Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Youichi Ohnishi

Kunio Tanaka

Hitoshi Yamanishi

Hiroshi Sakakima

Masahide Yokoyama

Kumio Nago

Isamu Aokura

Munekazu Nishihara

Mitsuo Satomi

Yukio Nishikawa

Koichi Osano

Yoshikazu Yoshida

Shinichi Mizuguchi

Akira Okuda

Keita Ihara

Tanejiro Ikeda

Hatsuhiko Shibasaki

Mikio Takebayashi

Hiromi Shima

A sputtering apparatus for performing sputtering operation by using a rectangular target made of ferromagnetic material, the apparatus includes an electrode in which one first permanent magnet is disposed on each side edge of a front surface of the target, polarities of the first magnets confronting each other with the target interposed between the first magnets are opposite to each other, one second permanent magnet is disposed on each side edge of a rear surface of the target, polarities of the second magnets confronting each other with the target interposed between the second magnets are opposite to each other, and the polarity of each second magnet disposed on the rear surface of the target is the same as that of the first magnet disposed on the front surface of the target.

Sputtering apparatus

In a laminated magnetic head core, Fe--M--N system soft magnetic thin films (M being at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, Zr, and Hf) and non-magnetic insulating films are alternately laminated. Each of the soft magnetic thin films is 0.2-10 .mu.m thick. Each of the non-magnetic insulating films is 10 through 1000 nm thick. One of the soft magnetic thin films shows high magnetic permeability in a different direction from that of an adjacent soft magnetic thin film via the non-magnetic insulating film within a film surface of the soft magnetic thin film.

Laminated magnetic head core

An ionization deposition apparatus includes an ion source which is located in a vacuum chamber and which is provided with gas introduction ports for supplying a gaseous film material into the vacuum chamber, a filament unit, which is separated into a plurality of independently controllable filaments, for generating thermoelectrons when the filaments are heated by filament currents, and an anode electrode for accelerating and colliding the thermoelectrons against molecules of the gaseous film material to thereby turn the molecules to plasma. A holder for holding a to-be-deposited object, the holder being placed confronting the anode electrode of the ion source in the vacuum chamber, and connected to a bias source to attract ions in the plasma to a surface of the holder.

Ionization deposition apparatus

The present invention relates to a method for forming a layer of isotropic soft magnetic nitride alloy even by means of mass-production apparatus wherein a target size is large in comparison to a distance between a substrate and a target, by using a bias sputtering method wherein a negative bias voltage is continuously applied to a substrate and sputtering is carried out in Ar atmosphere mixed with nitrogen gas or periodically mixed with nitrogen gas. Furthermore, the present invention may include a heat treatment of the soft magnetic nitride alloy layer deposited on the substrate in a temperature of more than 300.degree..degree.C. to less than 800.degree. C. to improve a soft magnetic characteristic.

Method for forming a soft magnetic nitride layer on a magnetic head

An optical waveguide includes a substrate in the form of either a silicon substrate with a silicon oxide layer formed at its upper surface or a quartz substrate, a first waveguide layer extending over the entire upper surface of the substrate, a layer having a low refractive index and a tapered end disposed over part of an upper surface of the first waveguide layer, and a second waveguide layer of the same refractive index as that of the first waveguide layer extending over an exposed surface of the first waveguide layer and an upper surface of the layer of low refractive index.

Optical waveguide manufacturing method

A laser ablation device for forming a thin film includes a vacuum chamber having a gas introduction port through which an oxidating gas is introduced into the chamber, and a light-transmittable section, a target holder disposed in the vacuum chamber for holding a target made of a film forming material of an oxide, an object holder confronting the target holder for holding an object on which the thin film is to be formed, a short wavelength laser which emits a first short wavelength laser light passing to the target in the vacuum chamber through the light-transmittable section from outside of the vacuum chamber, and a short wavelength laser light irradiating device for irradiating the object with a second short wavelength laser light passing into the vacuum chamber through the light-transmittable section from outside of the vacuum chamber. The second short wavelength laser light has an intensity lower than that of the first short wavelength laser light irradiating the target. Alternatively, a short wavelength laser light passing device causes the second short wavelength laser light to pass through the light-transmittable section from outside of the vacuum chamber and then to pass in the vicinity of a surface of the object in the vacuum chamber as approximately parallel to the surface of the object.

Laser ablation device and thin film forming method

A sputtering apparatus to be used in reactive sputtering which mixes a reactive gas into a discharge gas so as to form chemical compound thin membranes. A heating means is provided for heating the target. Light such as infrared rays or the like, and laser beams are ideal as the heating means. A thermometer for applying light is preferable to measure the temperature of at least one portion of the target for controlling the heating condition of the target. The composition of the thin membrane to be formed by the reactive sputtering can may be made constant.

A plasma processing apparatus wherein a means is provided to apply the proper negative DC voltage through a filter circuit to an electrode for generating the low-temperature plasma through the feed of the high-frequency power. When the high-frequency power has been fed in the higher high-frequency power density to the electrode for generating the low temperature plasma, the sparks (abnormal discharge) easy to be generated are prevented from being caused to generate the stable low-temperature plasma for better plasma processing.

Growing community of inventors

Higashiosaka, Japan

Youichi Ohnishi