9948 results about "Sputtering" patented technology

An implantable medical device, such as a stent or graft, having asperities on a designated region of its outer surface is disclosed. The asperities can serve to improve retention of one or more layers of a coating on the device and to increase the amount of coating that can be carried by the device. The asperities can be formed by using a stream of pressurized grit to roughen the surface. The asperities can also be formed by removing material from the outer surface, for example, by chemical etching with or without a patterned mask. Alternatively, the asperities can be formed by adding material to the outer surface, for example, by welding powder particles to the outer surface or sputtering.

One embodiment includes a sputtering system that includes a vacuum chamber; a substrate transport system configured to transport a substrate through the vacuum chamber; a cathode for supporting a sputtering target, the cathode at least partially inside the vacuum chamber; and a power supply configured to supply power to the cathode and the power supply configured to output a modulated power signal. Depending upon the implementation, the power supply can be configured to output an amplitude-modulated power signal; a frequency-modulated power signal; a pulse-width power signal; a pulse-position power signal; a pulse-amplitude modulated power signal; or any other type of modulated power or energy signal.

A method of manufacturing improved thin-film solar cells entirely by sputtering includes a high efficiency back contact/reflecting multi-layer containing at least one barrier layer consisting of a transition metal nitride. A copper indium gallium diselenide (Cu(In_XGa_1-x)Se₂) absorber layer (X ranging from 1 to approximately 0.7) is co-sputtered from specially prepared electrically conductive targets using dual cylindrical rotary magnetron technology. The band gap of the absorber layer can be graded by varying the gallium content, and by replacing the gallium partially or totally with aluminum. Alternately the absorber layer is reactively sputtered from metal alloy targets in the presence of hydrogen selenide gas. RF sputtering is used to deposit a non-cadmium containing window layer of ZnS. The top transparent electrode is reactively sputtered aluminum doped ZnO. A unique modular vacuum roll-to-roll sputtering machine is described. The machine is adapted to incorporate dual cylindrical rotary magnetron technology to manufacture the improved solar cell material in a single pass.

Silicon nanowires and silicon nanoparticle chains are formed by the activation of silicon monoxide in the vapor phase. The silicon monoxide source may be solid or gaseous, and the activation may be by thermal excitation, laser ablation, plasma or magnetron sputtering. The present invention produces large amounts of silicon nanowires without requiring the use of any catalysts that may cause contamination.

A method and system for manufacturing a pole on a recording head is disclosed. The method and system include sputtering at least one ferromagnetic layer and fabricating a hard mask on the ferromagnetic layer. The method and system also include defining the pole and depositing a write gap on the pole. A portion of the pole is encapsulated in an insulator.

The invention relates to a sputtering target which has a fine uniform equiaxed grain structure of less than 44 microns, no preferred texture orientation as measured by electron back scattered diffraction (“EBSD”) and that displays no grain size banding or texture banding throughout the body of the target. The invention relates a sputtering target with a lenticular or flattened grain structure, no preferred texture orientation as measured by EBSD and that displays no grain size or texture banding throughout the body of the target and where the target has a layered structure incorporating a layer of the sputtering material and at least one additional layer at the backing plate interface, said layer has a coefficient of thermal expansion (“CTE”) value between the CTE of the backing plate and the CTE of the layer of sputtering material. The invention also relates to thin films and their use of using the sputtering target and other applications, such as coatings, solar devices, semiconductor devices etc. The invention further relates to a process to repair or rejuvenate a sputtering target.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having an interconnection part formed of multiple carbon nanotubes is disclosed. The method includes the steps of (a) forming a growth mode control layer controlling the growth mode of the carbon nanotubes, (b) forming a catalyst layer on the growth mode control layer, and (c) causing the carbon nanotubes to grow by heating the catalyst layer by thermal CVD so that the carbon nanotubes serve as the interconnection part. The growth mode control layer is formed by sputtering or vacuum deposition in an atmospheric gas, using a metal selected from a group of Ti, Mo, V, Nb, and W. The growth mode is controlled in accordance with a predetermined concentration of oxygen gas of the atmospheric gas.

A through hole (114) is formed in a wafer (104) comprising a semiconductor substrate (110). A seed layer (610) is sputtered on the bottom surface of the wafer. The seed is not deposited over the through hole's sidewalls adjacent the top surface of the wafer. A conductor (810) is electroplated into the through hole. In another embodiment, a seed is deposited into an opening in a wafer through a dry film resist mask (1110). The dry film resist overhangs the edges of the opening, so the seed is not deposited over the opening's sidewalls adjacent the top surface of the wafer. In another embodiment, a dielectric (120) is formed in an opening in a semiconductor substrate (110) by a non-conformal physical vapor deposition (PVD) process that deposits the dielectric on the sidewalls but not the bottom of the opening. A seed (610) is formed on the bottom by electroless plating. A conductor (810) is electroplated on the seed. In another embodiment, a dielectric (2910) is formed in the opening to cover the entire surface of the opening. A non-conformal layer (120) is deposited by PVD over the sidewalls but not the bottom of the opening. The dielectric (2910) is etched off the bottom with the non-conformal layer (120) as a mask. A seed (610) is formed on the bottom by electroless plating. The non-conformal layer can be formed by electroplating. It can be tantalum deposited by electroplating, then anodized. Other embodiments are also provided.

A magnetron sputter reactor (410) and its method of use, in which SIP sputtering and ICP sputtering are promoted is disclosed. In another chamber (412) an array of auxiliary magnets positioned along sidewalls (414) of a magnetron sputter reactor on a side towards the wafer from the target is disclosed. The magnetron (436) preferably is a small one having a stronger outer pole (442) of a first polarity surrounding a weaker inner pole (440) of a second polarity all on a yoke (444) and rotates about the axis (438) of the chamber using rotation means (446, 448, 450). The auxiliary magnets (462) preferably have the first polarity to draw the unbalanced magnetic field (460) towards the wafer (424), which is on a pedestal (422) supplied with power (454). Argon (426) is supplied through a valve (428). The target (416) is supplied with power (434).

Metal wiring is provided in an integrated circuit by sputter coating onto a semiconductor substrate a copper seed layer; depositing and patterning a photoresist; electroplating or electrolessly plating a metal within the openings of the photoresist; stripping the remaining photoresist; and etching the copper seed layer with an etchant that preferentially etches the copper seed layer at a rate higher than that for the electroplated or electrolessly plated metal.

A method and apparatus for debris removal from a reflecting surface of an EUV collector in an EUV light source is disclosed which may comprise the reflecting surface comprises a first material and the debris comprises a second material and/or compounds of the second material, the system and method may comprise a controlled sputtering ion source which may comprise a gas comprising the atoms of the sputtering ion material; and a stimulating mechanism exciting the atoms of the sputtering ion material into an ionized state, the ionized state being selected to have a distribution around a selected energy peak that has a high probability of sputtering the second material and a very low probability of sputtering the first material. The stimulating mechanism may comprise an RF or microwave induction mechanism.

This invention discloses ionization sputtering apparatuses which have a function for ionizing sputtered particles. Those apparatuses comprise an ionization means for ionizing sputtered particles from a target. The ionization means generates a plasma by applying radio frequency energy with plasma generation gas at an ionization space between the target and a holder holding a substrate. An disclosed apparatus comprises a magnetic device preventing the plasma from diffusing from the ionization space. Another disclosed apparatus comprises a magnetic device which orients the ionized sputtered particles toward the substrate.

A method is provided for forming a metal/semiconductor/metal (MSM) back-to-back Schottky diode from a silicon (Si) semiconductor. The method deposits a Si semiconductor layer between a bottom electrode and a top electrode, and forms a MSM diode having a threshold voltage, breakdown voltage, and on/off current ratio. The method is able to modify the threshold voltage, breakdown voltage, and on/off current ratio of the MSM diode in response to controlling the Si semiconductor layer thickness. Generally, both the threshold and breakdown voltage are increased in response to increasing the Si thickness. With respect to the on/off current ratio, there is an optimal thickness. The method is able to form an amorphous Si (a-Si) and polycrystalline Si (polySi) semiconductor layer using either chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or DC sputtering. The Si semiconductor can be doped with a Group V donor material, which decreases the threshold voltage and increases the breakdown voltage.

It is aimed to provide a perpendicular magnetic recording medium capable of dealing with an ultra-higher recording density than before and its manufacturing method.

The present invention concerns a perpendicular magnetic recording medium including at least a seed layer made of noncrystalline ceramic, a crystalline orientation control layer and a magnetic layer made of a material mainly containing a FePt alloy in this order on a substrate. This perpendicular magnetic recording medium is suitably manufactured by forming at least the seed layer, the orientation control layer and the magnetic layer made of the material mainly containing the FePt alloy in this order on the substrate by sputtering, wherein the magnetic layer is formed at a predetermined temperature of 500° C. or less.

An ultrasound transducer includes an array of PZT elements mounted on a non-recessed distal surface of a backing block. Between each element and the backing block is a conductive region formed as a portion of a metallic layer sputtered onto the distal surface. Traces on a longitudinally extending circuit board—preferably, a substantially rigid printed circuit board, which may be embedded within the block—connect the conductive region, and thus the PZT element, with any conventional external ultrasound imaging system. A substantially “T” or “inverted-L” shaped electrode is thereby formed for each element, with no need for soldering. At least one longitudinally extending metallic member mounted on a respective lateral surface of the backing block forms a heat sink and a common electrical ground. A thermally and electrically conductive layer, such as of foil, transfers heat from at least one matching layer mounted on the elements to the metallic member.

Embodiments of the invention generally provide a processing chamber used to perform a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process and methods of depositing multi-compositional films. The processing chamber may include: an improved RF feed configuration to reduce any standing wave effects; an improved magnetron design to enhance RF plasma uniformity, deposited film composition and thickness uniformity; an improved substrate biasing configuration to improve process control; and an improved process kit design to improve RF field uniformity near the critical surfaces of the substrate. The method includes forming a plasma in a processing region of a chamber using an RF supply coupled to a multi-compositional target, translating a magnetron relative to the multi-compositional target, wherein the magnetron is positioned in a first position relative to a center point of the multi-compositional target while the magnetron is translating and the plasma is formed, and depositing a multi-compositional film on a substrate in the chamber.

The invention discloses a method for preparing sintered NdFeB with low dysprosium (Dy) content and high performance; the method comprises the following steps of: sputtering and plating the Dy element on the surface of jet mill powder by using the powder plate technology based on magnetron sputtering on the basis of preparing NdFeB powder, and then sufficiently dispersing the Dy element to micron-sized NdFeB crystal particles by dispersing the Dy element at high temperature in the sintering and tempering process, thereby achieving the effect of improving magnetic performance of the sintered NdFeB. Compared with the introduction of the Dy element in the proportioning process of the prior art, the method disclosed by the invention has the advantages: the low dysprosium content and high performance is limited in the nano-size by adopting the physical gas-phase deposition, the consumption quantity of the Dy element during the production process is controlled effectively and the preparationof sintered NdFeB with low dysprosium content and high performance is realized. Compared with the sintered NdFeB of the same components prepared by the traditional casting and powder metallurgy process, both the intrinsic coercivity and the maximum magnetic energy product of the sintered NdFeB rare-earth permanent magnetic material obtained according to the invention are improved obviously; compared with the sintered NdFeB with the same performance prepared by the traditional casting and powder metallurgy process, the dosage of the dysprosium element is reduced remarkably. The method can be widely applicable to producing and manufacturing sintered NdFeB with high performance.

The invention provides an Al alloy film for use as an electrode of a semiconductor device and also provides an Al alloy sputtering target used to produce such an Al alloy film wherein the Al alloy film has not only a low resistivity equal to or less than 5 mu OMEGA cm and a high hillock resistance (property of hillock suppression) but also a high dielectric strength when it is anodized into an anodic oxide film and wherein the Al alloy film has a composition such that the Ni content is equal to or greater than 0.3 at % and the Y content is equal to or greater than 0.3 at % and such that 0.22 CNi+0.74 CY<1.6 at % where CNi denotes the Ni content (at %) and CY denotes the Y content (at %) and further wherein, in order to deposit the Al alloy film by sputtering, a spray forming Al alloy target containing Ni and Y is used.