Abstract: Method for producing a positive electrode for a solid-state lithium microbattery comprising the following successive steps: supplying of a substrate made of ceramic, glass or silicon, locally covered with a metal layer, depositing of a cathodic layer made of a positive electrode material, for example made of mixed lithium oxide, the cathodic layer having a thickness greater than 1 ?m, a first portion of the cathodic layer covering the substrate and a second portion of the cathodic layer covering the metal layer, intended to form the positive electrode, carrying out of a heat treatment at a temperature greater than or equal to 400° C., on the cathodic layer, in such a way as to crystallise the second portion of the cathodic layer in order to form a positive electrode, and in such a way as to delaminate the first portion of the cathodic layer.

Abstract: Provided is a fabrication method for a composite planar pH sensor modified by graphene film including: slotting into substrate, setting copper foil on both sides, and setting leads on the copper foil; coating graphene film on the copper foils using micro mechanical stripping method to form the first graphene film and the second graphene film; depositing Sb layer and Sb2O3 layer successively on the first graphene film by magnetron sputtering method, and coating Nafion™ perfluorinated sulfonic acid membrane on the Sb2O3 layer by spin-coating method to fabricate pH working electrode; depositing Ag layer on the second graphene film and dipping in FeCl3 solution to form AgCl layer; coating the third graphene film on the AgCl layer to fabricate reference electrode. The composite planar pH sensor modified by graphene film may be used in pH measurement for solid, semisolid, mash and solution samples.

Abstract: An ion milling device of the present invention is provided with a tilt stage (8) which is disposed in a vacuum chamber (15) and has a tilt axis parallel to a first axis orthogonal to an ion beam, a drive mechanism (9, 51) which has a rotation axis and a tilt axis parallel to a second axis orthogonal to the first axis and rotates or tilts a sample (3), and a switching unit which enables switching between a state in which the ion beam is applied while the sample is rotated or swung while the tilt stage is tilted, and a state in which the ion beams is applied while the tilt stage is brought into an untilted state and the sample is swung. Consequently, the ion milling device capable of performing cross-section processing and flat processing of the sample in the same vacuum chamber is implemented.

Abstract: A method is for cleaning a plasma etching apparatus of the type used to etch a substrate and having at least one chamber. The method includes sputtering a metallic material from an electrically conductive coil which is positioned within the at least one chamber onto an interior surface of the at least one chamber to perform a cleaning function.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method of coating a substrate with at least one cathode assembly having a sputter target and a magnet assembly that is rotatable around a rotation axis is provided. The method comprises: Coating of the substrate while moving the magnet assembly in a reciprocating manner in a first angular sector; and subsequent coating of the substrate while moving the magnet assembly in a reciprocating manner in a second angular sector different from the first angular sector. According to a second aspect, a coating apparatus for performing said method is provided.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for physical vapor deposition are provided. The apparatus, for example, includes A PVD apparatus that includes a chamber including a chamber wall; a magnetron including a plurality of magnets configured to produce a magnetic field within the chamber; a pedestal configured to support a substrate; and a target assembly comprising a target made of gold and supported on the chamber wall via a backing plate coupled to a back surface of the target so that a front surface of the target faces the substrate, wherein a distance between a back surface formed in a recess of the backing plate and a bottom surface of the plurality of magnets is about 3.95 mm to about 4.45 mm, and wherein a distance between the front surface of the target and a front surface of the substrate is about 60.25 mm to about 60.75 mm.

Abstract: A PVD vacuum plating process for an aluminum alloy surface is provided. The process includes forming a bottom layer: bombarding with an arc power supply, with a bias voltage being controlled at 200-300 V, and the time being controlled at 3-5 minutes; forming an intermediate multi-layer: conducting multilayer transition with an oxide and a nitride, with the number of layers being controlled at 8-10, the time for an individual layer being controlled at 10-20 minutes, and a target current being controlled at 10-20 A. The process also includes forming a transitional engagement layer: conducting mixed sputtering of a transition layer and a color layer for the time of 15-25 minutes; forming the color layer: controlling the time for the color layer at 20-30 minutes; and forming a protective layer: using a high-frequency and large-energy power supply with the time controlled at 40-50 minutes, the process thereby eliminating water plating steps.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a feeding structure, an upper electrode assembly, and a physical vapor deposition chamber and device. In the present disclosure a RF power is fed through the center of a first introduction member of the feeding structure and is evenly distributed onto a target by a plurality of distribution members.

Abstract: Embodiments of a method and apparatus for co-sputtering multiple target materials are provided herein. In some embodiments, a process chamber including a substrate support to support a substrate; a plurality of cathodes coupled to a carrier and having a corresponding plurality of targets to be sputtered onto the substrate; and a process shield coupled to the carrier and extending between adjacent pairs of the plurality of targets.

Abstract: A rotatable sputtering target has a target material, a back tube and a joint piece. The joint piece is disposed between the target material and the back tube. The joint piece has a compressible structure and an electrically and thermally conductive adhesive. Particularly, the compressible structure being a compressible blanket or a compressible sheet has multiple through holes and thus the electrically and thermally conductive adhesive is filled in the through holes and then directly formed between the target material and the back tube. Using the joint piece to joint the target material and the back tube not only maintains the joint strength but also elevates the tolerable power of the rotatable sputtering target, which can increase the sputtering efficiency.

Abstract: Certain example embodiments relate to sputtering apparatuses that include a plurality of targets such that a first one or ones of target(s) may be used for sputtering in a first mode, while a second one or ones of target(s) may be used for sputtering in a second mode. Modes may be switched in certain example embodiments by rotating the position of the targets, e.g., such that one or more target(s) to be used protrude into the main chamber of the apparatus, while one or more target(s) to be unused are recessed into a body portion of a cathode of (e.g., integrally formed with) the sputtering apparatus. The targets may be cylindrical magnetic targets or planar targets. At least one target location also may be made to accommodate an ion beam source.

Abstract: A method for producing high-temperature sputtered stoichiometric TiN thin films. A substrate is placed in a sputtering chamber a Ti target to be sputtered and the substrate temperature is controlled to be between room temperature and about 800° C. The sputtering chamber is evacuated to a base pressure of 2×10?7 Torr or lower, The Ti target is presputtered under an Ar gas flow at a pressure of 2-15 mTorr in a radio frequency (RF) power of 50-200 W. The Ti is then sputtered onto the substrate in the presence of N2 and Ar gas flows under the same pressure and RF power, with the ratio of N2 to Ar favoring N to ensure that the film is nitrogen-saturated.

Abstract: Method for fabricating a crystalline vanadium oxide (VO2) film comprising the steps of: a) depositing an amorphous VO2 film on a substrate by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering using a vanadium target, wherein the substrate is exposed to a sputtering gas comprising an inert process gas and oxygen (O2), and the substrate has a temperature of less than about 50° C.; and b) annealing the deposited amorphous VO2 film to crystallise the amorphous VO2 film into a crystalline VO2 film that exhibits an insulator-metal transition. The disclosed method for fabricating a crystalline VO2 film may be suitable for a broad range of substrates.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure generally relate to a process kit including a shield serving as an anode in a physical deposition chamber. The shield has a cylindrical band, the cylindrical band having a top and a bottom, the cylindrical band sized to encircle a sputtering surface of a sputtering target disposed adjacent the top and a substrate support disposed at the bottom, the cylindrical band having an interior surface. A texture is disposed on the interior surface. The texture has a plurality of features. A film is provided on a portion of the features. The film includes a porosity of about 2% to about 3.5%.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a target, wherein the target includes a nonuniform erosion profile. The apparatus also includes a number of interchangeable magnetic and non-magnetic inserts. The interchangeable magnetic and non-magnetic inserts are configured to control a pass through flux based on the nonuniform erosion profile.

Abstract: Embodiments of magnetron assemblies and processing systems incorporating same are provided herein. In some embodiments, a magnetron assembly includes a rotatable magnet assembly coupled to a bottom of the body and having a plurality of magnets spaced apart from each other; and an encapsulating body disposed in a space between the plurality of magnets. In some embodiments, the magnetron assembly further includes a body extending along a central axis of the magnetron assembly and having a coolant feedthrough channel to provide a coolant to an area beneath the body.

Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure relate to a sputtering target for a sputtering chamber used to process a substrate. In one implementation, a sputtering target for a sputtering chamber is provided. The sputtering target comprises a sputtering plate with a backside surface having radially inner, middle and outer regions and an annular-shaped backing plate mounted to the sputtering plate. The backside surface has a plurality of circular grooves which are spaced apart from one another and at least one arcuate channel cutting through the circular grooves and extending from the radially inner region to the radially outer region of sputtering plate. The annular-shaped backing plate defines an open annulus exposing the backside surface of the sputtering plate.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide methods of forming amorphous or nano-crystalline ceramic films. The methods include depositing a ceramic layer on a substrate using a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, discontinuing the PVD process when the ceramic layer has a predetermined layer thickness, sputter etching the ceramic layer for a predetermined period of time, and repeating the depositing the ceramic layer using the PVD process, the discontinuing the PVD process, and the sputter etching the ceramic layer until a ceramic film with a predetermined film thickness is formed.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum container, a conveyance unit including a rotator and circulating and carrying a workpiece through the conveyance path, a cylindrical member having an opening at one end extended in the direction toward the conveyance path, a window member provided at the cylindrical member, and dividing a gas space from the exterior thereof, a supply unit supplying the process gas in the gas space, and an antenna generating inductive coupling plasma on the workpiece. The supply unit supplies the process gas from plural locations where a passing time at which the surface of the rotator passes through a process region is different, and the plasma processing apparatus further includes an adjusting unit individually adjusting the supply amounts of the process gas from the plural locations of the supply unit per a unit time in accordance with the passing time.

Abstract: A sputtering target includes: a base configured to transfer heat in a basal plane direction; and a first heat sink disposed on a sidewall of the base, the first heat sink configured to transfer heat along a direction that is different from the basal plane direction.