Methods for high-rate sputtering of a compound semiconductor on large area substrates

摘要

Methods are generally provided for sputtering thin films on individual substrates 12. Individual substrates 12 can be conveyed into a vacuum chamber to draw a sputtering pressure that is less than about 50 mTorr. Then, the individual substrates 12 can be conveyed into a sputtering chamber 166 and past a planar magnetron continuously sputtering a target 170 by an ionized gas at the sputtering pressure such that a thin film is formed on a surface of the individual substrate. The target 170 is subjected to a high frequency power having a frequency from about 400 kHz to about 4 MHz at power levels of greater than about 1 kW. In one particular embodiment, the method can be generally directed to sputtering thin films on individual substrates 12 defining a surface having a surface area of about 1000 cm 2 to about 2500 cm 2 .