A method adjusts an output power of a power supply supplying electrical power to a plasma in a plasma chamber. The method includes: connecting the power supply to at least one electrode in the plasma chamber; transporting one or more substrates relative to the electrode using a substrate carrier; maintaining the plasma by the electrical power; processing the one or more substrates with the plasma; and adjusting the output power based on a parameter related to a distance between a surface of the electrode facing a carrier-substrate-assembly and a surface of the substrate-carrier-assembly facing the electrode.

Systems and methods for performing direct patterning of a material on a substrate with high fidelity to a desired pattern are presented. A pattern of apertures of a shadow mask is compensated to accommodate a range of propagation angles in a vapor plume used to deposit material onto the substrate through the shadow mask. A shadow mask in accordance with the present disclosure includes an aperture pattern in which aperture position is shifted inward toward the center of the shadow mask by an amount based on the distance of the aperture from the center of the shadow mask. As a result, vaporized material passing through an aperture at a non-normal angle deposits onto the substrate at its proper desired location.

Systems and methods for performing direct patterning of a material on a substrate with high fidelity to a desired pattern are presented. A pattern of apertures of a shadow mask is compensated to accommodate a range of propagation angles in a vapor plume used to deposit material onto the substrate through the shadow mask. A shadow mask in accordance with the present disclosure includes an aperture pattern in which aperture position is shifted inward toward the center of the shadow mask by an amount based on the distance of the aperture from the center of the shadow mask. As a result, vaporized material passing through an aperture at a non-normal angle deposits onto the substrate at its proper desired location.

A method for improving the resistance of a ceramic PTC thermal element to reduction is provided, belonging to the technical field of preparation of electronic components. The ceramic PTC thermal element is barium titanate based. The method includes: filling a material container body with the barium titanate based ceramic PTC thermal element; loading the material container body containing the element into a magnetron sputtering apparatus; sputtering, by the magnetron sputtering apparatus, an inorganic material as a target material onto the surface of the element when the material container body is in a rotating state, thereby forming a thin film layer of the inorganic material on the surface; and after the magnetron sputtering is completed, taking out the material container body containing the element with the thin film layer of the inorganic material combined on the surface, and performing high-temperature heat treatment.

A deposition apparatus comprises: an infeed chamber; a preheat chamber; a deposition chamber; and optionally at least one of a cooldown chamber and an outlet chamber. At least a first of the preheat chamber and the cooldown chamber contains a buffer system for buffering workpieces respectively passing to or from the deposition chamber.

A deposition apparatus comprises: an infeed chamber; a preheat chamber; a deposition chamber; and optionally at least one of a cooldown chamber and an outlet chamber. At least a first of the preheat chamber and the cooldown chamber contains a buffer system for buffering workpieces respectively passing to or from the deposition chamber.

The present disclosure provides a magnetron sputtering apparatus, including a process chamber, a bias power supply assembly, and an excitation power supply assembly. The process chamber is provided with a base assembly and a bias guide assembly. A target is arranged at a top of the process chamber. The base assembly is arranged at a bottom of the process chamber and is configured to support a wafer carrier, drive the wafer carrier to move, and heat the wafer carrier. The bias guide assembly is arranged at the base assembly and configured to support the wafer carrier. The bias guide assembly is electrically in contact with the wafer carrier. The bias power supply assembly is electrically connected to the bias guide assembly and configured to apply a bias voltage to the wafer carrier through the bias guide assembly.

The present disclosure provides a magnetron sputtering apparatus, including a process chamber, a bias power supply assembly, and an excitation power supply assembly. The process chamber is provided with a base assembly and a bias guide assembly. A target is arranged at a top of the process chamber. The base assembly is arranged at a bottom of the process chamber and is configured to support a wafer carrier, drive the wafer carrier to move, and heat the wafer carrier. The bias guide assembly is arranged at the base assembly and configured to support the wafer carrier. The bias guide assembly is electrically in contact with the wafer carrier. The bias power supply assembly is electrically connected to the bias guide assembly and configured to apply a bias voltage to the wafer carrier through the bias guide assembly.

A magnet assembly is disclosed for steering ions used in the formation of a material layer upon a substrate during a pulsed DC physical vapour deposition process. Apparatus and methods are also disclosed incorporating the assembly for controlling thickness variation in a material layer formed via pulsed DC physical vapour deposition. The magnet assembly comprises a magnetic field generating arrangement for generating a magnetic field proximate the substrate and means for rotating the ion steering magnetic field generating arrangement about an axis of rotation, relative to the substrate. The magnetic field generating arrangement comprises a plurality of magnets configured to an array which extends around the axis of rotation, wherein the array of magnets are configured to generate a varying magnetic field strength along a radial direction relative to the axis of rotation.

A magnet assembly is disclosed for steering ions used in the formation of a material layer upon a substrate during a pulsed DC physical vapour deposition process. Apparatus and methods are also disclosed incorporating the assembly for controlling thickness variation in a material layer formed via pulsed DC physical vapour deposition. The magnet assembly comprises a magnetic field generating arrangement for generating a magnetic field proximate the substrate and means for rotating the ion steering magnetic field generating arrangement about an axis of rotation, relative to the substrate. The magnetic field generating arrangement comprises a plurality of magnets configured to an array which extends around the axis of rotation, wherein the array of magnets are configured to generate a varying magnetic field strength along a radial direction relative to the axis of rotation.