Abstract: A physical vapor deposition system includes a chamber, a cover plate, a pedestal, and a collimator. The cover plate is disposed on the chamber for holding a target. The pedestal is disposed in the chamber for supporting a wafer. The collimator is mounted between the cover plate and the pedestal. The collimator includes a plurality of sidewall sheets together forming a plurality of passages. At least one of the passages has an entrance and an exit opposite to the entrance. The entrance faces the cover plate, and the exit faces the pedestal. A thickness of one of the sidewall sheets at the entrance is thinner than a thickness of the sidewall sheet at the exit.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a physical vapor deposition system configured to heat a semiconductor substrate or wafer. In some embodiments the disclosed physical vapor deposition system comprises at least one heat source having one or more lamp modules for heating of the substrate. The lamp modules may be separated from the substrate by a shielding device. In some embodiments, the shielding device comprises a one-piece device or a two piece device. The disclosed physical vapor deposition system can heat the semiconductor substrate, reflowing a metal film deposited thereon without the necessity for separate chambers, thereby decreasing process time, requiring less thermal budget, and decreasing substrate damage.

Abstract: A tantalum sputtering target, wherein on a sputtering surface of the tantalum sputtering target, an orientation rate of a (200) plane is 70% or less, an orientation rate of a (222) plane is 10% or more, an average crystal grain size is 50 ?m or more and 150 ?m or less, and a variation in a crystal grain size is 30 ?m or less. By controlling the crystal orientation of the target, it is possible to increase the sputter rate, consequently deposit the required film thickness in a short period of time, and improve the throughput. In addition, by controlling the crystal grain size on the sputtering surface of the target, an effect is yielded in that the abnormal discharge during sputtering can be suppressed.

Abstract: A method of UV photobleaching a glass sample having UV-induced colorization is disclosed. The processed includes first irradiating the glass sample with colorizing UV radiation having a colorizing wavelength of ?C<300 nm to form the colorized glass, which has a pink hue. The method then includes irradiating the colorized glass with bleaching UV radiation having a bleaching wavelength of ?B, wherein 248 nm??B?365 nm, to substantially remove the pink hue.

Abstract: A sputtering target which is made of a magnesium oxide sintered body having a purity of not less than 99.99% or not less than 99.995% by mass %, a relative density of not less than 98%, and an average grain size of not more than 8 ?m. The average grain size of the sputtering target is preferably not more than 5 ?m, more preferably not more than 2 ?m. A sputtered film having an excellent insulation resistance and an excellent homogeneity can be obtained by using the sputtering target.

Abstract: Provided is a plasma generation apparatus capable of generating uniform plasma over a wide range. The plasma generation apparatus includes two oppositely arranged plasma guns each injecting a discharge gas to be ionized, and having a cathode for emitting electrons, and a converging coil for forming a magnetic flux to guide the emitted electrons, and polarities of the converging coils with respect to the cathodes in the two plasma guns are opposite to each other.

Abstract: A system is disclosed, including a processing chamber for a deposition process; a cathode within the chamber, configured to introduce a sputter gas and a reactive gas adjacent to a target; a substrate holder, disposed opposite the cathode within the processing chamber, configured to secure a substrate to receive a deposition from the target; and a control system configured to monitor a target voltage and to control a flow rate of the reactive gas to maintain the target voltage within a desired range during the deposition process. Methods and devices for deposition processes are also disclosed.

Abstract: Provided is a zinc oxide-based sputtering target that enables production of a zinc oxide-based sputtered film having higher transparency and electrical conductivity. The zinc oxide-based sputtering target of the present invention is composed of a zinc oxide-based sintered body including zinc oxide crystal grains as a main phase and spinel phases as a dopant-containing grain boundary phase, and the zinc oxide-based sputtering target has a degree of (002) orientation of ZnO of 80% or greater at a sputtering surface, a density of the zinc oxide-based sintered body of 5.50 g/cm3 or greater, the number of the spinel phases per area of 20 counts/100 ?m2 or greater, and a spinel phase distribution index of 0.40 or less.

Abstract: A pulsed direct current sputtering system and method are disclosed. The system has a plasma chamber with two targets, two magnetrons and one anode, a first power source, and a second power source. The first power source is coupled to the first magnetron and the anode, and provides a cyclic first-power-source voltage with a positive potential and a negative potential during each cycle between the anode and the first magnetron. The second power source is coupled to the second magnetron and the anode, and provides a cyclic second-power-source voltage. The controller phase-synchronizes and controls the first-power-source voltage and second-power-source voltage to apply a combined anode voltage, and phase-synchronizes a first magnetron voltage with a second magnetron voltage, wherein the combined anode voltage applied to the anode has a magnitude of at least 80 percent of a magnitude of a sum of the first magnetron voltage and the second magnetron voltage.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for fabricating a high-precision object made of at least one inorganic material, comprising the following steps: using a high-resolution photolithography process, employing X-rays or UV rays depending on the desired degree of precision, in a chosen direction Z, to form a negative mold, which does not deform at the microscale during the steps of the process, in a material able to withstand a step for forming the object by dry deposition and capable of either being removed without altering the object fabricated or being separated from said object; choosing, independently of the normal redox potential of its constituent elements, at least one inorganic material from the set of materials that can be deposited by dry deposition and that allow the object to be fabricated to meet its thermomechanical and environmental specifications; and forming, by means of the non-deformable negative mold, the object to be fabricated by dry deposition of said at least one inorganic material, ther

Abstract: A magnetron sputtering coating device includes a deposition chamber, sputtering cathodes, a rotating stand within the deposition chamber, a support platform on the rotating stand, a first rotation system for driving the rotating stand to rotate around a central axis of the rotating stand, and a baffle fixed on the rotating stand. The sputtering cathodes are arranged around and perpendicular to the rotating stand.

Abstract: A system for semiconductor manufacturing that uses ultrasonic waves for estimating and monitoring a remaining service lifetime of a consumable element is provided. A consumable element comprises a front side arranged inside a process chamber and a back side, opposite the front side, arranged outside the process chamber. An ultrasonic transducer is arranged on the back side of the consumable element, and directed towards the front side of the consumable element. A monitoring unit is configured to estimate and monitor a remaining service lifetime of the consumable element using the ultrasonic transducer. A method for estimating and monitoring the remaining service lifetime of the consumable element using ultrasonic waves is also provided.

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 of the present invention 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 process for the production of an optically selective coating of a receiver substrate of a suitable material for solar receiver devices particularly suitable for operating at high temperatures, more specifically for receiver tubes of linear parabolic trough, which comprises: deposition of a layer reflecting infrared radiation consisting of a high-melting metal on a heated receiver substrate of a suitable material; annealing under the same temperature and pressure conditions as the deposition of the reflecting layer; deposition on the high-melting metal of one or more layers of metal-ceramic composite materials (CERMET), wherein the metal is W and the ceramic matrix is YPSZ (“Yttria-Partially Stabilized Zirconia”); deposition on the cermet of an antireflection layer; annealing under the same temperature and pressure conditions as the depositions of the cermet and antireflection layers.

Abstract: A cathodic arc coating apparatus includes a vessel, a cathode disposed in the vessel, and a stinger assembly. The stinger assembly includes a first magnetic field generator disposed in a first stinger cup in selective contact with the cathode. The first stinger cup has at least a first electrically conductive cup portion spaced from a second electrically conductive cup portion by a thermally insulating layer therebetween.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods that include depositing a first component and a second component to form a film including a plurality of nanostructures, and coating the nanostructures with a hydrophobic layer to render the film superhydrophobic. The first component and the second component can be immiscible and phase-separated during the depositing step. The first component and the second component can be independently selected from the group consisting of a metal oxide, a metal nitride, a metal oxynitride, a metal, and combinations thereof. The films can have a thickness greater than or equal to 5 nm; an average surface roughness (Ra) of from 90 to 120 nm, as measured on a 5 ?m×5 ?m area; a surface area of at least 20 m2/g; a contact angle with a drop of water of at least 120 degrees; and can maintain the contact angle when exposed to harsh conditions.

Abstract: A coated cylinder liner 20 comprises a wear resistant layer 22, such as a DLC coating, and a metallic adhesive layer 24, such as chromium or titanium, deposited on an inner surface 26 thereof. The layers 22, 24 each have a thickness tw, ta varying by not more than 5% along at least 70% of the length of the inner surface 26. The metallic adhesive layer 24 is deposited by sputtering a consumable metallic electrode 28 onto the inner surface 26. The sputtering can be magnetron sputtering. The consumable metallic electrode 28 can include a hollow opening 40 with orifices 50 for providing a carrier gas into the deposition chamber 52. In addition, the inner surface 26 of the cylinder liner 20 can provide the deposition chamber 52 by sealing a first opening 36 and second opening 38 of the cylinder liner 20.

Abstract: A system and method for refurbishing an internal surface of an article of manufacture includes a sputtering unit. The internal surface of the article of manufacture defines an internal cavity. The sputtering unit includes an electrode assembly coupled to a sealing portion. The refurbishing method begins with preparing the internal surface to remove physical damage and contamination. Next, the sputtering unit is interfaced with the article by extending the electrode assembly into the cavity and sealing the sputtering unit to the article with the sealing portion. The internal surface of the article then defines a boundary of a sputtering chamber. A dimensional value is provided that is related to an internal dimension of the cavity. Finally the sputtering unit is operated to deposit material onto the internal surface based upon the provided dimensional value.

Abstract: Provided are an indium cylindrical sputtering target capable of providing good film thickness distribution and a method for production thereof. The indium cylindrical target comprises crystal grains whose average size is 1 mm to 20 mm over its surface to be sputtered. The method for manufacturing the indium cylindrical target includes the steps of: casting a semi-finished product of an indium cylindrical target integrated with a backing tube; and subjecting the semi-finished product to plastic working in its radial direction, wherein the plastic working is performed with a total thickness reduction rate of at least 10% over its longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus comprises: a target holder; and a magnet unit of a rectangular shape having long and short sides. The magnet unit includes: a first magnet; a second magnet disposed surrounding the first magnet and magnetized in a different and opposite direction from a direction of magnetization of the first magnet, and a third magnet located at part between the first magnet and the second magnet in the short-side direction and at least at a center position between the first magnet and the second magnet, the third magnet being magnetized in the short-side direction. In the third magnet, a surface facing the second magnet has the same polarity as that of a surface of the second magnet on the target holder side, and a surface facing the first magnet has the same polarity as that of a surface of the first magnet on the target holder side.