Apparatus for, and method of, removing hydrocarbons from the surface of

Abstract

An electrical field between a positive anode and a negative target in a cavity and a magnetic field in the cavity produce electron flow from the target in a convoluted path for ionizing a gas such as oxygen flowing through the cavity. The ionized oxygen forms positive and negative oxygen ions which flow from the cavity to an aluminum oxide surface on a substrate. The aluminum oxide surface may contain hydrocarbon molecules which prevent a thin magnetizable layer from adhering uniformly on the aluminum oxide surface. The ionized oxygen molecules and atoms flow through the cavity at a reduced rate and react chemically with the hydrocarbon molecules to form water vapor and carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide gases. By removing the hydrocarbons from the aluminum oxide surface, the layer of the magnetizable material is deposited adheringly on the aluminum oxide surface. A neutral gas (e.g. argon atoms) flows through the cavity, at a rate reduced from the normal flow rate, with the oxygen to become ionized by the electrons. The ionized argon atoms cause atoms to be sputtered from the target for movement toward the substrate surface. When the target is made from aluminum, aluminum oxide (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, Al.sub.2 O.sub.2, Al.sub.2 O, etc.), atoms are deposited on the substrate surface because of the reaction of the aluminum atoms with the oxygen in the cavity. However, the aluminum oxide layer deposited is quite thin and does not affect the action of the oxygen in removing the hydrocarbons from the substrate surface.