Abstract: Damage to a gallium arsenide substrate during plasma ignition for PVD processing is avoided by a virtual shutter, which provides the functions without the disadvantages of a mechanical shutter to minimize the density of high energy particles created during plasma ignition from reaching the GaAs substrate.

Abstract: An ionized physical vapor deposition method and apparatus are provided which employs a magnetron magnetic field produced by cathode magnet structure behind a sputtering target to produce a main sputtering plasma, and an RF inductively coupled field produced by an RF coil outside of and surrounding the vacuum of the chamber to produce a secondary plasma in the chamber between the target and a substrate to ionize sputtered material passing from the target to the substrate so that the sputtered material can be electrically or magnetically steered to arrive at the substrate at right angles. A circumferentially interrupted shield or shield structure in the chamber protects the window from material deposits. A low pass LC filter circuit allows the shield to float relative to the RF voltage but to dissipate DC potential on the shield.