US4046659A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for coating a substrate
Assignee: Airco Inc
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Filing: 1975-01-10
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Granted: 1977-09-06
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Expires: 1995-01-10
Abstract
Abstract An improved method is described for coating a substrate in a system in which an insulating layer is also formed on one portion of a conductive target plate which is bombarded with ions. One such system is a reactive sputtering system in which a predetermined partial pressure of a reactive gas is established between a reactive metal target plate and the substrate. The bombarding ions are formed in a glow discharge plasma which may be magnetically confined. In accordance with the invention, an ac potential is applied to the target plate in order to prevent arcing which is believed due to the dielectric breakdown of the insulating layer.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert L. Cormia
- 👤 Terry A. Trumbly
- 👤 Sigurd Andresen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 03:20
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/34; H01J37/3402; H01J37/3405; C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/0021; C23C14/0036; C23C14/22; C23C14/34; C23C14/35
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
74 words
In a method for coating a substrate in a process in which an insulating layer is formed on one portion of a conductive target, and a second portion of the target is kept free of the insulating layer by ionic bombardment, the improvement comprising: applying an alternating electric potential to the target of a frequency greater than 400 Hz and sufficiently high to substantially eliminate the formation of arcs but less than 60,000 Hz.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
74 words
In a method for coating a substrate in a process in which an insulating layer is formed on one portion of a conductive target, and a second portion of the target is kept free of the insulating layer by ionic bombardment, the improvement comprising: applying an alternating electric potential to the target of a frequency greater than 400 Hz and sufficiently high to substantially eliminate the formation of arcs but less than 60,000 Hz.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising: establishing a glow discharge plasma for creating the ions which bombard the target, and confining the glow discharge plasma to an annular region adjacent to the target by use of a magnetron cathode device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 2 further comprising: establishing a predetermined partial pressure of a reactant gas between the target and the substrate for providing one constituent of the insulating layer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the target comprises a reactive metal for providing a second constituent of the insulating layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the reactive metal consists of titanium, aluminum, tin, vanadium, tantalum, niobium, indium or zirconium.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the reactive gas is oxygen.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the reactive gas is nitrogen.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
114 words
A method of coating a substrate in a reactive sputtering system having an anode and a planar magnetron cathode which has a conductive target plate, comprising: establishing, between the target plate and the substrate, a predetermined partial pressure of a reactant gas which forms an insulating compound with the material of the target plate; and establishing an electric potential between the anode and the target plate which alternates at a frequency greater than 400 Hz and sufficiently high to substantially eliminate the formation of arcs but less than 60,000 Hz, which potential is sufficient to sputter material from the target plate for reacting with the reactant gas and forming a coating on the substrate.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
114 words
A method of coating a substrate in a reactive sputtering system having an anode and a planar magnetron cathode which has a conductive target plate, comprising: establishing, between the target plate and the substrate, a predetermined partial pressure of a reactant gas which forms an insulating compound with the material of the target plate; and establishing an electric potential between the anode and the target plate which alternates at a frequency greater than 400 Hz and sufficiently high to substantially eliminate the formation of arcs but less than 60,000 Hz, which potential is sufficient to sputter material from the target plate for reacting with the reactant gas and forming a coating on the substrate.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-09-05 | 1981-03-07 | 1981-09-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-09-05 | 1985-03-07 | 1985-09-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-09-05 | 1989-03-07 | 1989-09-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |