Planar cathode target material with high utilization rate and low cost and magnetron sputtering equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of magnetron sputtering, in particular to a planar cathode target material with high utilization rate and low cost and magnetron sputtering equipment. The utility model provides a planar cathode target material with high utilization rate and low cost, which comprises a target material body with a planar front surface, and the left part and the right part of the target material body are thinner than the middle part of the target material body. The utility model further provides magnetron sputtering equipment, the magnetron sputtering equipment comprises a cathode and an anode which are mutually spaced and oppositely arranged, the cathode is arranged below the anode, a substrate is arranged at the cathode, the planar cathode target material with the front face facing upwards and aligned with the anode is placed on the substrate, and the planar cathode target material is specifically as mentioned above. The waste of the planar cathode target material is less, the utilization rate is higher, and the production cost is lower.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of magnetron sputtering, and particularly relates to a planar cathode target with high utilization rate and low cost and a magnetron sputtering device. Background Art

[0002] Magnetron sputtering technology is widely used in the fields of optoelectronics, solar energy, architectural glass, displays, semiconductors, etc. The principles and application objects of different types of magnetron sputtering technologies are slightly different, but the basic working principle is to use high-energy particles to bombard the surface of the target placed on the cathode of the magnetron sputtering device to splash out target atoms. The splashed target atoms are deposited on the surface of the workpiece to be coated placed on the anode of the magnetron sputtering device to form a film layer under the interaction of a magnetic field and an electric field. In the existing vacuum magnetron sputtering coating process, a rectangular planar cathode target 3 is usually used, as shown in Figure 1 , whose cross-section is generally rectangular, and a step 31 is formed at the edge. A substrate 21 is provided at the cathode 11 of the magnetron sputtering device, and a permanent magnet 22 is provided on the back of the substrate 21, while the workpiece to be coated 23 is placed at the anode 12 of the magnetron sputtering device. The cathode 11 and the anode 12 are spaced apart and arranged oppositely. Before magnetron sputtering, the rectangular planar cathode target 3 is first placed flat on the substrate 21 at the cathode of the magnetron sputtering device, and then an L-shaped pressing strip 4 is taken and placed on the step 31 of the planar cathode target 3 to press and fix the planar cathode target 3 on the front of the substrate 21. When magnetron sputtering is required, the magnetron sputtering device first evacuates the vacuum and introduces an inert gas between the cathode 11 and the anode 12. The inert gas glow discharges to generate incident ions to bombard the planar cathode target 3 fixed on the front of the substrate 21 at the cathode 11. The planar cathode target 3 is bombarded to splash out target atoms, and the target atoms go to the anode 12 under the interaction of a magnetic field and an electric field to deposit and form a film layer on the surface of the workpiece to be coated 23. During the sputtering process, the incident ions are also affected by the magnetic field and the electric field, and usually concentrate more in the middle of the planar cathode target 3, resulting in more target atoms splashing out from the middle than from both sides of the planar cathode target 3 during the sputtering process, forming an eroded area X as shown in Figure 2 . Considering that once the planar cathode target 3 is punctured, it is easy to affect the coating effect, so in actual production, the production personnel need to remove and scrap the planar cathode target 3 before it is punctured in the middle and replace it with a new planar cathode target 3. There are a large number of unused areas Y on the left and right sides of the scrapped planar cathode target 3, which is quite wasteful, resulting in low utilization rate of the planar cathode target and high production cost. Summary of the Utility Model

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to provide a planar cathode target and a magnetron sputtering device with the planar cathode target, which has less waste of the planar cathode target, higher utilization rate and lower production cost.

[0004] To solve the above problems, the present utility model provides a planar cathode target with high utilization rate and low cost, including a target body with a planar front surface, and the left and right parts of the target body are thinner than the middle part.

[0005] Further, the front surface of the target body is the upper surface, and a step for pressing and fixing is formed at the side edge of the upper surface.

[0006] Further, it includes reusable left and right wedge blocks, and the left and right wedge blocks are respectively padded under the left and right parts of the target body.

[0007] Further: the left wedge block is a metal part, and its material is different from that of the target body; and / or the right wedge block is a metal part, and its material is different from that of the target body.

[0008] Further: the left wedge block is specifically a heat-conducting metal part made of copper and / or aluminum; and / or the right wedge block is specifically a heat-conducting metal part made of copper and / or aluminum.

[0009] Further, the left and right wedge blocks are symmetrically arranged left and right, and there is a gap between them for placing. The middle part of the target body protrudes downward locally to form a protruding part, and the protruding part sinks into the gap between the left and right wedge blocks.

[0010] Further, the upper surface of the left wedge block is in close contact with the lower surface of the target body, and / or the upper surface of the right wedge block is in close contact with the lower surface of the target body.

[0011] The present utility model also provides a magnetron sputtering device, including a cathode and an anode that are spaced apart and arranged opposite to each other, with the cathode below and the anode above. A substrate is provided at the cathode, and a planar cathode target with its front surface facing up and aligned with the anode is placed on the substrate, and the planar cathode target is specifically as described above.

[0012] Further, the planar cathode target is specifically as described above. The device includes a pressing strip, and the pressing strip presses on the step of the planar cathode target to press and fix the planar cathode target on the substrate.

[0013] Beneficial effects: Since the left and right parts of the target body are thinner than the middle part, under the same sputtering conditions, compared with the rectangular planar target in the background technology, the eroded area of the planar cathode target of the present utility model after magnetron sputtering is basically the same, while the unused area is less. Therefore, the planar cathode target of the present utility model has less waste, higher utilization rate, and lower production cost. Description of the Drawings

[0014] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an existing rectangular planar cathode target placed in a magnetron sputtering device.

[0015] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of an existing rectangular planar cathode target after use.

[0016] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the planar cathode target of this embodiment in an unassembled state.

[0017] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the planar cathode target of this embodiment placed in a magnetron sputtering device in an assembled state.

[0018] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the planar cathode target of this embodiment after use.

[0019] Symbol description:

[0020] Figure 1 and Figure 2 :

[0021] 11 - Cathode; 12 - Anode; 21 - Substrate; 22 - Permanent magnet; 23 - Component to be coated; 3 - Existing planar cathode target; 31 - Step; 4 - Press strip; X - Eroded area; Y - Unused area of the existing planar cathode target.

[0022] Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 :

[0023] 11 - Cathode; 12 - Anode; 21 - Substrate; 22 - Permanent magnet; 23 - Component to be coated; 3 - Planar cathode target of this embodiment; 31 - Target body; 311 - Front side; 312 - Back side; 313 - Step; 314 - Protrusion; 32 - Left wedge block; 33 - Right wedge block; 4 - Press strip; X - Eroded area; Z - Unused area of the planar cathode target of this embodiment. Specific embodiments

[0024] The following further elaborates on the present invention in detail in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0025] See Figure 4, the magnetron sputtering device is provided with a cathode 11 and an anode 12, where: the cathode 11 is at the bottom, the anode 12 is at the top, and the two are spaced apart and oppositely arranged. A workpiece to be coated 23 is installed at the anode 12, and a substrate 21 is provided at the cathode 11. A permanent magnet 22 for providing a magnetic field is provided on the lower surface of the substrate 21. A planar cathode target 3 with its front side 311 facing up and aligned with the anode 12 is placed on the upper surface of the substrate 21. During magnetron sputtering, the magnetron sputtering device first evacuates the vacuum and introduces an inert gas between the cathode 11 and the anode 12. The inert gas glow discharges to generate incident ions that bombard the front side 311 of the planar cathode target 3. When the front side 311 of the planar cathode target 3 is bombarded, target atoms are sputtered out. The target atoms travel to the anode 12 under the interaction of the magnetic field and the electric field and are deposited on the surface of the workpiece to be coated 23 to form a film layer. The cathode 11, anode 12, substrate 21, and permanent magnet 22 of the magnetron sputtering device are all prior arts, and their specific structures and working principles will not be elaborated here. The specific structure of the planar cathode target 3 is described below.

[0026] See Figure 3 , the planar cathode target 3 includes a target body 31 made of ITO material. The upper surface of the target body 31 is the front side 311 and the lower surface is the back side 312. Among them, the front side 311 is a plane, and the middle part of the back side 312 bulges downward locally, making the middle part of the target body 31 thicker than the left part and the right part. The back sides 312 of the left part and the right part of the target body 31 are both wedge-shaped. The left wedge block 32 and the right wedge block 33 are symmetric left and right, and there is a gap between them for placement; the middle part of the target body 31 protrudes downward locally to form a protruding part 314, and the protruding part 314 sinks into the gap between the left and right wedge blocks 33. The left wedge block 32 and the right wedge block 33 are respectively padded under the left part and the right part of the target body 31, and their upper surfaces are respectively in close contact with the lower surfaces of the left part and the right part of the target body 31, as Figure 4 shown. The target body 31, the left wedge block 32, and the right wedge block 33 together form the planar cathode target 3. The overall cross-section of the planar cathode target 3 is rectangular and can be stably placed on the substrate 21. Local depressions are formed on both sides of the upper surface of the target body 31 to form steps 313; two L-shaped pressing strips 4 are respectively pressed on the steps 313 on both sides of the target body 31 of the planar cathode target 3 to press and fix the planar cathode target 3 on the substrate 21 to prevent the planar cathode target 3 from shifting. In other embodiments, the target body 31 may not be provided with steps 313, and the pressing strips 4 are correspondingly changed to directly press on the side edges of the upper surface of the target body 31.

[0027] During the sputtering process, the incident ions (not shown in the figure) will be affected by the magnetic field and the electric field and are more concentratedly bombarded in the middle of the planar cathode target 3, resulting in more target atoms being sputtered out from the middle part of the target body 31 of the planar cathode target 3 than from both sides during the sputtering process, as Figure 5As shown, an eroded area X is formed. Since the left and right parts of the target body 31 are thinner than the middle part, under the same sputtering conditions, compared with Figure 2 and Figure 5 , the eroded area X after magnetron sputtering of the planar cathode target 3 of the present invention is basically the same as that of the rectangular planar target 3 in the background art. However, the unused area Z of the planar cathode target 3 ( Figure 5 ) of the present invention is smaller than the unused area Y of the rectangular planar target 3 ( Figure 2 ) in the background art. It can be seen that the planar cathode target 3 of the present invention has less waste, higher utilization rate, and lower production cost. After sputtering for a period of time, the production personnel can remove the target body 31 of the planar cathode target 3 for scrapping and replace it with a new target body 31, while the left wedge block 32 and the right wedge block 33 can be reused without frequent replacement.

[0028] During the sputtering process, a large amount of heat is generated when the target body 31 of the planar cathode target 3 is bombarded. Therefore, the left wedge block 32 and the right wedge block 33 are made of copper and / or aluminum. As heat-conducting metal parts, they dissipate the heat generated by the target body 31 to the substrate 21. A heat-conducting adhesive can also be coated between the target body 31 and the left and right wedge blocks 32, 33, which not only improves the stability between the target body 31 and the left and right wedge blocks 32, 33, but also enhances the heat dissipation effect.

[0029] As described above, it is only the implementation mode of the present invention, and the scope of patent protection is not limited thereby. Those skilled in the art make non-substantive changes or substitutions based on the present invention, and still fall within the scope of patent protection.

Claims

1. A planar cathode target with high utilization rate and low cost, comprising a target body with a planar front surface, characterized in that, The left and right parts of the target body are thinner than the middle part; It includes reusable left and right wedge blocks, and the left and right wedge blocks are respectively placed under the left and right parts of the target body; The left and right wedge blocks are symmetrically arranged left and right, with a gap left between them, and a convex part protrudes downward locally in the middle of the target body, and the convex part sinks into the gap between the left and right wedge blocks.

2. The planar cathode target according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front surface of the target body is the upper surface, and a step for pressing and fixing is formed at the side edge of the upper surface.

3. The planar cathode target according to claim 1, characterized in that: The left wedge block is a metal part, and its material is different from that of the target body; and / or the right wedge block is a metal part, and its material is different from that of the target body.

4. The planar cathode target according to claim 3, characterized in that: The left wedge block is specifically a heat-conducting metal part made of copper and / or aluminum; and / or the right wedge block is specifically a heat-conducting metal part made of copper and / or aluminum.

5. The planar cathode target according to claim 1, wherein The upper surface of the left wedge block is tightly attached to the lower surface of the target body, and / or the upper surface of the right wedge block is tightly attached to the lower surface of the target body.

6. A magnetron sputtering device, comprising a cathode and an anode which are spaced apart from each other and oppositely arranged, with the cathode below and the anode above. A substrate is provided at the cathode, and a planar cathode target facing the anode with its front side upward is placed on the substrate. It is characterized in that, The planar cathode target is specifically as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The magnetron sputtering device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The front surface of the target body of the planar cathode target is the upper surface, and a step for pressing and fixing is formed at the side edge of the upper surface. This device includes a pressing strip, and the pressing strip is pressed on the step of the planar cathode target to press and fix the planar cathode target on the substrate.

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