An upright target structure includes a target main body. The target main body has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The first surface is configured to connect with a back plate. The target main body further has a third surface, a fourth surface, a fifth surface and a sixth surface. The third surface connects with the first surface and the second surface. The fourth surface is opposite to the third surface and connects with the first surface. The fifth surface is opposite to the third surface and connects with the second surface. The sixth surface connects with the fourth surface and the fifth surface. The sixth surface is away from the first surface as getting close to the fifth surface.

A physical vapor deposition (PVD) apparatus includes: a vacuum chamber; a pedestal arranged in the vacuum chamber and configured to support a substrate; a target arranged on the vacuum chamber and including a deposition material; a shield arranged on an inner sidewall of the vacuum chamber toprotect the vacuum chamber from the deposition material; a target power supply applying a target voltage to the target to generate plasma in the vacuum chamber; and a magnet configured to induce the plasma to the target; and a magnetic field formation line connected with the target power supply, wherein the magnetic field formation line surrounds the shield symmetrically with respect to a center of the shield to form a magnetic field in the vacuum chamber.

Methods and apparatus for performing physical vapor deposition in a reactor chamber to form aluminum material on a substrate including: depositing a first aluminum layer atop a substrate to form a first aluminum region having a first grain size and a second aluminum layer atop the first aluminum layer, wherein the second aluminum layer has a second grain size larger than the first grain size; and depositing aluminum atop the second aluminum layer under conditions sufficient to increase the second grain size.

A device for use in a sputter system, comprising at least a first end block and a second end block positioned at opposite sides of the sputter system. The device is adapted such that a target assembly comprising at least one target tube or sputter magnetron, when mounted on the first and second end blocks, may be powered actively with RF power at both sides of the assembly, and such that the target assembly, when mounted, is not actively powered continuously with RF power simultaneously at both extremities of a target tube or sputter magnetron. An assembly comprising said device and a control unit for controlling powering of opposite sides of the target assembly by RF power such that the target assembly, when mounted, is not actively powered continuously with RF power simultaneously at both extremities of a target tube or sputter magnetron.

A sputtering apparatus includes a chamber configured to provide a space where a deposition process is performed on a substrate, a substrate holder configured to support the substrate within the chamber, and at least one turret-type target assembly located over the substrate, including a plurality of targets mounted thereon and adapted to operatively rotate by a predetermined angle about its longitudinal axis such that any one of the targets is off-axis aligned with respect to a film-deposited surface of the substrate.

Some embodiments provide a magnetron sputtering apparatus including a vacuum chamber within which a controlled environment may be established, a target comprising one or more sputterable materials, wherein the target includes a racetrack-shaped sputtering zone that extends longitudinally along a longitudinal axis and comprises a straightaway area sandwiched between a first turnaround area and a second turnaround area, a gas distribution system that supplies a first gas mixture to the first turnaround area and/or the second turnaround area and supplies a second gas mixture to the straightaway area, wherein the first gas mixture reduces a sputtering rate relative to the second gas mixture. In some cases, the first gas mixture includes inert gas having a first atomic weight and the second gas mixture includes inert gas having a second atomic weight, wherein the second atomic weight is heavier than the first atomic weight.

A pulsed direct current sputtering system and method are disclosed. The system has a plasma chamber with two targets, two magnetrons and one anode, a first power source, and a second power source. The first power source is coupled to the first magnetron and the anode, and provides a cyclic first-power-source voltage with a positive potential and a negative potential during each cycle between the anode and the first magnetron. The second power source is coupled to the second magnetron and the anode, and provides a cyclic second-power-source voltage. The controller phase-synchronizes and controls the first-power-source voltage and second-power-source voltage to apply a combined anode voltage, and phase-synchronizes a first magnetron voltage with a second magnetron voltage, wherein the combined anode voltage applied to the anode has a magnitude of at least 80 percent of a magnitude of a sum of the first magnetron voltage and the second magnetron voltage.

A sputtering target assembly, sputtering apparatus, and method, the target assembly including a backing plate having an aperture formed therein; and a target bonded to a front surface of the backing plate. The aperture is disposed on the backing plate such that a first end of the aperture is sealed by a portion of the target that is predicted by a sputtering target erosion profile to have the highest etching rate during a corresponding sputtering process.

The invention relates to methods and devices for producing one or more low-particle layers on substrates in a vacuum. The layers are deposited onto the substrate from a cylindrical source material, optionally together with a reactive gas component, by means of magnetron sputtering. The layer is deposited against the force of gravity in a sputter-up method. During the method or within the device, the structure or stochiometric atomic composition of the layers can optionally be modified using a plasma source. Multiple sputtering sources with different source materials can be provided in the device such that multiple layers of different compositions can be applied on the substrate at a high speed in one process.

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.