Abstract: An ion flow forming method and apparatus for attracting ions from a plasma generated in a plasma generation chamber and forming a flow of the ions are disclosed. This ion flow forming apparatus includes the plasma generation chamber having a plasma diffusion outlet port, a processing chamber accommodating a target object, for example, two electrodes arranged between the plasma generation chamber and the target object in the processing chamber, and a potential control unit. This potential control unit controls voltages to be applied to the plasma generation chamber, the two electrodes, and the processing chamber, so that the step of diffusing the plasma generated in the plasma generation chamber in a space between the two electrodes, the ion attraction step of repelling electrons in the diffused plasma toward the plasma generation chamber and attracting the ions in the plasma in an opposite direction, and the ion flow formation step of directing the ions toward the target object are sequentially performed.

Abstract: An ion flow forming method and apparatus for attracting ions from a plasma generated in a plasma generation chamber and forming a flow of the ions are disclosed. This ion flow forming apparatus includes the plasma generation chamber having a plasma diffusion outlet port, a processing chamber accommodating a target object, for example, two electrodes arranged between the plasma generation chamber and the target object in the processing chamber, and a potential control unit. This potential control unit controls voltages to be applied to the plasma generation chamber, the two electrodes, and the processing chamber, so that the step of diffusing the plasma generated in the plasma generation chamber in a space between the two electrodes, the ion attraction step of repelling electrons in the diffused plasma toward the plasma generation chamber and attracting the ions in the plasma in an opposite direction, and the ion flow formation step of directing the ions toward the target object are sequentially performed.

Abstract: A magnetron sputtering apparatus which includes a vacuum chamber, a plurality of sputtering guns, arranged in the vacuum chamber, for emitting sputter particles, a support member for supporting an object to be processed, on which a thin film is to be formed within the vacuum chamber, and a movement mechanism for moving the sputtering guns and the support member relative to each other, wherein sputter particles sputtered from the target by the plasma produced in the recess are deposited on the object to be processed. Each sputtering gun includes a target having a recess, a sputtering gas supplying pass for supplying a sputtering gas into the recess, an electric field producing mechanism for producing an electric field in the recess, thereby generating a plasma of the sputtering gas, and a magnetic field producing mechanism for production, in the recess, of a magnetic field including a component which crosses the electric field at right angles.

Abstract: A programmable controller employing an address table to locate a plurality of execution programs for executing corresponding instructions, in which an address of an execution program is replaced in that table with the address of a corresponding execution/monitor program whenever the execution result of that execution program is to be monitored.