Patent ID: 6132563
Filing Date: 2000-10-17
Classification: C23C,H01J

Abstract:
A method of reactively coating substrates with a magnetron sputtering source including partial targets composed of at least one component, a magnet system located behind each partial target, at least one controllable gas inlet, and a device that applies pulsed power into a plasma, the pulsed power having a period composed of a feed time and an intermission, the method comprising:(a) prior to coating of the substrate, changing at least one of a magnetic field strength associated with each partial target or the feed time of the pulsed power in an inert gas without reactive gas at a discharge pressure, wherein a set of values of parameters characteristic of non-reactive plasma is obtained;(b) prior to coating the substrates in a constantly maintained magnetic field for the partial targets, changing discharge parameters by at least one of (i) admitting one of a reactive gas or a reactive gas and an inert gas, or (ii) changing the feed time of the pulsed power for the partial targets, wherein a set of values of parameters characteristic of reactive discharge predetermined for each partial target is obtained;(c) during sputtering, maintaining constant the predetermined set of values of parameters characteristic of reactive discharge for each partial target for at least a fraction of a duration of use of the partial targets by at least one of (i) controlling one of gas flow or gas pressure at the controllable gas inlet, or (ii) controlling a feed time of the pulsed power;(d) repeating (a) and (b) at predetermined intervals during use of the partial targets, and subsequently continuing to coat the substrates.