System and method for treating surfaces of components
US7838793B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 21, 2006 |
| Grant date | Nov 23, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 22, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J37/32706
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system (10) for coating surfaces of a workpiece (12) comprises a biasing system (242) for connection to said workpiece (12) and an anode (76) such as to negatively bias the workpiece relative to the anode and a vacuum source (42, 44) for evacuating an interior of the workpiece (12). A gas supply (224, 226, 228) is employed for introducing a gas containing a treatment material to said workpiece and a control system (244) controls the biasing system (242), the vacuum source (42, 44) and the gas supply (224, 226, 228) so as to establish a hollow cathode effect within the workpiece (12). A pair of coupling heads (16, 18) are supported on articulated arms (22, 24, 26) movable in one or more of three axes and include removable shields (78) to protect the heads (16, 18) and an anode mount (74) for receiving an anode (76). The articulated arms allow the system to accommodate a plurality of different shaped and different sized workpieces while the shields protect the coupling heads during a deposition process.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.