Angstrom Awarded Magnetron Cathode Patent

Angstrom Sciences Inc. was awarded US Patent No. 7,223,322, involving a moving magnetic/cathode arrangement and its use in magnetron sputtering thin-film deposition. The company, based in Pittsburgh, Pa., holds several US patents in magnetron design. Sputtering is used to manufacture products such as compact disks, energy-efficient architectural glass, OLED technology, solar panels, flat panel displays and microelectronic devices. Planar magnetron sputtering cathodes with rotating magnetics are primarily used in cluster tools yielding microelectronic materials that require high uniformity. Moving magnetics improve thin-film uniformity on a substrate compared to static magnetron sputtering cathodes, Angstrom said. Combined with its profiled magnet technology, this better uses process target material, and the new moving magnetics can be provided to retrofit existing sputtering systems, the company said.