Application of 60 mm/ superconducting bulk magnet to magnetron sputtering T. Matsuda a,b, * , S. Kashimoto b , A. Imai b , Y. Yanagi c , Y. Itoh c , H. Ikuta d , U. Mizutani e , K. Sakurai f , H. Hazama g a DIAX Co., Ltd., Chikoin 44, Shimoyashiki-cho, Kasugai 486-0909, Japan b Nagoya Industrial Science Research Institute, Anagahora 2271-130, Shimoshidami, Moriyama-ku 463-0003, Japan c IMRA Material R&D Co., Ltd., Hachiken-cho 5-50, Kariya 448-0021, Japan d Center for Integrated Research in Science and Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan e Department of Crystalline Materials Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan f ANELVA Corp., Yotsuya 5-8-1, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8508, Japan g Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Ikarashi 2-chome, Niigata 950-2181, Japan Received 13 November 2002; accepted 25 December 2002 Abstract We constructed the planar magnetron sputtering apparatus using a c-axis oriented single-domain Sm123 bulk su- perconductor with 60 mm in diameter as a very powerful magnet in place of an ordinary Nd–Fe–B magnet. A high magnetic field of 4.2 T at the surface of the superconductor coupled with a high target voltage of maximum 6 kV enabled us to discharge even at pressure of 1 · 10 3 Pa. A target-to-substrate distance of 300 mm was successfully employed under low pressures of 10 2 –10 3 Pa to make the deposition of almost contamination-free films feasible. The simulation software (JMAG) was used to optimize the magnetic circuit configurations. The simulations could reproduce well the distribution of the magnetic field above the target measured by a three-axial Hall sensor. The discharging characteristics of Cu, Ni and Fe targets in the pressure range over 10 1 –10 3 Pa were studied under different target voltages. The deposition rates of 0.063 nm/s (or 38  A/min) and 0.013 nm/s (or 8  A/min) were achieved for Cu and Fe targets with 3 mm in thickness, respectively, under the Ar pressure of 6.6 · 10 2 Pa (or 4.9 · 10 4 Torr). Ó 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. PACS: 74.72.Bk; 74.76.Bz Keywords: RE–Ba–Cu–O; Bulk magnet; Magnetron sputtering; Thin films 1. Introduction Magnetron sputtering technique has been widely used for thin film depositions because of their high deposition rates and relatively low temperature process [1]. In a planar magnetron cathode, the magnets are arranged such that the * Corresponding author. Address: Nagoya Industrial Science Research Institute, Anagahora 2271-130, Shimoshidami, Mor- iyama-ku 463-0003, Japan. Tel.: +81-52-739-1886; fax: +81-52- 739-1877. E-mail address: matsudat@nisri.jp (T. Matsuda). 0921-4534/$ - see front matter Ó 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/S0921-4534(03)01021-9 www.elsevier.com/locate/physc Physica C 392–396 (2003) 696–703