Appeal No. 2001-1812
Application No. 08/854,008
the target and support. According to the appellants, the
presence of this grid increases plasma density and thereby
promotes sustained self-sputtering. In another embodiment, a
sputtering method is claimed which does not require the presence
of a grid but which requires holding an interior of the
sputtering chamber at a pressure of less than 1×10-6Torr and
applying sufficient electrical power to the target to self-
sustain a target plasma. This appealed subject matter is
adequately illustrated by independent apparatus claim 4 and
independent method claim 27 which read as follows:
4. A sustained self-sputtering apparatus, comprising:
a vacuum chamber including a support for a substrate;
a sputtering target in said camber facing said support;
a magnet assembly positioned on a side of said target
opposite a central portion of said chamber;
a first power supply electrically biasing said target with
respect to a portion of said chamber and capable of supporting a
self-sustained plasma of ions sputtered from said target;
a grid positioned between said target and support and
biasable at an electrical potential; and
a second power supply electrically biasing said support with
respect to said grid.
27. A sputtering method in a sputtering chamber comprising a
target, a magnet assembly on a side of said target, and a
substrate support for supporting a substrate, said method
comprising the steps of:
2
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