Abstract: A stacked structure includes a ferroelectric layer, and a tunnel barrier layer joined to the ferroelectric layer. The main component of the ferroelectric layer is aluminum nitride, and the main component of the tunnel barrier layer is magnesium oxide.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate holder, a cathode unit arranged at a position diagonally opposite to the substrate holder, a position sensor for detecting a rotational position of the substrate, and a holder rotation controller for adjusting a rotation speed of the substrate according to the detected rotational position. The holder rotation controller controls the rotation speed so that the rotation speed of the substrate when the cathode unit is located on a side in a first direction as an extending direction of a process target surface of the relief structure is lower than the rotation speed of the substrate when the cathode unit is located on a side in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction along the rotation of the substrate.

Abstract: A magnetoresistance device has an MgO (magnesium oxide) layer provided between a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer. The device is manufactured by forming a film of the MgO layer in a film forming chamber. A substance whose getter effect with respect to an oxidizing gas is large is adhered to surfaces of components provided in the chamber for forming the MgO layer. The substance having a large getter effect is a substance whose value of oxygen gas adsorption energy is 145 kcal/mol or higher. Ta (tantalum), in particular, is preferable as a substance which constitutes the magnetoresistance device.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sputtering apparatus having a target (2) disposed offset with respect to a substrate (7), wherein the uniformity of a deposition amount can be ensured even when a substrate support holder (6) has a low number of rotations of several rotations to several tens of rotations and the amount of deposition is extremely small to provide such a film thickness of 1 nm or less.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate holder, a cathode unit arranged at a position diagonally opposite to the substrate holder, a position sensor for detecting a rotational position of the substrate, and a holder rotation controller for adjusting a rotation speed of the substrate according to the detected rotational position. The holder rotation controller controls the rotation speed so that the rotation speed of the substrate when the cathode unit is located on a side in a first direction as an extending direction of a process target surface of the relief structure is lower than the rotation speed of the substrate when the cathode unit is located on a side in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction along the rotation of the substrate.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate holder, a cathode unit arranged at a position diagonally opposite to the substrate holder, a position sensor for detecting a rotational position of the substrate, and a holder rotation controller for adjusting a rotation speed of the substrate according to the detected rotational position. The holder rotation controller controls the rotation speed so that the rotation speed of the substrate when the cathode unit is located on a side in a first direction as an extending direction of a process target surface of the relief structure is lower than the rotation speed of the substrate when the cathode unit is located on a side in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction along the rotation of the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a manufacturing apparatus which can realize so-called sequential substrate transfer and can improve throughput, even when one multi-layered thin film includes plural layers of the same film type. A manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a transfer chamber, three sputtering deposition chambers each including one sputtering cathode, two sputtering deposition chambers each including two or more sputtering cathodes, and a process chamber for performing a process other than sputtering, and the three sputtering deposition chambers, the two sputtering deposition chambers, and the process chamber are arranged around the transfer chamber so that each is able to perform delivery and receipt of the substrate with the transfer chamber.

Abstract: The present invention provides a manufacturing apparatus which can realize so-called sequential substrate transfer and can improve throughput, even when one multi-layered thin film includes plural layers of the same film type. A manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a transfer chamber, three sputtering deposition chambers each including one sputtering cathode, two sputtering deposition chambers each including two or more sputtering cathodes, and a process chamber for performing a process other than sputtering, and the three sputtering deposition chambers, the two sputtering deposition chambers, and the process chamber are arranged around the transfer chamber so that each is able to perform delivery and receipt of the substrate with the transfer chamber.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a sputtering apparatus capable of obtaining an adequate film thickness distribution on a substrate surface even if a target projection plane is kept from being projected on the substrate. A sputtering apparatus includes: a process chamber; a substrate holder being rotatable in an in-plane direction of the substrate while holding the substrate; and a sputtering cathode located obliquely to the substrate holder, and arranged to incline to the substrate holder. A projection plane of a target holding surface of the sputtering cathode projected in a direction along a center normal line to the target holding surface onto a plane containing a substrate mounting surface of the substrate holder is formed outside the substrate mounting surface of the substrate holder, and the center normal line to the substrate mounting surface and the center normal line to the sputtering cathode are not coplanar.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate holder, a cathode unit arranged at a position diagonally opposite to the substrate holder, a position sensor for detecting a rotational position of the substrate, and a holder rotation controller for adjusting a rotation speed of the substrate according to the detected rotational position. The holder rotation controller controls the rotation speed so that the rotation speed of the substrate when the cathode unit is located on a side in a first direction as an extending direction of a process target surface of the relief structure is lower than the rotation speed of the substrate when the cathode unit is located on a side in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction along the rotation of the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a manufacturing apparatus which can realize so-called sequential substrate transfer and can improve throughput, even when one multi-layered thin film includes plural layers of the same film type. A manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a transfer chamber, three sputtering deposition chambers each including one sputtering cathode, two sputtering deposition chambers each including two or more sputtering cathodes, and a process chamber for performing a process other than sputtering, and the three sputtering deposition chambers, the two sputtering deposition chambers, and the process chamber are arranged around the transfer chamber so that each is able to perform delivery and receipt of the substrate with the transfer chamber.

Abstract: Provided is a high-quality magnetoresistive thin film by using a method of controlling self bias of a high-frequency sputtering device. In order to control the self bias for the substrate by adjusting a substrate potential, the high-frequency sputtering device according to the present invention includes: a chamber; evacuation means for evacuating the inside of the chamber; gas introduction means for supplying a gas into the chamber; a substrate holder provided with a substrate mounting table; rotation drive means capable of rotating the substrate holder; a sputtering cathode provided with a target mounting table and arranged such that the surface of the target mounting table is non-parallel to the surface of the substrate mounting table; an electrode disposed inside the substrate holder; and a variable impedance mechanism electrically connected to the electrode, for adjusting the substrate potential on the substrate holder.

Abstract: In a substrate treatment system including multiple treatment chambers around a substrate transfer chamber, an increase in apparatus floor area due to installation of additional treatment chambers is reduced. A plasma treatment apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a treatment chamber; a substrate holder for holding the substrate; plasma generation unit for forming plasma; multiple gate valves for installation and removal of the substrate; a shield for surrounding the plasma formed by the plasma generation unit; and substrate transfer unit for transferring the substrate through the gate valves. The substrate transfer unit is shielded from the plasma by the shield.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sputtering apparatus having a target (2) disposed offset with respect to a substrate (7), wherein the uniformity of a deposition amount can be ensured even when a substrate support holder (6) has a low number of rotations of several rotations to several tens of rotations and the amount of deposition is extremely small to provide such a film thickness of 1 nm or less.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a sputtering apparatus capable of obtaining an adequate film thickness distribution on a substrate surface even if a target projection plane is kept from being projected on the substrate. A sputtering apparatus includes: a process chamber; a substrate holder being rotatable in an in-plane direction of the substrate while holding the substrate; and a sputtering cathode located obliquely to the substrate holder, and arranged to incline to the substrate holder. A projection plane of a target holding surface of the sputtering cathode projected in a direction along a center normal line to the target holding surface onto a plane containing a substrate mounting surface of the substrate holder is formed outside the substrate mounting surface of the substrate holder, and the center normal line to the substrate mounting surface and the center normal line to the sputtering cathode are not coplanar.

Abstract: The magnetic anisotropy of a magnetic layer in a spin valve tunnel magnetoresistive element or giant magnetoresistive element is enhanced. Deposition of the magnetic layer is performed by making sputtering particles obliquely incident on a substrate from a certain incident direction at a certain incident angle.

Abstract: A magnetoresistance effect device including a multilayer structure having a pair of ferromagnetic layers and a barrier layer positioned between them, wherein at least one ferromagnetic layer has at least the part contacting the barrier layer made amorphous and the barrier layer is an MgO layer having a highly oriented texture structure.

Abstract: The present invention provides a manufacturing apparatus which can realize so-called sequential substrate transfer and can improve throughput, even when one multi-layered thin film includes plural layers of the same film type. A manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a transfer chamber, three sputtering deposition chambers each including one sputtering cathode, two sputtering deposition chambers each including two or more sputtering cathodes, and a process chamber for performing a process other than sputtering, and the three sputtering deposition chambers, the two sputtering deposition chambers, and the process chamber are arranged around the transfer chamber so that each is able to perform delivery and receipt of the substrate with the transfer chamber.

Abstract: The present invention provides a TMR element manufacturing apparatus capable of reducing contamination of impurities in magnetic films. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a tunnel magneto-resistance element manufacturing apparatus includes: a load lock device to load and unload a substrate from and to an outside; a first substrate transfer device that is connected to the load lock device, at least one substrate process device being connected to the first substrate transfer device; a first evacuation unit provided in the first substrate transfer device; a second substrate transfer device that is connected to the first substrate transfer device, multiple substrate process devices being connected to the second substrate transfer device; and a second evacuation unit provided in the second substrate transfer device. At least one of the multiple substrate process devices connected to the second substrate transfer device is an oxidation device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vacuum heating/cooling apparatus capable of rapidly heating and also rapidly cooling only a substrate while a high vacuum degree is maintained after film-formation processing. The vacuum heating/cooling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a vacuum chamber (1), a halogen lamp (2) which emits heating light, a quartz window (3) for allowing the heating light to enter the vacuum chamber (1), a substrate supporting base (9) having a cooling function, and a lift pin (13) which causes the substrate (5) to stand still at a heating position P3 and a cooling position P1 and moves the substrate (5) between the heating position P3 and the cooling position P1.