Device for suppressing flashovers in cathode sputtering installations
First Claim
1. Apparatus for suppressing arcs in a cathode sputtering installation having at least one cathode to which a target is mounted and at least one anode to which a substrate is mounted, said apparatus comprisingan AC voltage source having an output connected to said at least one cathode, said AC voltage source having a frequency of 200 Hz to 300 kHz,microarc detection means for detecting microarcs at said at least one cathode,microarc counting means for counting the number of microarcs detected by said detection means, andmeans for suppressing arcs when the number of microarcs counted by said counting means exceeds a threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An AC voltage source connected to at least one cathode is switched off rapidly upon the occurrence of a critical number of so-called "microarcs" which precede a "large arc". In order to be able to differentiate between large arcs and microarcs, a special counting and evaluation device is provided.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. Apparatus for suppressing arcs in a cathode sputtering installation having at least one cathode to which a target is mounted and at least one anode to which a substrate is mounted, said apparatus comprising
an AC voltage source having an output connected to said at least one cathode, said AC voltage source having a frequency of 200 Hz to 300 kHz, microarc detection means for detecting microarcs at said at least one cathode, microarc counting means for counting the number of microarcs detected by said detection means, and means for suppressing arcs when the number of microarcs counted by said counting means exceeds a threshold.
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4. Apparatus for suppressing arcs in a cathode sputtering installation having at least one cathode to which a target is mounted and at least one anode to which a substrate is mounted, said apparatus comprising
an AC voltage source having an output connected to said at least one cathode, said output providing voltage as a series of halfwaves, halfwave counting means for counting said halfwaves, arc detection means for detecting arcs at said at least one cathode, arc counting means for counting the number of arcs detected by said detection means, means for determining the ratio of counted halfwaves to counted arcs, and switch off means for switching off the connection between the AC voltage source and the cathode means for a switch off time ta when said ratio reaches a threshold ratio.
Specification