A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media stack is provided in which Iridium (Ir)-based materials may be utilized as a secondary underlayer instead of a Magnesium Oxide (MgO) underlayer utilized in conventional media stacks. Such Ir-based materials may include, e.g., pure Ir, Ir-based alloys, Ir-based compounds, as well as a granular Ir layer with segregants. The use of Ir or Ir-based materials as an underlayer provide advantages over the use of MgO as an underlayer. For example, DC sputtering can be utilized to deposit the layers of the media stack, where the deposition rate of Ir is considerably higher than that of MgO resulting in higher manufacturing production yields. Further still, less particles are generated during Ir-based layer deposition processes, and Ir-based underlayer can act as a better heat sink. Further still, the morphology and structure of a recording layer deposited on an Ir-based layer can be better controlled.

An Ag alloy film used for a reflecting electrode or an interconnection electrode, the Ag alloy film exhibiting low electrical resistivity and high reflectivity and having exceptional oxidation resistance under cleaning treatments such as an O.sub.2 plasma treatment or UV irradiation, wherein the Ag alloy film contains either In in an amount of larger than 2.0 atomic % to 2.7 atomic % or smaller; or Zn in an amount of larger than 2.0 atomic % to 3.5 atomic % or smaller; or both. The Ag alloy film may further contain Bi in an amount of 0.01 to 1.0 atomic %.

A film forming apparatus for forming a film on a moving substrate by sputtering includes a processing container, a placement base having a placement surface on which a substrate is placed, a holder configured to hold a target, an upper shield member configured to divide a space in the processing container into an upper space and a lower space, a movement mechanism configured to move the placement base in a movement direction parallel to the placement surface and to move the placement base in the vertical direction, a leg member configured to connect the placement base and the movement mechanism, and a lower shield member configured to define the movement space together with the upper shield member. The lower shield member includes a fixed shield member and a moving shield member.

A sputtering apparatus includes a chamber configured to provide a space where a deposition process is performed on a substrate, a substrate holder configured to support the substrate within the chamber, and at least one turret-type target assembly located over the substrate, including a plurality of targets mounted thereon and adapted to operatively rotate by a predetermined angle about its longitudinal axis such that any one of the targets is off-axis aligned with respect to a film-deposited surface of the substrate.

Disclosed herein is a roll-to-roll long base material surface processing device capable of performing surface processing on a long base material with little occurrence of wrinkling in the long base material at low costs. The surface processing device includes: two can rolls that cool a long resin film transferred in a roll-to-roll manner in a vacuum chamber with a cooling medium circulated therein by wrapping the long resin film around outer circumferences thereof; and surface processing units typified by magnetron sputtering cathodes provided so as to face the outer circumferences of the two can rolls, wherein a second can roll of the two can rolls other than a most upstream first can roll has a gas release mechanism that releases a gas from the outer circumference.

Disclosed herein is a roll-to-roll long base material surface processing device capable of performing surface processing on a long base material with little occurrence of wrinkling in the long base material at low costs. The surface processing device includes: two can rolls that cool a long resin film transferred in a roll-to-roll manner in a vacuum chamber with a cooling medium circulated therein by wrapping the long resin film around outer circumferences thereof; and surface processing units typified by magnetron sputtering cathodes provided so as to face the outer circumferences of the two can rolls, wherein a second can roll of the two can rolls other than a most upstream first can roll has a gas release mechanism that releases a gas from the outer circumference.

A sputtering target including aluminum and either a rare earth element or a titanium group element or both a rare earth element and a titanium group element, and the sputtering target has a fluorine content of 100 ppm or less.

A heat-dissipation substrate structure with high adhesive strength is provided. The heat-dissipation substrate structure includes a heat-dissipation base layer, a functional layer, and a matching layer. The functional layer is formed by sputtering, and has a single layer structure or a multi-layer structure. A thickness of each layer of the functional layer is less than 3 μm. The matching layer has a single layer structure or a multi-layer structure, and a thickness of each layer of the multi-layer structure of the matching layer is less than 1 μm. The matching layer is formed by sputtering of one or any two of titanium, titanium alloy, nickel, and nickel alloy. The functional layer and the heat-dissipation base layer are two heterogeneous metal layers, and the matching layer is located between the functional layer and the heat-dissipation base layer.

A heat-dissipation substrate structure with high adhesive strength is provided. The heat-dissipation substrate structure includes a heat-dissipation base layer, a functional layer, and a matching layer. The functional layer is formed by sputtering, and has a single layer structure or a multi-layer structure. A thickness of each layer of the functional layer is less than 3 μm. The matching layer has a single layer structure or a multi-layer structure, and a thickness of each layer of the multi-layer structure of the matching layer is less than 1 μm. The matching layer is formed by sputtering of one or any two of titanium, titanium alloy, nickel, and nickel alloy. The functional layer and the heat-dissipation base layer are two heterogeneous metal layers, and the matching layer is located between the functional layer and the heat-dissipation base layer.

Methods and apparatus for processing a plurality of substrates are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of processing a plurality of substrates in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber includes: performing a series of reflow processes on a corresponding series of substrates over at least a portion of a life of a sputtering target disposed in the PVD chamber, wherein a substrate-to-target distance in the PVD chamber and a support-to-target distance within the PVD chamber are each controlled as a function of the life of the sputtering target.