PVD SYSTEM WITH REMOTE ARC DISCHARGE PLASMA ASSISTED PROCESS

• US 20200131620A1
• Filed: 10/24/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vapor Technologies, Inc. (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vapor Technologies, Inc. (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: ANTON, BRYCE, Gorokhovsky, Vladimir
• Granted Patent: US 10,900,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0036 Reactive sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0641 Nitrides C23C14/0617 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/228 Gas flow assisted PVD deposition
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/325 Electric arc evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3407 Cathode assembly for sputtering apparatus, e.g. Target
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/345 using substrate bias
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/352 using more than one target C23C14/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/355 using electrons, e.g. triode sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/505 for rotation of the substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32055 Arc discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32614 Consumable cathodes for arc discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32651 Shields, e.g. dark space shields, Faraday shields
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3266 Magnetic control means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32669 Particular magnets or magnet arrangements for controlling the discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3405 Magnetron sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3417 Arrangements

Abstract

An arc coating system includes a coating chamber having a peripheral chamber wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall. The peripheral chamber wall, the top wall, and the bottom wall define a coating cavity and a chamber center. A plasma source is positioned at the chamber center wherein the plasma source comprises a central cathode rod and a plurality of cathode rods surrounding the central cathode rod. The coating system also includes a sample holder that holds a plurality of substrates to be coated. Characteristically, the sample holder rotatable about the chamber center at a first distance from the chamber center.

Claims

1. A coating system comprising:

a coating chamber having a peripheral chamber wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall, the peripheral chamber wall, the top wall, and the bottom wall defining a coating cavity and a chamber center;

a plasma source positioned at the chamber center wherein the plasma source comprises a central cathode rod and a plurality of cathode rods surrounding the central cathode rod; and

a sample holder that holds a plurality of substrates to be coated, the sample holder rotatable about the chamber center at a first distance from the chamber center.

2. The coating system of claim 1 further comprising a central coil surrounding the central cathode rod.

3. The coating system of claim 1 further comprising at least one remote anode positioned at a second distance from the chamber center proximate to the peripheral chamber wall.

4. The coating system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of cathode rods includes 1 to 10 rod-shaped cathodes having a longitudinal axis aligned parallel to the peripheral chamber wall.

5. The coating system of claim 4 wherein each cathode rod in the plurality of cathode rods are rotatable about the longitudinal axis.

6. The coating system of claim 5 further comprising a plurality of blocking shields such that a blocking shield is positioned between alternating pairs of cathode rods in the plurality of cathode rods.

7. The coating system of claim 1 further comprising a first isolation shield interposed between the sample holder and the peripheral chamber wall and a second isolation shield interposed between the plasma source and the sample holder.

8. The coating system of claim 7 wherein the first isolation shield is an outer metal mesh screen and the second isolation shield is an inner metal mesh screen.

9. The coating system of claim 8 wherein substrates are biased to a same potential as the inner metal screen.

10. The coating system of claim 9 further comprising a DC power supply having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, the negative terminal being connected to the first isolation shield.

11. The coating system of claim 1 adapted for ion cleaning and ion surface conditioning in to hollow cathode gaseous plasma generating within a metal mesh negatively charged container.

12. The coating system of claim 1 adapted for plasma enhanced magnetron sputtering (PEMS).

13. The coating system of claim 1 wherein the top wall is a top flange positioned at a top edge of the peripheral chamber wall and the bottom wall is a bottom flange positioned at a bottom edge of the peripheral chamber wall.

14. A coating system comprising:

a coating chamber having a peripheral chamber wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall, peripheral chamber wall, the top wall, and the bottom wall define a coating cavity and a chamber center;

a plasma source positioned at the chamber center wherein the plasma source comprises a central cathode rod;

a sample holder that holds a plurality of substrates to be coated, the sample holder rotatable about the chamber center at a first distance from the chamber center; and

a first coaxial magnetic coil positioned externally to the coating chamber and a second coaxial magnetic coil positioned externally to the coating chamber.

15. The coating system of claim 14 wherein the first coaxial magnetic coil is positioned proximate to the peripheral chamber wall and the second coaxial magnetic coil is positioned proximate to the peripheral chamber wall.

16. The coating system of claim 14 further comprising a central coil surrounding the central cathode rod.

17. The coating system of claim 14 further comprising at least one remote anode positioned at a second distance from the chamber center proximate to the peripheral chamber wall.

18. The coating system of claim 14 further comprising a plurality of cathode rods surrounding the central cathode rod.

19. The coating system of claim 18 wherein each cathode rod in the plurality of cathode rods are rotatable about a longitudinal axis.

20. The coating system of claim 18 further comprising a plurality of blocking shields such that a blocking shield is positioned between alternating pairs of cathode rods in the plurality of cathode rods.

21. The coating system of claim 14 further comprising a first isolation shield interposed between the sample holder and the peripheral chamber wall and a second isolation shield interposed between the plasma source and the sample holder.

22. The coating system of claim 21 wherein the first isolation shield is an outer metal mesh screen and the second isolation shield is an inner metal mesh screen.