A sputtering target for an insulating oxide film, the sputtering target including a sintered body including a lanthanum oxide and at least one selected from the group consisting of a beryllium oxide, a magnesium oxide, a calcium oxide, a strontium oxide, and a barium oxide, wherein lanthanum has highest molar ratio among elements other than oxygen contained in the sintered body.

Sputtering printheads, additive manufacturing systems comprising the same, and methods for additive manufacturing are provided. Sputtering printheads of the present invention use a plasma to sputter a feedstock material which is directed towards a target. A printhead can include a heater to heat the feedstock to, or near, the material's melting point as it is being sputtered to increase the deposition rate. A convergent nozzle can also increase the deposition rate. Printheads of the present invention are readily reconfigurable such that the same printhead can be used to deposit different materials, such as metals and non-metals, in succession by replacing the feedstock material and making changes to a few settings. Additive manufacturing systems of the present invention can be operated at normal room temperatures and pressure.

An apparatus for protecting an interior surface of a fusion reactor vessel. The apparatus comprises a power supply operably connected to an electrode for insertion into the vessel. The apparatus supports a solid material within the vessel, and is configured such that power supplied to the electrode within the vessel causes a plasma located in proximity to the solid material to sputter the solid material in order to deposit a protective material on said interior surface.

Provided is a technique of forming an aluminum film that has high flatness and less cavities. Step S11 is forming a first film having a thickness that is equal to or greater than 0.1 m and less than 1 m, by sputtering a material onto a substrate. Step S12 is reflowing the first film by heating the first film. Step S13 is forming a second film by sputtering the material onto the first film that has been reflowed. Step S14 is reflowing the second film by heating the second film. Step S15 is forming a third film by sputtering the material onto the second film that has been reflowed. Step S16 is reflowing the third film by heating the third film.

Methods and apparatus reduce defects in substrates processed in a physical vapor (PVD) chamber. In some embodiments, a method for cleaning a process kit disposed in an inner volume of a process chamber includes positioning a glassy carbon shutter disk on a substrate support of the PVD chamber; energizing an oxygen-containing cleaning gas disposed in the inner volume of the PVD chamber to create a plasma reactive with carbon-based materials; and heating the process kit having a carbon-based material adhered thereto while exposed to the plasma to remove at least a portion of the carbon-based material adhered to the process kit.

The present invention provides a technique for performing film formation at low cost without causing a short-circuit between sputtered films formed on opposite surfaces of a film-formation target substrate. According to the present invention, in a substrate-holder conveyance mechanism 3, a substrate holder 11 is conveyed by a first conveyance portion so that the substrate holder 11 passes through a first film formation region; film formation is performed by sputtering on a first surface of a film-formation target substrate 50 held by the substrate holder 11; the substrate holder 11 is conveyed from the first conveyance portion to a second conveyance portion in such a manner as to make a turn with the up/down orientation of the substrate holder 11 maintained; the substrate holder 11 is conveyed by the second conveyance portion in a direction opposite to the direction of conveyance by the first conveyance portion so that the substrate holder 11 passes through a second film formation region; and film formation is performed by sputtering on a second surface of the film-formation target substrate 50. The substrate holder 11 has openings 14 and 15 through which first and second surfaces of the film-formation target substrate 50 are exposed, and includes a shield portion 16 for shielding an edge portion of the film-formation target substrate 50 from a film formation material supplied from a second sputtering source.

Sputtering printheads, additive manufacturing systems comprising the same, and methods for additive manufacturing are provided. Sputtering printheads of the present invention use a plasma to sputter a feedstock material which is directed towards a target. A printhead can include a heater to heat the feedstock to, or near, the material's melting point as it is being sputtered to increase the deposition rate. A convergent nozzle can also increase the deposition rate. Printheads of the present invention are readily reconfigurable such that the same printhead can be used to deposit different materials, such as metals and non-metals, in succession by replacing the feedstock material and making changes to a few settings. Additive manufacturing systems of the present invention can be operated at normal room temperatures and pressure.

Provided are a MnZnO sputtering target that can be used for DC sputtering and a production method therefor. The MnZnO sputtering target has a chemical composition containing Mn, Zn, O, and an element X (X is one or two elements selected from the group consisting of W and Mo). A surface to be sputtered of the target has an arithmetic mean roughness Ra of 1.5 ?m or less or a maximum height Ry of 10 ?m or less.

Sputtering printheads, additive manufacturing systems comprising the same, and methods for additive manufacturing are provided. Sputtering printheads of the present invention use a plasma to sputter a feedstock material which is directed towards a target. A printhead can include a heater to heat the feedstock to, or near, the material's melting point as it is being sputtered to increase the deposition rate. A convergent nozzle can also increase the deposition rate. Printheads of the present invention are readily reconfigurable such that the same printhead can be used to deposit different materials, such as metals and non-metals, in succession by replacing the feedstock material and making changes to a few settings. Additive manufacturing systems of the present invention can be operated at normal room temperatures and pressure.

A heating carrier device for use on a sputtering cathode assembly has a heating carrier for heating a sputtering target to control a sputtering target temperature; a magnetic component for generating a magnetic field; a thermal insulation component disposed between the heating carrier and the magnetic component; and a cooling system for cooling the magnetic component. Therefore, the heating carrier device reduces the bonding strength of the sputtering target, reduces the particle size of sputtering products, and grows high-quality, uniform thin films.