Patent ID: 7731825

Claim:
A sputtering apparatus for manufacturing a magnetoresistance element with a pinned magnetic layer, a non-magnetic intermediate layer, and a free magnetic layer, said apparatus comprising: a chamber; a cathode which is configured and positioned in said chamber to hold a target for forming at least a thin film of the non-magnetic intermediate layer or the free magnetic layer; a substrate holder which is configured and positioned in said chamber to hold a substrate; a gas introduction mechanism which introduces a gas to a target space in a vicinity of a surface of the target; a first partition member which is composed of a first tapered cylinder member whose diameter is decreased toward the substrate, and is arranged so as to surround the target and which restricts gas flow at a position between the target and the substrate, the target space being formed within the first tapered cylinder member; a second partition member which is composed of a second tapered cylinder member whose diameter is decreased toward the substrate, and is arranged so as to surround the first tapered cylinder member and the substrate, and which restricts gas flow at a position between the first tapered cylinder member and the substrate, a center space being formed between the first tapered cylinder member and the second tapered cylinder member, and a substrate space being formed outside the second tapered cylinder member; a first exhausting apparatus which exhausts the substrate space and makes the substrate space at a pressure lower than a pressure of said center space; and a second exhausting apparatus which exhausts said center space and makes said center space at a pressure lower than a pressure of said target space.