Patent ID: 6872284
Filing Date: 2005-03-29
Classification: C23C,H01J

Abstract:
1. A method of determining a desired thickness of plural erosion tracks in a magnetron sputtering target comprising: a) providing a desired precursor sputtering target configuration having a specified sputtering surface and determining the location of said erosion tracks, E- b) determining the magnetic field strength at different radial locations RL along the sputtering surface of said precursor sputtering target configuration and determining a time averaged magnetic field strength for points on said erosion tracks, RE- c) determining an optimum ratio range for said magnetic field strengths RE- d) determining magnetic field strengths at vertical dimensions V above said erosion tracks E e) recording the magnetic field strengths for said vertical dimensions VE f) determining a desired increase in vertical dimension for sputtering material at one of said erosion tracks E g) determining the desired vertical height for sputtering material to be added to said sputtering surface at said other erosion track.