Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Apparatus – Coating – forming or etching by sputtering
Patent
1984-08-15
1985-11-05
Morgenstern, Norman
Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
Apparatus
Coating, forming or etching by sputtering
118723, 118 501, 118726, 427 37, 427 38, C23C 1308
Patent
active
045512213
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to vacuum-arc plasma apparatus and can be utilized for application of metallic coatings, cleaning and pickling surfaces, and spraying a getter material.
BACKGROUND ART
In the vacuum evaporization of metals such coatings as anticorrosive, wear-resistant, refractory, antifriction, superconductive, optical etc. are produced.
Vacuum application of coatings can be carried out by means of an electron-beam apparatus, wherein metal vapour is formed in evaporization of metals from crucibles by an electron beam. The use of crucibles does not permit producing coatings from refractory metals. Moreover, the coatings thus obtained are contaminated by a crucible material.
The vacuum-arc plasma apparatus makes it possible to produce pure coatings from any metals, refractory ones among them.
In such an apparatus a consumable cathode is evaporized by means of an arc discharge, a plasma flow of the metal vapor is formed, said metal being in a highly ionized state at a high value of energy and concentration of particles, and in the following condensation thereof forming a coating.
Vacuum-arc plasma apparatuses create a diverging plasma flow of a material being evaporized, the coefficient of utilization of the plasma flow in the application of coatings being low. The plasma flow of the material being evaporized is to be focused to produce coatings.
Known in the art is a vacuum-arc apparatus (USSR Author's Certificate No. 416,789 issued 25 Nov. 1974), comprising a consumable cathode, an anode disposed coaxially therewith, and an igniting electrode.
An arc discharge between the consumable cathode and the anode is excited by means of the igniting electrode.
The consumable cathode generates a wide divergent flow of metallic plasma, and thus the efficiency of utilization of the material being evaporized for producing coatings is low. For this reason the utilization of the above apparatus for vacuum metallization is inexpedient.
Also known in the art is an impulse generator of metallic plasma (A. S. Gilmour, D. L. Lochwood. Pulsed metallic-plasma generators, Proc. JEEE, 60 , 8, 977, 1972), comprising a consumable cathode, a solenoid disposed coaxially therewith, and an anode disposed within the solenoid and an igniting electrode. The igniting electrode encircles the consumable cathode and is separated therefrom by an insulator. The ignition of an arc discharge is accomplished by a current pulse causing evaporization of a conductive film from the surface of said insulator. The film is restored during the burning of the arc discharge. The flow of metallic plasma, generated by the consumable cathode, is focused by an axially-symmetrical magnetic field of the solenoid, thereby acquiring a narrower directional diagram.
The above apparatus increases the efficiency of utilization of the evaporized material of a consumable cathode. However, an increase in the flow of the evaporized material of a consumable cathode at the outlet of the apparatus is limited by a partial reflection of ions from a magnetic barrier created at the ends of the solenoid. Moreover, the above generator is not suitable for operation in a stationary operation mode because of design features of igniting electrode.
Known in the art is a vacuum-arc plasma apparatus allowing the efficiency of utilization of the evaporized material of a consumable cathode to be increased in a stationary operation mode (I. I. Aksenov, V. G. Padalka, V. T. Toloka, V. M. Khoroshikh. Fokusirovka potoka metallicheskoi plazmy, generiruyemogo statsionarnym erozionnym elektrodugovym uskoritelem, sb. "Istochniki i uskoriteli plasmy, Vyp. 3, Kharkov, 1978, s. 45-50).
The apparatus comprises a consumable cathode having a working end face, a solenoid being coaxial therewith, a tubular anode disposed within the solenoid, and an igniting electrode.
In this apparatus, the igniting electrode excites an arc discharge. The flow of metallic plasma, generated by the consumable cathode, is focused by an axially-symmetric magnetic field of the solenoid. Such an arrangement permits obtain
REFERENCES:
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Karr, "Vacuum Deposition of Material Films on Substrates Utilizing Controlled Plasma", IBM Tech. Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 19, No. 5, Oct. 1976.
"Evaporation from an Electric Arc in a Vacuum", L. Holland, Nature, vol. 178, No. 4528, p. 328, (1956).
"Vacuum-Arc Evaporation of Refractory Metals", M. S. P. Lucas, et al., Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 113-114, (1961).
"Pulsed Metallic-Plasma Generators", A. S. Gilmour, et al., Proc. IEEE, vol. 60, No. 8, p. 977, (1972), (USSR).
Axenov Ivan I.
Bren Viktor G.
Khoroshikh Vladimir M.
Padalka Valentin G.
Sablev Leonid P.
Morgenstern Norman
Plantz Bernard F.
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