Magnetron sputtering source and chamber therefor

1 . A magnetron sputtering source with a target having a surface to be sputtered, comprising a magnet arrangement for generating on said surface a magnetron magnetic field pattern, so as to generate on said surface to be sputtered an outer erosion profile along a substantially circular locus and an inner erosion profile within said outer erosion profile, said surface consisting of a material with at least two elements of different weight and wherein said magnet arrangement is adapted to form said inner erosion profile three-dimensionally cup-shaped.

2 . The magnetron sputtering source of claim 1 , including means for rotating said magnet arrangement about an axis that is perpendicular to said surface.

3 . The magnetron sputtering source of claim 2 , wherein said magnet arrangement comprises an outer loop of magnets and an inner loop of magnets and wherein said inner erosion profile is formed by local distortion of said inner and said outer loops.

4 . The magnetron sputtering source of claim 2 , wherein said magnet arrangement comprises a magnet collar extending at least in a sector around said axis and a further magnet remote from said collar and disposed opposite to said collar with respect to said axis.

5 . The magnetron sputtering source of claim 4 , wherein said collar comprises a loop of magnets extending in a kidney shape about said axis, said axis being outside said loop of magnets.

6 . The magnetron sputtering source of claim 5 , wherein said magnet arrangement comprises a further loop of magnets spaced from said kidney shaped loop of magnets and encompassing said kidney shaped loop of magnets, said further magnet being a spoke extending radially from said further loop of magnets toward said axis and toward said kidney shaped loop of magnets.

7 . The magnetron sputtering source of claim 1 , wherein said surface is made of an alloy comprising at least one of PtCo, TbFeCo, GdFeCo.

8 . The magnetron sputtering source of claim 1 , including means forming a sputter-coating chamber around said target and magnet arrangement.

9 . The magnetron sputtering source of claim 1 , including a sputter-coating chamber containing said magnet arrangement and having a circular disk-shaped or annular and planar target about an axis and a substrate holder for receiving a circular disk-shaped or annular substrate, said target having a surface to be sputtered that is substantially parallel to a substrate received in said substrate holder, a maximal radial distance R H with respect to said axis, of a locus of maximum magnetic field strength of said magnetron magnetic field parallel to said surface and as generated by said magnet arrangement, and a radius r of the circular disk-shaped or annular substrate on said substrate holder fulfilling: 1.2r≦R H ≦5r.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said surface is made of an alloy comprising at least one of PtCo, TbFeCo, GdFeCo.

11 . The magnetron sputtering source of claim 1 , including a sputter-coating chamber containing said magnet arrangement and having a circular disk-shaped or annular and planar target about an axis, and a substrate holder for receiving a circular disk-shaped or annular substrate, and having a surface to be sputtered that is substantially parallel to a substrate received in said substrate holder, said magnet arrangement generating said outer erosion profile with a radius R E with respect to said axis and wherein for the radius R E and for a maximum radius r of a substrate received on said substrate holder there is valid: 1.2r≦R E ≦5r.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said surface is made of an alloy comprising at least one of PtCo, TbFeCo, GdFeCo.

13 . The magnetron sputtering source of claim 1 , including a sputter coating chamber containing said magnet arrangement and having a circular disk-shaped or annular or planar target and a substrate holder for receiving a circular disk-shaped or annular substrate spaced and having a surface to be sputtered that is substantially parallel to a substrate received in said substrate holder, and wherein a maximum radius r of a substrate held on said substrate holder fulfils: r/2≦d≦3r, wherein d is the distance of said substrate held on said substrate holder from said surface to be sputtered.

14 . The magnetron sputtering chamber of claim 13 , wherein said surface is made of an alloy comprising at least one of PtCo, TbFeCo, GdFeCo.

15 . The magnetron sputtering source of claim 1 , including a sputter coating chamber containing said magnet arrangement and having a circular disk-shaped or annular and planar target about an axis and a substrate holder for receiving a circular disk-shaped or annular substrate and having a surface to be sputtered that is substantially parallel to a substrate received in said substrate holder, the outer erosion profile having a circular locus of maximum erosion depth at a radius R E , a substrate held on said substrate holder being distant from said target surface by a distance d and further wherein the difference of said radius R E and of said radius r of said substrate is ΔR E and wherein there is valid: 0.33d≦ΔR E ≦4d.

16 . The camber of claim 15 , wherein said surface is made of an alloy comprising at least one of PtCo, TbFeCo, GdFeCo.

17 . The magnetron sputtering source of claim 1 , including a sputter coating chamber containing said magnet arrangement and having a circular disk-shaped or annular and planar target about an axis and a substrate holder for receiving a circular disk-shaped or annular substrate and having a surface to be sputtered that is substantially parallel to a substrate received in said substrate holder, said magnet arrangement generating on said surface of said target an outer magnetron field area with a maximum radius R H with respect to said axis of a locus of maximum magnetic field strength parallel to said surface, a substrate held on said substrate holder being distant by an amount d from said surface to be sputtered, having further a radius r, wherein further the difference of said substrate radius r and said radius R H is ΔR H and there is valid: 0.33d≦ΔR H ≦4d.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said surface is made of an alloy comprising at least one of PtCo, TbFeCo, GdFeCo.