Apparatus for coating substrates

US5656141A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Leybold GmBH · DE

Inventors

• Hans-Georg Betz · Bruchköbel, DE
• Gregor A. Campbell · Glendale, US
• Robert W. Conn · Los Angeles, US
• Karl Matl · Kleinostheim, DE
• Peter Sommerkamp
• Alfons Zoeller · Salmünster, DE
• Dan M. Goebel · Pasadena, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 20, 1996
• Grant date: Aug 12, 1997
• Expiry date: Feb 20, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01J2237/3137
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Apparatus for coating substrates 31, 31", . . . in a vacuum chamber 2 including a substrate carrier 30 disposed therein and a device 29 for generating a first plasma cloud 28 and, further, including magnets 26, 27 directing the plasma cloud 28 onto the surface of the substrates 31, 31" . . . wherein this device for generating the plasma cloud 28 has an election emitter 11 and a downstream tubular anode 38, the anode has an inlet 10 for the process gas to ignite the plasma and, further, the device is provided with magnets 4, 7 for directing and guiding the plasma through the anode tube 38 into the process chamber 43 and including a device for generating atoms, molecules or clusters of the materials for producing a layer on the substrates 31, 31", . . . , preferably an electron beam evaporator 37 from which the evaporated or sputtered material 33 can be directly applied onto the substrates 31, 31" . . . . A second plasma 60 is generated between the crucible 45 of the electron beam evaporator 37 and the anode tube 38 of the plasma source 29 by applying a potential difference between the plasma source 29 and the vacuum chamber 2.