Target assembly comprising, for use in a magnetron-type sputtering device, a magnetic target plate and permanent magnet pieces

Claim 1

In a target assembly comprising a target plate, a permanent magnet member, and a conductive body, said target plate being of a predetermined material and having a first and a second principal surface, said conductive body being brought into contact with said second principal surface, said target assembly being for use in a hollow space of a device comprising means for holding at least one object in said hollow space with said object facing said first principal surface, an electrode exposed to said hollow space, and means for supplying an electric voltage between said conductive body and said electrode to produce an electric field, said permanent magnet member being for producing a magnetic field intersecting said electric field, said device being for sputtering said predetermined material primarily from said first principal surface onto said object by the help of said electric and said magnetic fields, the improvement wherein: said predetermined material is a magnetic material; said permanent magnet member comprising first and second permanent magnet pieces, each having a north and a south pole, said first and said second permanent magnet pieces being brought into contact with said target plate with differently named poles of the respective magnet pieces placed nearer to said target plate.