Method and device for pre-treatment of substrates

US6083356A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Föderung der Wissenschaften e.V. · US

Inventors

• Klaus Goedicke · Dresden, DE
• Fred Fietzke · Dresden, DE
• Jonathan Reschke · Dresden, DE
• Wolfgang Hempel · Dresden, DE
• Bert Scheffel · Dresden, DE
• Christoph Metzner · Dresden, DE
• Siegfried Schiller · Dresden, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 14, 1998
• Grant date: Jul 4, 2000
• Expiry date: Sep 14, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01J2237/3322
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Process and apparatus for pre-treatment of a substrate surface in a vacuum by a glow discharge for a subsequent coating process in a vacuum. The process includes maintaining a low pressure glow discharge between the substrate to be pre-treated and a counter-electrode, where the counter-electrode composed of at least a component of the coating to be deposited in the vacuum coating process. The process also includes periodically alternating a polarity of the substrate to act as a cathode or as an anode of the low pressure glow discharge, and individually controlling at least one of pulse length and discharge voltage in both polarities. A frequency of alternation of the polarity is set within a range of between 1 Hz and 1000 kHz. The apparatus includes an evacuatable vacuum chamber, a substrate holder positioned to hold a substrate to be pre-treated, at least one counter-electrode, and an alternating voltage generator coupled to the substrate to be pre-treated and the at least one counter-electrode. The substrate and the counter-electrode are mounted in a potential-free manner.