A magnetron sputtering electrode for use in a rotatable cylindrical magnetron sputtering device, the electrode including a cathode body defining a magnet receiving chamber and a cylindrical target surrounding the cathode body. The target is rotatable about the cathode body. A magnet arrangement is received within the magnet receiving chamber, the magnet arrangement including a plurality of magnets. A shunt is secured to the cathode body and proximate to a side of the magnet arrangement, the shunt extending in a plane substantially parallel to the side of the magnet arrangement. A method of fine-tuning a magnetron sputtering electrode in a rotatable cylindrical magnetron sputtering device is also disclosed.

A film formation apparatus includes a chamber that is a sealed container in which a target formed of a film formation material is placed, and into which the workpiece is carried, a gas discharging unit discharging a gas in the sealed container for a predetermined time period after the workpiece is carried into the chamber to obtain a base pressure, and a sputter gas introducing unit introducing a sputter gas containing oxygen to the interior of the chamber having undergone the discharging and becoming the base pressure. The sputter gas introducing unit decreases an oxygen partial pressure in the sputter gas to be introduced in the chamber in accordance with an increase in the base pressure due to an increase of the film formation material sticking to the interior of the chamber.

In one embodiment, a magnetron assembly comprises a plurality of magnets and a yoke configured to hold the plurality of magnets in at least four independent linear arrays. The plurality of magnets is arranged in the yoke so as to form a pattern comprising an outer portion and an inner portion. The outer portion substantially surrounds the perimeter of the inner portion. The magnets used to form the outer portion have a first polarity and the magnets used to form the inner portion having a second polarity. The outer portion of the pattern comprises a pair of elongated sections that are substantially parallel to one another. The outer portion of the pattern comprises a pair of turnaround sections, wherein each turnaround section substantially spans respective ends of the pair of elongated sections and wherein each turnaround section comprises a plurality of magnets having the first polarity. Other embodiments are described.

Conventional electrochromic devices frequently suffer from poor reliability and poor performance. Improvements are made using entirely solid and inorganic materials. Electrochromic devices are fabricated by forming an ion conducting electronically-insulating interfacial region that serves as an IC layer. In some methods, the interfacial region is formed after formation of an electrochromic and a counter electrode layer. The interfacial region contains an ion conducting electronically-insulating material along with components of the electrochromic and/or the counter electrode layer. Materials and microstructure of the electrochromic devices provide improvements in performance and reliability over conventional devices. In various embodiments, a counter electrode is fabricated to include a base anodically coloring material and one or more additives.

Magnetron sputtering source (1) for coating of a substrate (2), the sputtering source (1) comprising: a target (5) having a target surface at a front side a magnetron arrangement (511, 512) at a backside of the target (5) for creating a magnetic field near the target surface, to define a loop shaped erosion zone (20) at the target surface between an inner magnet assembly (512) and an outer magnet assembly (511), wherein the erosion zone (20) comprises a middle section with two parallel tracks (26) having a distance (d) and two curved end loop sections (27) each of which connects adjoining ends of the parallel tracks (26) and has a loop width (w) in the direction of the distance (d) which is greater than the distance (d) resulting in a double-T-shaped primary geometry of the erosion zone to provide an increased coating material flux from the end loop sections (27) to the substrate.

In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a planar sputtering target comprising a target material layer built up by a layering of splats, wherein the target material layer has a layer width and has a microstructure which varies across the layer width. In a second aspect, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing such a planar sputtering target.

A device (1) for coating a substrate (4) with nanometric sized particles, wherein the device comprises: a plurality of aerodynamic lenses able to product a jet (3) of nanometric sized particles, each of the aerodynamic lenses having a longitudinal axis, the aerodynamic lenses being arranged so that the various longitudinal axes are parallel and oriented in a first direction (X) defining the direction of propagation of the jet and in the form of at least two columns (9, 10) offset from each other in a second direction (Y) orthogonal to the first direction, where the first and the second column each comprise at least one of the aerodynamic lenses, the at least one of the aerodynamic lenses of the first column also being offset relative to the at least one of the aerodynamic lenses of the second column in a third direction (Z) that is both orthogonal to the first direction and to the second direction.

A system and a method for detecting abnormality of a thin-film deposition process are provided. In the method, a thin-film is deposited on a substrate in a thin-film deposition chamber by using a target, a dimension of a collimator mounted between the target and the substrate is scanned by using at least one sensor disposed in the thin-film deposition chamber to derive an erosion profile of the target, and abnormality of the thin-film deposition process is detected by analyzing the erosion profile with an analysis model trained with data of a plurality of erosion profiles derived under a plurality of deposition conditions.

A sputtering target comprising a sputtering material and having a non-planar sputtering surface prior to erosion by use in a sputtering system, the non-planar sputtering surface having a circular shape and comprising a central axis region including a concave curvature feature at the central axis region. The central axis region having a wear profile after erosion by use in a sputtering system for at least 1000 kWhrs including a protuberance including a first outer circumferential wear surface having a first slope. A reference, protruding convex curvature feature for a reference target after sputtering use for the same time includes a second outer circumferential wear surface having a second slope. The protuberance provides a sputtered target having reduced shadowing relative to the reference, protruding convex curvature feature, wherein the first slope is less steep than a second slope.

A collimator that is biasable is provided. The ability to bias the collimator allows control of the electric field through which the sputter species pass. In some implementations of the present disclosure, a collimator that has a high effective aspect ratio while maintaining a low aspect ratio along the periphery of the collimator of the hexagonal array of the collimator is provided. In some implementations, a collimator with a steep entry edge in the hexagonal array is provided. It has been found that use of a steep entry edge in the collimator reduces deposition overhang and clogging of the cells of the hexagonal array. These various features lead to improve film uniformity and extend the life of the collimator and process kit.