Plasma enhancement apparatus and method for physical vapor deposition
DCFirst Claim
1. An article manufactured by an electric arc vapor deposition process, said article comprising:
- (a) a substrate having a surface; and
(b) a layer of amorphous carbon arranged on said substrate surface, said amorphous carbon being applied to said substrate surface by electric arc vapor deposition and being thin, homogeneous, dense, smooth, extremely hard, having less than one percent hydrogen.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a plasma enhancement method and apparatus for electric arc vapor deposition. The plasma enhancement apparatus is positioned to act upon plasma generated from a plasma source before the plasma reaches a substrate to be coated by the plasma. The plasma enhancement apparatus includes a magnet disposed about a magnet axis and defining a first aperture, and a core member disposed about a core member axis and at least partially nested within the first aperture. The core member defines a second aperture, and the plasma enhancement apparatus is arranged and configured in such a manner that the evaporated cathode source material passes from the cathode source and through the second aperture toward the substrate to be coated by the evaporated cathode source material. The plasma is favorably conditioned as it passes through the plasma enhancement apparatus.
282 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An article manufactured by an electric arc vapor deposition process, said article comprising:
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(a) a substrate having a surface; and (b) a layer of amorphous carbon arranged on said substrate surface, said amorphous carbon being applied to said substrate surface by electric arc vapor deposition and being thin, homogeneous, dense, smooth, extremely hard, having less than one percent hydrogen. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An article manufactured by an electric arc vapor deposition process, said article comprising:
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(a) a metal substrate having a surface; and (b) a layer of amorphous carbon arranged on said substrate surface, said amorphous carbon being applied directly contiguous to said metal surface by electric arc vapor deposition and having less than one percent hydrogen. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification