Abstract: An expendable target of sputter coating material is provided having secured thereto a storage medium having recorded thereon, in machine readable indicia, information relating to a characteristic of the target. The information preferably includes target identifying information and may also include information relating to the target composition, the history of the use of the target, and other information usable by the apparatus to automatically set machine parameters or to record process information. Information, particularly of the use of the target, may be updated and written to a medium on the target or target assembly, or to a machine readable medium which may be affixed to the target assembly when the target is removed. The apparatus preferably includes a read head in the sputtering chamber and may also include a write head for writing information to the target assembly.

Abstract: An improved, extended lifetime collimator for cathode sputtering has a plurality of passages which taper longitudinally from a target side of the collimator to a wafer side of the collimator. This longitudinal tapering reduces the adverse effects on collimator useful life and wafer deposition rate which are generally caused by the accumulation of sputtered particles on exposed surfaces on the target side of the collimator. Compared to prior collimators, this collimator may be used to sputter coat a greater number of wafers before replacement or cleaning is necessary, thereby enhancing throughput capability.

Abstract: A pressure sealed chamber such as a load lock for a apparatus for processing substrates is operated with a guide plate spaced from a substrate supported therein so as to form a gap which covers the substrate surface to be protected from contamination by moisture condensing in the chamber during the rapid evacuation thereof. During the evacuation of the chamber, by either pumping or venting, clean dry gas is introduced through an orifice in the center of the plate so as to flow outwardly from the edge of the gap at a pressure sufficient to displace or otherwise prevent gas borne moisture condensate in the chamber from entering the gap and contaminating the surface to be protected of the substrate. During the evacuation of the chamber, gas is introduced through the gap at a flow rate less that of the evacuating gas.

Abstract: A sputtering module incorporated into a wafer processing system includes an evacuatable housing connectable to one or more other evacuatable housings and a wafer handling turret adapted to receive a wafer in horizontal orientation at a load/unload position and rotate the wafer 180.degree. about an inclined axis into vertical orientation at a sputtering position across from a sputtering target. After sputter coating, the wafer handling turret again rotates 180.degree. about the inclined axis to rotatably return the wafer to the horizontal load/unload position, whereupon the wafer is lowered to a horizontal receiving position for subsequent retrieval by an arm extendible into the module from an adjacently situated housing. The wafer handling turret includes three wafer holding rings and a disc-shaped shutter that is rotatably located in front of the target during precleaning.

Abstract: A target of a thickness, which varies across its radius according to the amount of material required to be sputtered, is supported in a nest in a chamber of a sputter coating apparatus. Positioned behind the nest is a rotating magnet carrier having arranged thereon in a closed loop a permanent or electro magnetic strip, but preferably a flexible permanently magnetic material, with portions near the rim of the target and portions near, but not on, the target center about which the magnet rotates. The magnetic loop is transversely polarized with one pole toward the target rim and one toward the target center so that its field will enclose the rim of the target within a magnetic tunnel that traps a plasma over the target. Lumped magnets across the center from the strip support the plasma near the center so as to cause some sputtering at the target center. Other lumped magnets adjacent the strip help sharpen the field so that a desired distribution of sputtering can be achieved.

Abstract: In the manufacture of ceramic substrates by the tape casting process, improved control of thickness variations in the "green" ceramic tape is achieved by using a free-riding roller positioned within a drying chamber at a preselected location at which the cast slip has formed a dry skin yet remains fluidly deformable. The roller pressure is adjusted to a value just sufficient to redistribute the surface of the cast slip into a straight line without changing the cross-sectional area of the tape along the line of roller contact to avoid "bubble" buildup ahead of the roller and rupture of the surface skin.

Abstract: In the manufacture of ceramic products by the tape casting process faster drying rates result from subjecting the layer of cast ceramic slip to high frequency electromagnetic energy evenly distributed along at least the initial portion of the length of a drying chamber and of sufficient intensity to heat the slip to a uniform cross-sectional temperature above the evaporation temperature of the solvent. The high frequency energy, preferably in the microwave range, raises the temperature of the cast slip uniformly to evaporate the volatile solvents from the interior without forming a barrier skin on the surface of the layer. For typical slip thickness, tape speed, and solvent composition, energy densities of about 1 watt per square inch will provide an optimum heating rate without boiling the solvent.