Magnetic orienting device for thin film deposition and method of use

摘要

A sputtering apparatus for depositing a thin film (66) of magnetic material on a substrate (26) is modified to include a plate-shaped electromagnet (34, 44, or 70) for orienting magnetic domains within the film (66). The electromagnet (34, 44, or 70) has conductive windings (38; 46, 48, and 50; or 72) that are arranged for producing a magnetic field (42 or 52) within a plane (60) corresponding to a surface of the substrate (26). Field strength vectors (68) vary in absolute magnitude between points located along a first axis (62), but have substantially uniform components of magnitude at the same points measured in a common direction along the first axis (62).