COSPUTTERING AND SERIAL COSPUTTERING USING CYLINDRICAL ROTATABLE MAGNETRONS

Cosputtering allows the deposition of a variety of mixed materials. Using a dual cylindrical rotatable magnetron assembly, cosputtering can now be applied to large-area in-line deposition. Inclination of the magnets of the cylindrical magnetron assembly causes increased target cross contamination, modifying the target surfaces and resulting in more uniform compositional depth distribution of the films. The results of deposition of several mixed oxides and nitrides prepared from different pairs of elemental targets are reviewed. Serial cosputtering is another method that provides homogenized composition distributions in depth of mixed material films deposited in an in-line system. Serial cosputtering is based on sequential sputtering of a material from a planar target on top of a rotatable one which is made of another material, then sputtering both materials from the second target onto the substrate. Serial cosputtering does not require one to incline magnet assemblies. That preserves the technologies already developed. In cosputtering with rotatable magnetrons all material components are in the form of cylindrical targets, whereas in serial cosputtering the addition of a new material is realized in the form of a planar target which is much easier to manufacture. Mixed films of some metal alloys and mixed oxides were deposited using serial cosputtering; the process and the materials are discussed.