Electrically conductive, thin, smooth films are provided that comprise silver (Ag) and a conductive metal, such as aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), gold (Au), magnesium (Mg), tantalum (Ta), germanium (Ge) or combinations thereof. In other alternative variations, electrically conductive, thin, smooth films are provided that comprise gold (Au) or copper (Cu) and a conductive metal, such as aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), gold (Au), magnesium (Mg), tantalum (Ta), germanium (Ge) or combinations thereof. Such materials have excellent electrical conductivity, may be ultra-thin, flexible, transparent, and have low optical loss. Assemblies incorporating such films and methods of making the films are also provided. The assemblies may be used in photovoltaic and light emitting devices with high power conversion efficiencies or optical meta-materials that exhibit high transmittance and homogeneous response, among others.

A method for forming a chromium nitride coating over a substrate to provide a chromium nitride coated article, and the resulting chromium nitride coated article, each use a bilayer chromium nitride containing material layer deposited over a UV-absorbing material layer deposited over a leveling material layer on the substrate. The bilayer chromium nitride containing material layer includes: (1) a first chromium nitride material layer having a first thickness, a first uniform chromium concentration and a first uniform nitrogen concentration located and formed closer to a substrate which provides the article; and (2) a second chromium nitride material layer having a second thickness, a second increasingly graded chromium concentration and a second decreasingly graded nitrogen concentration located and formed upon the first chromium nitride material layer. This particular bilayer chromium nitride containing material layer provides the article with superior reflectivity and crack resistance.

So as to control the operation of a sputter target (9) during lifetime of the target and under HIPIMS operation part (I) of a magnet arrangement associated to the target (9) is retracted from the target (9) whereas a second part II of the magnet arrangement is, if at all, retracted less from the addressed backside (7) during lifetime of the target (9). Thereby, part I is closer to the periphery of target (9) than part II, as both are eccentrically rotated about a rotational axis (A).

Methods and apparatus for depositing a metal-containing layer on a substrate are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of processing a substrate in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber includes applying RF power at a VHF frequency to a target comprising a metal disposed in the PVD chamber above the substrate to form a plasma from a plasma-forming gas; optionally applying a DC power to the target to direct the plasma towards the target; sputtering metal atoms from the target using the plasma while maintaining a first pressure in the PVD chamber sufficient to ionize a predominant portion of the sputtered metal atoms; and controlling the plasma sheath voltage between the plasma and the substrate to form a metal-containing layer having a desired crystal structure and or desired morphology on feature structures.

The invention relates to a device and a method for producing layers whose layer thickness distribution can be adjusted in coating systems with horizontally rotating substrate. A very homogeneous or a specific non-homogeneous distribution can be adjusted. The particle loading is also significantly reduced. The service life is significantly higher compared to other methods. Forming of parasitic coatings is reduced.

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.

A racetrack-shaped magnetic-field-generating apparatus for magnetron sputtering comprising a linear portion and corner portions, the linear portion comprising a magnetic base, a center permanent magnet disposed on its surface, and side permanent magnets disposed on both sides thereof with a gap; the center and side permanent magnets being vertically magnetized with opposite polarities; the corner portions comprising a non-magnetic base, a center magnetic pole member disposed on its surface, a semicircular or semi-polygonal, peripheral magnetic pole member, and plural permanent magnets arranged between both magnetic pole members with their magnetization directions in parallel to a target surface; and the magnetic poles of plural permanent magnets opposing the center magnetic pole member having the same polarity as those of the center permanent magnet opposing the target.

A method for forming a chromium nitride coating over a substrate to provide a chromium nitride coated article, and the resulting chromium nitride coated article, each use a bilayer chromium nitride containing material layer. The bilayer chromium nitride containing material layer includes: (1) a first chromium nitride material layer having a first thickness, a first uniform chromium concentration and a first uniform nitrogen concentration located and formed closer to a substrate which provides the article; and (2) a second chromium nitride material layer having a second thickness, a second increasingly graded chromium concentration and a second decreasingly graded nitrogen concentration located and formed upon the first chromium nitride material layer. This particular bilayer chromium nitride containing material layer provides the article with superior reflectivity and crack resistance.

An apparatus and a method for coating an inner wall of a metal tube are provided. The apparatus for coating an inner wall of a metal tube includes mounting posts on which both end openings of a metal tube are mounted and configured to block the inside of the metal tube from the ambient air so that a pressure in the metal tube is adjustable by the vacuum exhaust and inflow of process gases, a sputtering target metal tube installed inside the metal tube coaxially with the metal tube, a pulse electromagnet installed around an outside perimeter of the metal tube coaxially with the metal tube to apply a pulse magnetic field in an axial direction of the metal tube, an electromagnetic pulse power supply unit configured to apply pulse power to the pulse electromagnet, and a sputtering pulse power supply unit configured to synchronize a negative high-voltage pulse with the pulse power applied to the pulse electromagnet and apply to the sputtering target metal tube.

In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a plasma processing system having a magnetron that provides a symmetric magnetic track through a combination of vibrational and rotational motion. The disclosed magnetron has a magnetic element that generates a magnetic field. The magnetic element is attached to an elastic element connected between the magnetic element and a rotational shaft that rotates the magnetic element about a center of the sputtering target. The elastic element may vary its length during rotation of the magnetic element to change the radial distance between the rotational shaft and the magnetic element. The resulting magnetic track enables concurrent motion of the magnetic element in both an angular direction and a radial direction. Such motion enables a symmetric magnetic track that provides good wafer uniformity and a short deposition time.