MAGNETICALLY ENHANCED CAPACITIVE PLASMA SOURCE FOR IONIZED PHYSICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION

• Main Authors: VUKOVIC MIRO, RUSSELL DERREK ANDREW
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 23.05.2007
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; CHEMISTRY; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATIONOR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY IONIMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS; ELECTRICITY; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; METALLURGY; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THESURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION

A capacitive plasma source for iPVD is immersed in a strong local magnetic field, and may be a drop-in replacement for an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source for iPVD. The source includes an annular electrode having a magnet pack behind it that includes a surface magnet generally parallel to the electrode surface with a magnetic field extending radially over the electrode surface. Side magnets, such as inner and outer annular ring magnets, have polar axes that intersect the electrode with poles closest to the electrode of the same polarity as the adjacent pole of the surface magnet. A ferromagnetic back plate or back magnet interconnects the back poles of the side magnets. A ferromagnetic shield behind the magnet pack confines the field away from the iPVD material source.