Sputtering apparatus, magnetic recording medium manufacturing apparatus, thin film manufacturing method and magnetic recording medium manufacturing method

Abstract

The present invention provides a sputtering apparatus and a thin film manufacturing method that can improve the uniformity of the in-plane film thickness distribution of a thin film formed on a substrate. [Solution] The sputtering apparatus according to the present disclosure is a sputtering apparatus that uses a magnetic field generated from the back side of a target toward a substrate provided opposite the front surface of the target to deposit sputtering particles of the target onto the substrate and form a thin film, comprising: a magnetic field generating unit provided on the back surface of the target; a rotating unit for rotating the magnetic field generating unit; and a cylindrical sputtering adjustment member provided on a central axis between the target and the substrate, connecting a position corresponding to the center of the target and the center of the substrate, wherein the sputtering adjustment member is made of metal and the holes in the sputtering adjustment member are provided to include the central axis.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sputtering apparatus, a manufacturing apparatus for a magnetic recording medium, a method for manufacturing a thin film, and a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium.

Background Art

[0002] A magnetic recording medium is configured by laminating a plurality of thin films such as a seed layer, an underlayer, and a magnetic layer on a non-magnetic substrate. Each layer constituting the magnetic recording medium is mainly formed using a sputtering apparatus or the like. As the sputtering apparatus, an apparatus that sputters a target material using plasma to form a film on a substrate is used.

[0003] As a sputtering apparatus for forming a film of a target material on a substrate using plasma, for example, a plurality of antennas that generate plasma in a vacuum vessel that houses the substrate, a reciprocating scanning mechanism that reciprocally scans the substrate along the arrangement direction of the plurality of antennas, and a film thickness control mask provided on one end side or both end sides in the scanning direction of the substrate in a film formation region defined between the target and the substrate are disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] In the sputtering apparatus of Patent Document 1, a film thickness control mask is provided on one end side or both end sides in the scanning direction of the substrate in the film formation region in the vacuum vessel, and while reciprocally scanning the substrate in the scanning direction parallel to the target, sputtering particles from the target are formed into a film on the substrate using plasma, and the film thickness distribution along the direction orthogonal to the scanning direction of the substrate is made uniform.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, Patent Document 1 only describes how to make the film thickness distribution uniform along the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of the substrate, and does not describe how to make the film thickness distribution uniform across the entire surface of the substrate, including the scanning direction of the substrate.

[0007] The plasma generated in a vacuum chamber varies between the area directly beneath the antenna and other regions, making it prone to uneven distribution. In the sputtering apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the mask for controlling film thickness is located away from the area directly beneath the antenna, and sputtering particles are deposited onto the substrate while the substrate is scanned back and forth in a direction parallel to the target. As a result, it is difficult to achieve a uniform film thickness distribution across the entire substrate, including the scanning direction of the substrate.

[0008] One aspect of this disclosure aims to provide a sputtering apparatus and a method for manufacturing a thin film that can improve the uniformity of the in-plane film thickness distribution of a thin film formed on a substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] This disclosure provides the configuration shown below. [1] A sputtering apparatus that uses a magnetic field generated from the back side of the target toward a substrate provided opposite the front surface of the target to deposit sputtering particles of the target onto the substrate and form a thin film, A magnetic field generating unit provided on the back surface of the target, A rotating part that rotates the magnetic field generating part, A cylindrical sputtering adjustment member is provided on the central axis connecting the center of the target and the center of the substrate between the target and the substrate, It has, A sputtering apparatus in which the sputter adjustment member is made of metal and the hole in the sputter adjustment member is provided to include the central axis. [2] The sputtering apparatus according to [1], wherein the sputtering adjustment member is a ring-shaped member formed by winding a metal wire into a ring shape. [3] The sputtering apparatus according to [1] or [2], wherein the inner diameter of the sputtering adjustment member is smaller than the outer diameter of the substrate. [4] The sputtering apparatus according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the hole of the sputtering adjustment member is provided at the center of the target when viewed in the direction of the central axis. [5] The sputtering apparatus according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the thin film is one of the layers constituting the magnetic recording medium. [6] A manufacturing apparatus for magnetic recording media, comprising a sputtering apparatus as described in any one of [1] to [5]. [7] The process includes a thin film formation step in which a magnetic field generated from the back side of the target is used to deposit the sputtering particles of the target onto a substrate provided opposite the front surface of the target, thereby forming a thin film, The thin film formation step is a method for manufacturing a thin film, wherein the magnetic field generating part provided on the back surface of the target is rotated to change the magnetic field passing through a hole in a cylindrical sputtering adjustment member made of metal, which is provided on the central axis connecting the center of the target and the center of the substrate between the target and the substrate, and which includes the central axis. A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, wherein a layer constituting a magnetic recording medium is formed on the surface of the substrate using the thin film manufacturing method described in [8] [7]. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] One aspect of this disclosure can improve the uniformity of the in-plane film thickness distribution of a thin film formed on a substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view showing an example of a sputtering apparatus according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a front view of the sputtering apparatus. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of the gas inlet pipe of a sputtering apparatus. [Figure 4A] It is a diagram showing an example of the state of magnetic field lines generated by a magnet unit and passing through the surface of the substrate to be processed. [Figure 4B] It is a diagram showing an example of the state of magnetic field lines generated by a magnet unit and passing through the surface of the substrate to be processed when viewing the magnet unit in the central axis direction. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a sputtering adjustment member. [Figure 6] It is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which an induced current is generated and the plasma density near the inner peripheral portion of the substrate to be processed decreases. [Figure 7] It is a diagram of the carrier and the transport mechanism viewed from a direction orthogonal to the transport direction. [Figure 8] It is a diagram of the carrier and the transport mechanism viewed along the transport direction. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an in-line film forming apparatus to which the sputtering apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied. [Figure 10] It is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the layer structure of a magnetic recording medium manufactured using a manufacturing apparatus for a magnetic recording medium. [Figure 11] It is a perspective view showing an example of a configuration of a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing the measurement results of the thickness measured at each predetermined length in the radial direction on the front and back surfaces of the samples of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. For ease of understanding of the description, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components in each drawing, and duplicate descriptions are omitted. The scales of the members in the drawings may be different from the actual ones. In this specification, "~" indicating a numerical range means including the numerical values described before and after it as the lower limit value and the upper limit value, unless otherwise specified. When only the unit of the upper limit value is described in the numerical range represented by "~", it means that the lower limit value also has the same unit.

[0013] A sputtering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "this embodiment") is a sputtering apparatus that uses a magnetic field generated from the back side of a target toward a substrate provided opposite the front surface of the target to deposit sputtering particles of the target onto the substrate and form a thin film. The sputtering apparatus according to this embodiment has a magnetic field generating unit provided on the back surface of the target, a rotating unit that rotates the magnetic field generating unit, and a cylindrical sputtering adjustment member provided on a central axis between the target and the substrate, connecting a position corresponding to the center of the target and the center of the substrate, wherein the sputtering adjustment member is made of metal and the hole in the sputtering adjustment member is provided so as to include the central axis.

[0014] In this embodiment, the sputtering apparatus is provided with a cylindrical sputtering adjustment member made of metal on the central axis connecting the center of the target and the center of the substrate, with its hole containing the central axis. This allows the sputtering apparatus to change the magnetic field passing through the hole in the sputtering adjustment member and reduce the plasma density generated on the inner circumference of the substrate. As a result, it is possible to suppress the accumulation of sputtering particles on the inner circumference of the substrate and improve the uniformity of the in-plane film thickness distribution of the thin film formed on the substrate.

[0015] The inner circumference refers to the region including the central part of the main surface of the substrate and its surroundings, and may also refer to the region from the central part of the main surface of the substrate to the midpoint between the central part and the outer circumference of the substrate. If the main surface of the substrate is circular with an opening in the center, the inner circumference refers to the region including the inner circumference and its surroundings, and may also refer to the region from the inner circumference of the main surface of the substrate to the midpoint between the inner circumference and the outer circumference of the substrate.

[0016] The method for manufacturing a thin film according to this embodiment includes a thin film formation step in which sputtering particles from the target are attached to a substrate, which is provided facing the front surface of the target, by utilizing a magnetic field generated from the back side of the target toward the substrate, thereby forming a thin film. The thin film formation step involves rotating a magnetic field generating part provided on the back side of the target, thereby changing the magnetic field passing through a hole in a cylindrical sputtering adjustment member made of metal, which is provided on the central axis connecting the center of the target and the center of the substrate between the target and the substrate, and which is provided so as to include the central axis.

[0017] In the thin film manufacturing method according to this embodiment, a cylindrical sputtering adjustment member made of metal is provided on the central axis connecting the center of the target and the center of the substrate, between the target and the substrate, during the thin film formation process, such that its holes include the central axis. As a result, the thin film manufacturing method according to this embodiment can change the magnetic field passing through the holes of the sputtering adjustment member and reduce the plasma density generated on the inner circumference of the substrate. This suppresses the adhesion of sputtering particles to the inner circumference of the substrate and improves the uniformity of the in-plane film thickness distribution of the thin film formed on the substrate.

[0018] <Sputtering equipment> The sputtering apparatus according to this embodiment will now be described. In this embodiment, the example given is the manufacturing of one of the layers constituting a magnetic recording medium mounted on a magnetic recording and playback device, which is a hard disk drive (also known as an HDD).

[0019] Examples of sputtering equipment include magnetron sputtering equipment, DC sputtering equipment, RF sputtering equipment, MW sputtering equipment, and reactive sputtering equipment. In this embodiment, the sputtering equipment will be described using a magnetron sputtering equipment as an example.

[0020] Figure 1 is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view showing an example of a sputtering apparatus according to this embodiment, and Figure 2 is a front view of the sputtering apparatus shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, the sputtering apparatus 1 according to this embodiment constitutes one processing chamber in a magnetic recording medium manufacturing apparatus that performs film deposition processing, etc., while sequentially transporting a substrate (substrate to be processed) W to be deposited between a plurality of chambers, which will be described later.

[0021] The sputtering apparatus 1 comprises a reaction vessel 10 on which the substrate W to be processed is placed, a processing unit 20 which is a processing unit that performs a film deposition process on the substrate W to be processed, a carrier 30 on which the substrate W to be processed is attached, and a transport mechanism 40 that transports the carrier 30 between multiple chambers. The sputtering apparatus 1 uses a magnetic field generated from the back side of the target T to attach sputtering particles from the target T to the substrate W to be processed, which is positioned opposite the front surface of the target T, within the reaction vessel 10, thereby forming a thin film.

[0022] (Reaction vessel) As shown in Figure 1, the reaction vessel 10 is a vacuum vessel (chamber) that is airtightly constructed with pressure-resistant partitions to create a high vacuum inside. The reaction vessel 10 has a front partition 11A and a rear partition 11B that face each other, and a flattened internal space S1 is formed between the front partition 11A and the rear partition 11B.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the reaction vessel 10 includes substrate outlets 12 for passing the carrier 30 through, located before and after the carrier 30 in the transport direction, and a pair of gate valves 13A for opening and closing these substrate outlets 12. That is, the reaction vessel 10 is connected to adjacent chambers via the gate valves 13A. When the sputtering apparatus 1 is applied to a magnetic recording medium manufacturing apparatus, the sputtering apparatus 1 moves the carrier 30 between adjacent reaction vessels 10 by passing it through the substrate outlets 12.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the reaction vessel 10 has openings 14 in the front partition wall 11A and the rear partition wall 11B that face inward. The openings 14 are formed in an elliptical shape and are large enough to accommodate the processing units 20 at positions facing both sides of the substrate W to be processed, which is attached to the carrier 30.

[0025] Furthermore, the reaction vessel 10 may be provided with cylindrical housings 15 on the front partition wall 11A and the rear partition wall 11B that airtightly seal the area around the opening 14. The housings 15 can accommodate the cathode unit 21 of the processing unit 20, etc. The front partition wall 11A and the rear partition wall 11B may be attached to the reaction vessel 10 so as to be able to be opened and closed in order to open the reaction vessel 10 for maintenance, etc.

[0026] The sputtering apparatus 1 is equipped with an upper pump chamber 17A above the reaction vessel 10 and a lower pump chamber 17B below the reaction vessel 10.

[0027] The upper pump chamber 17A is airtightly constructed with pressure-resistant partitions. The upper pump chamber 17A is connected to the upper part of the reaction vessel 10 by fastening members. The upper pump chamber 17A is formed to have an internal space S2 that is continuous with the internal space S1 of the reaction vessel 10.

[0028] The lower pump chamber 17B is airtightly constructed with a pressure-resistant partition. The lower pump chamber 17B is connected to the lower part of the reaction vessel 10. The lower pump chamber 17B is in communication with the internal space S1 of the reaction vessel 10 through a hole 10b formed in the bottom wall 10a of the reaction vessel 10.

[0029] The sputtering apparatus 1 includes a first vacuum pump 18 positioned above the reaction vessel 10 and a second vacuum pump 19 positioned below the reaction vessel 10 as vacuum exhaust means for evacuating the inside of the reaction vessel 10 under reduced pressure.

[0030] The first vacuum pump 18 is installed via an upper pump chamber 17A located above the reaction vessel 10. The first vacuum pumps 18 are installed facing each other on both sides of the upper pump chamber 17A. A turbomolecular pump or the like can be used as the first vacuum pump 18. Because turbomolecular pumps do not use lubricating oil, they have a high degree of cleanliness and a high pumping speed, making it easy to obtain a high vacuum and suitable for exhausting highly reactive gases.

[0031] The second vacuum pump 19 is installed via a lower pump chamber 17B located below the reaction vessel 10. The second vacuum pump 19 is connected to the side of the lower pump chamber 17B. A cryopump or the like can be used as the second vacuum pump 19. A cryopump is preferable because it can create extremely low temperatures and achieve a high vacuum by condensing or cold-adsorbing the gas inside, and is superior to a turbomolecular pump in terms of pumping speed and cleanliness.

[0032] The sputtering apparatus 1 is configured to allow for depressurization inside the reaction vessel 10 and exhaust of gas introduced into the reaction vessel 10, while controlling the operation of the first vacuum pump 18 and the second vacuum pump 19.

[0033] In this embodiment, two first vacuum pumps 18 are arranged on both sides of the reaction vessel 10, and one second vacuum pump 19 is arranged below the reaction vessel 10. However, the arrangement and number of the first vacuum pumps 18 and the second vacuum pumps 19 can be changed as appropriate. For example, increasing the number of the first vacuum pumps 18 and the second vacuum pumps 19 can shorten the time required to depressurize and evacuate the inside of the reaction vessel 10. On the other hand, decreasing the number of the first vacuum pumps 18 and the second vacuum pumps 19 can miniaturize the sputtering apparatus 1 and suppress the increase in power consumption.

[0034] Furthermore, the cryopump used in the second vacuum pump 19 differs from the turbomolecular pump, which has a structure that discharges to the outside, in that it has a structure that stores the gas inside. Therefore, if the gas introduced into the reaction vessel 10 is a highly reactive gas, it is desirable to use the first vacuum pump 18, which consists of the turbomolecular pump described above, to exhaust it to the outside of the reaction vessel 10. This allows the gas after the reaction to flow downwards in the reaction space R, preventing corrosion of metal parts such as the main bearing 421 and sub-bearing 422 that constitute the transport mechanism 40, while keeping the inside of the reaction vessel 10 clean. Note that a turbomolecular pump may be used instead of a cryopump for the second vacuum pump 19.

[0035] (Processing unit) As shown in Figure 1, the processing unit 20 is positioned opposite the front partition wall 11A and the rear partition wall 11B of the reaction vessel 10, respectively, and performs processes such as forming a thin film on both sides of the substrate W to be processed, which is held by the carrier 30.

[0036] The processing unit 20 is positioned opposite each other on both sides of the substrate W to be processed, which is held in the holder 32 of the carrier 30. The processing unit 20 includes a cathode unit 21 for generating sputter discharge, a sputter adjustment member 22, and a support member 23.

[0037] The cathode unit 21 includes a backing plate 211 to which the target T is attached, a gas introduction pipe 212 which is a gas introduction section, a magnet unit 213 which is a magnetic field generating section that generates a magnetic field, and a drive motor 214 which is a rotating section to which the magnet unit 213 is attached.

[0038] The backing plate 211 is positioned inside the reaction vessel 10 so as to face the surface of the substrate W to be processed, which is held by the carrier 30. The target T is attached to the front surface of the backing plate 211, which is the surface facing the substrate W to be processed. The backing plate 211 is electrically connected to an external power supply (not shown), and is configured to allow voltage to be applied from the external power supply to the target T via the backing plate 211.

[0039] External power sources can include, for example, AC power sources such as high-frequency (RF) power sources and microwave power sources, as well as DC power sources. The current supplied to the target T from the external power source (not shown) may be either DC or AC. If the external power source is, for example, a high-frequency power source or a microwave power source, a high-frequency voltage or microwave voltage is applied to the target T from the external power source (not shown).

[0040] Specifically, the sputtering apparatus 1 performs film deposition on both sides of the substrate W to be processed simultaneously. Therefore, two backing plates 211 are arranged inside the reaction vessel 10 so as to face both sides of the substrate W held by the carrier 30. A target T is attached to the front surfaces of the two backing plates 211 that face the substrate W to be processed. A voltage is applied to the target T via the backing plates 211 from an external power supply (not shown) in the form of DC or AC.

[0041] The gas introduction pipe 212 is a pipe for introducing gas into the reaction vessel 10. As shown in Figure 3, the gas introduction pipe 212 has an annular portion 212a formed in a ring shape corresponding to the disc-shaped substrate W to be processed, and a connecting portion 212b connected to the annular portion 212a, and is connected to the gas supply source 25 via the connecting portion 212b. The annular portion 212a is formed to surround the reaction space R formed between the substrate W to be processed and the target T. In Figure 3, the reaction space R is shown as a dot. Furthermore, a plurality of gas outlets 212c are provided on the inner circumference of the annular portion 212a in a circumferential direction, and the gas introduction pipe 212 is configured to release gas G supplied from the gas supply source 25 from these gas outlets 212c toward the substrate W to be processed inside it.

[0042] Furthermore, the diameter of each gas outlet 212c may be varied in order to keep the amount of gas G released from each gas outlet 212c constant. Specifically, the diameter of each gas outlet 212c may be increased according to the distance from the connecting section 212b so that the amount of gas G released from each gas outlet 212c remains constant.

[0043] Furthermore, a control valve V11 may be provided in the piping between the gas inlet pipe 212 and the gas supply source 25. The sputtering apparatus 1 can control the opening and closing of the control valve V11 and adjust the flow rate of the gas G supplied to the gas inlet pipe 212 via the control valve V11.

[0044] As shown in Figure 1, the magnet units 213 are positioned on the back surface of each backing plate 211, which is the side opposite to the target T. The magnet units 213 generate a magnetic field from the back side of the target T toward the substrate W to be processed, which is located opposite the front surface of the target T, by closed-loop magnetic field lines.

[0045] The magnet unit 213 comprises a first magnet positioned on the outside of the magnet unit 213 and having a magnetization direction perpendicular to the main surface of the target T, and a second magnet positioned inside the first magnet and having a magnetization direction opposite to that of the first magnet. For example, the first magnet can be a magnet with its north pole exposed on the backing plate 211 side, and the second magnet can be a magnet with its south pole exposed on the backing plate 211 side. For example, permanent magnets can be used as the first and second magnets.

[0046] Each magnet unit 213 is attached to the rotation shaft 44a of the drive motor 214 and is rotationally driven by the drive motor 214 in a plane parallel to the backing plate 211.

[0047] The rotational speed of each magnet unit 213 is not particularly limited and any value may be appropriately selected depending on the size of the substrate W to be processed. For example, it may be 400 to 1000 rpm around the axis of rotation 44a, 500 to 800 rpm, or 600 to 700 rpm.

[0048] In each magnet unit 213, the first magnet is a magnet with its north pole exposed on the backing plate 211 side, and the second magnet is a magnet with its south pole exposed on the backing plate 211 side. In this case, the first magnet is positioned on the outside of the magnet unit 213, and the second magnet is positioned inside the first magnet, so that, for example as shown in Figure 4A, magnetic field lines from the north pole of the first magnet 213A to the south pole of the second magnet 213B penetrate the backing plate 211 and the target T and are generated in the internal space S1. A portion of the magnetic field lines reach the substrate W to be processed held by the carrier 30, and pass through the substrate W in a direction parallel to the surface, generating a magnetic field parallel to the surface of the substrate W in the portion through which the magnetic field lines pass. That is, on the surface of the substrate W, magnetic field lines pass along the radial direction of the substrate W, from the outer circumference to the inner circumference. As shown in Figure 4B, these magnetic field lines generate a magnetic field on the surface of the substrate W being processed, extending radially from the outer periphery to the inner periphery of the substrate W. In Figures 4A and 4B, the magnetic field lines are indicated by arrows.

[0049] The outer periphery refers to the region including the outer periphery and surrounding area of ​​the main surface of the substrate W to be processed. This region may be any area other than the inner periphery of the main surface of the substrate W to be processed, or it may be the region from the middle between the inner and outer periphery of the main surface of the substrate W to the outer periphery.

[0050] The drive motor 214 may be fixedly supported inside the housing 15 and rotates the magnet unit 213 via the rotating shaft 44a.

[0051] As shown in Figure 1, the sputter adjustment member 22 is provided on a central axis C connecting the center of the target T and the center of the substrate W, between the substrate W to be processed and the target T. The sputter adjustment member 22 is a cylindrical member made of metal, and as shown in Figure 5, the hole 22a of the sputter adjustment member 22 is provided so as to include the central axis C. When the magnet unit 213 rotates in the circumferential direction via the rotation shaft 44a by the drive motor 214, as shown in Figure 6, the amount of magnetic flux passing through the hole 22a of the sputter adjustment member 22 changes, and an induced current flows in the sputter adjustment member 22. This induced current generates a magnetic field in the hole 22a of the sputter adjustment member 22. Since electrons of the plasma are trapped in the magnetic field generated in the hole 22a, the distribution of the plasma generated in the reaction space R can be changed and the plasma density near the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed can be reduced compared to the case without the sputter adjustment member 22.

[0052] The sputter adjustment member 22 is a connecting member 24 provided at the tip of the support member 23 inside the reaction vessel 10, and can be positioned such that the hole 22a of the sputter adjustment member 22 includes the central axis C. The method of supporting the sputter adjustment member 22 is not particularly limited, and it is sufficient that the hole 22a of the sputter adjustment member 22 is positioned between the substrate W to be processed and the target T so as to include the central axis C.

[0053] The sputter adjustment member 22 is not particularly limited in shape, and can be any shape as appropriate, as long as it is cylindrical in shape that can generate an induced current as the magnet unit 213 rotates, thereby changing the distribution of the plasma generated in the reaction space R and reducing the plasma density near the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed. The sputter adjustment member 22 is preferably composed of a ring-shaped member formed by winding a metal wire into a ring shape, as this allows for easy change of the magnetic flux by generating an induced current as the magnet unit 213 rotates. Alternatively, the sputter adjustment member 22 may be composed of a coil-shaped member formed by spirally winding a metal wire in order to amplify the induced current. For example, a coil spring can be used as the coil-shaped member.

[0054] The metal constituting the sputter adjustment member 22 is not particularly limited and can be any metal that generates an induced current as the magnet unit 213 rotates, thereby changing the plasma distribution. For example, copper (Cu) can be used.

[0055] The processing unit 20 deposits sputtering particles onto the surface of the substrate W to be processed using the magnetron sputtering method. The magnetron sputtering method uses a closed-loop magnetic field to sputter the substrate W to be processed, which is positioned opposite the front surface of the target T, by generating a magnetic field from the back side of the target T. In this process, as described above, as shown in Figure 4A, some of the magnetic field lines generated by the magnet unit 213 reach the substrate W to be processed and pass through the substrate W in a direction parallel to its surface, generating a magnetic field parallel to the surface of the substrate W in the area through which the magnetic field lines pass. That is, on the surface of the substrate W to be processed, magnetic field lines pass from the outer periphery to the inner periphery along the radial direction of the substrate W, and these magnetic field lines generate a magnetic field on the surface of the substrate W to be processed from the outer periphery to the inner periphery along the radial direction of the substrate W. Therefore, during thin film formation, the plasma density generated in the reaction vessel 10 tends to be higher in the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed, and the amount of sputtering particles deposited from the target T in the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed tends to be higher.

[0056] As shown in Figure 6, the sputter adjustment member 22 is positioned in the center of the front of the target T such that its hole 22a is located on the central axis C. When the magnet unit 213 installed on the back of the target T rotates, the magnetic field of the sputter adjustment member 22 changes, and an induced current is generated in the sputter adjustment member 22. Due to the generation of the induced current, the plasma generated in the reaction vessel 10 can be dispersed from the central axis C to its periphery, so the plasma density near the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed is reduced, and the amount of sputtering particles deposited on the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed can be suppressed. By dispersing and depositing sputtering particles on the substrate W to be processed, the amount of sputtering particles deposited on the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed can be suppressed, while the amount of sputtering particles deposited on the outer circumference of the substrate W to be processed can be increased.

[0057] The sputtering adjustment member 22 can change the distribution ratio of plasma by adjusting the size of the holes 22a, thereby changing the magnitude of the induced current generated in the holes 22a. Therefore, the sputtering adjustment member 22 can adjust the amount of sputtering particles deposited on the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed by adjusting the size of the holes 22a.

[0058] The size of the hole 22a may be appropriately selected depending on the size of the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed and the amount of sputtering particles deposited on the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed.

[0059] The distance between the sputtering adjustment member 22 and the front surface of the target T is not particularly limited as long as the sputtering adjustment member 22 can be positioned between the target T and the substrate W to be processed, but can be appropriately selected depending on the size of the substrate W to be processed, the distance between the target T and the substrate W to be processed, etc. For example, the sputtering adjustment member 22 should be positioned at a distance where no marks are left on the substrate W when sputtering is performed. However, by setting the distance between the sputtering adjustment member 22 and the front surface of the target T to a distance where they do not come into contact, the induced current generated in the holes 22a of the sputtering adjustment member 22 changes the distribution of the plasma generated in the reaction space R, making it easier to suppress the amount of sputtering particles deposited on the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed.

[0060] The inner diameter of the sputtering adjustment member 22 is preferably smaller than the outer diameter of the substrate W to be processed. For example, the inner diameter of the sputtering adjustment member 22 is preferably 21% or less of the outer diameter of the substrate W to be processed, and more preferably 15% or less. If the inner diameter of the sputtering adjustment member 22 is 21% or less of the outer diameter of the substrate W to be processed, the amount of sputtering particles deposited on the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed will be appropriate, and the in-plane film thickness distribution of the substrate W to be processed can be reduced.

[0061] The inner diameter refers to the diameter when the inner shape of the sputter adjustment member 22 in the direction of the central axis C is circular, but may also refer to the equivalent diameter of a circle, or the major axis or major side, when the inner shape is a polygon such as an ellipse or rectangle.

[0062] The support member 23 is provided between the target T and the substrate W to be processed, and is provided on the outside of the target T and along the outer shape of the target T when viewed in the direction of the central axis C. The support member 23 may be composed of a cylindrical member formed to cover the outer shape of the target T. The sputter adjustment member 22 is preferably provided such that the hole 22a is located in the center of the support member 23 when viewed in the direction of the central axis C. By positioning the sputter adjustment member 22 in the center of the support member 23 when viewed in the direction of the central axis C, the sputter adjustment member 22 can be easily installed on the support member 23 so that the hole 22a of the sputter adjustment member 22 is at the position of the central axis C.

[0063] Furthermore, the support member 23 is not limited to a single cylindrical member as described above, but may be formed in a columnar shape and provided in multiples at predetermined intervals on the outside of the target T, following the outer shape of the target T when viewed in the direction of the central axis C. If the support members 23 are formed in a columnar shape and provided in multiples along the outer shape of the target T, the mounting position of the spatter adjustment member 22, which is connected via the connecting member 24, can be easily changed. In this case, the number of support members 23 may be two or more, but if there are, for example, four support members 23, the spatter adjustment member 22 can be easily adjusted to be positioned approximately in the center of the target T by the four support members 23.

[0064] (Career) As shown in Figure 1, the carrier 30 is provided inside the reaction vessel 10 and is located in the center of the internal space S1. As shown in Figure 7, the carrier 30 has a support base 31 and a holder 32 attached to the upper part of the support base 31, and holds the substrate to be processed W vertically in the holder 32, that is, in a state where the main surface of the substrate to be processed W is parallel to the direction of gravity. Note that the carrier 30 may also have two holders 32 arranged in a straight line in the transport direction on the upper part of the support base 31.

[0065] The support base 31 is made of, for example, a long member made of aluminum alloy, and is configured so that the permanent magnets 411 that constitute the drive mechanism 41 of the transport mechanism 40 can be placed on the lower surface of the support base 31.

[0066] The holder 32 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy component and is attached to the mounting surface 31a, which is the flattened upper surface of the support base 31, by screwing or the like.

[0067] The holder 32 comprises a plate material 321, a hole 322 inside the plate material 321 for positioning the substrate W to be processed, and a plurality of support arms 323 (three shown in Figure 7) elastically deformable and attached around the hole 322. The holder 32 is configured to detachably hold the substrate W, which is fitted into the hole 322 by each of the support arms 323, while the outer periphery of the substrate W to be processed is in contact with these plurality of support arms 323.

[0068] The plate material 321 has a thickness of about 1 to several times the thickness (also called film thickness) of the substrate W to be processed.

[0069] Note that thickness refers to the length of the plate material 321 in the direction perpendicular to the main surface. The thickness of the plate material 321 may be, for example, the thickness measured at any point in the cross-section of the plate material 321, or it may be the average of several measurements taken at any point. Hereafter, the definition of thickness will be defined similarly for other members.

[0070] The hole 322 is formed in the plate material 321 in a circular shape with a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the substrate W to be processed.

[0071] Multiple support arms 323 are mounted inside the hole 322 so as to support the substrate W to be processed. Three support arms 323 are provided around the hole 322 of the plate material 321 at predetermined intervals so as to support the outer circumference of the substrate W to be processed, which is placed inside the hole 322, at three points: a lower support point located at the lowest point on the outer circumference, and a pair of upper support points located on the upper side of the outer circumference symmetrically with respect to a center line along the direction of gravity passing through the lower support point.

[0072] Each support arm 323 may be composed of a leaf spring bent into an L shape. Each support arm 323 is fixedly supported at its base end by the holder 32, and its tip end is positioned to protrude inward into the hole 322. In addition, although not shown in the figure, each support arm 323 may be provided with a groove at its tip that engages with the outer periphery of the substrate W to be processed.

[0073] The holder 32 is configured to detachably hold the substrate W to be processed, which is fitted inside each of the three support arms 323, while the outer periphery of the substrate W to be processed is in contact with the three support arms 323. The substrate W to be processed can be attached to and detached from the holder 32 by pushing down the support arm 323 at the lower pivot point.

[0074] The carrier 30 is provided with electrode terminals 33 for applying a bias voltage to the substrate W to be processed, which is held in the holder 32. The electrode terminals 33 are supported by the plate material 321 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and are able to move toward and away from the outer periphery of the substrate W to be processed, which is held in the holder 32, from the lower side.

[0075] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the carrier 30 has a guide rail 311 at the lower part of the support base 31, in which grooves are formed into which multiple main bearings 421 of the guide mechanism 42 are engaged.

[0076] (Conveying mechanism) As shown in Figure 1, the transport mechanism 40 is installed inside the reaction vessel 10 and positioned below the carrier 30. The transport mechanism 40 includes a drive mechanism 41 that drives the carrier 30 in a non-contact manner and a guide mechanism 42 that guides the transported carrier 30.

[0077] As shown in Figure 7, the drive mechanism 41 includes a plurality of permanent magnets 411 arranged at the bottom of the carrier 30 so that north poles and south poles are alternately arranged, a plurality of electromagnets 412 arranged below the plurality of permanent magnets 411 in the direction of transport of the carrier 30 opposite to the plurality of permanent magnets 411, and a cover 413 that isolates the electromagnets 412 from the internal space S1 of the reaction vessel 10.

[0078] To ensure high-speed response by the electromagnet 412, it is preferable to use a permanent magnet 411 that has strong attractive and repulsive forces towards the electromagnet 412, such as a ferrite magnet or a rare-earth magnet. As for rare-earth magnets, it is preferable to use sintered magnets such as SmCo-based and NdFeB-based magnets due to their strong attractive and repulsive forces. Ferrite magnets have the advantage of being easy to process and having high toughness, making them easy to hold in place on the carrier 30 with screws or the like. Rare-earth magnets are difficult to process and brittle, but because they have strong attractive and repulsive forces towards the electromagnet 412, they allow the carrier 30 to move at a higher speed. When using a rare-earth magnet as the permanent magnet 411, it is difficult to hold it in place on the carrier 30 with screws or the like, so it is preferable to cover its surface with a non-magnetic material such as a stainless steel plate and embed it inside the carrier 30.

[0079] The electromagnet 412 has a wire wound in a coil around a magnetic core, and the wire may be covered with resin or the like to insulate it. For example, the electromagnet 412 can be an electromagnet commonly used in sputtering equipment such as a magnetron sputtering apparatus.

[0080] The cover 413 is permeable to magnetism and covers the outer circumference of the electromagnet 412, forming it to isolate the electromagnet 412 from the internal space S1 of the reaction vessel 10. By positioning the electromagnet 412 in a space formed by the permeable cover 413, isolated from the internal space S1 of the reaction vessel 10, the electromagnet 412 is not exposed to a vacuum-like space such as the internal space S1 during use. Therefore, even if the magnetic core and wires constituting the electromagnet 412, and the resin covering the wires, are made of materials that are not suitable for use in a vacuum, damage to the electromagnet 412 can be suppressed. Furthermore, the electromagnet 412 can be positioned exposed to the atmosphere outside the reaction vessel 10.

[0081] In the drive mechanism 41, by supplying power to the electromagnet 412, the carrier 30 can be driven in a non-contact manner while magnetically coupling the electromagnet 412 with the permanent magnet 411.

[0082] As shown in Figure 8, the guide mechanism 42 has a plurality of main bearings 421 that are rotatably supported around a horizontal axis and a pair of sub-bearings 422 that are rotatably supported around a vertical axis.

[0083] The multiple main bearings 421 are members that guide the carrier 30 in the vertical direction and are arranged in a straight line in the conveying direction of the carrier 30.

[0084] The pair of sub-bearings 422 are members that guide the carrier 30 in the horizontal direction, and are positioned opposite each other so as to sandwich the carrier 30 between them. The pair of sub-bearings 422, like the multiple main bearings 421, are arranged in a straight line in the conveying direction of the carrier 30.

[0085] The guide mechanism 42 engages multiple main bearings 421 in the grooves of the guide rail 311, guides the carrier 30 as it moves over the multiple main bearings 421, and prevents the carrier 30 from tilting during movement by sandwiching it between a pair of sub-bearings 422.

[0086] The main bearing 421 and the sub-bearing 422 are made of rolling bearings to reduce friction between machine parts and ensure smooth rotational movement of the machine. The rolling bearings are rotatably mounted on a support shaft fixed to a frame (not shown) provided inside the reaction vessel 10.

[0087] In the sputtering apparatus 1, the transport mechanism 40 transports the substrate W to be processed to a position facing the target T in the reaction vessel 10, and an inert gas is supplied from the gas introduction pipe 212 into the internal space S1 in the reaction vessel 10 to create an inert gas atmosphere in the internal space S1 and set to a predetermined vacuum level. On the front surface of the target T, a magnetic field is generated by a closed-loop magnetic field line formed by a magnet unit 213 located on the back surface of the target, reaching the substrate W from the back surface of the target T and passing through the surface of the substrate W in a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate W. A predetermined high voltage is applied to the target T via the backing plate 211 by an external power supply, and the drive motor 214 is driven to rotate the magnet unit 213 located on the back surface of the target T via the rotation shaft 44a. When the predetermined high voltage is applied to the target T, the inert gas introduced from the gas introduction pipe 212 is ionized and ionic atoms are generated, and the generated ionic atoms collide with the front surface of the target T, which is the surface facing the substrate W to be processed, knocking out electrons. Electrons ejected from the front surface of target T by ionic atoms are confined by the magnetic field generated on the front surface of target T by the magnet unit 213, thereby generating a high-density plasma in the reaction space R (see Figure 3) on the front surface of target T. With the plasma generated, ionic atoms from the inert gas in the plasma collide with the front surface of target T, ejecting sputtering particles from target T.

[0088] At this time, the drive motor 214 rotates the magnet unit 213, which changes the magnetic field passing through the hole 22a of the sputter adjustment member 22, altering the magnetic flux and generating an induced current. The generated induced current changes the distribution of the plasma generated in the reaction space R, reducing the plasma density near the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed. As a result, the amount of sputtering particles adhering to the inner circumference of the substrate W is suppressed, and the sputtering particles disperse from the inner circumference to the outer circumference of the substrate W, accumulating on the surface of the substrate W and forming a thin film. As a result, the thickness variation on the surface of the substrate W is suppressed from the inner circumference to the outer circumference, and a thin film with high uniformity of in-plane film thickness distribution is obtained.

[0089] The sputtering apparatus 1 having the structure described above has a sputtering adjustment member 22 positioned on the central axis C between the substrate W to be processed and the target T, and approximately in the center of the front surface of the target T. The sputtering adjustment member 22 is made of metal, and a hole 22a is provided so as to include the central axis C. By rotating the magnet unit 213 to generate an induced current in the sputtering adjustment member 22, the distribution of plasma generated in the reaction space R can be changed, and the plasma density near the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed in the reaction vessel 10 can be reduced. As a result, the sputtering apparatus 1 can suppress the amount of sputtering particles adhering to the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed and relatively increase the amount of sputtering particles adhering to the outer circumference of the substrate W to be processed. Therefore, the sputtering apparatus 1 can equalize the amount of sputtering particles adhering to the inner and outer circumferences of the substrate W to be processed, thereby improving the uniformity of the in-plane film thickness distribution of the thin film formed on the substrate W to be processed.

[0090] Furthermore, the sputtering apparatus 1 can maximize the characteristics of the outer peripheral region of the substrate W by increasing the thickness of the outer peripheral region of the substrate W and making the film thickness distribution within the surface of the substrate W uniform.

[0091] In the sputtering apparatus 1, the sputtering adjustment member 22 is preferably a ring-shaped member. If it is a ring-shaped member, the size of the hole 22a, such as the inner diameter of the sputtering adjustment member 22, can be easily adjusted, so the sputtering adjustment member 22 can be easily formed into a shape optimal to the size of the substrate W to be processed. Therefore, the sputtering apparatus 1 can appropriately change the distribution of plasma generated in the reaction space R with respect to the substrate W to be processed by the sputtering adjustment member 22, thereby reducing the plasma density near the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed in the reaction vessel 10. Consequently, the sputtering apparatus 1 can more accurately suppress the amount of sputtering particles adhering to the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed, depending on the type and size of the substrate W to be processed, so that the uniformity of the in-plane film thickness distribution of the thin film formed on the substrate W to be processed can be easily achieved.

[0092] In the sputtering apparatus 1, it is preferable that the inner diameter of the sputtering adjustment member 22 is smaller than the outer diameter of the substrate W to be processed. This allows the sputtering adjustment member 22 to ensure that sputtering particles from the target T reach the entire surface of the substrate W to be processed, while suppressing the amount of sputtering particles adhering to the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed. Thus, the sputtering apparatus 1 can form a thin film over the entire surface of the substrate W to be processed while ensuring uniformity in the amount of sputtering particles adhering to the inner and outer circumferences of the substrate W to be processed.

[0093] In the sputtering apparatus 1, it is preferable to position the sputtering adjustment member 22 approximately in the center of the target T when viewed in the direction of the central axis C. This allows the sputtering apparatus 1 to reliably position the sputtering adjustment member 22 on the central axis C of the plasma generated in the reaction space R (see Figure 3) surrounding the target T. Therefore, the sputtering apparatus 1 can reliably suppress the amount of sputtering particles adhering to the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed while increasing the amount of sputtering particles adhering to the outer circumference of the substrate W to be processed. Thus, the sputtering apparatus 1 can reliably equalize the amount of sputtering particles adhering to the inner and outer circumferences of the substrate W to be processed, and thus reliably improve the uniformity of the in-plane film thickness distribution of the thin film formed on the substrate W to be processed.

[0094] The sputtering apparatus 1 preferably has a support member 23 and a connecting member 24 between the target T and the substrate W to be processed. This allows the sputtering apparatus 1 to easily install the sputter adjustment member 22 so that it is located on the central axis C. Furthermore, since the sputter adjustment member 22 can be easily attached and detached without significantly changing the configuration inside the reaction vessel 10, maintenance of the sputtering apparatus 1 can also be easily performed.

[0095] As described above, the sputtering apparatus 1 can form a thin film with high uniformity of in-plane film thickness distribution on the substrate W to be processed. Therefore, the sputtering apparatus 1 can be effectively used to form, for example, one or more layers that constitute a magnetic recording medium, which requires high uniformity of in-plane film thickness distribution.

[0096] <Method for manufacturing thin films> Next, the method for manufacturing the thin film according to this embodiment can be carried out using a sputtering apparatus 1. The method for manufacturing the thin film according to this embodiment includes a thin film formation step in which sputtering particles from the target T are attached to a substrate W to be processed, which is provided facing the front surface of the target T, by utilizing a magnetic field generated from the back side of the target T toward the substrate W to be processed, thereby forming a thin film.

[0097] In the thin-film formation process, the magnetic field passing through the holes 22a of the sputtering adjustment member 22 is changed by rotating the magnet unit 213 provided on the back surface of the target T. The sputtering adjustment member 22 is provided such that the holes 22a include the central axis C, which connects the center of the target T and the center of the substrate W, between the target T and the substrate W to be processed. Therefore, by rotating the magnet unit 213 and changing the magnetic field passing through the holes 22a of the sputtering adjustment member 22, the sputtering particles adhering to the substrate W are dispersed from the inner circumference to the outer circumference of the substrate W and adhere to the substrate W.

[0098] In the thin film manufacturing method according to this embodiment, the thin film formation step involves placing a sputtering adjustment member 22 on the central axis C between the substrate W to be processed and the target T, and forming the thin film with the sputtering adjustment member 22 positioned approximately in the center of the front surface of the target T. The sputtering adjustment member 22 is made of metal, and the hole 22a is provided such that it includes the central axis C when viewed from the direction of the central axis C. Therefore, by rotating the magnet unit 213 to generate an induced current in the sputtering adjustment member 22, the distribution of the plasma generated in the reaction space R can be changed, and the plasma density near the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed in the reaction vessel 10 can be reduced. As a result, the thin film formation step can suppress the amount of sputtering particles adhering to the inner circumference of the substrate W to be processed and relatively increase the amount of sputtering particles adhering to the outer circumference of the substrate W to be processed. Therefore, the thin film manufacturing method according to this embodiment can equalize the amount of sputtering particles adhering to the inner and outer circumferences of the substrate W to be processed, thereby improving the uniformity of the in-plane film thickness distribution of the thin film formed on the substrate W to be processed.

[0099] The thin film manufacturing method according to this embodiment can be carried out using a sputtering apparatus 1, and the thin film can be effectively used, for example, to form one or more layers that constitute a magnetic recording medium. Therefore, the thin film manufacturing method according to this embodiment can be effectively used in a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, which involves forming layers that constitute a magnetic recording medium to manufacture the magnetic recording medium.

[0100] <Manufacturing equipment for magnetic recording media> Next, a manufacturing apparatus for magnetic recording media using the sputtering apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the manufacturing apparatus for magnetic recording media to be mounted on a magnetic recording and playback device will be described as an example using an in-line film deposition apparatus that sequentially transports the substrate to be deposited between multiple film deposition chambers while performing film deposition.

[0101] Figure 9 shows an example of the configuration of an in-line film deposition apparatus to which the sputtering apparatus according to this embodiment is applied. As shown in Figure 9, the in-line film deposition apparatus 100 has a substrate transfer robot chamber 101, a substrate transfer robot 102 installed on the substrate transfer robot chamber 101, and a substrate mounting robot chamber 103 adjacent to the substrate transfer robot chamber 101. The in-line film deposition apparatus 100 also has a substrate mounting robot 104 located in the substrate mounting robot chamber 103, a substrate replacement chamber 105 adjacent to the substrate mounting robot chamber 103, a substrate removal robot chamber 106 adjacent to the substrate replacement chamber 105, and a substrate removal robot 107 located in the substrate removal robot chamber 106. Furthermore, the in-line film deposition apparatus 100 includes a plurality of processing chambers 111-1 to 111-13 and a spare chamber 112 arranged side by side between the inlet and outlet of the substrate exchange chamber 105, a plurality of corner chambers 113-1 to 113-4, and a plurality of carriers 30 that are sequentially transported between the processing chambers 111-1 to 111-13, the spare chamber 112, and the corner chambers 113-1 to 113-4 from the inlet to the outlet of the substrate exchange chamber 105.

[0102] Gate valves 114-1 to 114-18, which can be opened and closed, are provided between each chamber from the inlet to the outlet of the substrate replacement chamber 105. Processing chambers 111-1 to 111-13 and the spare chamber 112 can each form an independent sealed space by closing these gate valves 114-1 to 114-18.

[0103] The substrate transfer robot 102 supplies the substrates to be processed W from a cassette (not shown) containing the substrates to be processed before film deposition to the substrate mounting robot chamber 103, and also retrieves the substrates to be processed W after film deposition from the substrate removal robot chamber 106.

[0104] Furthermore, gate sections 121A and 121B, which can be opened and closed, are provided between the board transfer robot chamber 101, the board mounting robot chamber 103, and the board removal robot chamber 106, respectively. In addition, gate sections 122A and 122B, which can be opened and closed, are provided between the board replacement chamber 105, the board mounting robot chamber 103, and the board removal robot chamber 106, respectively.

[0105] The substrate mounting robot 104 mounts the substrate W to be processed before film deposition onto the carrier 30 located in the substrate exchange chamber 105.

[0106] The substrate removal robot 107 removes the substrate W to be processed after film deposition from the carrier 30 located in the substrate exchange chamber 105.

[0107] The multiple processing chambers 111-1 to 111-13 and the auxiliary chamber 112 basically have the same configuration as the reaction vessel 10 of the sputtering apparatus 1, and processing units 20 corresponding to the processing content for the substrate W to be processed held by the carrier 30 are arranged on both sides of each processing chamber 111-1 to 111-13.

[0108] Furthermore, although not shown in the diagram, the first vacuum pump 18 and the second vacuum pump 19 shown in Figure 1 are connected to each processing chamber 111-1 to 111-13 and the spare chamber 112, respectively. The operation of these vacuum pumps makes it possible to individually depressurize and evacuate each processing chamber 111-1 to 111-13 and the spare chamber 112.

[0109] Furthermore, each corner chamber 113-1 to 113-4 is provided with a rotating mechanism (not shown) for changing the direction of movement of the carrier 30.

[0110] The in-line film deposition apparatus 100 is configured to sequentially transport multiple carriers 30 between each processing chamber 111-1 to 111-13, the spare chamber 112, and the corner chambers 113-1 to 113-4 from the inlet to the outlet of the substrate exchange chamber 105, while performing film deposition and other processes on the substrates W to be processed, as shown in Figure 1, held by each carrier 30.

[0111] The in-line film deposition apparatus 100 can form each layer constituting the magnetic recording medium with improved uniformity of the in-plane film thickness distribution, thereby enabling the manufacture of high-quality magnetic recording media with high uniformity of in-plane film thickness distribution.

[0112] Furthermore, since the in-line film deposition apparatus 100 can transport the carrier 30 at high speed using the transport mechanism 40 described above, the productivity of magnetic recording media can be increased by manufacturing them using the in-line film deposition apparatus 100.

[0113] <Method for manufacturing magnetic recording media> Next, a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium according to this embodiment will be described. In the method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium according to this embodiment, a non-magnetic substrate to be processed W, which is held on a carrier 30, is sequentially transported between a plurality of processing chambers 111-1 to 111-13 using the in-line film deposition apparatus 100 described above, and a magnetic layer composed of a soft magnetic layer, an intermediate layer, and a recording magnetic layer, and a protective layer are sequentially laminated on both sides of the substrate W to be processed to form a laminate. In the method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium according to this embodiment, after forming the laminate using the in-line film deposition apparatus 100 described above, a lubricating film is deposited on the outermost surface of the laminate, which is the substrate W to be processed after film deposition, using a coating apparatus (not shown), thereby manufacturing a magnetic recording medium.

[0114] The method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium according to this embodiment, by using the in-line film deposition apparatus 100 described above, enables the production of a high-quality magnetic recording medium with high uniformity of the in-plane film thickness distribution.

[0115] Furthermore, the method for manufacturing magnetic recording media according to this embodiment can increase the production capacity of magnetic recording media by using the in-line film deposition apparatus 100 described above.

[0116] (Magnetic recording medium) A magnetic recording medium manufactured using a magnetic recording medium manufacturing apparatus to which the sputtering apparatus according to the above embodiment is applied will be described. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the layer configuration of a magnetic recording medium manufactured using the magnetic recording medium manufacturing apparatus described above. As shown in Figure 10, the magnetic recording medium 200 is provided, for example, by laminating a magnetic layer 220, a protective layer 230, and a lubricating film 240 in this order on both sides of a non-magnetic substrate 210 which is the substrate W to be processed. The magnetic layer 220 comprises a soft magnetic layer 221, an intermediate layer 222, and a recording magnetic layer 223, and has a laminated structure in which these are laminated in this order from the non-magnetic substrate 210 side.

[0117] As the non-magnetic substrate 210, any non-magnetic substrate can be used, such as an Al-Mg alloy or other Al alloy with Al as the main component, soda glass, aluminosilicate glass, crystallized glass, silicon, titanium, ceramics, and various resins. Among these, it is preferable to use an Al alloy substrate made of Al alloy, a glass substrate made of crystallized glass, or a silicon substrate made of silicon. Furthermore, the average surface roughness (Ra) of these substrates is preferably 1 nm or less, more preferably 0.5 nm or less, and even more preferably 0.1 nm or less.

[0118] The magnetic layer 220 may be an in-plane magnetic layer for an in-plane magnetic recording medium or a perpendicular magnetic layer for a perpendicular magnetic recording medium, but a perpendicular magnetic layer is preferable to achieve a higher recording density. Furthermore, it is preferable to form the magnetic layer 220 using an alloy mainly composed of Co. For example, as a magnetic layer 220 for a perpendicular magnetic recording medium, a laminated structure can be used consisting of a soft magnetic layer 221 made of soft magnetic materials such as FeCo alloy, FeTa alloy, and Co alloy, an intermediate layer 222 made of Ru or the like, and a recording magnetic layer 223 made of a 60Co-15Cr-15Pt alloy or a 70Co-5Cr-15Pt-10SiO2 alloy.

[0119] Examples of soft magnetic FeCo alloys include FeCoB, FeCoSiB, FeCoZr, FeCoZrB, and FeCoZrBCu. Examples of soft magnetic FeTa alloys include FeTaN and FeTaC. Examples of soft magnetic Co alloys include CoTaZr, CoZrNB, and CoB.

[0120] The overall thickness of the magnetic layer 220 may be such that sufficient head input and output are obtained, depending on the type of magnetic alloy used and the lamination structure. For example, it may be 3 to 20 nm or 5 to 15 nm. The thickness of the magnetic layer 220 may be set appropriately within a range that allows a certain level of output to be obtained during playback and maintains various parameters representing the recording and playback characteristics.

[0121] The protective layer 230 may be made of materials commonly used in magnetic recording media. Examples of such materials include carbonaceous materials such as carbon (C), carbon hydride (HXC), carbon nitride (CN), aluminum phosphate carbon, and silicon carbide (SiC), as well as SiO2, Zr2O3, and TiN. The protective layer 230 may also be made of two or more layers stacked together. The thickness of the protective layer 230 is preferably less than 10 nm, for example, in order to maintain a small distance between the magnetic head and the magnetic layer 220 and to obtain sufficient input / output characteristics.

[0122] The lubricating film 240 can be formed by coating it onto a protective layer 230 consisting of a fluorinated liquid lubricant such as perfluoroether (PFPE) or a solid lubricant such as a fatty acid. The thickness of the lubricating film 240 is typically 1 to 4 nm. For the application method of the lubricant, conventional and well-known application methods such as dipping and spin coating can be used.

[0123] (Magnetic recording and playback device) An example of a magnetic recording and playback device using the magnetic recording medium 200 described above is a hard disk drive (HDD). An example of a magnetic recording and playback device using the magnetic recording medium 200 is shown in Figure 11. As shown in Figure 11, the hard disk drive (HDD) device 300 comprises a magnetic disk 310 made of the magnetic recording medium 200 shown in Figure 10, a media drive unit 320 that rotates the magnetic disk 310, a magnetic head 330 that performs recording and playback operations on the magnetic disk 310, a head drive unit 340 that moves the magnetic head 330 in the radial direction of the magnetic disk 310, and a recording and playback signal processing system 350. The recording and playback signal processing system 350 processes the input data and sends a recording signal to the magnetic head 330, and processes the playback signal from the magnetic head 330 and outputs data.

[0124] The HDD device 300 uses a high-quality magnetic recording medium with a highly uniform in-plane film thickness distribution in the magnetic disk 310, enabling stable data input and output, and providing stable information writing and reading performance, thereby further enhancing the reliability of the product.

[0125] As described above, embodiments have been presented, but these embodiments are provided as examples only, and the present disclosure is not limited by these embodiments. The above embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various combinations, omissions, substitutions, and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. The above embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Examples]

[0126] The embodiment will be described in more detail below with reference to examples and comparative examples, but this embodiment is not limited to these examples and comparative examples.

[0127] <Sample Preparation> [Example 1] A sample was prepared by depositing NiW as a magnetic material onto an aluminum substrate (diameter: 97 mm, thickness: 0.5 mm, inner diameter: 25 mm) using the sputtering apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1. A ring-shaped member with an inner diameter of 30 mm, formed by winding a Cu metal wire into a ring shape, was used as the sputtering adjustment member 22. The sputtering adjustment member 22 was positioned 16 mm from the center of the front surface of the target T of the sputtering apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1. The distance between the target T and the substrate W to be processed was 11.75 mm. The sputtering conditions for forming the magnetic material using the sputtering apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1 were as follows. (Sputtering conditions) • Target composition used: NiW • Inert gas: Ar gas • Gas pressure: 1.5 Pa • RMC (Rotary Magnet Cathode): 600 rpm ·Film forming conditions: 600w x 30 seconds

[0128] [Comparative Example 1] A sample was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the sputter adjustment member 22 was not used.

[0129] <Evaluation of the in-plane film thickness distribution on the front and back surfaces of the sample> Using an X-ray fluorescence analyzer (Wafer / Disk Analyzer 3640, Rigaku), the in-plane thickness of the front and back surfaces of the manufactured samples was measured, and the in-plane film thickness distribution was evaluated. Figure 12 shows the measurement results of the thickness measured at predetermined radial intervals on the front and back surfaces of the samples. In Figure 12, the average thickness for each radius of the measurement points is plotted on a quadratic curve. The thickness for each radius is shown as a relative value normalized to 100, where the average value of the quadratic curve at a radius of 16 mm is set to 100. The film thickness distribution was derived from the quadratic curve with the average thickness using the following equation (1). (Measurement point) R=16mm: 8 points at 45° intervals R=18mm: 12 points at 30° intervals R=19mm: 8 points at 45° intervals R=22mm: 8 points at 45° intervals R=23mm: 8 points at 45° intervals R=24mm: 8 points at 45° intervals R=25mm: 4 points at 90° intervals R=26mm: 16 points at 45° intervals R=28mm: 8 points at 45° intervals R=29mm: 16 points at 22.5° intervals R=30mm: 8 points at 45° intervals R=32mm: 4 points at 90° intervals R=33mm: 24 points at 15° intervals R=35mm: 8 points at 45° intervals R=36mm: 8 points at 45° intervals R=37mm: 8 points at 45° intervals R=38mm: 16 points at 22.5° intervals R=39mm: 4 points at 90° intervals R=40mm: 16 points at 22.5° intervals R=41mm: 8 points at 45° intervals R=43mm: 24 points at 15° intervals R=44mm: 16 points at 22.5° intervals R=45mm: 20 points at 18° intervals Total: 252 points (Film thickness distribution) Film thickness distribution [%] = {(maximum value - minimum value) / maximum value} × 100 ... (1)

[0130] As shown in Figure 12, the difference in thickness between the inner and outer circumferences of the front and back surfaces of the sample in Example 1 was small, and the thickness between the inner and outer circumferences was large. In addition, the film thickness distribution of the sample in Example 1 was approximately 5.7%. On the other hand, the thickness of the front and back surfaces of the sample in Comparative Example 1 decreased from the inner circumference to the outer circumference, and the film thickness distribution of the sample in Comparative Example 1 was approximately 7.3%. Therefore, the sample in Example 1 has a smaller difference in thickness between the inner and outer circumferences of the front surface and a higher uniformity of the in-plane film thickness distribution compared to the sample in Comparative Example 1.

[0131] Therefore, the sputtering apparatus of this embodiment can manufacture magnetic recording media with improved uniformity of the in-plane film thickness distribution of each layer constituting the magnetic recording medium, and can manufacture magnetic recording media with high uniformity of the in-plane film thickness distribution on both the front and back surfaces. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 1. Sputtering apparatus 10 Reaction vessel 11A Front bulkhead 11B Rear bulkhead 12 Circuit board loading / unloading entrance 13A Gate Valve 20 Processing Units (Processing Sections) 21 Cathode Unit 22 Spatter adjustment member 22a hole 23 Support member 24 Connecting member 30 Carriers 31 Support stand 32, 32A, 32B holder 40 Conveying mechanism 41 Drive mechanism 42 Guide mechanism 100 In-line Film Deposition System 200 Magnetic recording media 211 Backing Plate 212 Gas inlet pipe 213 Magnet unit (magnetic field generating section) 214 Drive motor 311 Guide rail 321 Board material 322 Hole 323 Support Arm 411 Permanent Magnet 412 Electromagnet S1, S2 interior space W, W1, W2 substrates (substrates to be processed) T Target

Claims

1. A sputtering apparatus for forming a thin film by using a magnetic field generated from the back side of a target toward a substrate provided opposite the front surface of the target, wherein sputtering particles from the target are deposited onto the substrate, and a thin film is formed, A magnetic field generating unit provided on the back surface of the target, A rotating part that rotates the magnetic field generating part, A cylindrical sputtering adjustment member is provided on the central axis connecting the center of the target and the center of the substrate between the target and the substrate, It has, A sputtering apparatus in which the sputter adjustment member is made of metal and the hole in the sputter adjustment member is provided to include the central axis.

2. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sputtering adjustment member is a ring-shaped member formed by winding a metal wire into a ring shape.

3. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner diameter of the sputter adjustment member is smaller than the outer diameter of the substrate.

4. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hole of the sputtering adjustment member is provided at the center of the target when viewed in the direction of the central axis.

5. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the thin film is one of the layers constituting a magnetic recording medium.

6. A manufacturing apparatus for magnetic recording media, comprising the sputtering apparatus described in claim 1.

7. The process includes a thin-film formation step in which sputtering particles from the target are deposited onto a substrate, which is provided opposite the front surface of the target, by utilizing a magnetic field generated from the back side of the target toward the substrate, thereby forming a thin film. The thin film formation step is a method for manufacturing a thin film, wherein the magnetic field generating part provided on the back surface of the target is rotated to change the magnetic field passing through a hole in a cylindrical sputtering adjustment member made of metal, which is provided on the central axis connecting the center of the target and the center of the substrate between the target and the substrate, and which includes the central axis.

8. A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, wherein a layer constituting a magnetic recording medium is formed on the surface of the substrate using the thin film manufacturing method described in claim 7.

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