| abstract |
A sputtering magnet assembly includes a plate-shaped pole piece made from a magnetically permeable material and a central magnet positioned substantially at the center of the pole piece and oriented so that its north-south magnetic orientation is substantially perpendicular to the plate shaped pole piece. A plurality of outer magnets are positioned around the central magnet, each of which has its north-south magnetic orientation also perpendicular to the pole piece, but opposite of the orientation of the central magnet. A plurality of primary inner magnets are arranged around the central magnet, between the central magnet and the outer magnets, each of which primary inner magnets has its north-south magnetic orientation parallel to the base pole piece and perpendicular to the magnetic orientations of the central magnet and the outer magnets. The resulting sputtering magnet assembly produces a magnetic field having magnetic flux lines that define a sputtering region adjacent the front surface of the target and within the target body. The magnetic flux lines form an upper magnetic lobe, a lower magnetic lobe, an inner magnetic lobe, and an outer magnetic lobe, all of which are located substantially within the sputtering region. Further, the strengths and orientations of the magnetic lobes are such that a null point exists between the upper, lower, inner, and outer magnetic lobes. |