Magnetron plasma apparatus

Abstract

A magnetron plasma apparatus boosted by hollow cathode plasma includes at least one electrically connected pair of a first hollow cathode plate and a second hollow cathode plate placed opposite to each other at a separation distance of at least 0.1 mm and having an opening following an outer edge of a sputter erosion zone on a magnetron target so that a magnetron magnetic field forms a perpendicular magnetic component inside a hollow cathode slit between plates and, wherein the plates and are connected to a first electric power generator together with the magnetron target to generate a magnetically enhanced hollow cathode plasma in at least one of a first working gas distributed in the hollow cathode slit and a second working gas admitted outside the slit in contact with a magnetron plasma generated in at least one of the first working gas and the second working gas.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A method of plasma processing, comprising:
 providing a magnetron sputtering apparatus comprising a magnetron target and having a magnetron magnetic field giving form to a spatial shape of a magnetron plasma;   providing a hollow cathode comprising an electrically connected pair of a first hollow cathode plate and a second hollow cathode plate separated from each other allowing a hollow cathode effect to be excited in a slit between said first hollow cathode plate and said second hollow cathode plate, wherein said magnetron magnetic field forms a perpendicular magnetic induction component inside said slit; and   using said perpendicular magnetic induction component inside said slit to magnetically enhance a hollow cathode plasma formed by said hollow cathode.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said perpendicular magnetic induction component inside said slit is parallel to a pendulum motion of electrons in said hollow cathode effect in said hollow cathode. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising placing at least one of said first hollow cathode plate and said second hollow cathode plate separately from said magnetron target. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said magnetron sputtering apparatus is a planar magnetron apparatus. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said magnetron sputtering apparatus is a rotatable target magnetron apparatus. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said first and second hollow cathode plates are discrete and spaced apart from each other. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising using at least two magnets with opposing poles below said magnetron target to generate said magnetron magnetic field. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said magnetron target is a single-piece magnetron target. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising connecting said hollow cathode to a continuous or pulsed power generator. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising electrically insulating said hollow cathode from said magnetron target. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising using said plasma processing apparatus for plasma processing on a substrate in a reactor. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein
 (i) said first and second hollow cathode plates are out of parallel with each other and/or at least one of said first and second hollow cathode plates is out of parallel with respect to said magnetron target, or   (ii) said first and second hollow cathode plates are parallel with each other.   
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein said first hollow cathode plate and said second hollow cathode plate have other than planar shapes and compose uneven forms of said slit. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising using said first and second hollow cathode plates to form a closed circumferential shape of said slit. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein said perpendicular magnetic induction component inside said slit is at least 10-2 Tesla. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising fabricating at least one of said first hollow cathode plate, said second hollow cathode plate and said magnetron target at least in some part from a different material. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein (i) at least one of said first hollow cathode plate and said second hollow cathode plate comprises a different material than said magnetron target, or (ii) said first hollow cathode plate comprises a different material than said second hollow cathode plate. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising mechanically decoupling said pair of said first hollow cathode plate and said second hollow cathode plate from said magnetron target. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising integrating said second hollow cathode plate in said magnetron target and forming said slit between said first hollow cathode plate and said magnetron target. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising using said hollow cathode plasma inside said slit to form a first hot zone on said first hollow cathode plate and a second hot zone on said second hollow cathode plate, and using said first and second hot zones to evaporate material from said first and second hollow cathode plates.