A system and method are described for depositing a material onto a receiving surface, where the material is formed by use of a plasma to modify a source material in-transit to the receiving surface. The system comprises a microwave generator electronics stage. The system further includes a microwave applicator stage including a cavity resonator structure. The cavity resonator structure includes an outer conductor, an inner conductor, and a resonator cavity interposed between the outer conductor and the inner conductor. The system also includes a multi-component flow assembly including a laminar flow nozzle providing a shield gas, a zonal flow nozzle providing a functional process gas, and a source material flow nozzle configured to deliver the source material. The source material flow nozzle and zonal flow nozzle facilitate a reaction between the source material and the functional process gas within a plasma region.

The invention relates to a method and a device to for applying a layer 64 to a body 60, 62, and to a coated body 60. The body 60, 62 is disposed in a vacuum chamber 12 and process gas is supplied. A plasma is generated in the vacuum chamber 12 by operating a cathode 30 by applying a cathode voltage V.sub.P with cathode pulses and by sputtering a target 32. A bias voltage V.sub.B is applied to the body 60, 62 so that charge carriers of the plasma are accelerated into the direction of the body 60, 62 and attached to its surface. In order to achieve favorable properties of the coating 64 in a controlled way, the time course of the bias voltage V.sub.B is varied during the coating duration D. In the coating 64 of the body 60, 62, the material of the layer 64 comprises proportions of a noble gas, the concentration of which in the layer 64 varies over the layer thickness.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a method for processing a substrate comprises applying a DC target voltage to a target disposed within a processing volume of a plasma processing chamber, rotating a magnet disposed above the target at a default speed to direct sputter material from the target toward a substrate support disposed within the processing volume, measuring in-situ DC voltage in the processing volume, the in-situ DC voltage different from the DC target voltage, determining if a measured in-situ DC voltage is greater than a preset value, if the measured in-situ DC voltage is less than or equal to the preset value, maintaining the magnet at the default speed, and if the measured in-situ DC voltage is greater than the preset value, rotating the magnet at a speed less than the default speed to decrease the in-situ DC voltage.

The present disclosure provides a thin-film-deposition equipment for detecting shielding mechanism, which includes a reaction chamber, a carrier, a shielding mechanism and two distance sensors. The carrier and the shielding mechanism is partially disposed within the reaction chamber. The shielding mechanism includes two shield unit and a driver. The driver interconnects and drives the two shield units to sway in opposite directions and into an open state and a shielding state. Each of the two shield unit is disposed with a reflective surface for each of the two distance sensors to respectively project optical beams onto and detect a distances therebetween when the two shield units are operated in the shielding state, such that to confirm that the shielding mechanism is in the shielding state.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a method for processing a substrate comprises supplying pulsed DC power to a target disposed in a processing volume of a processing chamber for depositing sputter material onto a substrate, during a pulse off time, determining if a reverse current is equal to or greater than at least one of a first threshold or a second threshold different from the first threshold, and if the reverse current is equal to or greater than the at least one of the first threshold or second threshold, generate a pulsed DC power shutdown response, and if the reverse current is not equal to or greater than the at least one of the first threshold or second threshold, continue supplying pulsed DC power to the target.

Connection includes transistor, transistor exciter controlled by the frequency generator and/or programmable unit, the power source of voltage, the unit with capacitors. The voltage power source is connected to the transistor through the unit with capacitors. The stabilizing non-inductive resistor is connected to the power supply branch for the magnetron with transistor. The power stabilizing non-inductive resistor is a resistor with the wire wound by Ayrton-Perry-type winding and/or the resistor with low value of the parasitic inductance on the basis of thin layers. The electronic control circuits of the gate of the transistor include a frequency generator with the cut-off switch and with support elements and also include an exciter with support elements. The connection with the stabilizing non-inductive resistor is used in case of the bipolar and/or multi-circuit pulse plasma generator. The depolarization voltage is led from the outside source through the capacitor to the depolarization block.

A system and method are described for depositing a material onto a receiving surface, where the material is formed by use of a plasma to modify a source material in-transit to the receiving surface. The system comprises a microwave generator electronics stage. The system further includes a microwave applicator stage including a cavity resonator structure. The cavity resonator structure includes an outer conductor, an inner conductor, and a resonator cavity interposed between the outer conductor and the inner conductor. The system also includes a multi-component flow assembly including a laminar flow nozzle providing a shield gas, a zonal flow nozzle providing a functional process gas, and a source material flow nozzle configured to deliver the source material. The source material flow nozzle and zonal flow nozzle facilitate a reaction between the source material and the functional process gas within a plasma region.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a balun having a first unbalanced terminal, a second unbalanced terminal, a first balanced terminal, and a second balanced terminal, a grounded vacuum container, a first electrode electrically connected to the first balanced terminal, and a second electrode electrically connected to the second balanced terminal. When Rp represents a resistance component between the first balanced terminal and the second balanced terminal when viewing a side of the first electrode and the second electrode from a side of the first balanced terminal and the second balanced terminal, and X represents an inductance between the first unbalanced terminal and the first balanced terminal, 1.5≤X/Rp≤5000 is satisfied.

A magnetron sputtering system includes a substrate mounted within a vacuum chamber. A plurality of cathode assemblies includes a first set of cathode assemblies and a second set of cathode assemblies, and is configured for reactive sputtering. Each cathode assembly includes a target comprising sputterable material and has an at least partially exposed planar sputtering surface. A target support is configured to support the target in the vacuum chamber and rotate the target relative to the vacuum chamber about a target axis. A magnetic field source includes a magnet array. A cathode assemblies controller assembly is operative to actuate the first set of cathode assemblies without actuating the second set of cathode assemblies, and to actuate the second set of cathode assemblies without actuating the first set of cathode assemblies.

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.