolated them from the main chamber. After processing is complete, the lift pedestal at the load lock raises the tray and the substrate and masks thereon from the carousel to the load lock, whereupon the substrate and masks are removed from the sputtering system.

Horizontal sputtering system

A plasma sputtering system is disclosed, along with methods of sputtering and methods of arranging an array of magnets disposed within the sputtering system. An embodiment of the sputtering system includes a vacuum chamber. A rotating magnetron is disposed in the vacuum chamber. A target is positioned between the magnetron and a substrate upon which material from the target is to be deposited. The magnetron includes an array of pairs of oppositely poled permanent magnets. A closed loop magnetic path extends between the pairs of oppositely poled magnets of the array. The magnetic path includes an inturn region proximate to an axis of rotation of the magnetron and at least two (e.g., five) indent regions.

Magnetic array for sputtering system

An internally cooled target assembly for use in a magnetron sputtering apparatus is provided. The internally cooled target assembly includes a cooling plate that is configured to promote highly turbulent coolant flow through the target assembly to achieve efficient and uniform target cooling. The volume of coolant required to cool the target assembly is minimized.

Internally cooled target assembly for magnetron sputtering

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Mingwei Jiang