Patent · US Expired

Vacuum arc deposition apparatus

US6998034B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
2References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 21, 2003
Grant dateFeb 14, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 21, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J37/32009
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An arc evaporation source constituting this vacuum arc deposition apparatus has a plurality of cathodes, a trigger electrode, a trigger drive unit, a shutter, and a shutter drive unit. The trigger drive unit changes over the position of the trigger electrode to thereby position the trigger electrode in front of a desired cathode, and connects/disconnects the trigger electrode to/from the desired cathode in the changed-over position. The shutter covers the fronts of all the cathodes except the desired cathode. The shutter drive unit moves the shutter to thereby change over the cathode not covered with the shutter. Further, the vacuum arc deposition apparatus has a changeover control unit for controlling the shutter drive unit and the trigger drive unit to thereby change over the cathode not covered with the shutter and to thereby position the trigger electrode in front of the cathode not covered with the shutter.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.