Abstract: In a plasma vapor deposition reactor for depositing an electrically insulating material using a DC sputtering process the plasma is stabilized, maintaining its sputtering efficiency, by provision of a secondary anode, preferably held at a positive bias with respect to the primary anode. The secondary anode is shielded from exposure to the stream of sputtered material, yet situated close enough to the plasma discharge to attract electrons from the plasma to maintain its charge balance. In reactive sputtering, the sputtering chamber contains both a sputtering gas, for example argon, and a reactive gas, for example oxygen. Positive ions of the sputtering gas bombard a target of the material to be sputtered. Atoms of the target material, the sputtered atoms, are emitted from the target in all directions into the chamber, some of them falling on the substrate surface to be sputter coated. At the surface or in the chamber they chemically combine with the reactive gas.

Abstract: The improved material deposition process of the present invention utilizes a first, low temperature deposition step followed by a second, high temperature/high power deposition step. In the first deposition step a collimation plate is placed between the sputtering target and the substrate, such that a collimated stream of sputtered material is deposited upon the substrate. The collimated stream provides a seed layer which aids in eliminating voids by partially filling the holes and grooves in the surface of the substrate. The second deposition step is conducted as a high temperature sputtering deposition. At the high temperature the sputtered material joins and flows with the seed layer, whereby the holes and grooves are more easily filled without voids and an improved planarized layer is achieved.