Sputtering cathode, sputtering device, and method for producing film-formed body

Abstract

This sputtering cathode has a sputtering target having a tubular shape in which the cross-sectional shape thereof has a pair of long side sections facing each other, and an erosion surface facing inward. Using the sputtering target, while moving a body to be film-formed, which has a film formation region having a narrower width than the long side sections of the sputtering target, parallel to one end face of the sputtering target and at a constant speed in a direction perpendicular to the long side sections above a space surrounded by the sputtering target, discharge is performed such that a plasma circulating along the inner surface of the sputtering target is generated, and the inner surface of the long side sections of the sputtering target is sputtered by ions in the plasma generated by a sputtering gas to perform film formation in the film formation region of the body to be film-formed.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A sputtering cathode, comprising:
 a sputtering target having a tubular shape in which the cross-sectional shape thereof has a pair of long side sections facing each other, an erosion surface facing inward.   
     
     
         21 . The sputtering cathode according to  claim 20  wherein the cross-sectional shape of the sputtering target has a pair of short side sections facing each other perpendicular to the pair of long side sections which are parallel to each other, or a pair of curved sections facing each other which have an outwardly convex shape. 
     
     
         22 . The sputtering cathode according to  claim 20  wherein the distance between the pair of long side sections of the sputtering target is not less than 50 mm and not larger than 150 mm. 
     
     
         23 . The sputtering cathode according to  claim 20  wherein the ratio of the length of the long side section to the distance between the pair of long side sections of the sputtering target is not less than 2. 
     
     
         24 . The sputtering cathode according to  claim 20  wherein the sputtering target comprises a first flat board and a second flat board forming the pair of long side sections and a third flat board and a fourth flat board forming a pair of short side sections facing each other perpendicular to the long side sections. 
     
     
         25 . The sputtering cathode according to  claim 24  wherein the first flat board and the second flat board are made of different materials. 
     
     
         26 . A sputtering device, comprising:
 a sputtering cathode, comprising: a sputtering target having a tubular shape in which the cross-sectional shape thereof has a pair of long side sections facing each other, an erosion surface facing inward; and   an anode disposed such that the erosion surface of the sputtering target is exposed,   wherein while moving a body to be film-formed having a film formation region having a narrower width than the long side sections of the sputtering target in a direction traversing the long side sections of the sputtering target for the sputtering target at a constant speed above a space surrounded by the sputtering target, discharge is performed such that a plasma circulating along the inner surface of the sputtering target is generated, and the inner surface of the long side sections of the sputtering target is sputtered by ions in the plasma generated by a sputtering gas to perform film formation in the film formation region of the body to be film-formed.   
     
     
         27 . The sputtering device according to  claim 26  wherein a shield plate can be placed in the middle of a space between the pair of long side sections of the sputtering target. 
     
     
         28 . The sputtering device according to  claim 26  wherein the sputtering device further comprises a film formation roller around which a body to be film-formed on which film formation is performed by a roll-to-roll method is wound, and the film formation roller has a cylindrical section made of copper, copper alloy, aluminum or aluminum alloy having a built-in flow passage at least in an effective section of the film formation roller. 
     
     
         29 . The sputtering device according to  claim 28  wherein the cylindrical section is made of oxygen-free copper. 
     
     
         30 . The sputtering device according to  claim 28  wherein a coating layer made of materials with hardness higher than copper, copper alloy, aluminum or aluminum alloy forming the cylindrical section is formed on at least the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical section. 
     
     
         31 . The sputtering device according to  claim 28  wherein the flow passage has a zigzag folded shape having a section elongating linearly in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical section and a turn back section, or a zigzag folded shape having a section elongating in a direction parallel to the central axis of the cylindrical section and a turn back section. 
     
     
         32 . The sputtering device according to  claim 31  wherein the cylindrical section is formed by a cylinder made by rounding a flat board having a rectangular or square planar shape in a direction parallel to one side of the flat board and joining one end and the other end of the rounded board, the flat board being formed by a first flat board having the same rectangular or square planar shape as a planar shape obtained by expanding the cylindrical section in a plane, a groove comprising a lower groove having the same planar shape as the flow passage obtained by expanding the cylindrical section in a plane and an upper groove larger than the lower groove, having a planar shape almost similar to the lower groove being provided on one major surface of the first flat board and a second flat board put in the upper groove of the groove of the first flat board, a boundary section of the first flat board and the second flat board being joined by friction stir welding. 
     
     
         33 . The sputtering device according to  claim 32  wherein the flat board is rounded like a cylinder in a state where props for supporting the second flat board put in the upper groove of the groove of the first flat board are formed inside the lower groove. 
     
     
         34 . The sputtering device according to  claim 28  wherein the cylindrical section is formed by a cylinder made by rounding a flat board having the same rectangular or square planar shape as a planar shape obtained by expanding the cylindrical section in a plane in a direction parallel to one side of the flat board like a cylinder, joining one end and the other end of the rounded board and forming the flow passage by forming throughholes extending from one end to the other end of the rounded board at a plurality of places in equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the rounded board parallel to the central axis of the rounded board. 
     
     
         35 . The sputtering device according to  claim 28  wherein a circular board is attached to each end of the cylindrical section such as to close the cylindrical section and each circular board has throughholes communicating the inside and the outside of the cylindrical section. 
     
     
         36 . The sputtering device according to  claim 35  wherein a shaft is attached to the outside of each circular board on the central axis of the cylindrical section, a first throughhole is formed on the central axis of one shaft so as to go through the shaft and one circular board, a second throughhole is formed on the central axis of the other shaft so as to go through the other shaft and the other circular board, one end of a first pipe is hermetically fixed inside the cylindrical section so as to communicate the first throughhole, the other end of the first pipe is hermetically connected with a hole formed on one end part of the flow passage built in the cylindrical section on the side of the one circular board so as to communicate with the flow passage, one end of a second pipe is hermetically fixed inside the cylindrical section so as to communicate with the second throughhole and the other end of the second pipe is hermetically connected with a hole formed on the other end of the flow passage built in the cylindrical section on the side of the other circular board so as to communicate with the flow passage. 
     
     
         37 . The sputtering device according to  claim 35  wherein a shaft is attached to the outside of each circular board on the central axis of the cylindrical section, a third throughhole is formed on the central axis of one shaft so as to go through the one shaft, a fourth throughhole is formed on the central axis of the other shaft so as to go through the other shaft, a flow passage is formed inside the one circular board so as to communicate with the third throughhole, the flow passage communicates with one end part of the flow passage built in the cylindrical section on the side of the other circular board, a flow passage is formed inside the other circular board so as to communicate with the fourth throughhole and the flow passage communicates with the other end part of the flow passage built in the cylindrical section on the side of the other circular board. 
     
     
         38 . A method for producing a film-formed body, comprising:
 using a sputtering cathode, comprising: a sputtering target having a tubular shape in which the cross-sectional shape thereof has a pair of long side sections facing each other, an erosion surface facing inward, performing discharge such that a plasma circulating along the inner surface of the sputtering target is generated, and the inner surface of the long side sections of the sputtering target is sputtered by ions in the plasma generated by a sputtering gas to perform film formation in a film formation region having a narrower width than the long side sections of the sputtering target of a body to be film-formed while moving the body to be film-formed in a direction traversing the long side sections of the sputtering target for the sputtering target at a constant speed above a space surrounded by the sputtering target.