To provide a process for producing a cylindrical target which has almost no distortion in the longitudinal direction. The process for producing a cylindrical target according to the present invention comprises the steps of: processing a target material into a cylindrical shape; providing an adapter for attachment to a sputtering apparatus, in the target material processed into the cylindrical shape; and measuring a straightness in a longitudinal direction of an appearance of the target material having the adapter to confirm whether the straightness of the target material having the adapter is within a predetermined range.

A cylindrical target assembly for use in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) processing chamber for magnetically enhanced sputtering applications. In embodiments disclosed herein, a cylindrical target, disposed around a rotatable backing tube, has one or more contoured ends that conform to a magnetic sputtering line located outside of a uniform magnetic field. The contoured ends prevent or substantially reduce the accumulation of redeposition material at either end of the cylindrical target assembly desirably reducing particle contamination in the process chamber and on the surfaces of substrates processed therein.

A device and a method for the coating of lenses. The lenses which are to be coated are arranged in pairs over parallel tubular targets such that they each overlap both a homogeneous and an inhomogeneous removal region of the target and the lenses rotated so that an especially uniform coating can be achieved.

The present disclosure provides an apparatus configured for sputter deposition on a substrate. The apparatus includes a cylindrical sputter cathode rotatable around a rotational axis, and a magnet assembly configured to provide a first plasma racetrack and a second plasma racetrack on opposite sides of the cylindrical sputter cathode, wherein the magnet assembly includes two, three or four magnets each having two poles and one or more sub-magnets, wherein the two, three or four magnets are configured for generating both the first plasma racetrack and the second plasma racetrack.

An Inverted Cylindrical Magnetron (ICM) System and Methods of Use is disclosed herein generally comprising a co-axial central anode concentrically located within a first annular end anode and a second annular end anode; a process chamber including a top end and a bottom end in which the first annular end anode and the second annular end anode are coaxially disposed, whereby the first annular end anode, the second annular end anode, and the central anode form a 3-anode configuration to provide electric field uniformity, and the process chamber including a central annular space coupled to a tube insulator disposed about the central annular space wall; a cathode concentrically coupled to the tube insulator and a target; and a plurality of multi-zone electromagnets or hybrid electro-permanent magnets surrounding the exterior of the process chamber providing a tunable magnetic field.

An ion source that is capable of different modes of operation is disclosed. The ion source includes an insertable target holder includes a hollow interior into which the solid dopant material is disposed. The target holder may a porous surface at a first end, through which vapors from the solid dopant material may enter the arc chamber. The porous surface inhibits the passage of liquid or molten dopant material into the arc chamber. The target holder is also constructed such that it may be refilled with dopant material when the dopant material within the hollow interior has been consumed. A solid target is also disposed in the arc chamber. When the insertable target holder is used, multicharged ions are created. When the insertable target holder is retracted, single charged ions are created by only etching the solid dopant-containing compound.

The present disclosure provides an apparatus for loading a substrate into a vacuum processing module. The apparatus includes a Bernoulli-type holder having a surface configured to face the substrate, and a gas supply configured to direct a stream of gas between the surface and the substrate, wherein the Bernoulli-type holder is configured to provide a pressure between the substrate and the surface configured for levitation of the substrate. The substrate is a large area substrate.

An ion source comprising: an electrode; a counter electrode; means for generating an electrical potential between the electrode and counter-electrode; one or more magnets arranged, in use, to confine a plasma generated around the electrode upon application of the said electrical potential; and an aperture in the counter-electrode through which ions from the said plasma can escape; characterized in that: the means for generating an electrical potential between the electrode and counter electrode comprises a DC signal generator that is: electrically connected to the electrode and the counter-electrode; adapted, in use, to apply a baseline DC potential to the electrode and the counter-electrode with the DC potential at the electrode being positive relative to the DC potential at the counter electrode; and adapted, in use, to apply a sequence of DC pulses superimposed onto the baseline DC potential.

An apparatus for vacuum deposition on a substrate is provided. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber having a deposition area, one or more deposition sources in the deposition area and configured for vacuum deposition on the substrate while the substrate is transported along a transport direction past the one or more deposition sources, and a masking arrangement in the deposition area and configured for masking at least one of a first edge portion and a second edge portion of the substrate while the substrate passes the masking arrangement and the one or more deposition sources. The first edge portion and the second edge portion are opposite edge portions of the substrate.

Target assemblies and PVD chambers including target assemblies are disclosed. The target assembly includes a target that has a concave shaped target. When used in a PVD chamber, the concave target provides more radially uniform deposition on a substrate disposed in the sputtering chamber.