HIGH-RATE SPUTTERING OF METALS AND METAL-OXIDES WITH A MOVING PLASMA ZONE

The productivity of modern machines for sputter deposition of thin fil ms is limited in general by two factors: the limited deposition rate o f conventional planar magnetrons and the limited lifetime of the targe t. The newly developed special electromagnetically enhanced magnetron sputter system uses a time-dependent plasma-confining magnetic field. This results in a higher applicable total power on the target which in turn results in higher deposition rates. The target utilization is dr astically enhanced, and the stability and the lifetime of reactive spu tter processes are increased by avoiding deposition of dielectric laye rs on the target surface. The properties of the growing film can be tu ned by varying the amount of ion bombardment of the growing layer. Res ults of an industrial size magnetron of 1.4 m length are given for met allic processes (Cu, Ti, Cr) and reactive processes (SnO2, TiO2) and f or sputtering of thick ferromagnetic targets as well.