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:
May. 08, 2012
Filed:
Nov. 13, 2007
Yasuhiko Akamatsu, Chiba, JP;
Tatsunori Isobe, Chiba, JP;
Makoto Arai, Chiba, JP;
Junya Kiyota, Chiba, JP;
Takashi Komatsu, Chiba, JP;
Yasuhiko Akamatsu, Chiba, JP;
Tatsunori Isobe, Chiba, JP;
Makoto Arai, Chiba, JP;
Junya Kiyota, Chiba, JP;
Takashi Komatsu, Chiba, JP;
Ulvac, Inc., Kanagawa, JP;
Abstract
In a magnetron sputtering apparatus an arrangement is made such that the peripheral portion of a target is uniformly eroded to attain a high efficiency in target utilization and, in addition, that an abnormal discharging hardly occurs to thereby enable satisfactory thin film forming. A magnet assembly is provided behind a target that is disposed opposite to the process substrate. This magnet assembly has a central magnet that is disposed linearly along the longitudinal direction, and a peripheral magnet that is disposed so as to enclose the periphery of the central magnet, while changing the polarity on the side of the target. At this time, among the respective magnetic fluxes generated between the central magnet and the peripheral magnet at the longitudinally end portions of the magnet assembly, the position at which the vertical component of the magnetic field becomes zero is locally shifted to the central magnet within a certain range.