Magnetic-field-generating apparatus for magnetron sputtering

US9580797B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-9580797-B2
Application numberUS-201213981252-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateJan 12, 2012
Priority dateJan 24, 2011
Publication dateFeb 28, 2017
Grant dateFeb 28, 2017

How to read this patent

A practical reading order for non-experts. Skip the full description unless you need deep technical detail.

  1. Title

    What the patent document calls the invention.

  2. Abstract

    A short plain-language summary of the technical disclosure.

  3. Assignees and inventors

    Who owns or filed the patent and who is credited as inventor.

  4. Key dates

    Filing, priority, publication, and grant dates set the timeline.

  5. First independent claim

    The legal scope of protection — read this for what is actually claimed.

  6. CPC / IPC classifications

    Technology tags used to group this patent with similar filings.

  7. Citations and related patents

    Prior art links and similar publications in this corpus.

Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

A racetrack-shaped magnetic-field-generating apparatus for magnetron sputtering comprising a linear portion and corner portions, the linear portion comprising a magnetic base, a center permanent magnet disposed on its surface, and side permanent magnets disposed on both sides thereof with a gap; the center and side permanent magnets being vertically magnetized with opposite polarities; the corner portions comprising a non-magnetic base, a center magnetic pole member disposed on its surface, a semicircular or semi-polygonal, peripheral magnetic pole member, and plural permanent magnets arranged between both magnetic pole members with their magnetization directions in parallel to a target surface; and the magnetic poles of plural permanent magnets opposing the center magnetic pole member having the same polarity as those of the center permanent magnet opposing the target.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

What is claimed is: 1. A racetrack-shaped magnetic-field-generating apparatus for magnetron sputtering, which comprises a linear portion and corner portions to generate a magnetic field on a target surface, said linear portion comprising a magnetic base, a center rectangular permanent magnet disposed on a surface of said magnetic base, and two side rectangular permanent magnets disposed on a surface of said magnetic base in parallel to and on both sides of said center permanent magnet with a gap; said center permanent magnet and said side permanent magnets being arranged with their magnetization directions perpendicular to said target surface and their polarities opposite; each of said corner portions comprising a non-magnetic base, a center magnetic pole member disposed on a surface of said non-magnetic base, a peripheral magnetic pole member disposed in a semicircular or semi-polygonal form with said center magnetic pole member as a center, and plural permanent magnets arranged between said center magnetic pole member and said peripheral magnetic pole member; said plural permanent magnets being arranged with their magnetization directions in parallel to a surface of said target and the same polarity opposing said center magnetic pole member; and the magnetic poles of said plural permanent magnets opposing said center magnetic pole member having the same polarity as that of the magnetic pole of said center permanent magnet facing said target. 2. The magnetic-field-generating apparatus for magnetron sputtering according to claim 1 , wherein said permanent magnets constituting said corner portions are fan-shaped or trapezoidal permanent magnets. 3. The magnetic-field-generating apparatus for magnetron sputtering according to claim 1 , wherein said permanent magnets constituting said corner portions occupy 30% or more of an area between said center magnetic pole member and said peripheral magnetic pole member. 4. The magnetic-field-generating apparatus for magnetron sputtering according to claim 3 , wherein a space between said center magnetic pole member and said peripheral magnetic pole member is filled with said permanent magnets, and non-magnetic spacers occupying other portions than said permanent magnets. 5. The magnetic-field-generating apparatus for magnetron sputtering according to claim 1 , wherein said linear portion is filled with a non-magnetic spacer between said center permanent magnet and said side permanent magnets. 6. The magnetic-field-generating apparatus for magnetron sputtering according to claim 1 , wherein positions at which a perpendicular component of a magnetic flux density of a magnetic field on said target surface is zero meet the requirement of R≦r, wherein r is a horizontal distance from said center magnetic pole member in said corner portions, and R is a horizontal distance from said center permanent magnet in said linear portion. 7. The magnetic-field-generating apparatus for magnetron sputtering according to claim 1 , wherein a horizontal component of a magnetic flux density at positions, at which a perpendicular component of said magnetic flux density on said target surface is zero, is 10 mT or more in said corner portions. 8. The magnetic-field-generating apparatus for magnetron sputtering according to claim 1 , wherein said center permanent magnet and said side permanent magnets constituting said linear portion are rare earth magnets, and said plural permanent magnets constituting said corner portions are ferrite magnets. 9. The magnetic-field-generating apparatus for magnetron sputtering according to claim 1 , wherein said linear portion is wider than each of said corner portions in a boundary in which said linear portion is opposing each of said corner portions. 10. The magnetic-field-generating apparatus for magnetron sputtering according to claim 1 , wherein magnetic shunts for adjusting a magnetic field are arranged in said corner portions on the side of said base with respect to said permanent magnets.

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • C23C14/351Primary

    using a magnetic field in close vicinity to the substrate · CPC title

  • Means for shaping the magnetic field, e.g. magnetic shunts · CPC title

  • Planar magnetron sputtering · CPC title

  • Magnet distribution · CPC title

  • C23C14/35Primary

    by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering {(C23C14/3457 takes precedence)} · CPC title

Patent family

Related publications grouped by family.

External sources

Frequently asked questions

Answers are generated from the same data shown on this page.

What does patent US9580797B2 cover?
A racetrack-shaped magnetic-field-generating apparatus for magnetron sputtering comprising a linear portion and corner portions, the linear portion comprising a magnetic base, a center permanent magnet disposed on its surface, and side permanent magnets disposed on both sides thereof with a gap; the center and side permanent magnets being vertically magnetized with opposite polarities; the corn…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Kuriyama Yoshihiko, Mita Masahiro, Hitachi Metals Ltd
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification C23C14/351. Mapped technology areas include Chemistry & Metallurgy.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Feb 28 2017 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 8 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).