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Abstract

A sputtering apparatus of the planar magnetron type is disclosed, in which a low-pressure gas is ionized by glow discharge, ions in the plasma are accelerated by a voltage applied between a cathode and an anode to bombard a target structure, atoms or particles of a target material sputtered from the planar target plate by the bombardment of ions are deposited on a substrate disposed on the anode side, and thus a thin film made of the same material as the target material is formed on the substrate. In view of the facts that lines of magnetic flux generated by a single magnetic flux source does not link each other and the Maxwell stress, the target structure includes the planar target plate and a magnetic flux source having at least three pole pieces in an arrangement that the planar target plate is disposed between the anode and the magnetic flux source, and the amount of magnetic flux starting from a portion of the pole pieces is controlled to control the amount of magnetic flux (or the flux density) existing at the remaining pole pieces and the magnetic flux distribution above the planar target plate, thereby controlling the position of a region where the plasma is formed.

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First Claim