Magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target material utilization rate
By optimizing the magnetic field design of magnetron sputtering and using a specific magnet configuration to form a uniform magnetic field, the problem of low target utilization rate is solved, achieving efficient target utilization and improved stability of the deposition process.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-03
AI Technical Summary
The magnetic field design of traditional magnetron sputtering equipment results in low target utilization, with the edges or center of the target not being effectively utilized, leading to serious material waste and high production costs.
A magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization is adopted, which includes a main magnet, a transition magnet and a horseshoe magnet with a specific configuration to form a uniform magnetic field distribution, thereby enhancing plasma discharge and target utilization.
It increases target utilization by 25%, reduces material waste, extends target lifespan, improves deposition process stability and film consistency, and reduces droplet contamination.
Smart Images
Figure CN121781092A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of magnetron sputtering technology, and in particular to a magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization. Background Technology
[0002] Magnetron sputtering, as one of the most widely used methods in physical vapor deposition (PVD) technology, is widely applied in microelectronics, flat panel displays, photovoltaics, tool coatings, and decorative films due to its advantages such as high deposition rate, strong film adhesion, wide range of depositable materials, and no pollution. In the magnetron sputtering process, the target material, as the sputtering source, directly affects production costs and process economics. However, traditional magnetron sputtering equipment has certain limitations in magnetic field design, resulting in low effective utilization of the target material. A large portion of the target material is not effectively sputtered and is scrapped, causing material waste and increasing production costs.
[0003] The main reason for the low utilization rate of target materials is the uneven distribution of the magnetic field. Magnetron sputtering relies on the arched magnetic field formed by the magnet in the target source on the target surface to confine electrons, creating a high-density plasma region near the target surface, thereby enhancing ion bombardment and improving sputtering efficiency and target utilization efficiency. However, existing magnetic circuit designs generally adopt a fixed three-magnet structure, with magnetic field lines concentrated in a local area of the target surface, forming a "target ring" type high sputtering zone, while other areas of the target surface are in areas with weak or no magnetic field, hardly participating in effective sputtering, resulting in uneven material consumption. As the target thickness gradually decreases, this non-uniformity will be further aggravated, leaving a large amount of unused material at the edges or center of the target.
[0004] To improve target utilization, existing technologies have proposed methods such as rotating magnetic fields and tunable magnetic pole structures. However, these solutions often suffer from two problems: first, the magnetic field adjustment range is limited, making it difficult to achieve uniform coverage on the target surface; second, the complex mechanical or electromagnetic structures introduce additional costs and maintenance difficulties, and may even affect the stability of the sputtering process. Furthermore, magnetic field designs under certain high-power conditions can lead to localized overheating of the target, increasing the risk of film quality fluctuations. Therefore, how to improve the overall utilization of the target, reduce material waste and production costs while ensuring sputtering rate and film performance through reasonable magnetic field design has become a critical issue that urgently needs to be addressed in magnetron sputtering technology. Summary of the Invention
[0005] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following solution: In a first aspect, this application provides a magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization, comprising: a magnetic shoe, a first main magnet, a second main magnet, a third main magnet, a first transition magnet, a second transition magnet, a third transition magnet, a fourth transition magnet, a first horseshoe magnet, and a second horseshoe magnet. The first main magnet and the second main magnet are respectively disposed on both sides of the magnetic shoe; the third main magnet is disposed on the magnetic shoe; the first main magnet and the second main magnet have the same magnetism, and both are opposite to the magnetism of the third main magnet; the first main magnet, the second main magnet and the third main magnet form an arched magnetic field for plasma discharge; The third transition magnet and the fourth transition magnet are respectively disposed on both sides of the third main magnet on the magnetic shoe; the first transition magnet is disposed on the magnetic shoe between the third transition magnet and the first main magnet; the second transition magnet is disposed on the magnetic shoe between the fourth transition magnet and the second main magnet; the magnetism of the first transition magnet and the second transition magnet are both opposite to the magnetism of the first main magnet, the second main magnet, the third transition magnet, and the fourth transition magnet, so as to form transition magnetic lines of force between the first main magnet, the second main magnet, and the third main magnet; The first horseshoe-shaped magnet and the second horseshoe-shaped magnet are respectively disposed at both ends of the magnetic boot, and form a magnetic ring with the first main magnet and the second main magnet.
[0007] Optionally, the magnetic boot is an integrated structure made of ferromagnetic material; the end face and side face of the integrated structure are provided with multiple slots for fixing the first main magnet, the second main magnet, the third main magnet, the first transition magnet, the second transition magnet, the third transition magnet and the fourth transition magnet.
[0008] Optionally, each of the card slots is provided with at least two pairs of staggered snap-fit structures.
[0009] Optionally, the magnetic boots extend from both ends of the third main magnet and are snapped into the first horseshoe magnet and the second horseshoe magnet.
[0010] Optionally, the dimensions of the first main magnet and the second main magnet are both... .
[0011] Optionally, the size of the third main magnet is .
[0012] Optionally, the dimensions of the first transition magnet, the second transition magnet, the third transition magnet, and the fourth transition magnet are all... .
[0013] Optionally, the magnetization of the first main magnet and the second main magnet is 4000 Gs; the magnetization of the third main magnet is 5000 Gs.
[0014] Optionally, the magnetization amount of the first transition magnet, the second transition magnet, the third transition magnet, and the fourth transition magnet is all 2000 Gs.
[0015] Optionally, the magnetization of both the first horseshoe magnet and the second horseshoe magnet is 4000 Gs.
[0016] According to the specific embodiments provided in this application, this application has the following technical effects: This application provides a magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization. By setting a first main magnet, a second main magnet, and a third main magnet, an arched magnetic field for plasma discharge can be formed, thereby improving electron trajectory, enhancing plasma discharge, and accelerating target sputtering. By setting the magnetism of the first, second, and third transition magnets and a fourth transition magnet, transition magnetic lines of force can be formed between the third main magnets, thereby enhancing the horizontal magnetic field strength between the main magnets on the target surface, increasing the number of electron collisions, improving plasma discharge intensity, and effectively supplementing the sputtering blind zone between the main magnets. By setting a first horseshoe magnet and a second horseshoe magnet, the utilization rate at both ends of the target can be improved while ensuring sputtering rate and film performance, increasing the plasma discharge area, reducing material waste and production costs, and avoiding sparking caused by tip discharge. Attached Figure Description
[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0018] Figure 1 A top view schematic diagram of the magnet structure of a magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the magnetic field lines of a magnet structure provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the parallel target surface magnetic field distribution provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 The card slot provided in one embodiment of this application includes a schematic diagram of two pairs of misaligned snap-fit structures. Detailed Implementation
[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0020] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.
[0021] In one exemplary embodiment, this application provides a magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the device includes: a magnetic boot 1 at the bottom for fixing and magnetization; a first main magnet A and a second main magnet B placed on both sides of the magnetic boot 1; a third main magnet C placed on the magnetic boot 1; a first transition magnet D and a second transition magnetic strip E above the magnetic boot 1 near the first main magnet A and the second main magnet B; and a third transition magnet F and a fourth transition magnet G above the magnetic boot 1 on both sides of the third main magnet C. The first main magnet A and the second main magnet B have the same magnetism and are opposite in polarity to the third main magnet C. The three main magnets form an arched magnetic field for plasma discharge, improving electron trajectory, enhancing plasma discharge, and accelerating target sputtering. The first transition magnet D and the second transition magnetic strip E are opposite in polarity to the first main magnet A and the second main magnet B, the third transition magnet F, and the fourth transition magnet G, forming transition magnetic lines of force between the main magnets. This enhances the horizontal magnetic field strength between the main magnets on the target surface, further increasing the number of electron collisions and improving plasma discharge intensity, thereby filling the sputtering blind zone between the main magnets. Furthermore, in order to improve the utilization rate at both ends of the target, a first horseshoe magnet H and a second horseshoe magnet I are placed at both ends of the target, forming a magnet ring with the first main magnet A and the first main magnet B, so as to increase the plasma discharge area and avoid the sparking phenomenon caused by tip discharge.
[0022] By adopting the above structural design, the distribution of the magnetic field can be optimized, making the sputtering area on the target surface more uniform. This reduces the ineffective utilization of the target edge and center, and improves the overall uniformity of target consumption while maintaining stable discharge and deposition rates. This effectively extends the target's service life and reduces material waste and production costs.
[0023] In an exemplary embodiment of this application, to improve the stability of each magnet and the ease of replacing the magnetic strip, the magnetic boot 1 used in this application can be an integrated structure made of ferromagnetic material. Multiple slots can be provided on both the end face and the side face of this integrated structure. The end face slots are used to fix the third main magnet C, the first transition magnet D, the second transition magnet E, the third transition magnet F, and the fourth transition magnet G, while the side face slots can be used to fix the first main magnet A and the first main magnet B.
[0024] In practical applications, magnets of different sizes can be used as needed. In this case, to increase the adaptability of the card slot, the size of the card slot does not need to be perfectly matched to the fixed magnet. Therefore, to solve the problem of magnetic field instability caused by loose magnets, this application provides at least two pairs of staggered latching structures on each card slot, such as... Figure 4 As shown.
[0025] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, such as Figure 1 As shown, magnetic boots 1 extend from both ends of the third main magnet C and are snapped into the first horseshoe magnet H and the second horseshoe magnet I.
[0026] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, a structure suitable for processing is designed to avoid uneven magnetization while ensuring that the magnetization amount is within the range of the residual magnetic flux of the magnetic grade. This design avoids processing difficulties and reduces processing costs. The dimensions of the first main magnet A and the first main magnet B are both... The magnetization amount of each is 4000 Gs. The dimensions of the third main magnet C are... The magnetization amount is 5000 Gs. The dimensions of the first transition magnet D, the second transition magnet E, the third transition magnet F, and the fourth transition magnet G are all... The magnetization amount of both is 2000 Gs. The magnetization amount of the first horseshoe magnet H and the second horseshoe magnet I is 4000 Gs. Based on these settings, such as Figure 2 As shown, the magnet structure in this embodiment is entirely composed of permanent magnets, and the magnetic shoe is made of a magnetically conductive ferromagnetic material. According to... Figure 2 The magnetic field lines are distributed such that the magnetic field lines in the target surface region between the main magnets are strengthened. The resulting magnetic field strength parallel to the target surface is as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the magnetic field is uniformly distributed between the main magnets, which effectively enhances the plasma discharge between the main magnets, making the discharge more uniform across the entire target surface. The horseshoe-shaped magnets at both ends expand the plasma discharge area while eliminating the tip discharge effect caused by the combination of right-angled magnets, thus improving the coating quality.
[0027] In summary, the magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization provided in this application can achieve a magnetic field design with high target utilization and high discharge uniformity. Compared with the prior art, this application has at least the following beneficial effects: By optimizing the magnetic pole structure and magnetic field line distribution, a more uniform plasma density distribution is achieved on the target surface, avoiding the problems of localized excessive consumption and large-area unutilization caused by the "target ring" effect on the traditional target surface. This application can effectively expand the coverage of the high-efficiency sputtering region, increasing the effective deposition area by 25%, significantly improving the overall utilization rate of the target, and thus extending the service life of the target under the same material consumption conditions. Due to the more uniform magnetic field distribution, the ion bombardment energy is more balanced, reducing target deformation or film performance fluctuations caused by excessive local heat load, improving the stability of the deposition process and the consistency of the film, and reducing droplet contamination on the deposited coating surface by 20%. Based on this, the structural design of this application balances feasibility and stability, achieving improved target utilization without introducing overly complex additional devices, thus possessing good engineering application value.
[0028] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0029] This document uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the methods and core ideas of this application. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of this application, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.
Claims
1. A magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization rate, characterized in that, include: Magnetic boot, first main magnet, second main magnet, third main magnet, first transition magnet, second transition magnet, third transition magnet, fourth transition magnet, first horseshoe magnet and second horseshoe magnet; The first main magnet and the second main magnet are respectively disposed on both sides of the magnetic shoe; The third main magnet is disposed on the magnetic boot; The first main magnet has the same magnetism as the second main magnet, and both are opposite to the magnetism of the third main magnet; the first main magnet, the second main magnet, and the third main magnet form an arched magnetic field for plasma discharge; The third transition magnet and the fourth transition magnet are respectively disposed on both sides of the third main magnet on the magnetic shoe; the first transition magnet is disposed on the magnetic shoe between the third transition magnet and the first main magnet; the second transition magnet is disposed on the magnetic shoe between the fourth transition magnet and the second main magnet; the magnetism of the first transition magnet and the second transition magnet are both opposite to the magnetism of the first main magnet, the second main magnet, the third transition magnet, and the fourth transition magnet, so as to form transition magnetic lines of force between the first main magnet, the second main magnet, and the third main magnet; The first horseshoe-shaped magnet and the second horseshoe-shaped magnet are respectively disposed at both ends of the magnetic boot, and form a magnetic ring with the first main magnet and the second main magnet.
2. The magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization rate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magnetic boot is an integrated structure made of ferromagnetic material; the end face and side face of the integrated structure are provided with multiple slots for fixing the first main magnet, the second main magnet, the third main magnet, the first transition magnet, the second transition magnet, the third transition magnet and the fourth transition magnet.
3. The magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization rate according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the card slots shall be provided with at least two pairs of staggered snap-fit structures.
4. The magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization rate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magnetic boots extend from both ends of the third main magnet and are snapped into the first horseshoe magnet and the second horseshoe magnet.
5. The magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization rate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dimensions of the first main magnet and the second main magnet are both .
6. The magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization rate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dimensions of the third main magnet are: .
7. The magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization rate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dimensions of the first transition magnet, the second transition magnet, the third transition magnet, and the fourth transition magnet are all... .
8. The magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization rate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first and second main magnets are both magnetized at 4000 Gs; the third main magnet is magnetized at 5000 Gs.
9. The magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization rate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magnetization of the first transition magnet, the second transition magnet, the third transition magnet, and the fourth transition magnet is 2000 Gs.
10. The magnetron sputtering magnetic field design device with high target utilization rate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magnetization of both the first and second horseshoe magnets is 4000 Gs.