Patent ID: 7935232

Claim:
A sputtering apparatus, comprising: a replaceable target with a predetermined usage target life which is disposed so as to face an object to be treated; a magnet unit which is provided rotatably on the back of the target to generate a high-density plasma by means of a magnetic field generated with rotation, for depositing material from the target on the object to be treated, in the form of a film; a rotational mechanism which rotates the magnet unit; and a control means for gradually changing a speed of rotations of the magnet unit between an initial installation of a target, at a start of the target life, in the sputtering apparatus to an end of the useful life of the target, wherein the control means includes a computer which provides: a drive section which provides a signal for rotably driving the rotational mechanism; a detection section which detects a measurement value indicating a current total use time period of the target life from initial start of depositing target material through the operational end of the target life; a setting section which stores a plurality of speeds of rotations of the magnet unit, each corresponding to a measurement value of the detection section for different amounts of target life use time from the initial start of depositing target material over the operative service life of the target life; a selecting section which selects a measurement value representative of a rotational speed from the setting section, in accordance with the measurement value detected by the detection section; and a switching section which instructs the drive section to switch to a speed of rotations selected by the selecting section wherein a predetermined uniform thickness of the target material film is maintained over the entire target life.