Abstract: Provided is a tantalum sputtering target, which includes an area ratio of crystal grains of which a {111} plane is oriented in a direction normal to a rolling surface (ND) is 35% or more when the ND, which is a cross section orthogonal to a sputtering surface of a target, is observed via Electron Backscatter Diffraction Pattern method. The object of the present invention is to provide a tantalum sputtering target in which a sputtered material can be uniformly deposited on a wafer surface under high-power sputtering conditions by increasing the straightness of the sputtered material. By using this kind of tantalum target for sputter-deposition, it is possible to improve the film thickness uniformity and the throughput of deposition even for fine wiring.

Abstract: A circular PVD chamber has a plurality of sputtering targets mounted on a top wall of the chamber. A pallet in the chamber is coupled to a motor for rotating the pallet about its center axis. The pallet has a diameter less than the diameter of the circular chamber. The pallet is also shiftable in an XY direction to move the center of the pallet beneath any of the targets so all areas of a workpiece supported by the pallet can be positioned directly below any one of the targets. A scanning magnet is in back of each target and is moved, via a programmed controller, to only be above portions of the workpiece so that no sputtered material is wasted. For depositing a material onto small workpieces, a cooling backside gas volume is created between the pallet and the underside of sticky tape supporting the workpieces.

Abstract: Prior electrochromic devices frequently suffer from high levels of defectivity. The defects may be manifest as pin holes or spots where the electrochromic transition is impaired. This is unacceptable for many applications such as electrochromic architectural glass. Improved electrochromic devices with low defectivity can be fabricated by depositing certain layered components of the electrochromic device in a single integrated deposition system. While these layers are being deposited and/or treated on a substrate, for example a glass window, the substrate never leaves a controlled ambient environment, for example a low pressure controlled atmosphere having very low levels of particles. These layers may be deposited using physical vapor deposition.

Abstract: A sputter deposition source for sputter deposition in a vacuum chamber is described. The source includes a wall portion of the vacuum chamber; a target providing a material to be deposited during the sputter deposition; an RF power supply for providing RF power to the target; a power connector for connecting the target with the RF power supply; and a conductor rod extending through the wall portion from inside of the vacuum chamber to outside of the vacuum chamber, wherein the conductor rod is connected to one or more components inside of the vacuum chamber and wherein the conductor rod is connected to the RF power supply outside of the vacuum chamber to generate a defined RF return path through the conductor rod.

Abstract: Systems and methods for growing hexagonal crystal structure piezoelectric material with a c-axis that is tilted (e.g., 25 to 50 degrees) relative to normal of a face of a substrate are provided. A deposition system includes a linear sputtering apparatus, a translatable multi-aperture collimator, and a translatable substrate table arranged to hold multiple substrates, with the substrate table and/or the collimator being electrically biased to a nonzero potential. An enclosure includes first and second deposition stations each including a linear sputtering apparatus, a collimator, and a deposition aperture.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technique for performing film formation at low cost without causing a short-circuit between sputtered films formed on opposite surfaces of a film-formation target substrate.

Abstract: Provided is a copper alloy sputtering target, wherein, based on charged particle activation analysis, the copper alloy sputtering target has an oxygen content of 0.6 wtppm or less, or an oxygen content of 2 wtppm or less and a carbon content of 0.6 wtppm or less. Additionally provided is a method for manufacturing a copper alloy sputtering target, wherein a copper raw material is melted in a vacuum or an inert gas atmosphere, a reducing gas is thereafter introduced into the melting atmosphere, an alloy element is subsequently added to a molten metal for alloying, and an obtained ingot is processed into a target shape. The present invention aims to provide a copper alloy sputtering target that generates few particles during sputtering, and a method for manufacturing such a sputtering target.

Abstract: A method of sustained self-sputtering of lithium in a sputtering station having a lithium metal target, the method comprising initiating a lithium sputtering reaction in the sputtering station by igniting an initial plasma comprising a majority fraction of inert gas ions and inducing a sustained lithium self-sputtering reaction by reducing supply of an inert gas to the sputtering station under conditions that provide a sustained self-sputtering lithium plasma comprising a majority fraction of lithium ions.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a process chamber includes: a chamber body defining an interior volume; a substrate support to support a substrate within the interior volume; a plurality of cathodes coupled to the chamber body and having a corresponding plurality of targets to be sputtered onto the substrate; and a shield rotatably coupled to an upper portion of the chamber body and having at least one hole to expose at least one of the plurality of targets to be sputtered and at least one pocket disposed in a backside of the shield to accommodate and cover at least another one of the plurality of targets not to be sputtered, wherein the shield is configured to rotate about and linearly move along a central axis of the process chamber.

Abstract: To restrict generation of particles or deterioration in process reproducibility caused by a large amount or carbon polymers generated in a plasma generation portion in an ion beam etching apparatus when a magnetic film on a substrate is etched with reactive ion beam etching in manufacturing a magnetic device. In an ion beam etching apparatus, first carbon-containing gas is introduced by a first gas introduction part into a plasma generation portion, and second carbon-containing gas is additionally introduced by a second gas introduction part into a substrate processing space to perform reactive ion beam etching, thereby etching a magnetic material at preferable selection ratio and etching rate while restricting carbon polymers from being formed in the plasma generation portion.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a magnetron and a magnetron sputtering device, including an inner magnetic pole and an outer magnetic pole with opposite polarities. Both the inner magnetic pole and the outer magnetic pole comprise multiple spirals. The spirals of the outer magnetic pole surround the spirals of the inner magnetic pole, and a gap exists therebetween. In addition, the gap has different widths in different locations from a spiral center to an edge. Moreover, both the spirals of the outer magnetic pole and the spirals of the inner magnetic pole follow a polar equation: r=a?n+b(cos ?)m+c(tan ?)k+d, 0<=n<=2, 0<=m<=2, c=0 or k=0. Because the gap between the inner magnetic pole and the outer magnetic pole has the different widths in a spiral discrete direction, width sizes of the gap in the different locations can be changed to control magnetic field strength distribution in a plane, thus adjusting uniformity of a membrane thickness.

Abstract: A method is described for coating a substrate to provide a controlled in-plane compositional modulation, in which first and second targets are activated, with one of the targets being activated by a series of activation pulses to release particles by pulsed evaporation, sublimation, or sputtering that impinge onto the substrate for coating thereof, while the other one of the targets is substantially passive.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sputtering apparatus having a target (2) disposed offset with respect to a substrate (7), wherein the uniformity of a deposition amount can be ensured even when a substrate support holder (6) has a low number of rotations of several rotations to several tens of rotations and the amount of deposition is extremely small to provide such a film thickness of 1 nm or less.

Abstract: A process for producing a sputtering target in which a target material is diffusion-bonded to a top face of a backing plate material, the process comprising: a step of heating the top face of the target material by a hot plate while pressing from above thereby diffusion-bonding the target material to the backing plate material in such a manner that the step is performed at a center part prior to an outer peripheral part of the top face.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a process chamber and a semiconductor processing apparatus. According to at least one embodiment, the process chamber includes a reaction compartment, a gas introducing system and a wafer transfer device. The reaction compartment is provided in the process chamber and used for performing a process on a wafer, the gas introducing system is used for providing processing gas to the reaction compartment, and the wafer transfer device is used for transferring the wafer into the reaction compartment. A lining ring assembly is provided in the reaction compartment, and is configured such that a flow uniformizing cavity is formed between the lining ring assembly itself and an inner side wall of the reaction compartment, so as to uniformly transport the processing gas, from the gas introducing system, into the reaction compartment through the flow uniformizing cavity.

Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to forming a semiconductor structure and more particularly to forming a stack of layers of a semiconductor structure using a sacrificial layer that is removed during deposition of a functional layer. In one aspect, the disclosed technology relates to a method of protecting a top surface of a layer in a semiconductor structure. The method comprises: providing the layer on a substrate, the layer having an initial thickness and an initial composition; forming a sacrificial metal layer on and in contact with the layer, the sacrificial metal layer comprising a light metal element; and depositing by physical vapor deposition a functional metal layer on and in contact with the sacrificial metal layer. The sacrificial metal layer is removed by sputtering during the deposition of the functional metal layer, such that an interface is formed between the layer and the functional metal layer.

Abstract: Physical vapor deposition target assemblies and methods of cooling physical vapor deposition targets are disclosed. An exemplary target assembly comprises a flow pattern including a plurality of rows and bends fluidly connected to an inlet end and an outlet end.

Abstract: Provided is an oxide-containing magnetic material sputtering target wherein the oxides have an average grain diameter of 400 nm or less. Also provided is a method of producing an oxide-containing magnetic material sputtering target. The method involves depositing a magnetic material on a substrate by the PVD or CVD method, then removing the substrate from the deposited magnetic material, pulverizing the material to obtain a raw material for the target, and further sintering the raw material. An object is to provide a magnetic material target, in particular, a nonmagnetic grain-dispersed ferromagnetic sputtering target capable of suppressing discharge abnormalities of oxides that are the cause of particle generation during sputtering.

Abstract: A ruthenium sputtering target, wherein a Si content is 10 to 100 wtppm, a total content of unavoidable impurities excluding gas components is 50 wtppm or less, and a remainder is Ru. By suppressing the crystal growth of ruthenium or a ruthenium alloy and reducing the generation of coarse crystal grains, arcing that occurs during sputtering is minimized, particle generation is reduced, and yield is improved.

Abstract: A golf ball fabrication method comprises Step a: providing a core; Step b: spraying a thin resin film on the surface of the core to form a conductive layer; Step c: vacuum-electroplating the surface of the core to form a glossy thin metallic film functioning as a reflective layer; and Step d: encapsulating the glossy thin metallic film with a transparent resin layer in an injection-molding technology to form a transparent outer layer of the golf ball. The method can fabricate in a simple way a golf ball having a superior reflective effect and a long service life simultaneously.