There is provided a stage mechanism, including: an electrostatic chuck having a conductive film formed on a front surface thereof, the conductive film configured to make electrically contact with a rear surface of a substrate; a conductive member electrically connected to the conductive film and formed to extend to a rear surface of the electrostatic chuck; and a moving member electrically connected to the conductive member via a connecting member and configured to move between a first position connected to a ground potential and a second position not connected to the ground potential.

A magnetron sputtering system includes a substrate mounted within a vacuum chamber. A plurality of cathode assemblies includes a first set of cathode assemblies and a second set of cathode assemblies, and is configured for reactive sputtering. Each cathode assembly includes a target comprising sputterable material and has an at least partially exposed planar sputtering surface. A target support is configured to support the target in the vacuum chamber and rotate the target relative to the vacuum chamber about a target axis. A magnetic field source includes a magnet array. A cathode assemblies controller assembly is operative to actuate the first set of cathode assemblies without actuating the second set of cathode assemblies, and to actuate the second set of cathode assemblies without actuating the first set of cathode assemblies.

Sputter devices comprise a vacuum supply, a gas supply, a substrate holding device, and sputter sources. Each sputter source is held by an individual source support, each of which has an individual reference point allocated on a sputter surface facing the deposition area, and each of which has a source distance to a source reference surface from the individual reference point. The sputter sources are spaced apart from each other, are arranged as a two-dimensional array opposite the deposition area, and extend along the source reference surface. The source reference surface is parallel to the substrate reference surface. At least one of the sputter sources has a source distance deviating from zero.

A sputtering system and a deposition method are provided. The sputtering system includes at least two sputtering chambers. Each of the at least two sputtering chambers includes a plurality of targets separated from each other and a plurality of target pedestals. Each of the plurality of targets is mounted on a corresponding target pedestal of the plurality of target pedestals, and a gap between two adjacent targets of the plurality of targets has a width sufficient to accommodate at least one of the plurality of targets.

A sputtering target structure includes a body having a first side and an opposing second side. A first sputtering target is coupled to the first side of the body. The first sputtering target includes a first material. A second sputtering target is coupled to the second side of the body. The second sputtering target includes a second material. A rotation mechanism is coupled to the body and is configured to allow rotation of the body from a first orientation to a second orientation.

A light-modulation film (1) includes a light-modulation layer (30) and a catalyst layer (40) in this order on a polymer film substrate (10). A surface layer (70) may be disposed on the catalyst layer. The state of the light-modulation layer reversibly changes between a transparent state due to hydrogenation and a reflective state due to dehydrogenation. The catalyst layer promotes hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of the light-modulation layer. An arithmetic mean roughness of the surface of the catalyst layer is preferably 16 nm or less. A thickness of the light-modulation layer is preferably 2 to 20 times the thickness of the catalyst layer.

There is provided a film forming method performed in a film forming apparatus having cathode units capable of installing a plurality of targets. The method comprises performing a film formation process using a first target between the first target and a second target that are disposed at the cathode units and are made of the same material, based on a recipe of the first target, receiving from a user, after a value for managing a lifespan of the first target has reached a predetermined threshold, selection of the second target to be used for the film forming process, and performing the film forming process using the selected second target based on a recipe in which setting of target-related control items of the recipe of the first target is converted for the selected second target.

Various embodiments herein relate to electrochromic devices and electrochromic device precursors, as well as methods and apparatus for fabricating such electrochromic devices and electrochromic device precursors. In certain embodiments, the electrochromic device or precursor may include one or more particular materials such as a particular electrochromic material and/or a particular counter electrode material. In various implementations, the electrochromic material includes tungsten titanium molybdenum oxide. In these or other implementation, the counter electrode material may include nickel tungsten oxide, nickel tungsten tantalum oxide, nickel tungsten niobium oxide, nickel tungsten tin oxide, or another material.

A deposition system and a method of operation thereof are disclosed. A PVD chamber is disclosed comprising a plurality of cathode assemblies, a rotating shield below the plurality of cathode assemblies to expose one of the plurality cathode assemblies through the shroud and through a shield hole of the shield, the shield comprising a top surface including a raised peripheral frame. A shield mount sized and shaped to engage with the raised peripheral frame to secure the shield mount to the shield.

Methods and apparatus for plasma chamber target for reducing defects in workpiece during dielectric sputtering are provided. For example, a dielectric sputter deposition target can comprise a dielectric compound having a predefined average grain size ranging from approximately 65 μm to 500 μm, wherein the dielectric compound is at least one of magnesium oxide or aluminum oxide.