Method and device for sputtering of films

We claim:

1. A method of layer sputtering on substrates with particles sputtered from a cathode surface during glow discharge in a gas or gas mixture under reduced pressure held in a vacuum chamber containing said substrates, an anode and a cathode above which a closed tunnel of magnetron-type magnetic field lines of force is formed, said chamber further including means for defining a plasma containing holding space with the aid of a magnetic field, characterized in that the holding space for the plasma generated and maintained by the glow discharge is formed of an entirely closed space bounded by means for forming magnetic multipolar field lines of force and by said closed tunnel of magnetron-type magnetic field lines of force above said cathode, said substrates being arranged inside the closed holding space, and the anode and the vacuum chamber walls being arranged outside said holding space and separated from said holding space by said magnetic field lines, said glow discharge generating the plasma inside said holding space interacting with said multipolar magnetic field, the direction of which alternates along the boundary of said holding space from positive polarity to negative polarity and vice versa, and the strength of the magnetic field lines diminishing in the direction from the boundary to the inner volume of said holding space, the interaction of the magnetic field and the plasma during said glow discharge between said cathode and said anode causing the plasma to be held within the holding space so that the substrates and layers growing thereon are bombarded by particles in the plasma.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the degree of plasma holding in the holding space is controlled by changing a parameter of the holding magnetic multipolar field with regard to a reference element, which changes the plasma density proximate to the substrates and the energy of the plasma's charged particles.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 characterized in that said parameter is selected from the group consisting of the intensity of the holding magnetic multipolar fluid and the form of the holding magnetic multi-polar field.

4. A method in accordance with claim 2 characterized in that the reference element is selected from the group consisting of the anode, the walls of the chamber, and the cathode.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 characterized in that the degree of plasma holding in the holding space is affected by the polarity and intensity of the voltage applied between the anode an an auxiliary electrode extending into the holding space.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 characterized in that the surface of the substrates is held at a selected potential with regard to the anode.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the substrates are maintained at a floating potential and owing to a difference between the plasma potential and the floating potential they are bombarded by charged particles, the energy and density of which are controlled by the plasma holding degree, the gas pressure and the sputtering discharge power.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 characterized in that the layers growing on the substrates are held at a selected potential with regard to the anode.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1 characterized in that the layers growing on the substrates are maintained at a floating potential and owing to a difference between the plasma potential and the floating potential they are bombarded by charged particles, the energy and density of which are controlled by the plasma holding degree, the pressure and the sputtering discharge power.

10. In a device for carrying out layer sputtering onto substrates in a vacuum, said device including a vacuum chamber at least partially enclosing a sputtering source cathode and a substrate holder and including an anode, the vacuum chamber having at least one wall with a working gas inlet and a vacuum pumping outlet, and an externally located source of a plasma striking voltage coupled between the cathode and the anode, and a plurality of magnetic field sources, the improvement wherein the plurality of magnetic field sources is arranged in a pattern to produce an entirely closed plasma containing holding space in which said substrates are located, groups of said magnetic field sources having like poles extending in one direction alternating with adjacent groups having like poles extending in the opposite direction.

11. A device in accordance with claim 16, characterized in that at least some of said plurality of magnetic field sources are located inside said vacuum chamber and others of said plurally of magnetic field sources are located behind said cathode and are arranged in concentric closed curves for forming at least one closed tunnel of magnetic field lines of force above the surface of said cathode.

12. A device in accordance with claim 10 characterized in that said voltage source is connected between said substrate holder and said anode.

13. A device in accordance with claim 10 further including a sliding anode extension piece made of conductive material, electrically connected to said anode.

14. A device in accordance with claim 10 further including at least one auxiliary electrode in said holding space and an externally located direct current-voltage source coupled to said auxiliary electrode and said anode.

15. A device in accordance with claim 10 further including a plurality of cathodes arranged with respect to said vacuum chamber at different angular positions thereof, at least some of said cathodes having mutually facing sputtering surfaces, each of said at least some of said cathodes having a plurality of magnetic field sources located behind the associated sputtering surface and arranged to form a closed tunnel of magnetic field lines of force passing centrally therethrough, opposing ones of said mutually facing cathodes having the same magnetic field polarization.

16. A method of layer sputtering on substrates with particles sputtered from a plurality of cathode surfaces during glow discharge in a gas or gas mixture under reduced pressure held in a vacuum chamber containing said substrates, an anode and a plurality of cathodes above each of which a closed tunnel of magnetron-type magnetic field lines of force is formed, said chamber further including means for defining a plasma containing holding space with the aid of a magnetic field, characterized in that the holding space for the plasma generated and maintained by the glow discharge is formed of an entirely enclosed space bounded by means for forming magnetic multipolar field lines for force and by said closed tunnel of magnetron-type magnetic field lines of force above said plurality of cathodes, at least some of said cathodes having mutually facing sputtering surfaces, said substrates being arranged inside the holding space, and the anode space and separated from said arranged outside said holding space and separated from said holding space by said magnetic field lines, said glow discharge generating the plasma inside said holding space interacting with said multipolar magnetic field, the direction of which alternates along the boundary of said holding space from positive polarity to negative polarity and vice versa, and the strength of the magnetic field lines diminishing in the direction from the boundary to the inner volume of said holding space, the interaction of the magnetic field and the plasma during said glow discharge between said cathodes and said anode causing the plasma to be held within the holding space so that the substrates and layers growing thereon are bombarded by particles in the plasma.

17. In a device for carrying out layer sputtering onto substrates in a vacuum, said device including a vacuum chamber at least partially enclosing a plurality of sputtering source cathodes and a substrate holder and including an anode, the vacuum chamber having at least one wall with a working gas inlet and a vacuum pumping outlet, and an externally located source of a plasma striking voltage coupled between the plurality of cathodes and the anode, and a plurality of magnetic field sources, the improvement wherein the plurality of magnetic field sources is arranged in a pattern to produce an entirely enclosed plasma containing holding space in which said substrates are located and said plurality of sputtering source cathodes includes a plurality of magnetron-type cathodes arranged with respect to said vacuum chamber at different angular positions thereof, at least some of said cathodes having mutually facing sputtering surfaces, groups of said magnetic field sources having like poles extending in one direction alternating with adjacent groups having like poles extending in the opposite direction.

18. A device in accordance with claim 17, wherein each of said magnetron-type cathodes has a plurality of magnetic field sources located behind the associated sputtering surface and arranged to form a closed tunnel of magnetic field lines of force passing centrally therethrough, opposing one of said mutually facing cathodes having the same magnetic field polarization.

19. A method of layer sputtering on substrates with particles sputtered with a plurality of cathode surfaces during glow discharge in a gas or gas mixture under reduced pressure held in a vacuum chamber containing said substrates, an anode and a plurality of cathodes above each of which a closed tunnel of magnetron-type magnetic field lines of force is formed, said chamber further including means for defining a plasma containing holding space with the aid of magnetic field, characterized in that the holding space for the plasma generated and maintained by the glow discharge is bounded by means for forming magnetic multipolar field lines of force and by said closed tunnel of magnetron-type magnetic field lines of force above said plurality of cathodes having mutually facing sputtering surfaces, said substrates being arranges in die the holding space, and the anode and the vacuum chamber walls being arranged outside said holding space and separated from said holding space by said magnetic field lines, said glow discharge generating the plasma inside said holding space interacting with said multipolar magnetic field, the direction of which alternates along the boundary of said holding space from positive polarity to negative polarity and vice versa, and the strength of the magnetic field lines diminishing in the direction from the boundary to the inner volume of said holding space, the interaction of the magnetic field and the plasma during said glow discharge between said cathodes and said anode causing the plasma to be held within the holding space so that the substrates and layers growing thereon are bombarded by particles in the plasma.

20. In a device for carrying out layer sputtering onto substrates in a vacuum, said device including a vacuum chamber at least partially enclosing a plurality of sputtering source cathodes and a substrate holder and including an anode, the vacuum chamber having at lest one wall with a working gas inlet, and a vacuum pumping outlet, and an externally located source of a plasma striking voltage coupled between the plurality of cathodes and the anode, and a plurality magnetic field sources, the improvement wherein the plurality of magnetic field sources is arranged in a pattern to produce a plasma containing holding space in which said substrates are located and said plurality of sputtering source cathodes including a plurality of magnetron-type cathodes arranged with respect to said vacuum chamber at different angular positions thereof, at least one of said cathodes having mutually facing sputtering sources, groups of said magnetic field sources having like poles extending in one direction alternating with adjacent groups having like poles extending in the opposite direction.

21. A device in accordance with claim 20, wherein each of said magnetron-type cathodes has a plurality of magnetic field sources located behind the associated sputtering surface and arranged to form a closed tunnel of magnetic field lines of force passing centrally therethorugh, opposing ones of said mutually facing cathodes having the same magnetic field polarization.

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a method and device for the sputtering onto substrates of a layer of particles sputtered from a cathode surface using gas glow discharge and which provides for the formation of a dense homogenous plasma over a large volume, making possible the sputtering of layers onto substrates when the substrates are placed at distances of 100 to 500 mm from the cathode.

Coating thin layers by cathode sputtering is a well-known process. Usually, cathode sputtering is preferred over other methods of coating layers, such as vacuum evaporation, in that cathode sputtering offers high reproducibility, layer coating in arbitrary directions, such as from top to bottom, and allows mixture and alloy compositions from a sputtered cathode to be transformed into layer form, etc. However, classic diode sputtering is inefficient and time consuming, due to the high gas pressures necessary for maintaining a glow discharge. Consequently, methods and means utilizing a magnetic field for reduction of working pressure during sputtering have been proposed. These systems are based on U.S. Pat. No. 2,146,025 issued to Penning (1939). Another solution was proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,616,450 issued to P. Clarke (1971). In accordance with that patent, the path of electrons in a sputtering device is elongated by a cylindrical hollow anode placed in an axial magnetic field and by a sputtering cathode formed in the shape of a hollow cylinder, accommodated coaxially with the anode, outside the magnetic field. However, a more successful solution was magnetron discharge in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 3,878,085 issued to J. Corbani (1975) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,018 issued to J. S. Chapin (1979). In accordance with those patents a closed tunnel of magnetic field lines of force is formed, the path of electrons in this tunnel is elongated, ionization is increased, and sputtering is accelerated. See also, J. L. Vossen and W. Kern, Thin Film Processes, pp. 76-140 (Academic Press, New York, 1978).

In practice, it is sometimes necessary during layer sputtering that when material is condensing on the substrate, at the same time the substrate must also be bombarded with charged particles of suitable energy, such as positive ions. This method of coating is called ion plating. Before being used with sputtering, ion plating was used with vacuum evaporation. An example is evaporating with an electronic beam in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,175 issued to Moll et al. (1980). Ion plating during magnetron sputtering is well-known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,791 issued to Bizega (1978). A substrate is placed on an electrode which is supplied with a negative voltage relative to the vacuum chamber, while a magnetron cathode is placed opposite the substrate and is also supplied with a negative voltage relative to the vacuum chamber. The biased electrode with substrates thereon attracts ions from the magnetron discharge, and thus ion plating occurs. In accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,267 issued to W. Munz et al. (1984), a method and device for coating three-dimensional bodies are provided. In accordance with that method, bodies intended for coating move between two magnetron cathodes having a common glow discharge, in the space between them. It is possible to supply the substrates with negative bias for ion plating.

One drawback of the above-mentioned methods of ion plating during magnetron sputtering is that the ionization current extracted by the biased substrates quickly drops as the distance between the substrate and the magnetron cathode increases. Typically, when the distance between the substrate and the cathode is 20 to 50 mm, the ionization current is too low for successful ion plating. Furthermore, the plasma between the pair of cathodes cannot be sustained if the cathodes are separated by large distances, thus making it impossible to use the above-mentioned methods for ion plating remote or large objects. It is possible to increase the plasma density at greater distances from a magnetron cathode however. One way to do this is by means of arc discharge in a hollow cathode, from which electrons are extracted for plasma ionization. This system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,490 to J. J. Cuomo (1986). However, such a solution is complicated and expensive.

A certain increase of the charged particles' current on substrates is observed with a planar magnetron of the "unbalanced" type; see B. Window and N. Savvides, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A4:196-202 (1986). In this type of magnetron, some magnetic field force lines which radiate from the periphery of the sputtered cathode approach each other and at greater distances recede from each other. Substrates placed in a magnetic field above the cathode are subjected to a greater bombardment by charged particles than with the classic "balanced" magnetron.

It is possible to attain higher ionization currents on substrates than is possible with unbalanced magnetrons by application of a double-sided discharge in accordance with Czechoslovakian author's certificate No. PV 8659-88 of S. Kadlec, J. Musil and W. D. Munz. In this device, there is formed an intense magnetic field between the cathode and the substrates, and the discharge between the cathode, substrate and anode is maintained by processes on the cathode and on the substrates. High induction of the magnetic field concentrated in the space between the cathode and substrates guarantees maintenance of a dense plasma and guarantees that the density of ionization current flowing on the substrates does not drop with increasing cathode distances up to about 200 mm.

A drawback of unbalanced magnetron and double-sided discharge is that the plasma and density of ionization current on the substrates are not sufficiently homogenous across the magnetic field's lines of force. In addition, substrates are inevitably placed directly in the magnetic field and this field is therefore affected by the magnetic properties of substrates. Consequently, it is practically impossible to use the same device for both weak magnetic and ferromagnetic substrates.

It is well known from plasma physics that a relatively dense and homogenous plasma can be maintained using a multipolar magnetic field. See, for example, R. Limpaecher and K. R. Mac Kennzie, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 44:726 (1973). Plasma is generated in such a system by emission of electrons from glowing cathodes and at the same time the plasma is maintained by a multipolar magnetic field formed by permanent magnets placed around the whole chamber oriented with alternating polarity. The purpose is to produce a steady plasma with high spatial homogeneity in the central part thereof where the magnetic field is very low.

Besides plasma generation by emission of electrons there is a well-known method of plasma generation by absorption of microwaves to decompose gases such as SF.sub.6, and use of the decomposition products to etch substrates. French patent No. 25-83-250 (1986) issued to Y. Arnal, J. Pelletier, and M. Pichot discloses methods and devices which teach how to combine such a microwave-generated discharge and multipolar containment, or "holding" to provide a more homogenous and denser plasma, so as to increase the homogeneity of the plasma-produced reactive gas, and provide a more homogenous generation of radicals and therefore an increase of etching homogeneity and anisotropy, as stated in the work of Y. Arnal, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett.. 45:132 (1984). However the purpose of multipolar holding as used in the above-mentioned cases is different than for maintaining plasma for ion plating during sputter deposition, where a direct-current glow discharge occurs between anode and sputtered cathode.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method of layer sputtering on substrates by particles sputtered from a cathode surface during glow discharge between the cathode and an anode in a gas or gas mixture under reduced pressure in a vacuum chamber also containing substrates, with a holding space defined by a magnetic field and closed tunnel of magnetron-type magnetic field lines of force formed above the cathode. The substance of the invention consists in that the holding space containing the substrates, outside of which are placed the anode and the walls of the vacuum chamber, is bounded by a multipolar magnetic field's lines of force, while the multipolar magnetic field contains a closed tunnel of magnetron-type magnetic field lines of force, and its direction changes at the boundary of the holding space from a positive polarity into a negative one and vice versa. In the volume of the holding space, magnetic field induction is reduced and, due to interaction of the holding field and glow discharge between cathode and anode, a plasma is formed and maintained in the holding space, and the plasma particles bombard substrates and layers.

There are several ways to vary the degree to which the plasma is held in the holding space: by changing the intensity and/or the form of the holding multipolar magnetic field with respect to the anode, the chamber walls, and/or the cathode. These variations change the plasma's density around the substrates and change the energy of the plasma's charged particles. Variation can also be effected by varying the polarity and voltage intensity between the anode and an auxiliary electrode placed in the holding space. There are also several ways to control bombardment of substrates by charged particles: by controlling the potential of the surface of the substrates or of layers growing on the substrates relative to the anode, or by allowing the potential of the substrates or growing layers to float. Due to the difference between the plasma potential and the floating potential, the substrates or layers are bombarded by charged particles, the energy and density of which is controlled by the plasma's holding degree, gas pressure and sputtering discharge output.

A device for carrying out the above-mentioned method comprises a vacuum chamber, in which the cathode of the sputtering source is accommodated, a substrate holder and an anode. In the wall of the vacuum chamber there are means for supply of working gas and for pumping out used gasses. Outside the vacuum chamber, there is a direct-current or high-frequency voltage source, connected between cathode and anode, and magnetic field sources. The substance of the invention is that sources of the magnetic field for forming and maintaining the multipolar magnetic field are placed around the whole holding space containing substrates so that groups of magnetic field sources which have like poles in one direction alternate with adjacent groups of magnetic field sources which have like poles in the opposite direction. The sources of the magnetic field may be placed in one or more locations inside the chamber, in the chamber wall, outside the chamber, or behind the cathode and groups of sources placed behind the cathode are arranged in concentric closed curves for forming at least one closed tunnel of magnetic lines of force above the cathode's surface.

The substrate holder and the anode are electrically connected either by a direct current or high-frequency voltage source, U.sub.E, or by a variable resistor, R, which is selectable from zero resistance to infinite resistance. In order to enable changing of the anode's position with regard to the magnetic field, the device is equipped with a sliding anode extension piece made of conductive material, electrically connected with the anode. It is also possible to change the plasma's holding degree so that at least one auxiliary electrode is accommodated in the holding space and outside the chamber is accommodated a direct-current voltage source U.sub.E, with one pole connected to the auxiliary electrode and with the other pole connected to the anode.

The present invention teaches the creation of dense and homogenous plasmas on substrates during layer sputtering. It is also possible to attain ion plated layers on substrates, positioned at various distances from the cathode, usually 30 to 500 mm. Densities of ionic current on the substrates usually attain values of 0.1 to 10 mA/cm.sup.2 with current density on the cathode of 2 to 50 mA/cm.sup.2 obtainable even with a cathode-substrate separation of 200 mm or more. At the same time, it is possible to attain such a plasma spatial homogeneity that ionization current is constant within a tolerance .+-.10% with a typical length of 100 to 200 mm, i.e. distance from cathode of from 100 to 250 mm. Such a homogenous ionic bombardment enables the formation of layers such that layers have the desired properties over the entire surface of the substrate even when the substrate is a three-dimensional body. For example, it is possible to form compact titanium nitride layers having microhardnesses from 2,000 kg/mm.sup.2 to 2,600 kg/mm.sup.2, where texture, stress, etc., can be controlled by varying the bias level on the substrates, typically from -20 to -150 V. It is possible to create compact titanium nitride layers without an external substrate bias source, by regulating the plasma's holding degree to create a floating potential of, for example, -20 to -45 V. In such a way it is possible to control layer texture from (200) to (111), while stress in these layers is low, from 2 to 3 GPa. One advantage of the method and device is that they allow for a wide range of operating pressures, especially at low pressures down to 2.times.10.sup.-2 Pa.

A further advantage is the possibility of coating non-conductive layers by means of direct-current sputtering or coating layers on non-conductive substrates with the use of floating substrate potential. The device's primary advantage is that substrates are placed in the space where the magnetic field is weak and therefore it is possible to coat both magnetic and non-magnetic substrates using the same device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a longitudinal sectional view taken along lines A--A of FIG. 1B illustrating a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 1B is a sectional view taken along lines B--B of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to FIG. 1A illustrating an alternative embodiment of the invention having a rectangular cathode and an anode extension piece;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are views similar to FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrating another embodiment of the invention having four cathodes and auxiliary electrodes;

FIGS. 4A-4C are graphs showing certain operating characteristics of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a graph of ionization current and floating potential vs. overall pressure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 schematically represents a device equipped with two electromagnets behind a circular cathode. The device consists of chamber 1, which is a vacuum chamber made of a magnetically soft metal and is cylindrical in shape, with its axis oriented horizontally. Chamber 1 also serves as anode 3. Chamber 1 is equipped with inlet 8 which provides working gas and pumping outlet 9. Flush with one vertical wall of chamber 1 and coaxial with it, is a flat circular cathode 2 made of titanium. Circular holder 4 of substrates 5 is fastened coaxial to chamber 1 and opposite cathode 2; holder 4 is adjustably fastened such that the distance between holder 4 and cathode 2 can be varied from 30 to 300 mm. Source 6 of cathode voltage U.sub.K and source 7 of substrate voltage U.sub.S are placed outside chamber 1. Source 6 of voltage U.sub.K is a source of direct-current voltage from zero to 1,000 V and is connected with its negative pole to cathode 2 and its positive pole to chamber 1. Source 7 of direct-current voltage U.sub.S, variable from zero to 1,000 V, is connected with its negative pole to conductive holder 4 and its positive pole to chamber 1. Sources of the multipolar magnetic holding field are, in part, permanent magnets 10, 11, 12, and, in part, two electromagnets 15, 17.

As see in FIGS. 1A, permanent magnets 10, 11 are accommodated and fastened on the inner surface of chamber 1 in groups 22, 23 which form an even number of rows, eight are shown in FIG. 1A, parallel with the device's axis. All the magnets in a given group have congruent orientations and have radial directions. The magnets of adjacent groups 22, 23 have opposite polarity orientations. For this purpose, magnets 11 closer to cathode 2 are doubled in one orientation. Permanent magnets 12 are further accommodated on the chamber's inside vertical wall behind the substrates and their poles are oriented parallel with the device's axis and their field is connected with the fields of magnets in groups 22, 23 on the inner surface of chamber 1.

The device is further equipped with two electromagnets for forming a holding magnetic field. The first electromagnet consists of coil 15, connected across current source I.sub.1, placed behind cathode 1 and coaxially with it, and of core 16 made of soft steel, which is inserted into the central cavity of the first coil 15. The second electromagnet consists of the second coil 17, connected across current source I.sub.2, which is placed behind cathode 1 and coaxially with it around the first coil 15. Hollow core 18, made of soft steel in the shape of a cylindrical annulus, fills the space between the first and the second coil and is connected across plate 19, made of soft steel, with core 16. The whole assembly of cathode 2, the first and the second coil 15 and 17 and magnetic circuit 16, 18, 19 are attached across packing and insulating ring 21 by aid of flange 20 on the edge of the circular cut-out in the vertical wall of chamber 1. For clarity, several components are not shown, such as: the sources of currents I.sub.1 and I.sub.2, the gas filling and pumping systems, packing, insulation, vacuum gauges, means for cooling the cathode, chamber and substrates, and means for heating the substrates. If the process of layer sputtering requires it, the device can also include a movable shutter between the cathode and substrates.

The device functions as follows: Chamber 1 is filled through inlet 8 with a working gas or gas mixture, such as a mixture of argon and nitrogen, to a required overall pressure, p.sub.T. A glow discharge is then ignited between cathode 2 and chamber 1, which also serves as anode 3. This discharge is conditional and is influenced by the multipolar magnetic holding field lines of force 13, 14 which enclose the holding space where substrates 5 and holder 4 are accommodated. The lines of force of the multipolar field on the boundary of the holding space change direction at various locations owing to the alternating polarities of magnet groups 22, 23. Therefore, moving from the edge of the holding space, to the center, the magnetic field intensity drops quickly. This field pattern applies magnetic pressure to the plasma from the edges toward the center of the holding space, thereby confining a dense plasma.

Magnetic induction on the boundary of the holding space is usually 10 mT to 50 mT or even more; in the middle region containing the substrates, it usually ranges from zero to 2 mT. For perfect plasma holding, it is necessary that from the middle region of the holding space to the anode no channel runs with a lower than minimum magnitude of magnetic induction, which is usually from 1 to 10 mT. If such a channel exists, holding is only partial and the density of the plasma is reduced. Also, the discharge stability may be reduced as further described in conjunction with FIG. 4.

A part of the multipolar magnetic holding field is the magnetic field above cathode 2, formed by coils 15 and 16 and magnetic circuit 16, 18, 19, placed behind cathode 2. Current I.sub.1 of coil 15 forms a closed tunnel of lines of force 14 above the cathode and current I.sub.2 of second coil 17 forms a magnetic field, with lines of force emerging from the edge of cathode 2 and connecting with lines of force formed by permanent magnets 11. It is possible to change the shape and intensity of the magnetic field formed by coils 15 and 17 by changing the polarity and magnitude of currents I.sub.1 and I.sub.2, thereby affecting the plasma's holding, as seen from FIG. 4.

Therefore, a dense plasma results from interaction of the glow discharge between cathode 2 and anode 3 with the multipolar magnetic holding field and is maintained in the holding space. Particles from this plasma, especially electrons and positive ions, impinge on the substrates and can affect the properties of growing layers. If the substrates are electrically conductive, it is possible to apply a voltage U.sub.S from source 7 to them and thereby change the kind and energy of bombarding particles, and also change further conditions of the layers' growth. A voltage U.sub.S from -20 to -100 V is usually sufficient during layer deposition to achieve such effects. In the case of a higher voltage U.sub.S, usually from at least -200 to -1,000 V, it is possible to attain ionic etching of substrates 5.

It is also possible to affect properties of layers by changing the distance between the cathode and the substrates. It was found that in a device in accordance with FIG. 1 that during titanium sputtering in argon with p.sub.T =0.1 Pa and with constant cathode discharge, the ionization current I.sub.s owing onto substrates with a bias of U.sub.S =-100 V varied only .+-.10% from its mean value, over cathode-substrate separations ranging from 80 to 220 mm. It is an important advantage of the present method and device, confirming high homogeneity of plasma in the holding space, and can be utilized for affecting properties of layers.

FIG. 2 schematically represents a device equipped with one rectangular cathode and an anode extension piece. Vacuum chamber 1, equipped with inlet 8 for working gas and pumping output 9, has a parallelepiped shape. At the lower wall of chamber 1 and parallel with it, is provided an insulated anode 3, a quadrangular plate made of conductive material. Cathode 2 is placed parallel with one vertical wall of chamber 1 and has a rectangular shape. Opposite cathode 2, and parallel with it, is a flat holder 4 of substrates 5. Cathode voltage source 6, U.sub.K, and substrates voltage source 7, U.sub.S, are provided outside chamber 1. Sources of the multipolar magnetic holding field are formed by permanent magnets 10 which are partly attached around the holding space on a perforated magnet carrier 24, connected electrically with anode 3, and assembled in groups 25, 26, 30, accommodated in planes parallel with the plane of cathode 2. In these groups 25, 26, 30, all magnets are oriented either toward the chamber or in the opposite direction, while adjacent groups 25, 26 are oriented opposite one another.

Permanent magnets are further placed behind cathode 2 in two groups 27, 28. The first group. 27 has a rectangular base and is placed b