Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forschung E.V.

Carl-Friedrich Meyer

Hans-Joachim Scheibe

Bernd Schultrich

Holger Ziegele

An arrangement for the separation of particles from plasma for the formation of a coating onto the surface of a substrate under vacuum conditions. The plasma is advantageously formed by electrical arc discharge. The plasma is formed from a target that can be connected as a cathode and positive charge carriers of the plasma are accelerated in the direction of a surface of a substrate to be coated by at least one absorber electrode connected to an electrical potential that is positive with respect to the plasma. The absorber electrode is arranged and orientated such that a direct incidence of plasma onto the absorber electrode is avoided and can be designed in plate form aligned at an obliquely inclined angle which takes account of the divergence of the plasma flow. In addition, at least one permanent magnet or electromagnet element is a component of the arrangement.

Arrangement for the separation of particles from a plasma

The invention relates to an electric resistance element, which can be electromechanically regulated. A layer of a predeterminable width and thickness, consisting of an electrically conductive material with a constant specific electric resistance, is located on a substrate. At least one electric contact connection is also provided and an electric contact element can be displaced mechanically along the surface of said layer. The aim of the invention is to provide an appropriate resistance element that can be produced cost-effectively, with reproducible electric characteristics and a high resistance to wear, without a requirement for additional lubrication. To achieve this, according to the invention, a wear-resistant layer of uniform thickness is configured on the electrically condutive layer situated on the substrate. Said layer consists exclusively of a carbon similar to diamond and has a higher specific electric resistance than that of the layer. The layer of carbon similar to diamond thus lies in contact with the mechanically displaceable contact element.

Electric resistance element, which can be electromechanically regulated

The invention relates to a method and a device for coating substrates in a vacuum, in which a plasma is generated from a target using a laser beam and ionized particles of the plasma are deposited on the substrate in the form of a layer, inert reactive gas or a gas mixture being supplied. The solution according to the invention is intended to provide a possible way of supplying gases or gas mixtures in a locally and temporally defined manner. According to the invention, this object is achieved by the fact that the gas or gas mixture is supplied to the plasma from and/or through a porous target, the intention being that the target is to have a temporary storage function on account of its porosity.

Method and device for coating substrates in a vacuum

The invention relates to a device and method for coating substrates in a vacuum, wherein a plasma is to be generated from a target and ionized particles of the plasma are to be deposited on the substrate in the form of a layer, as has long been used in a very wide range of known PVD processes. The intention of the invention is to prevent droplets and particles from settling in the applied layer, which droplets and particles have an adverse effect on the properties of the layer, or at least to reduce the number of these droplets and particles. To solve this problem, an absorber electrode which is at an electrically positive potential is used, which electrode is a few mm away from the root of the plasma, and is arranged in front of or next to the plasma in such a way and is shaped in such a way that an electric field is formed around the absorber electrode. The electric field vector is to be oriented at least approximately orthogonally to the direction of movement of the ionized particles of the plasma.

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Dresden, Germany

Carl-Friedrich Meyer