초록 ▼

A method and apparatus for coating substrates by glow discharge in which the generation of ions and deposition of a coating are controlled independently. A plasma is established inside a chamber by application of either RF or DC voltages to a cathode, e.g., an aluminium cathode. Above the cathode a

A method and apparatus for coating substrates by glow discharge in which the generation of ions and deposition of a coating are controlled independently. A plasma is established inside a chamber by application of either RF or DC voltages to a cathode, e.g., an aluminium cathode. Above the cathode a substrate is held on a substrate holder whose temperature can be controlled independently of the plasma temperature. An electrical bias may be applied to the substrate. Ions in the plasma strike the cathode and a number leave the cathode to strike the substrate and form the required coating. The coating may be hard carbon from a hydro-carbon gas e.g. butane, or silicon from silane gas, or germanium from germane gas. The substrate may be electrically conducting or insulating.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of depositing a coating on a substrate, comprising the steps of: providing a plasma containing ions of material to be deposited as a coating in a chamber having a cathode structure, arranging the substrate in the plasma between the anode and cathode structures and electrically separated the

A method of depositing a coating on a substrate, comprising the steps of: providing a plasma containing ions of material to be deposited as a coating in a chamber having a cathode structure, arranging the substrate in the plasma between the anode and cathode structures and electrically separated therefrom, said substrate surface being shaded from a direct stream of positively charged ions from the anode structure toward the cathode structure and spaced from the cathode structure to receive neutral ions of the coating material directly from the cathode structure, and controlling the substrate temperature independently of the plasma temperature, the arrangement being such that positively charged ions of coating material in the plasma are attracted to and strike the cathode structure and a significant number of atoms of coating material leave the cathode structure and strike the substrate to form the coating. Apparatus for depositing a coating on a substrate comprising: a vacuum tight chamber, a pump for providing a vacuum within the chamber, means for introducing a gas within the chamber, means including an anode and a cathode structure within the chamber for establishing a plasma including ions of material to be coated on said substrate within the chamber, means for supporting said substrate in the plasma between the anode and cathode structures and electrically separated therefrom said substrate surface being shaded from the direct stream of positively charged ions from the anode towards the cathode structure and spaced a predetermined distance from the cathode to receive neutral ions directly from the cathode structure means for controlling the temperature of the substrate independently of the temperature of the plasma, anode structure and cathode structure, the arrangement being such that a plasma may be formed in the chamber so that ions of the coating material will strike the cathode and a significant number of atoms leave the cathode to strike the substrate and form the required coating.