Ansgstrom Sciences reports that it has been issued a new patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Patent Number 7,223,322 covers the invention of a moving magnetic/cathode arrangement and method for use in magnetron sputtering thin film deposition.
Planar magnetron sputtering cathodes utilizing rotating magnetics are primarily utilized within cluster tools yielding microelectronic materials requiring the highest order of uniformity. Moving magnetics improve the thin film uniformity on a substrate compared to static magnetron sputtering cathodes. This combined with Angstrom Sciences' profiled magnet technology provides additional utilization of the process target material. The new moving magnetics can be provided to retrofit existing sputtering systems.
