The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 31, 1998
Filed:
May. 07, 1996
Ady I Hershcovitch, Mt. Sinai, NY (US);
Vincent J Kovarik, Melbourne, FL (US);
Kenneth H Frederick, Rockledge, FL (US);
PLD Advanced Automation Systems, Inc., Rockledge, FL (US);
Other;
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for sputtering particles from a target as a film on a substrate. The target and substrate are maintained in a main housing in a first vacuum. The target is biased with a first negative voltage to effect a target bias. A plasma is produced in a cathode box spaced from the target, with the plasma being injected between the target and substrate to effect sputtering by bombarding the target with positive ions and liberating target particles for condensing on the substrate to form the film. The cathode box includes a cathode biased at a second negative voltage to effect a cathode bias, and a sputtering gas is supplied adjacent to the cathode for producing the plasma. Plasma production in the cathode box is decoupled from sputtering at the target for increasing sputtering yield and rate. And, the target may be contoured for focussing the sputtered particles on the substrate.