Abstract: A cathode assembly for a magnetron sputtering system includes a target comprising sputterable material having an at least partially exposed, substantially planar sputtering or erosion surface and a target support configured to support and move the target during sputtering. In certain exemplary embodiments the cathode assembly further comprises a magnetic field source, e.g., a magnet array behind the target. The target support is configured to move the sputtering surface of the target by rotating or spinning the target in the plane of the sputtering surface, moving the target linearly back-and-forth or otherwise. The target support is configured to move the target relative to the magnetic field source, which may be stationary during sputtering, e.g., relative to the cathode assembly and vacuum chamber in which the sputtering is performed. A sputtering system including such a cathode assembly also is provided. A method of sputtering is further provided, employing such a cathode assembly.

Abstract: The invention provides a sputter deposition assembly that includes a sputtering chamber, a sputtering target, and a magnet assembly. The magnet assembly includes a magnetic backing plate comprising an elongated flexible magnetic control body or a plurality of layered metal sheets.

Abstract: Low-emissivity coatings that are highly reflective to infrared-radiation. The coating includes three infrared-reflection film regions, which may each include silver.

Abstract: In a film forming unit (FU) for a sputtering apparatus according to this invention, a supporting plate is provided with: a target having bonded thereto a backing plate; a magnet unit; and driving device for reciprocating the target along the supporting plate relative to the magnet unit. The backing plate is provided, in a protruded manner, with a supply pipe and a discharge pipe in communication with a coolant passage for the backing plate. A slit hole, which is elongated in the reciprocating direction of the target and through which the supply pipe and the discharge pipe penetrate, is formed in the supporting plate. The supporting plate has on its lower surface a cap body which hermetically encloses those portions of the supply pipe and the discharge pipe, inclusive of the slit hole, which are protruded downward from the slit hole.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a processing apparatus includes a generator mount, a first-object mount, and a first collimator. A particle generator capable of emitting particles is placed on the generator mount. A first object is placed on the first-object mount. The first collimator is placed between the generator mount and the first-object mount, and has first walls and second walls. In the first collimator, the first walls and the second walls form first through holes extending in a first direction from the generator mount to the first-object mount. Each of the second walls is provided with at least one first passage.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing system which enables combined static and pass-by processing. Also, a system architecture is provided, which reduces footprint size. The system is constructed such that the substrates are processed therein vertically, and each chamber has a processing source attached to one sidewall thereof, wherein the other sidewall backs to a complementary processing chamber. The chamber system can be milled from a single block of metal, e.g., aluminum, wherein the block is milled from both sides, such that a wall remains and separates each two complementary processing chambers.

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: A deposition apparatus includes a chamber, a holding unit configured to hold a substrate in the chamber, a driving unit configured to move the holding unit holding the substrate such that the substrate passes through a deposition area in the chamber, a deposition unit configured to form a film on the substrate passing through the deposition area by supplying a deposition material to the deposition area, and a cooling unit configured to cool the holding unit.

Abstract: Provided is a master alloy for a sputtering target, wherein, when elements constituting the master alloy are following X1, X2, Y1, Y2, Y2, and Y3; specifically, where X1 is one or two types of Ta or W; X2 is at least one type of Ru, Mo, Nb or Hf; Y1 is one or two types of Cr or Mn; Y2 is one or two types of Co or Ni; and Y3 is one or two types of Ti or V, the master alloy comprises any one combination of X1-Y1, X1-Y2, X1-Y3, X2-Y1, and X2-Y2 of the foregoing constituent elements. The present invention consequently yields superior effects of being able to obtain a sintered sputtering target with few defects and having a high-density and uniform alloy composition, and, by using this target, to realize the deposition of an alloy barrier film with uniform quality and few particles at a high speed.

Abstract: A stinger for a cathodic arc vapor deposition system includes a head with a reduced area contact interface.

Abstract: A magnetic material sputtering target formed from a sintered body containing at least Co and/or Fe and B, and containing B in an amount of 10 to 50 at %, wherein an oxygen content is 100 wtppm or less. Since the magnetic material sputtering target of the present invention can suppress the generation of particles caused by oxides, the present invention yields superior effects of being able to improve the yield upon producing magnetoresistive films and the like.

Abstract: A sputtering target that includes at least two consolidated blocks, each block including an alloy including a first metal (e.g., a refractory metal such as molybdenum in an amount greater than about 30 percent by weight) and at least one additional alloying ingredient; and a joint between the at least two consolidated blocks, the joint being prepared free of any microstructure derived from a diffusion bond of an added loose powder. A process for making the target includes hot isostatically pressing (e.g., below a temperature of 1080° C.), consolidated preform blocks that, prior to pressing, have interposed between the consolidated powder metal blocks at least one continuous solid interface portion. The at least one continuous solid interface portion may include a cold spray body, which may be a mass of cold spray deposited powders on a surface a block, a sintered preform, a compacted powder body (e.g., a tile), or any combination thereof.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate holder, a cathode unit arranged at a position diagonally opposite to the substrate holder, a position sensor for detecting a rotational position of the substrate, and a holder rotation controller for adjusting a rotation speed of the substrate according to the detected rotational position. The holder rotation controller controls the rotation speed so that the rotation speed of the substrate when the cathode unit is located on a side in a first direction as an extending direction of a process target surface of the relief structure is lower than the rotation speed of the substrate when the cathode unit is located on a side in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction along the rotation of the substrate.

Abstract: A method for producing a tool coated with a hard coating, the method including the following steps: applying a TiAIN coating layer onto a substrate with a first magnetron sputtering process and applying a TixSi1-xN coating layer onto the TiAIN layer with a second magnetron sputtering process, where x is smaller than or equal to 0.85 and preferably between and including 0.80 and 0.70 whereas the second magnetron sputtering process is performed with power densities greater than 100 W/cm2 and as such is a HIPIMS process.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for tempering or chemically strengthening glass substrates having electrochromic devices fabricated thereon. In one aspect, an electrochromic device is fabricated on a glass substrate. The glass substrate is then tempered or chemically strengthened. The disclosed methods may reduce or prevent potential issues that the electrochromic device may experience during the tempering or the chemical strengthening processes, including the loss of charge carrying ions from the device, redistribution of charge carrying ions in the device, modification of the morphology of materials included in the device, modification of the oxidation state of materials included in the device, and the formation of an interfacial region between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer of the device that impacts the performance of the device.

Abstract: A method is for depositing by pulsed DC reactive sputtering an additive containing aluminium nitride film containing at least one additive element selected from Sc, Y, Ti, Cr, Mg and Hf. The method includes depositing a first layer of the additive containing aluminium nitride film onto a film support by pulsed DC reactive sputtering with an electrical bias power applied to the film support. The method further includes depositing a second layer of the additive containing aluminium nitride film onto the first layer by pulsed DC reactive sputtering with no electrical bias power applied to the film support or with an electrical bias power applied to the film support which is lower than the electrical bias power applied during the sputter deposition of the first layer, where the second layer has the same composition as the first layer.

Abstract: An FePt-based sintered sputtering target containing C and/or BN, wherein an area ratio of AgCu alloy grains on a polished surface of a cross section that is perpendicular to a sputtered surface of the sputtering target is 0.5% or more and 15% or less. An object of this invention is to provide a sputtering target capable of reducing particles generation during sputtering and efficiently depositing a magnetic thin film of a magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: A sputtering target, which has a composition comprising: one or more elements selected from Cu, Sn, Sb, Mg, In, and Ti in a range of 0.1 atomic % or more and 15.0 atomic % or less in total; S in a range of 0.5 atomic ppm or more and 200 atomic ppm or less; and a Ag balance including inevitable impurities, is provided.

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.