A hydrogen-free carbon film polymer lubricating material and a preparation method and use thereof are disclosed. In the method, a graphite target is used as the target material, and a magnetron sputtering deposition is performed on a surface of the polymer substrate, thereby physically depositing and forming a hydrogen-free carbon film on the surface of the polymer substrate, thereby obtaining a hydrogen-free carbon film polymer lubricating material.

A cathode unit for performing a sputtering film formation includes: a target that emits sputtering particles; a target cooler that includes a cooling plate to which the target is bonded; and a power supply that supplies a power to the target. The target has a high-temperature region that has a higher temperature than other regions of the target during a film formation. The cooling plate includes a coolant flow space through which a coolant flows, and a first wall and a second wall that define the coolant flow space in a thickness direction. In the coolant flow space, a flow path of the coolant is formed by a first partition plate and a second partition plate. The first partition plate does not exist at a portion of the coolant flow space that corresponds to the high-temperature region.

A multiple sputtering target for magnetron arrangements has a tubular magnetron, for coating substrates in a vacuum chamber. The tubular magnetron is mounted in an end block or some other drive unit. A magnet bar is located in the tubular magnetron. Substrates transported along a circular path through a vacuum chamber can be coated with a selectable multiplicity of materials by magnetron sputtering. At least one polygonal carrier tube having an angular cross section has a plurality of longitudinally extending outer surfaces for receiving targets. A free extends longitudinally through the polygonal carrier tube. A magnet bar for forming plasma clouds outside the polygonal carrier tube is located in a working position in front of a target which can be selected by rotating the polygonal carrier tube. The moving or stationary substrate is located at a predetermined distance in front of the plasma clouds.

A production method for a gold sputtering target includes: producing a gold sputtering target which is made of gold and inevitable impurities and in which an average value of Vickers hardness is 40 or more and 60 or less, an average value of crystal grain size is 15 μm or more and 200 μm or less, and the {110} plane of gold is preferentially oriented to a surface to be sputtered of the gold sputtering target.

Provided is an oxide-containing magnetic material sputtering target wherein the oxides have an average grain diameter of 400 nm or less. Also provided is a method of producing an oxide-containing magnetic material sputtering target. The method involves depositing a magnetic material on a substrate by the PVD or CVD method, then removing the substrate from the deposited magnetic material, pulverizing the material to obtain a raw material for the target, and further sintering the raw material. An object is to provide a magnetic material target, in particular, a nonmagnetic grain-dispersed ferromagnetic sputtering target capable of suppressing discharge abnormalities of oxides that are the cause of particle generation during sputtering.

A film forming apparatus for forming a thin film on a flexible substrate. The film forming apparatus forms a thin film on a flexible substrate under vacuum. The film forming apparatus includes a first zone into which a first gas is introduced and a second zone into which a second gas is introduced in a vacuum chamber. Zone separators have openings through which the flexible substrate passes. The film forming apparatus includes a mechanism that reciprocates the flexible substrate between the zones. Further, the film forming apparatus includes a mechanism that supplies a raw material gas containing metal or silicon to the first zone, and a mechanism that performs sputtering of a material containing metal or silicon as a target material in the second zone.

A sputtering target and/or a coil disposed at a periphery of a plasma-generating region for confining plasma are provided. The target and/or coil has a surface to be eroded having a hydrogen content of 500 μL/cm.sup.2 or less. In dealing with reduction in hydrogen content of the surface of the target and/or coil, a process of producing the target and/or coil, in particular, conditions for heating the surface of the target and/or coil, which is believed to be a cause of hydrogen occlusion, are appropriately regulated. As a result, hydrogen occlusion at the surface of the target can be reduced, and the degree of vacuum during sputtering can be improved. Thus, a target and/or coil is provided that has a uniform and fine structure, makes plasma stable, and allows a film to be formed with excellent uniformity. A method of producing the target and/or the coil is also provided.

A novel metal oxide or a novel sputtering target is provided. A sputtering target includes a conductive material and an insulating material. The insulating material includes an oxide, a nitride, or an oxynitride including an element M1. The element M1 is one or more kinds of elements selected from Al, Ga, Si, Mg, Zr, Be, and B. The conductive material includes an oxide, a nitride, or an oxynitride including indium and zinc. A metal oxide film is deposited using the sputtering target in which the conductive material and the insulating material are separated from each other.

Physical vapor deposition methods for reducing the particulates deposited on the substrate are disclosed. The pressure during sputtering can be increased to cause agglomeration of the particulates formed in the plasma. The agglomerated particulates can be moved to an outer portion of the process chamber prior to extinguishing the plasma so that the agglomerates fall harmlessly outside of the diameter of the substrate.

A doped nickel oxide target includes a nickel oxide substrate and a dopant doped therein. The dopant includes at least one compound that contains one or more elements of Cu, Ca, Cr, Sn, Hg, Pb, Mg, Mn, Ag, Co, and Pr.