Cathode sputtering apparatus with plasma confining means

Claim 2

A TRIODE APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING THIN FILMS OF MATERIAL ON A SUBSTRATE BY SPUTTERING, COMPRISING: (A) AN ENCLOSURE; (B) MEANS FOR EVACUATING THE ENCLOSURE AND FOR PROVIDING AN IONIZABLE ATMOSPHERE IN THE ENCLOSURE; (C) MEANS FOR MOUNTING A SUBSTRATE HAVING A PLANAR SURFACE IN THE ENCLOSURE; (D) MEANS FOR MOUNTING AN ION TARGET HAVING A PLANAR SURFACE OF SAID MATERIAL IN THE ENCLOSURE IN A SPACED PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP AWAY FROM AND FACE-TO-FACE RELATIVE TO SAID SUBSTRATE; (E) AND ANODE IN SAID ENCLOSURE; (F) A THERMIONIC CATHODE SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT FROM SAID TARGET AND SAID SUBSTRATE AND HOUSED IN A CHAMBER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID ENCLOSURE BY AN OPENING WHICH FACES THE SPACE BETWEEN THE TARGET AND SUBSTRATE FOR SUSTAINING AN ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE AND PROVIDING AN ION PLASMA THEREBETWEEN; AND (G) ELECTRON-COLLIMATING NOZZLE MEANS EXTENDING FROM THE CATHODE CHAMBER OPENING TOWARD THE TARGET AND SUBSTRATE AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT AND PARALLEL SIDES LYING IN PLANS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE PLANAR SURFACES OF THE TARGET AND THE SUBSTRATE AND EXTENDING FROM SAID CATHODE ALONG SAID PLANES A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE TO EFFECT COLLIMATION OF SAID PLASMA AND TERMINATING IN AN ELONGATED APERTURE FACING SAID SPACE BETWEEN THE TARGET ANDF SUBSTRATE FOR RELEASING A COLLMINATED SHEET OF ELECTRONS INTO SAID SPACE BETWEEN THE TARGET AND THE SUBSTRATE.

Claim 3

APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING THIN FILMS OF MATERIAL ON A SURFACE OF A SUBSTRATE BY SPUTTERING, COMPRISING: (A) AN ENCLOSURE HAVING A BASE AND A VESSEL SEALABLY AND REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, SAID BASE HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING COMMUNICATING WITH SAID VESSEL AND A LATERAL APERTURE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CENTRAL OPENING; (B) MEANS FOR EVACUATING SAID VESSEL AND FOR SELECTIVELY ADMITTING AN IONIZABLE GAS TO SAID VESSEL; (C) MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING IN SAID VESSEL AN ION PLASMA EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG A PREDETERMINED AXIS AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID BASE, SAID MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING SAID ION PLASMA INCLUDING AN ANODE LOCATED IN SAID VESSEL AND ABOVE SAID BASE AND HAVING AN ANODE SURFACE EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID BASE, AND AN ELECTRICALLY HEATED CATHODE FILAMENT REMOVABLY SEALED IN SAID LATERAL APERTURE AND OPERATIVE TO EMIT ELECTRONS INTO SAID CENTRAL OPENING; (D) AN ION TARGET OF SAID MATERIAL LOCATED IN SAID VESSEL AND HAVING A SURFACE FACING AND LATERALLY SPACED FROM SAID ION PLASMA AXIS GENERALLY PARALLEL THERETO AND LOCATED BETWEEN SAID ANODE AND SAID BASE; (E) MEANS FOR ELECTRICALLY BIASING SAID TARGET TO CAUSE IMPINGEMENT OF IONS FROM SAID PLASMA ON SAID TARGET; (F) MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID SUBSTRATE IN SAID VESSEL WITH SAID SURFACE OF THE SUBSTRATE FACING AND BEING LATERALLY SPACED FROM SAID ION PLASMA AXIS TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND FACING SAID SURFACE OF THE TARGET; AND (G) MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING IN SAID ENCLOSURE IN THE ABSENCE OF AN ION PLASMA ALONG SAID AXIS, A MAGNETIC FIELD HAVING LONGITUDINAL AND UNIDIRECTIONAL FIELD LINES THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID SUBSTRATE AND SAID TARGET AND SUBSTANTIALLY LPARALLEL TO SAID PREDETERMINED AXIS.

Claim 4

APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING THIN FILMS OF MATERIAL ON A SURFACE OF A SUBSTRATE BY SPUTTERING, COMPRISING: (A) AN ENCLOSURE HAVING A BASE AND A VESSEL SEALABLY AND REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, SAID BASE HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING COMMUNICATING WITH SAID VESSEL AND A LATERAL APERTURE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CENTRAL OPENING; (B) MEANS FOR EVACUATING SAID VESSEL AND FOR SELECTIVELY ADMITTING AN IONIZABLE GAS TO SAID VESSEL; (C) MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING IN SAID VESSEL AN ION PLASMA EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG A PREDETERMINED AXIS AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID BASE, SAID MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING SAID ION PLASMA INCLUDING AN ANODE LOCATED IN SAID VESSEL AND ABOVE SAID BASE AND HAVING AN ANODE SURFACE EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID BASE, AND AN ELECTRICALLY HEATED CATHODE FILAMENT REMOVABLY SEALED IN SAID LATERAL APERTURE AND OPERATIVE TO EMIT ELECTRONS INTO SAID CENTRAL OPENING; (D) AN ION TARGET OF SAID MATERIAL LOCATED IN SAID VESSEL AND HAVING A SURFACE FACING AND LATERALLY SPACED FROM SAID ION PLASMA AXIS GENERALLY PARALLEL THERETO AND LOCATED BETWEEN SAID ANODE AND SAID BASE; (E) MEANS FOR ELECTRICALLY BIASING SAID TARGET TO CAUSE IMPINGEMENT OF IONS FROM SAID PLASMA ON SAID TARGET; (F) MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID SUBSTRATE IN SAID VESSEL WITH SAID SURFACE OF THE SUBSTRATE FACING AND BEING LATERALLY SPACED FROM SAID ION PLASMA AXIS TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND FACING SAID SURFACE OF THE TARGET; AND (G) MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING IN SAID ENCLOSURE IN THE ABSENCE OF AN ION PLASMA ALONG SAID AXIS, A MAGNETIC FIELD HAVING LONGITUDINAL AND UNIDIRECTIONAL FIELD LINES THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID SUBSTRATE AND SAID TARGET AND SUBSTANTIALLY LPARALLEL TO SAID PREDETERMINED AXIS.