A method of forming a film of this invention includes: rotating, inside a vacuum chamber, a to-be-processed substrate with a center of the to-be-processed substrate, while revolving the to-be-processed substrate on the same plane about a revolution shaft; and feeding a film-forming material from a film-forming source to form a predetermined thin film on a surface of the to-be-processed substrate. Provided that a goal film thickness of the thin film to be formed be defined as T, and that a film thickness of the thin film to be formed on the to-be-processed substrate in one revolution period be defined as D, the method further includes a setting process for setting a ratio α of rotation angular velocity Ωrot to a revolution angular velocity Ωrev of the to-be-processed substrate to a value satisfying the following formula (1)

α≥6/log.sub.10(T/D)  (1)

A device, a method, and a use for coating lenses are proposed, wherein the lenses to be coated are arranged in pairs over parallel, tubular targets. The distance of the targets to each other and/or to the lenses is varied for individual adaption. Further, the lenses are coated from both sides.

Implementations of the present disclosure relate to a sputtering target for a sputtering chamber used to process a substrate. In one implementation, a sputtering target for a sputtering chamber is provided. The sputtering target comprises a sputtering plate with a backside surface having radially inner, middle and outer regions and an annular-shaped backing plate mounted to the sputtering plate. The backside surface has a plurality of circular grooves which are spaced apart from one another and at least one arcuate channel cutting through the circular grooves and extending from the radially inner region to the radially outer region of sputtering plate. The annular-shaped backing plate defines an open annulus exposing the backside surface of the sputtering plate.

A device (1) for coating a substrate (4) with nanometric sized particles, wherein the device (1) comprises: a plurality of means (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) called production means, each able to product a jet (3) of nanometric sized particles, each of said production means having a longitudinal axis, the production means 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 (X), where the first (9) and the second column (10) each comprise at least one production means, said at least one production means (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) of the first column (9) also being offset relative to said at least one production means (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) of the second column (10) in a third direction (Z) that is both orthogonal to the first direction (X) and to the second direction (Y).

Embodiments described herein provide methods of forming amorphous or nano-crystalline ceramic films. The methods include depositing a ceramic layer on a substrate using a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, discontinuing the PVD process when the ceramic layer has a predetermined layer thickness, sputter etching the ceramic layer for a predetermined period of time, and repeating the depositing the ceramic layer using the PVD process, the discontinuing the PVD process, and the sputter etching the ceramic layer until a ceramic film with a predetermined film thickness is formed.

A measuring method is provided. A probe and a first sensor are disposed over a jig including a bar protruding from the jig. The probe is moved until a first surface of the probe is laterally aligned with a second surface of the bar facing the jig. A first distance between the second surface of the bar and the first sensor is obtained by the first sensor. The probe and the first sensor are disposed over a magnetron. Magnetic field intensities at different elevations above the magnetron are measured by the probe. A method for forming a semiconductor structure is also provided.

A movable substrate support with a top surface for holding a substrate, when present, is used in conjunction with a cover ring that is stationary to adjust for a shadow effect to control substrate edge uniformity during deposition processes. The cover ring is held stationary by an electrically isolated spacer that engages with a grounded shield in the process volume of a semiconductor process chamber. A controller adjusts the substrate support in response to deposition material on a top surface of the cover ring to maintain the shadow effect and substrate edge uniformity.

A film formation apparatus includes a chamber which has an interior capable of being vacuumed, and which includes a lid that is openable and closable on the upper part of the chamber, a rotation table which is provided in the chamber and which and carries a workpiece in the circular trajectory, a film formation unit that deposits film formation materials by sputtering on the workpiece carried by the rotation table to form films, a shielding member which is provided with an opening at the side which the workpiece passes through, and which forms a film formation room where the film formations by the film formation units are performed, and a support which supports the shielding member, and which is independent relative to the chamber and is independent from the lid.

A PVD chamber deposits a film with high thickness uniformity. The PVD chamber includes a coil of an electromagnetic that, when energized with direct current power, can modify plasma in an edge portion of the processing region of the PVD chamber. The coil is disposed within the vacuum-containing portion of the PVD chamber and outside a processing region of the PVD chamber.

A connection piece for a tubular target which has a cylindrical inner surface and a cylindrical outer surface and at least one magnetic insert. The position of the magnetic insert is adjustable along the axial direction of the connection piece on at least an inner surface or outer surface of the connection piece.