Patent Publication Number: US-2012031755-A1

Title: Deposition system capable of processing multiple roll-fed substrates

Description:
The present application is a Continuation-in-Part Patent Application of and claims priority to commonly assigned pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/563,117, entitled “Processing chamber”, filed by the same inventors on Nov. 24, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This application relates to an apparatus for depositing material on a substrate. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Material deposition is widely used in window glass coating, flat panel display manufacturing, coating on flexible films (such as webs), hard disk coating, industrial surface coating, semiconductor wafer processing, photovoltaic panels, and other applications. Target materials are sputtered or vaporized from a source and deposited on a substrate. One desirable feature for material deposition is to maximize the utilization and to minimize waste of target materials. Another desirable feature for material deposition is to achieve uniform deposition across the substrates. 
     Different designs exist in the conventional deposition systems for large substrates. But the designs all have different drawbacks. In a first example, referring to  FIGS. 1A-1D , a deposition system  100  includes a long narrow rectangular target  110  over a large substrate  115  in a vacuum chamber  120 . A magnetron  130  is held behind the target  110 . The substrate  115  can be transported in the direction  150  relative to the target  110  and the magnetron  130  to receive a uniform deposition across the top surface of the substrate  115 . The magnetron  130  is stationary relative to the target  110 . The deposition system  100  can also includes a power supply  140  that can produce an electric bias between the target and walls of the vacuum chamber  120 . 
     The magnetron  130  includes a magnetic pole  132  of a first polarity and a magnetic pole  135  of a second polarity opposite to the first polarity. The magnetron  130  can produce magnetic flux outside of the sputtering surface  112  on the lower side of the target  110  as shown in  FIG. 1B . More electrons can be confined near the magnetic field parallel to the sputtering surface  112  wherein the magnetic field strength is at local maximum. The locations having the locally maximum magnetic field strength can form a close loop that can guide the migration path for free electrons. The closed-loop magnetic field can enhance the ionization efficiency of the sputtering gas (i.e. the plasma) for more effective confining electrons near the sputtering surface  112 . The enhanced ionization can also lower the operating pressure during sputter deposition. 
     A drawback of the deposition system  100  is that a non-uniform erosion pattern  115  is often formed over the sputtering surface  112  of the target  110  after repeated sputtering operations. The erosion pattern  115  usually tracks the location where the magnetic field strength is at local maximum and where the sputtering gas is the most enhanced. The erosion pattern  115  can include a close-looped groove as shown in  FIG. 1D . The non-uniform erosion can result in low target utilization and re-deposition of sputtered target materials on the areas of the sputtering surface  112  having low magnetic field strength. Some of the accumulated materials can fall off the target  110  and cause undesirable particles to be deposited on the substrate  115 . Another disadvantage of the deposition system  100  is that the larger dimension of target needs to be wider than the width of the substrate to achieve good deposition uniformity; some sputtered material will unavoidably not reach the substrate surface and thus be wasted. Referring to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , another conventional deposition system  200  includes a large target  210  having a sputtering surface  212 , a vacuum chamber  220 , and a magnetron  230  on the back side (opposite to the sputtering surface  212 ) of the large target  210 . The magnetron  230  can scan across along the direction  250 . The substrate  215  is held over a substrate holder  217 . The substrate  215  can remain stationary during the deposition if a target has dimensions larger than the substrate  215 . The scanning of the magnetron  230  relative to target  210  can cause target materials to be sputtered off different portions of the target surface to deposition on the deposition surface  217  along directions  260 . To achieve uniform deposition, the target  210  is typically larger than the deposition surface on the substrate. 
     The disadvantages of the deposition system  200  include the requirement of a large and expensive target, as described above. Another disadvantage is the difficulty to achieve uniform deposition. Only the outermost part of the closed loop erosion track of the magnetron  230  can reach edge of the target  210 , which tends to lower the sputtering at the edges of the target  210  and to cause non-uniform deposition over the substrate  215 . Typically the target is significantly larger than substrate to achieve good deposition uniformity. More material and electrical power is used to deposit films on substrate due to extra deposition outside the substrate area. Another disadvantage of the deposition system  200  is that certain amount of the sputtered materials may be wasted. For example, the material sputtered in directions  260   a  and  260   b  cannot arrive at the deposition surface  217 . 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one general aspect, the present invention relates to a deposition system that include a vacuum chamber; a plurality of transport mechanisms that can move a plurality of web-form substrates, wherein each of the web-form substrates includes a deposition surface facing away from the center of the vacuum chamber; and a plurality of source units that can deposit materials toward the center of the vacuum chamber and on the deposition surfaces of the web-form substrates. 
     Implementations of the system may include one or more of the following. At least one of the plurality of source units can include a target configured to provide deposition material in physical vapor deposition. The deposition system can further include a plurality of magnetic units each positioned adjacent to a target in the plurality of source units and configured to produce a magnetic field at a sputtering surface of the target. The plurality of magnetic units can produce a plasma in a closed loop near the sputtering surface of the target and surrounding the plurality of web-form substrates. The plurality of source units can be mounted on the walls of the vacuum chamber. Each of the plurality of transport mechanisms comprises a feed roller configured to provide a web-form substrate and a pick-up roller configured to take up the web-form substrate. The deposition surface can be substantially parallel to the sputtering surface. The plurality of transport mechanisms can move two, three, four, or six web-form substrates. The deposition system can further include a heating device positioned between the plurality of web-form substrates and configured to increase the temperature of the substrate. The plurality of transport mechanisms can move the plurality of web-form substrates in substantially the same direction. 
     In one aspect, the present invention relates to a deposition system including a chamber; a plurality of targets in a center region in the chamber, wherein the plurality of targets are sequentially positioned when viewed in a first direction and at least one of the plurality of targets comprises a sputtering surface facing outward; and a plurality of substrates in the chamber, wherein the plurality of substrates are sequentially positioned when viewed in the first direction and at least one of the plurality of substrates comprises a deposition surface configured to receive material sputtered off the sputtering surface. 
     In another aspect, the present invention relates to a deposition system including a chamber; a plurality of targets in a center region in the chamber, wherein the plurality of targets are distributed in an inner close-loop and a gap between two adjacent targets in the inner close-loop is smaller than one tenth of at least one dimension of one of the two adjacent targets; and a plurality of substrates in the chamber and outside of the inner close-loop, wherein at least one of the plurality of targets comprises a sputtering surface facing outward and at least one of the plurality of substrates comprises a deposition surface configured to receive material sputtered off the sputtering surface. 
     In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method for deposition. The method includes positioning a plurality of targets in a first sequence in a center region of a chamber, wherein at least one of the plurality of targets comprises a sputtering surface facing outward; and positioning a plurality of substrates in a second sequence in the chamber, wherein at least one of the plurality of substrates comprises a deposition surface configured to receive a material sputtered off the sputtering surface. 
     In another aspect, the present invention relates to a processing system including a chamber; a plurality of processing stations in a center region in the chamber, wherein the plurality of processing stations are sequentially positioned when viewed in a first direction, wherein the plurality of processing stations is configured to provide at least one processing step selected from the group consisting of thermal evaporation, thermal sublimation, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), ion etching, or sputter etching; and a plurality of substrates in the chamber, wherein the plurality of substrates are sequentially positioned when viewed in the first direction, and at least one of the plurality of substrates comprises a receiving surface configured to receive the at least one processing step from the plurality of processing stations. 
     In another aspect, the present invention relates to a processing system including a chamber; a plurality of processing stations in a center region in the chamber, wherein the plurality of processing stations are distributed in an inner close-loop and are configured to provide at least one processing step selected from the group consisting of thermal evaporation, thermal sublimation, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), ion etching, or sputter etching; and a plurality of substrates in the chamber and outside of the inner close-loop, wherein at least one of the plurality of substrates comprises a receiving surface facing the inner close-loop, and wherein the receiving surface is configured to receive the at least one processing step from the plurality of processing stations. 
     In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method for processing one or more substrates. The method includes positioning a plurality of processing stations in a first sequence in a center region of a chamber, wherein the plurality of processing stations is configured to provide at least one processing step selected from the group consisting of thermal evaporation, thermal sublimation, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), ion etching, or sputter etching; and positioning a plurality of substrates in a second sequence in the chamber, wherein at least one of the plurality of substrates comprises a receiving surface configured to receive the at least one processing step from the plurality of processing stations. 
     Implementations of the system may include one or more of the following. The deposition surface can be substantially facing the central region. The deposition surface can be substantially parallel to the sputtering surface. The sputtering surface and the deposition surface can be substantially parallel to the first direction. A gap between at least two adjacent targets in the plurality of targets can be smaller than half of at least one dimension of one of the two adjacent targets when viewed in the first direction. A gap between at least two adjacent substrates in the plurality of substrates can be smaller than half of at least one dimension of one of the two adjacent substrates when viewed in the first direction. The plurality of targets can be distributed in an inner close-loop in the center region and the plurality of substrates can be positioned outside of the inner close-loop. A gap between two adjacent targets in the inner close-loop can be smaller than half of at least one dimension of one of the two adjacent targets. The plurality of substrates can be distributed in an outer close-loop outside of the inner close-loop. The gap between two adjacent substrates in the outer close-loop can be smaller than half of at least one dimension of one of the two adjacent substrates. The deposition system can further include a magnetron source configured to produce a magnetic field near the sputtering surface on at least one of the plurality of targets. A dimension of at least one of the plurality of targets in the first direction can be smaller than a dimension of at least one of the plurality of substrates in the first direction. A dimension of at least one of the plurality of targets can be smaller than a dimension of at least one of the plurality of substrates in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The deposition system can further include a transport mechanism configured to produce a relative movement between at least one of the plurality of substrates and at least one of the plurality of targets along the first direction. At least one of the plurality of substrates can be configured to receive material sputtered off from two of the plurality of targets. At least one of the plurality of substrates can include a web that is configured to be conveyed by a transport mechanism. The chamber can include one or more outer walls forming an enclosure around the plurality of substrates and the plurality of targets. The one or more outer walls can include a cylindrical surface. 
     Implementations of the system may include one or more of the following. At least one of the plurality of processing stations can include a target having a sputtering surface facing outward, wherein the receiving surface is configured to receive material sputtered off the sputtering surface. The processing system can further include a magnetron source configured to produce a magnetic field near the sputtering surface on one of the plurality of targets. A dimension of at least one of the plurality of targets in the first direction can be smaller than a dimension of at least one of the plurality of substrates in the first direction. A dimension of at least one of the plurality of targets can be smaller than a dimension of at least one of the plurality of substrates in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The receiving surface can be substantially facing the central region. The plurality of processing stations can be distributed in an inner close-loop in the center region and the plurality of substrates can be positioned outside of the inner close-loop. A gap between two processing stations in the inner close-loop can be smaller than half of at least one dimension of one of the two adjacent processing stations. The plurality of substrates can be distributed in an outer close-loop outside of the inner close-loop. The gap between two adjacent substrates in the outer close-loop can be smaller than half of at least one dimension of one of the two adjacent substrates. The processing system can further include a transport mechanism configured to transport at least one of the plurality of substrates along the first direction. At least one of the plurality of substrates can receive processing steps from two of the plurality of processing stations. At least one of the plurality of substrates can include a web that is configured to be conveyed by a transport mechanism. The chamber can include one or more outer walls forming an enclosure around the plurality of substrates and the plurality of targets. At least one of the one or more of outer walls can include a cylindrical surface. The processing system can further include a second processing station juxtaposed to one of the plurality of processing stations in the first direction, wherein the second processing station and the one of the plurality of processing stations are configured to provide two or more processing steps to the same receiving surface on one of the plurality of substrates. The two or more processing steps can be selected from the group consisting of thermal evaporation, thermal sublimation, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), ion etching, or sputter etching. The processing system can further include a transport mechanism configured to transport the one of the plurality of substrates along the first direction to allow the receiving surface to receive processing steps from the second processing station and the one of the plurality of processing stations. 
     Embodiments may include one or more of the following advantages. The disclosed system can provide efficient and uniform material deposition in thin-film deposition, substrate etching, DC/RF diode or magnetron sputter processing system, thermal evaporation or thermal sublimation processing system, chemical vapor deposition or plasma enhanced chemical vapor processing system, ion beam assisted deposition or etching system, sputter etch, plasma etch, or reactive ion etch system. 
     The disclosed magnetron source in a deposition system can improve target utilization and reduce target cost by using target that is smaller than the substrate. The disclosed system can improve the collection of the sputtered materials by enclosing the targets by a plurality of substrates. The disclosed systems can utilize thick targets to allow longer deposition cycles between target changes, thus reducing scheduled system down time. The disclosed magnetron source can improve target utilization and reduce target cost by reducing the unevenness in the erosion of the target. 
     In the disclosed systems, different sources such as for thermal evaporation, thermal sublimation, sputtering, CVD, PECVD, ion generating source, or etching can be positioned in a central region surrounded by a plurality of substrates with deposition surfaces facing the center. Particles, ions, atoms, molecules, etc can move outward from the different sources to the substrate surfaces. The various sources can be positioned close to each other to achieve the improved uniformity. The substrates can be placed adjacent to each other to achieve the best material collection of the source materials. 
     The deposition and etch systems can provide deposition on large substrate while occupying relatively small footprint. The disclosed deposition and etch systems can simultaneously deposit on a plurality of large substrates. The substrates can be rigid or flexible. For example, the substrates can include webs that are fed in rolls. 
     The disclosed processing system can also generate high sputtering rate for magnetic and ferromagnetic target materials. The disclosed processing system can also allow material compositions to be controlled and varied. The disclosed processing system can also allow different processing such as sputtering and ion etching to be conducted on the same substrate in the same vacuum environment. The disclosed deposition and etch systems can use less electrical power, less chemicals and less source materials compared to conventional processing system. 
     The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and in the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  illustrates a cross section of a conventional deposition system. 
         FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional view of the conventional deposition system of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1C  is a bottom perspective view of the magnetron source in the conventional deposition system of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1D  is a bottom perspective view of the target and the erosion pattern on the target in the conventional deposition system of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 2A  illustrates a cross section of another conventional deposition system. 
         FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view of the conventional deposition system of  FIG. 2A . 
         FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of a deposition system in accordance with the present specification. 
         FIG. 3B  is a top view of the processing system of  FIG. 3A . 
         FIG. 3C  is an expanded top view of the processing system of  FIG. 3A . 
         FIG. 3D  is an exemplified magnetron source compatible with the processing system of  FIG. 3A . 
         FIG. 3E  is a cross-sectional partial view of the processing system along the line A-A in  FIG. 3B . 
         FIG. 4A  is perspective view of an exemplified thermal evaporation or sublimation source compatible with the processing system of  FIG. 3A . 
         FIG. 4B  is cross-sectional view of an exemplified thermal evaporation source of  FIG. 4A . 
         FIG. 4C  is cross-sectional view of an exemplified thermal sublimation source of  FIG. 4A . 
         FIG. 5A  is perspective view of an exemplified source for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) compatible with the processing system of  FIG. 3A . 
         FIG. 5B  is cross-sectional view of an exemplified CVD source of  FIG. 5A . 
         FIG. 6A  is a perspective view of another processing system in accordance with the present specification. 
         FIG. 6B  is a top view of the processing system of  FIG. 6A  with the targets arranged in one configuration. 
         FIG. 6C  is a side cross-sectional view of the processing system of  FIG. 6B  along the line C-C. 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the processing system of  FIG. 6A  with the targets being separated by gaps. 
         FIG. 8A  is a detailed view of an arrangement of magnetron sources compatible with the processing system of  FIGS. 5A-6C . 
         FIG. 8B  is a detailed view of another arrangement of magnetron sources compatible with the processing system of  FIGS. 5A-6C . 
         FIG. 9  is a detailed view of another arrangement of magnetron sources compatible with the processing system of  FIGS. 5A-6C . 
         FIG. 10A  shows a processing system including a plurality of magnetron sources including electromagnetic coils and a plurality of targets on an inner chamber wall. 
         FIG. 10B  shows a processing system including a plurality of magnetron sources including permanent magnets and a plurality of targets on an inner chamber wall. 
         FIG. 11  shows a target comprising multiple target materials for a magnetron source associated with the target. 
         FIG. 12A  is a perspective partial view of another processing system in accordance with the present specification. 
         FIG. 12B  is a cross-sectional view of the processing system of  FIG. 12A . 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective partial view of another processing system in accordance with the present specification. 
         FIG. 14  is a partial cross sectional view of a processing system having multiple different sources for processing a substrate. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A processing system  300 , referring to  FIGS. 3A-3E , includes a chamber  320  that can be sealed to create a vacuum environment in a space  350 . The processing system  300  can include a sputtering deposition system or other types of processing stations as described below. The chamber  320  can include one or more inner chamber walls  321   a - 321   c , one or more outer chamber walls  325   a - 325   c , and end chamber walls  323  and  324 . The inner chamber walls  321   a - 321   c  and the outer chamber walls  325   a - 325   c  can form one or more pairs of opposing chamber walls. 
     A plurality of substrates  315   a - 315   c  can be respectively positioned on the outer chamber walls  325   a - 325   c . A plurality of targets  310   a - 310   c  can be respectively held on the inner chamber walls  321   a - 321   c . Each target  310   a ,  310   b , or  310   c  includes a sputtering surface  312  facing the space  350 . Each substrate  315   a ,  315   b , or  315   c  includes a deposition surface  317  facing the space  350  and opposing a sputtering surface  312  on the respective target  310   a ,  310   b , or  310   c . The sputtering surfaces  312  can be substantially planar. The deposition surfaces  317  can be substantially planar. The targets  310   a - 310   c  and the substrate  315   a ,  315   b , or  315   c  can be arranged such that the sputtering surfaces  312  can be substantially parallel to the deposition surfaces  317  on the substrates  315   a ,  315   b , or  315   c  when viewed from top. 
     The substrates  315   a - 315   c  can include a rigid substrate such as a circular or rectangular semiconductor wafer, a glass or ceramic panel, a metal plate, or a flexible sheet that can be mounted on a drive roller and a feed roller (as shown in  FIGS. 12A ,  12 B, and  13 ). The substrates  315   a - 315   c  can also include several smaller substrates mounted on the solid plates. The targets  310   a - 310   c  can include copper backing plate, aluminum alloys backing plate, stainless steel backing plate, titanium alloy backing plate, other backing plate, aluminum (Al), aluminum zinc (AlZn), aluminum zinc oxide (AlZnO), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), aluminum nitride (AlN), aluminum copper (AlCu), aluminum silicon (AlSi), aluminum silicon copper (AlCuSi), aluminum fluoride (AlF), antimony (Sb), antimony telluride (SbTe), barium (Ba), barium titanate (BaTiO), barium fluoride (BaF), barium oxide (BaO), barium strontium titanate (BaSrTiO), barium calcium cuprate (BaCaCuO), bismuth (Bi), bismuth oxide (BiO), bismuth selenide (BiSe), bismuth telluride (BiTe), bismuth titanate (BiTiO), boron (B), boron nitride (BN), boron carbide (BC), cadmium (Cd), cadmium chloride (CdCl), cadmium selenide (CdSe), cadmium sulfide (CdS), CdSO, cadmium telluride (CdTe), CdTeHg, CdTeMn, cadmium stannate (CdSnO), carbon (C), cerium (Ce), cerium fluoride (CeF), cerium oxide (CeO), chromium (Cr), chromium oxide (CrO), chromium silicide (CrSi), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), copper oxide (CuO), copper gallium (CuGa), CuIn, CuInSe, CuInS, CuInGa, CuInGaSe (CIGS), CuInGaS, Dy, Er, ErBaCuO, Eu, Gd, Ge, GeSi, Au, Hf, HfC, HfN, Ho, In, InO, InSnO (ITO), Ir, Fe, FeO, La, LaAlO, LaNiO, LaB, LaO, Pb, PbO, ObTe, PbTiO3, PbZrO, PbZrTiO (PZT), LiNbO, Mg, MgF, MgO, Mn, MnO, Mo, MoC, MoSi. MoO, MoSe, MoS, Nd, NdGaO, Ni, NiCr, NiFe, NiO, NiV, Nb, NbC, NbN, NbO, NeSe, NbSi, NbSn, Pd, NiFeMoMn (permalloy), Pt, Pr, PrCaMnO (PCMO), Re, Rh, Ru, Sm, SmO, Se, Si, SiO, SiN, SiC, SiGe, Ag, Sr, SrO, SrTiO (STO), Ta, TaO, TaN, TaC, TaSe, TaSi, Te, Tb, Tl, Tm, Sn, SnO, SnOF (SnO:F), Ti, TiB, TiC, TiO, TiSi, TiN, TiON, W, WC, WO, WSi, WS, W—Ti, V, VC, VO, Yb, YbO, Y, YbaCuO, YO, Zn, ZnO, ZnAlO (ZAO), ZnAl, ZnSn, ZnSnO, ZnSe, ZnS, ZnTe, Zr, ZrC, ZrN, ZrO, ZrYO (YSZ), and other solid element or compound. 
     Each inner chamber wall  321   a - 321   c  can hold one or more targets. In some embodiments, the targets  310   a ,  310   b , or  310   c  on an inner chamber wall  321   a - 321   c  can include different target materials such that a mixture of materials from different targets  310   a - 310   c  can be deposited on a substrate  315   a ,  315   b , or  315   c  to achieve a desired material composition in the deposited material on the deposition surface  317 . 
     The lateral dimension of each target  310   a ,  310   b , or  310   c  can be smaller than its respective opposing substrate  315   a ,  315   b , or  315   c . The targets  310   a - 310   c  can be fixed to the inner chamber walls  321   a - 321   c , or have relative motion to the substrates during deposition. The vertical dimensions of the targets  310   a - 310   c  can be substantially smaller than the vertical dimensions of the substrates  315   a - 315   c . The complexity and cost of the targets are thus significantly reduced. The processing system  300  can include a transport mechanism  370  that can move each of the substrates  315   a - 315   c  in the direction  375  along the outer chamber walls  325   a - 325   c . In some embodiments, the targets  310   a - 310   c  can be moved in the direction  375  by a transport mechanism. 
     The direction  375  can be defined as the “vertical” direction for the ease of describing different direction of the processing system. The directions perpendicular to the vertical direction can be defined as the “horizontal” directions. The terms “horizontal” and “vertical” are used to describe the configurations of the processing system. The disclosed system is compatible with many other orientations. 
     In the top view in  FIG. 3B , that is, when viewed in the direction  375 , the targets  310   a ,  310   b , and  310   c  are sequentially positioned in a center region. At least one of the targets  310   a ,  310   b , and  310   c  includes a sputtering surface  312  facing outward. A plurality of substrates  315   a ,  315   b ,  315   c  in the chamber are sequentially positioned in the top view of  FIG. 3B . At least one of substrates  315   a ,  315   b , and  315   c  includes a deposition surface  317  facing the center region. The deposition surface  317  can receive material sputtered off the sputtering surface  312 . Different portions of the deposition surface  317  on the substrates  315   a ,  315   b , or  315   c  can thus be scanned in front of its opposing target  310   a ,  310   b , or  310   c  to allow target material sputtered off the sputtering surfaces  312  to be uniformly deposited on the deposition surfaces  317 . If the position of a substrate  315   a - 315   c  is fixed relative to the target, the vertical dimension of the target needs to be comparable or larger than the substrate vertical dimension to achieve uniform deposition. In addition, each substrate  315   a ,  315   b , or  315   c  can be made of multiple pieces of smaller substrates. 
     The processing system  300  can include backing plates  313  that are mounted on the surfaces of the inner chamber walls  321   a ,  322   a , and  323   a  opposite to space  350  in the chamber  320 . One or more magnetrons  330  can be mounted on individual backing plates  313 . Each magnetron source  330  is positioned on an inner chamber wall  321   a - 321   c  and behind a target  310   a ,  310   b , or  310   c . Each magnetron source  330  can include an RF and/or DC power supply and one or more magnets for producing magnetic fields and confining free electrons at the sputtering surface  312 . They can be electrically connected or separated from each other, but all are electrically isolated from the body of the chamber  320 . 
     The processing system  300  is also compatible with DC or RF diode sputter deposition wherein the processing system does not require a magnetron. Negative DC or RF bias can be applied to the sputtering target. A plasma gas can form at above a target threshold voltage and with sufficient gas pressure in the deposition chamber. 
     One advantage of the processing system  300  is the improved deposition uniformity, especially near the edges of the substrate. Referring to  FIG. 3C , targets  310   b  and  310   c  can be positioned close or in contact with each other at their edges. The area of the deposition surface  317  on the substrate  315   b  and near the edge  371  can receive target materials sputtered off both target  310   b  and  310   c , which can overcome a problem of reduced deposition near the edges of the substrates in some conventional system. 
     Another advantage of the processing system  300  is improved target utilization. The targets are centrally located and are surrounded by larger substrates. The adjacent substrates  315   b  and  315   c  can be positioned close to or in touch with each other such that almost all the materials sputtered off the target  310   a - 310   c  can be collected by substrates  315   a - 315   c . The target utilization is therefore increased. 
     In some embodiments, the targets can be so arranged to form a portion or a whole of an inner polygon, such as half of a hexagon as shown in  FIGS. 3A-3C , or a whole hexagon as shown in  FIGS. 4A-4C . The substrates can form a portion of an outer polygon, such as half of a hexagon. The outer polygon and the inner hexagon can but not necessarily share the same center location. In the present specification, the term “polygon” refers to a closed planar path composed of a finite number of sequential line segments. Furthermore, “polygon” used in the present specification is limited to a simple polygon that has a single, non-intersecting boundary. The line segments may have equal lengths or different lengths. 
     It should be noted that the targets and the substrates can be arranged in other configurations in the disclosed processing system. For example, the processing system can include two, four, five, six or more pairs of opposing targets and substrates instead of three pairs. The opposing sputtering surfaces on the targets and deposition surfaces on the substrates can be substantially parallel or tilted relative to each other. In a top view, the inner and outer chamber walls can take different shapes such as three or more sides of a polygon, for example, rectangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, or an octagon. The widths of the inner or outer chamber walls may be equal or different from each other. The inner and outer chamber walls can also be in cylindrical shape. 
     In addition to sputtering deposition, the processing system  300  is compatible with other deposition methods such as thermal evaporation deposition, thermal sublimation deposition, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), ion beam, and etch source depositions. Referring to  FIG. 4A , thermal evaporation or thermal sublimation sources  410   a - 410   c  can be positioned on the inner chamber walls  321   a - 321   c . Referring to  FIG. 4B , a thermal evaporation source  410   a  can be held on an inner chamber wall  321   a . The thermal evaporation source  410   a  can include an evaporation boat  420  containing evaporation material  425  that can be heated to near or above the melting temperature. The evaporation vapor  430  can exit from an opening in the evaporation boat  420  and to deposit on the deposition surface  317  on the substrate  315   a . The substrate  315  can be moved by a transport mechanism along the direction  375  so that different areas on the deposition surface  317  can receive the evaporation material. Referring to  FIG. 4C , an exemplified thermal sublimation source  450   a  can be held on an inner chamber wall  321   a . The thermal sublimation source  450   a  can also include an evaporation boat  460  containing sublimation material  465  that is in solid phase (e.g. solid particles) at room temperature. The sublimation material  465  can be heated by a heater  470  to near or above the sublimation temperature to evaporate from a solid phase directly into vapor phase. The evaporation vapor  480  can exit from an opening in the evaporation boat  450  and to deposit on the deposition surface  317  on the substrate  315   a . The substrate  315  can be moved by a transport mechanism along the direction  375  so that different areas on the deposition surface  317  can receive the sublimed material. The thermal sublimation can also be enhanced by a carrier gas flown over the solid sublimation material. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , exemplified sources  510   a - 510   c  for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) can be positioned on the inner chamber walls  321   a - 321   c . Individual sources  510   a - 510   c  can each include a chamber  520  that includes an inlet  515  and plurality of outlet holes  530 . The outlets  530  can be positioned close to the substrate  315   a - 315   c . Precursor gases are fed through inlet  515  into the chamber  520  and blown to the substrate  315   a - 315   c . The precursor gases can break up due to thermal or ionizing energy and recombine to form a film on the substrate  315   a - 315   c . The density and sizes of the outlets  530  can be controlled to allow uniform deposition on the substrate  315   a - 315   c . The substrate  315   a - 315   c  can be moved by a transport mechanism to allow uniform deposition across the deposition surface  317 . In some embodiments, the sources  510   a - 510   c  can be moved relative to substrates  315   a - 315   c . If the substrate position is fixed relative to the deposition source, the deposition source vertical dimension needs to be comparable or larger than the substrate vertical dimension. 
     For PECVD, an alternative current (AC) or radio frequency (RF) power is applied within the chamber  520  and/or between the outlets  530  and the substrate  315   a - 315   c . The breaking up of the precursor gas molecules can be caused by collisions with electrons, radicals, or ions (i.e. in a plasma) by the AC and RF power in addition to thermal energy. 
     In some embodiments, an ion source can be used in place of the CVD source  510   a - 510   c  to allow etching of the substrate instead of deposition on the substrate. When a proper voltage bias is applied to the substrate in a plasma environment and the chamber pressure is sufficiently low, ions can bombard the substrate. The ion bombardment can etch the substrate either by physical collision in the case of sputter etch, by reactive ions and radicals in the plasma in the case of plasma etch, or by combination of physical bombardment and chemical etch in the case of reactive ion etch (RIE). Moreover, an ion source can also be used in conjunction with a CVD source to assist the break up of precursor gas molecules. 
     A processing system  600 , referring to  FIGS. 6A-6C , can include a enclosed chamber  620  that includes six sequentially connected inner chamber walls  621  and six sequentially connected outer chamber walls  625 . The processing system  600  can include a sputtering deposition system or other types of processing stations as described below. The outer chamber walls  625  form a large six-sided enclosure outside of the small enclosure. The space between the small enclosure and the large enclosure defines a space  650  that is the interior of the chamber  620 . The chamber  620  can further include a lower wall  640  and an upper wall  641  to seal the space  650 . A vacuum environment can be created in the space  650  for sputtering deposition. A space  660  defined by the inner chamber walls  621  can be outside of the vacuum environment. 
     The inner chamber walls  621  and the outer chamber walls  625  can be aligned substantially along a direction  675 , which can be defined as the vertical direction. In a top view ( FIG. 6B ), the cross section of the inner chamber walls  621  can form a small hexagon in a horizontal plane. The outer chamber walls  625  can form a larger hexagon outside of the small hexagon. The large hexagon and the small hexagon can but not necessarily share the same center location. The inner chamber walls  621  and the outer chamber walls  625  can form six pairs of opposing chamber walls that are substantially parallel to each other. 
     It should be noted that the processing system can be compatible with other configurations. For example, instead of six pairs of opposing chamber walls, the processing system can include other number of pairs (e.g. four, five, seven, eight, or more pairs) of opposing inner and outer chamber walls. The inner chamber walls or the outer chamber walls can be of the same or different widths. In a top view, the inner chamber walls may form a small polygon. The outer chamber walls may form a large polygon. The small and the large polygons can but not necessarily share the same center location. When viewed from the top, the chamber walls may have equal width or different widths. The inner or outer or both chamber walls can also be cylindrically shaped. 
     A plurality of substrates  615  can be held on the outer chamber walls  625 . A plurality of targets  610  can be held on the inner chamber walls  621 . The substrates  615  and the targets  610  can be positioned within the chamber  620  and have surfaces facing the space  650  that can be evacuated to a vacuum environment. Each target  610  includes a sputtering surface  612  opposing a deposition surface  617  on a substrate  615 . The sputtering surface  612  can be substantially flat and parallel to the vertical direction. The sputtering surface  612  can also have other shapes such as a curved surface, or a surface not parallel to the direction  675  (which can be defined as the vertical direction). The sputtering surfaces  312  can be substantially planar. The deposition surfaces  317  can be substantially planar. 
     The target  610  and the substrate  615  can be respectively held on opposing inner chamber wall  621  and outer chamber wall  625 . The targets  610  and the substrate  615  can be arranged such that the sputtering surface  612  is substantially parallel to the deposition surfaces  617  in at least lateral dimension. The outer walls  625  can form an enclosure surrounding the substrates  615  and the targets  610 . 
     The substrates  615  can include a rigid substrate such as a circular or rectangular semiconductor wafer, a glass panel, a metal plate, or a flexible sheet that can be mounted on a drive roller and a feed roller. The substrates  315   a - 315   c  can include one or more smaller substrates mounted on the solid plates. The targets  310   a - 310   c  can include copper backing plate, aluminum alloys backing plate, stainless steel backing plate, titanium alloy backing plate, other backing plate, aluminum (Al), aluminum zinc (AlZn), aluminum zinc oxide (AlZnO), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), aluminum nitride (AlN), aluminum copper (AlCu), aluminum silicon (AlSi), aluminum silicon copper (AlCuSi), aluminum fluoride (AlF), antimony (Sb), antimony telluride (SbTe), barium (Ba), barium titanate (BaTiO), barium fluoride (BaF), barium oxide (BaO), barium strontium titanate (BaSrTiO), barium calcium cuprate (BaCaCuO), bismuth (Bi), bismuth oxide (BiO), bismuth selenide (BiSe), bismuth telluride (BiTe), bismuth titanate (BiTiO), boron (B), boron nitride (BN), boron carbide (BC), cadmium (Cd), cadmium chloride (CdCl), cadmium selenide (CdSe), cadmium sulfide (CdS), CdSO, cadmium telluride (CdTe), CdTeHg, CdTeMn, cadmium stannate (CdSnO), carbon (C), cerium (Ce), cerium fluoride (CeF), cerium oxide (CeO), chromium (Cr), chromium oxide (CrO), chromium silicide (CrSi), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), copper oxide (CuO), copper gallium (CuGa), CuIn, CuInSe, CuInS, CuInGa, CuInGaSe (CIGS), CuInGaS, Dy, Er, ErBaCuO, Eu, Gd, Ge, GeSi, Au, Hf, HfC, HfN, Ho, In, InO, InSnO (ITO), Ir, Fe, FeO, La, LaAlO, LaNiO, LaB, LaO, Pb, PbO, ObTe, PbTiO3, PbZrO, PbZrTiO (PZT), LiNbO, Mg, MgF, MgO, Mn, MnO, Mo, MoC, MoSi. MoO, MoSe, MoS, Nd, NdGaO, Ni, NiCr, NiFe, NiO, NiV, Nb, NbC, NbN, NbO, NeSe, NbSi, NbSn, Pd, NiFeMoMn (permalloy), Pt, Pr, PrCaMnO (PCMO), Re, Rh, Ru, Sm, SmO, Se, Si, SiO, SiN, SiC, SiGe, Ag, Sr, SrO, SrTiO (STO), Ta, TaO, TaN, TaC, TaSe, TaSi, Te, Tb, Tl, Tm, Sn, SnO, Ti, TiB, TiC, TiO, TiSi, TiN, TiON, W, WC, WO, WSi, WS, W—Ti, V, VC, VO, Yb, YbO, Y, YbaCuO, YO, Zn, ZnO, ZnAlO, ZnAl, ZnSn, ZnSnO, ZnSe, ZnS, ZnTe, Zr, ZrC, ZrN, ZrO, ZrYO (YSZ), and other solid element or compound. Each inner chamber wall  621  can hold one or more targets. In some embodiments, the targets  610  on an inner chamber wall  610  can include different target materials such that a mixture of materials from different targets  610  can be deposited on the opposing substrate  615  or substrates adjacent to the opposing substrate  615 . The material composition of the deposited material on the deposition surface  617  can thus be controlled. In some embodiments, the targets  610  can of the same sizes or different sizes. The substrates can be the same sizes or different sizes. 
     The lateral dimension of each target  610  can be similar or smaller than its opposing substrate  615 . The targets  610  are fixed to the inner chamber walls  621 . The vertical dimensions of the targets  610  can be substantially smaller than the vertical dimensions of the substrates  615 , which can reduce target complexity and cost. The processing system  600  can include a transport mechanism  670  that can move each of the substrates  615  in the vertical direction  675  along the inner chamber walls  621 . Different portions of the sputtering surface  617  on the substrates  615  can thus be scanned in front of its opposing target  610  to allow target material sputtered off the sputtering surfaces  612  to be uniformly deposited on the deposition surfaces  617 . The targets  610  and inner chamber walls  621  can also be moved relative to the substrates  615  to achieve uniform deposition. If the substrate position is fixed relative to the deposition source, the deposition source vertical dimension needs to be comparable or larger than the substrate vertical dimension. In the top view in  FIG. 6B  (i.e. when viewed in the direction  675 ), the targets  610  are sequentially positioned in a center region. The targets  610  can form an inner close-loop. The adjacent targets  610  can include gaps in between. At least one of targets  610  includes a sputtering surface  612  facing outward. A plurality of substrates  615  in the chamber  620  are sequentially positioned in the top view of  FIG. 6B . The adjacent substrates  615  in the sequence can have gaps in between. The substrates  615  can also form an outer close-loop outside of the inner close-loop. At least one of the substrates  615  includes a deposition surface  617  facing the center region. The deposition surface  617  can receive material sputtered off the sputtering surface  612 . 
     The processing system  600  can include backing plates  613  mounted on the inner chamber walls  621 . The backings plate  613  can be on the inside surface of the inner chamber walls  621  and outside of the space  650 . Magnetron sources  630   a  and  630   b  can be mounted on the backing plates  613 . At least portions of the magnetron sources  630   a  and  630   b  can be positioned in the space  660  and outside of the vacuum environment (in the space  650 ) during sputtering deposition. Each magnetron source  630   a  or  630   b  can include an RF and/or DC power supply and one or more magnets for producing magnetic fields and confining free electrons at the sputtering surface  612 . The magnetron sources  630   a  and  630   b  can be electrically connected with one control or separated with independent controls. The magnetron sources  630   a  and  630   b  can be electrically isolated from the chamber body. 
     In some embodiments, the adjacent targets  610  can be in contact or at close distance with each other to form a close loop. The gap between two adjacent targets  610  can be smaller than half the width of one of the two adjacent targets  610 , wherein the width can be defined by the dimension along the inner chamber wall  621  in the horizontal direction (i.e. in the top view). In some embodiments, gap between two adjacent targets  610  can be smaller than one tenth of the width of one of the two adjacent targets  610 . The magnetron sources  630   a  and  630   b  on the adjacent inner chamber walls  621  can be electrically or physically connected such that a hexagonal close-loop electron path can be formed over the sputtering surfaces  612  of the six targets  610 . The magnetron sources  630   a  and  630   b  can share a common power supply or connect to different power supplies controlled separately. The chamber  620  can be at ground potential or positively biased. The targets  610  are insulated from the chamber  620  and held negative voltages. The movements of free electrons can thus be effectively confined by magnetic fields in a continuous close-loop electron path near the sputtering surfaces of the targets. Plasma ionization near the sputtering surfaces can therefore be enhanced. 
     The rates of sputtering off different targets  610  can be varied independently to allow deposition rates and uniformity to different substrate  615  to be easily adjusted. The deposition uniformity can also be adjusted by adjusting the magnetic strength at different locations of the targets  610  in a horizontal direction. For example, a stronger magnetic field near corner where two targets  610  meet can increase sputtering rate at that location and thus increase deposition rate near the edge of the substrate  615 . In some embodiments, the targets  610  can be connected to form a unitary target around the space  660 . In some embodiments, the targets  610  can be separated by gaps  705  as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     One advantage of the processing system  600  is that the target utilization is improved. The deposition surfaces can be substantially larger than the sputtering surfaces. The targets can be smaller than the substrate in one or two dimensions while providing similar deposition rate compared to larger targets in the convention processing systems. The sputtering surfaces  612  of the targets are surrounded by the deposition surfaces  617  of the substrates. Thus the targets can be kept small, simple and less costly. The sputtered target materials can be more effectively collected by the deposition surfaces. Waste in target material is thus reduced. Moreover, the processing system  600  also provides more uniform deposition than conventional processing systems. Similar to the illustration in  FIG. 3C , a substrate in the processing system  600  can receive sputtered materials from more than one target. Uniformity can thus be improved especially near the edge of the substrate. In addition, less power is required to deposit same amount of materials due to the smaller source surface area. Throughput can be improved by allowing multiple of substrates to be deposited simultaneously. The uniformity of deposition, especially near the edges of the substrates, is improved by multiple fluxes of deposition materials from multiple targets. 
     In some embodiments, referring to  FIG. 8A  (the outer chamber walls are not shown, the orientation is same as  FIG. 6C ), a magnetron source  830   a  can include a pair of magnets  810   a  and  811   a  on the two sides of a target  610   a . The magnet  810   a  can have a “North” (“N”) polarity and the magnet  811   a  can have a “South” (“S”) polarity. Similarly, a magnetron source  830   b  can be held on the inner chamber wall  621  opposite to the magnetron source  830   a  across the space  660 . The magnetron source  830   b  can include a pair of magnets  810   b  and  811   b  on the two sides (above and below) of the target  610   b . The magnet  810   b  can have a “North” polarity and the magnet  811   b  a “South” polarity. The magnets  810   a ,  811   a ,  810   b , and  811   b  can include permanent magnets such as rare earth magnets and ceramic magnet that can be used individually or be connected with ferromagnetic material such as 400 series stainless steel and Mu-metal. 
     The magnets  810   a  and  811   a  can produce magnetic flux lines  820   a . Some of the magnetic flux lines  820   a  are substantially parallel to the sputtering surface  612  that can be exposed in a vacuum environment in the space  650 . The magnetic field flux lines  820   a  have large components parallel to the sputtering surface  612  on the target  610   a . Electrons can depart from the sputtering surface  612  (cathode) at a high velocity due to negative bias on the target  610   a . Lorenz forces due to the magnetic fields can bend the electron paths back to the sputtering surface  612 . The increased electron density near the sputtering surface  612  can enhance the plasma ionization efficiency. A substrate  815   a  is positioned to receive materials sputtered off the target  610   a . Similarly, the magnetron source  830   b  can include, as shown in  FIG. 8 , a pair of permanent magnets  810   b  and  811   b  on the two sides (above and below) of the target  610   b . The magnet  810   b  can have a “North” polarity and the magnet  811   b  a “South” polarity. The magnets  810   b  and  811   b  can produce magnetic flux lines  820   b . Some of the magnetic flux lines  820   b  can be substantially parallel to the sputtering surface  612  that can be exposed in a vacuum environment in the space  650 . A substrate  815   b  is positioned to receive materials sputtered off the target  610   b.    
     The magnets  810   a ,  810   b  and magnets of the “North” polarity on the other inner chamber walls  621  can form a close loop. The magnets  811   a ,  811   b  and magnets of the “South” polarity on the other inner chamber walls  621  can form another close loop. The magnetic flux lines between the two close-loop magnets can form a close-loop electron path that can effectively confine the movement of free electrons near the sputtering surfaces  612  of the targets around the space  650 . The electrons can be confined near the maximum magnetic field that is parallel to the sputtering surfaces  612 . The electrons can hop along the path in the close loop. Since the magnets  810   a ,  810   b ,  811   a  and  811   b  are placed on the two sides the target  610   a  or  610   b  instead of behind the sputtering surface  612  of the target  610   a  or  610   b , the target  610   a  or  610   b  can be thick or made of magnetic materials and still have strong magnetic flux over the sputtering surface  612 . Furthermore, the magnetic flux line  820   a  and  820   b  are more uniform compared to conventional sputtering source where the magnets are behind the target, it result in more uniform sputtering rate across the sputtering surface  612 , more uniform erosion pattern and improves the target utilization. 
     The magnets  810   a ,  810   b ,  811   a , and  811   b  in  FIG. 8A  are next to the space  650  and can be exposed to the vacuum environment. In some embodiments, referring to  FIG. 8B , magnets  810   c ,  810   d ,  811   c , and  811   d  can be positioned next to the space  660  and behind the sputtering surfaces  612 . The magnets  810   c ,  810   d ,  811   c , and  811   d  can thus be outside of the vacuum environment. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9  (the substrates and the outer chamber walls are not shown), the magnetron source  930   a  and  930   b  can also include electric conductor coils or electromagnets  910   a ,  911   a ,  910   b , and  911   b  that can generate magnetic flux lines  920   a  and  920   b  similar to the permanent magnet  810   a ,  811   a ,  810   b , and  811   b . A power supply  940  can be shared for the magnetron source  930   a  and  930   b , or different power supplies can be separately connected to magnetron sources  930   a  and  930   b  and be controlled independently. The power supply  940  can provide electric biases between the targets  610  and the chamber  620 . The power supply  940  can provide Direct Current (DC), Alternative Current (AC) or Radio Frequency (RF) in addition to a DC voltage bias. In the illustration, we have shown the electrical magnets next to the target in the vacuum side. Same effect can be achieved when electrical magnets are placed behind the target outside the vacuum area. 
     In some embodiments, referring to  FIGS. 10A and 10B , a processing system  600  can include a plurality of targets  1020   a ,  1021   a ,  1022   a , and  1023   a  positioned on an inner chamber wall  621  and a plurality of targets  1020   b ,  1021   b ,  1022   b , and  1023   b  positioned on another inner chamber wall  621 . A plurality of electric conductor coils  1010   a - 1014   a ,  1010   b - 1014   b  ( FIG. 10A ) or permanent magnets  1030   a - 1034   a ,  1030   b - 1034   b  ( FIG. 10B ) can be alternatively positioned on the two sides of each of the targets  1010   a - 1014   a  and  1010   b - 1014   b  to provide magnetic fields near the sputtering surfaces of the respective targets  1010   a - 1014   a  and  1010   b - 1014   b . Shields can be added between the adjacent targets  1010   a - 1013   a  and  1010   b - 1013   b  to prevent or minimize cross contamination. The substrate  615  can be transported along the direction  675  so that different receiving areas of the substrate  615  can be brought in front of the targets  1010   a - 1013   a  or  1010   b - 1013   b  to receive sputtered material. The targets  1010   a - 1013   a  or  1010   b - 1013   b  can include comprise substantially the same or different target materials. 
     In some embodiments, referring to  FIG. 11 , a processing system  600  can include a target  1120   a  including three target materials  1121   a ,  1122   a ,  1123   a  and a target  10020   b  that includes two target materials  1121   b  and  1122   b . The target materials  1121   a ,  1122   a ,  1123   a  are positioned between electric conductor coils  1110   a  and  1111   a  (or permanent magnets). The target materials  1121   a ,  1122   a ,  1123   a  can be made of the same or different target materials. The target materials  1121   b  and  1122   b  are positioned between electric conductor coils  1110   b  and  1111   b  (or permanent magnets) can also be made of the same or different target materials. The different materials in a target  1120   a  or  1120   b  allow different material compositions to be deposited on the deposition surfaces of the substrate  615  (not shown in  FIG. 11 ). 
     In some embodiments, referring to  FIGS. 12A and 12B , a processing system  1200  can include a chamber  1220  that includes one or more walls  1225 , and a plurality of targets  1210   a ,  1210   b  in the chamber  1220 . The chamber encloses a space  1250  that can be evacuated during sputtering deposition or other type of deposition methods. The targets  1210   a ,  1210   b  can be held on an enclosure  1270  within the space  1250 . The enclosure  1270  can define a space  1260  within that can be outside of a vacuum environment during sputtering deposition. The processing system  1200  can also include a plurality of web-form substrate  1215   a  and  1215   b . Each of the web-form substrate  1215   a  and  1215   b  can be conveyed by a pair of pick-up and feed rollers  1230   a ,  1231   a  or  1230   b ,  1231   b . In some embodiments, referring to  FIG. 13 , a processing system  1300  can include a chamber  1320  that has a round or cylindrically shaped chamber wall  1325 . The inner vacuum enclosure  1270  can also be circular shaped, even if the various deposition sources are substantially planar. 
     In some embodiments, referring to  FIG. 14 , a processing system  1400  can include multiple processing stations  1405   a ,  1405   b , and  1405   c  that can provide different processing steps on a single substrate  615 . The processing stations  1405   a ,  1405   b , and  1405   c  can be separated by magnets  1410   a - 1413   a  having alternating polarities. The magnets  1410   a - 1413   a  can include permanent magnets, electric conductor coils, and electromagnets. 
     The processing station  1405   a  is a sputter-etch station wherein the target  1420   a  is positively biased relative to the substrate  615 . An optional magnetron source including the magnets  1410   a  and  1411   a  can be positioned by the targets to enhance plasma density and increase the sputter etch rate of the substrate  615 . The processing station  1405   b  includes a sputtering deposition magnetron source. The target  1421   a  is negatively biased relative to the substrate. The processing station  1405   c  includes a CVD source in which a gas is released toward the substrate  615  from the openings of a chamber  1422   a . Chemical reactions at the surface of the substrate  615  can deposit a thin film on the substrate surface. An alternative current (AC) or radio frequency (RF) power can be applied within to the chamber  1422   a  to ionize the precursor gas molecules to enhance the chemical vapor deposition. The optional magnetron formed by magnets  1412   a  and  1413   a  can enhance the plasma density between the chamber  1422   a  and the substrate  615 . 
     A processing system including the multiple sources shown in  FIG. 14  can be used to sequentially deposit multiple layers of material on a substrate. As the substrate is transported, the substrate can be cleaned by the energetic ions in the sputter etch station  1405   a . The substrate can also be heated by the station  1405   a . The substrate can then be coated with various sputtered films and CVD films. The various processing steps can be carried out simultaneously or at different times. 
     The configuration shown in  FIG. 14  is compatible with previously disclosed processing systems (e.g.  300 ,  600 , and  1200 ). Different substrates in a deposition chamber may have the same or different configurations of the multiple processing stations. 
     In some embodiments, multiple roll-fed substrates can be positioned inside a vacuum chamber having deposition surfaces facing out while the targets can be mounted on the chamber walls with sputtering surface facing inward. Referring to  FIGS. 15A and 15B , a processing system  1500  includes a chamber  1520  having one or more walls  1525  that can define a vacuum environment. Source units such as targets  1510   a ,  1510   b  are mounted on the chamber walls  1525 . The targets  1510   a ,  1510   b  are electrically isolated from the chamber walls  1525  respectively by insulating materials  1512   a ,  1512   b . The sputtering surfaces  1511   a ,  1511   b  of the targets  1510   a - 1510   b  are inside the vacuum environment and are facing toward the center of the chamber  1520 . The processing system  1500  also houses pairs of feed and pick-up rollers  1530   a - 1530   c , and  1531   a - 1531   c  which can respectively convey web-form substrates  1515   a - 1515   c . The web-form substrate  1515   a - 1515   c  each includes a deposition surface facing toward the deposition sources (and away from the center of the chamber  1520 ) such as the sputtering surface of at least one of the targets. The deposition surface of the web-form substrate can be substantially parallel to its respective sputtering surface  1511   a  or  1511   b . The chamber  1520  can multiple web-form substrate such as hold two, three, four, or six web-form substrates each transported by its respective feed and pick rollers. 
     In some embodiments, the web-form substrates  1515   a - 1515   c  can be transported in substantially a same direction, for example, the axial direction (i.e. the vertical direction in  FIGS. 15A ,  15 B) of the chamber  1520 . 
     An advantage of the processing system  1500  is that it allows parallel processing of multiple roll-fed web-form substrates. The processing tasks can include physical vapor deposition, thermal evaporation source, sublimation sources, ion beam sources, perforated plates for gas distribution, positive biased plate for sputter etching the substrate, anode plate for etching and reactive ion etching (RIE), shower head for plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), magnet field enhanced PECVD, thermal assisted CVD shower head, and electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) enhanced plasma. For physical vapor deposition, magnetic units  1540   a ,  1541   a ,  1540   b ,  1541   b  can be mounted adjacent to the targets  1510   a - 1510   b  to provide magnetic fields near the sputtering surfaces  1511   a ,  1511   b  to enhance plasma density and improve deposition efficiency. 
     In some embodiments, the chamber  1520  can have a cylindrical shape. The source units such targets  1510   a ,  1510   b  and magnetic units  1540   a ,  1541   a ,  1540   b ,  1541   b  are mounted on the side walls of the chamber  1520 . The web-form substrates  1515   a - 1515   c  are transported along the axial direction  1550  of the chamber  1520 . 
     In some embodiments, the deposition source units mounted on the chamber walls  1525  are positioned in a loop around the web-form substrates  1515   a - 1515   c . The magnetic units  1540   a ,  1541   a ,  1540   b ,  1541   b  are configured to produce a plasma near the sputtering surface  1511   a ,  1511   b  which forms a closed loop along the chamber walls  1525  and surrounding the web-form substrates  1515   a - 1515   c.    
     In some embodiments, the processing system  1500  can further include one or more heating devices (not shown) positioned between the web-form substrates  1515   a - 1515   c  for raising the temperatures of the web-form substrates  1515   a - 1515   c.    
     It is understood that the disclosed system and methods are not limited to the specific description in the specification. A hexagon is used to illustrate the principles; many polygonal shapes can be used in place of the hexagon. For example, the disclosed system is suitable for material depositions on large or small substrates. In addition, the substrate can be heated and/or applied with an electric bias voltage. The processing system can also include a vacuum load-lock and a cleaning chamber for cleaning the substrate. The substrate transport mechanism can also take various forms without deviating from the spirit of the specification. The sources can also be transported relative to the substrates. Substrate can be heated, voltage biased, sputter cleaned and rotated inside vacuum. An insulator can be provided between a target and the deposition chamber. The insulator can be positioned inside or outside of the vacuum environment. Furthermore, the chamber can include holders for the substrates and the targets. The disclosed substrates and targets in the chamber are compatible with different holder mechanisms.