An apparatus for laser deposition with a reactive gas includes a source, a target, and a substrate. The source emits a plasma jet of the reactive gas. The target generates a plasma plume of a deposition material when a laser beam ablates the target. The substrate collects a film resulting from a chemical reaction between the deposition material from the plasma plume and the reactive gas from the plasma jet. Correspondingly, a method for laser deposition with a reactive gas includes steps of emitting a plasma jet of the reactive gas, ablating a target with a laser beam, and collecting a film on a substrate. The plasma jet emits from an orifice of a source. Ablating the target generates a plasma plume of a deposition material. The film results from a chemical reaction between the deposition material from the plasma plume and the reactive gas from the plasma jet.

An IHC ion source having increased plasma potential is disclosed. In certain embodiments, the extraction plate is biased at a higher voltage than the body of the arc chamber to achieve the higher plasma potential. Shielding electrodes may be utilized to remove the interaction between the biased extraction plate and the plasma. The cross-section of the arc chamber may be circular or nearly circular to facilitate the rotation of electrons in the chamber. In another embodiment, biased electrodes may be disposed in the chamber on opposite sides of the extraction aperture in the height direction. In some embodiments, only one of the electrodes is biased at a voltage greater than the body of the arc chamber.

An IHC ion source having increased plasma potential is disclosed. In certain embodiments, the extraction plate is biased at a higher voltage than the body of the arc chamber to achieve the higher plasma potential. Shielding electrodes may be utilized to remove the interaction between the biased extraction plate and the plasma. The cross-section of the arc chamber may be circular or nearly circular to facilitate the rotation of electrons in the chamber. In another embodiment, biased electrodes may be disposed in the chamber on opposite sides of the extraction aperture in the height direction. In some embodiments, only one of the electrodes is biased at a voltage greater than the body of the arc chamber.

The present invention provides a plasma treatment detection indicator including a color-changing layer that changes color by plasma treatment, exhibiting excellent heat resistance, with the gasification of the color-changing layer or the scattering of the fine debris of the color-changing layer caused by the plasma treatment being suppressed to the extent that electronic device properties are not affected. Specifically, the present invention provides a plasma treatment detection indicator comprising a color-changing layer that changes color by plasma treatment, the color-changing layer comprising metal oxide fine particles containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mo, W, Sn, V, Ce, Te, and Bi, the metal oxide fine particles having a mean particle size of 50 μm or less.

A sputtering system includes a vacuum chamber, a power source having a pole coupled to a backing plate for holding a sputtering target within the vacuum chamber, a pedestal for holding a substrate within the vacuum chamber, and a time of flight camera positioned to scan a surface of a target held to the backing plate. The time of flight camera may be used to obtain information relating to the topography of the target while the target is at sub-atmospheric pressure. The target information may be used to manage operation of the sputtering system. Managing operation of the sputtering system may include setting an adjustable parameter of a deposition process or deciding when to replace a sputtering target. Machine learning may be used to apply the time of flight camera data in managing the sputtering system operation.

Provided are a method and a device that can measure sputtered particles discharged by sputtering with high precision within a short time. A measuring device has a measuring section that measures a ratio between an equivalent value of the number of ion particles discharged from a target by sputtering caused by a pulsed electric discharge and an equivalent value of the number of neutral particles discharged from the target by the pulsed electric discharge. The ratio between the number of the ion particles and the number of the neutral particles discharged from the target by the sputtering can be regarded as one of factors affecting quality of a vapor-deposited film, a film growth rate and an etching rate. Thus, a factor affecting the quality of the vapor-deposited film, the film growth rate and the etching rate can be grasped and also controlled.

A deposition apparatus includes deposition sources, a deposition chamber, a mask assembly, and a transfer unit. The mask assembly includes a support member, a shutter member, and a drive member. The support member has a first opening configured to allow the deposition materials to pass through while supporting the base substrate on which the passed-through deposition materials are deposited. The shutter member is accommodated in the support member and has a second opening smaller than the first opening. The drive member is configured to change a position of the second opening with respect to the base substrate in accordance with the movement of the mask assembly.

A deposition apparatus includes deposition sources, a deposition chamber, a mask assembly, and a transfer unit. The mask assembly includes a support member, a shutter member, and a drive member. The support member has a first opening configured to allow the deposition materials to pass through while supporting the base substrate on which the passed-through deposition materials are deposited. The shutter member is accommodated in the support member and has a second opening smaller than the first opening. The drive member is configured to change a position of the second opening with respect to the base substrate in accordance with the movement of the mask assembly.

A method of discriminating a state of a sputtering apparatus in which, by sputtering a target (2), a film is formed on a substrate disposed to lie opposite to the target, the discrimination being made, prior to the film formation on the substrate, as to whether an atmosphere in the vacuum chamber is in a state fit for film formation. As the sputtering apparatus, use is made of one provided inside the vacuum chamber with an isolated space which is isolated from the vacuum chamber by an isolating means (6, 71˜73), the isolated space being for the target and the substrate to lie therein opposite to each other, the sputtering apparatus being so arranged that the isolated space is evacuated accompanied by the evacuation in the vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber is evacuated to a predetermined set pressure and a gas is introduced therein in this state.

A deposition system provides a feature that may reduce costs of the sputtering process by increasing a target change interval. The deposition system provides an array of magnet members which generate a magnetic field and redirect the magnetic field based on target thickness measurement data. To adjust or redirect the magnetic field, at least one of the magnet members in the array tilts to focus on an area of the target where more target material remains than other areas. As a result, more ion, e.g., argon ion bombardment occurs on the area, creating more uniform erosion on the target surface.