Leybold Aktiengesellschaft

W & L Coating Systems Gmbh

Hans-Dieter Wurczinger

Rainer Gegenwart

Jochen Ritter

Helmut Stoll

Michael Liehr

Norbert Weimer

In a known plasma-chemical coating apparatus, a plasma chamber is provided within which at least one linear antenna is arranged for producing a plasma by means of electromagnetic power, in which a supply for a carrier gas terminates and which comprises a plasma exit opening in the direction of a treatment chamber for a plasma-assisted modification of a substrate. Starting from this, to achieve cleaning cycles as in coating apparatuses with comparatively slow coating processes, it is suggested according to the invention that the plasma exit opening is configured as an elongated narrowing and defined preferably on both sides by cylinders which extend in parallel with each other and are rotatable about their cylinder axis, and that a cleaning zone is respectively provided for each of the cylinders, into which an area of the outer surface of the respective cylinder which is to be cleaned can be introduced by rotation about the cylinder axis.

Plasma-chemical coating apparatus

The method calls for introducing an inert gas into a tank where a high frequency energy source is applied to internal electrodes for the ignition of a plasma within the tank. The sensor surface is cleaned by sputtering away impurities from the sensor surface by means of plasma particles striking the sensor surface. Next, a monomer containing silicon and a reactive gas are introduced into the tank with continuous throttling of the inert gas feed and maintenance of the plasma, while the electric power characteristics fed into the plasma are being controlled. This leads to the deposition on the sensor surface of a compound composed of particles from the monomer containing silicon and from the reactive gas.

Method for the surface passivation of sensors using an in situ sputter

A process chamber 27 is provided with several successive cathode arrangements 7, 8 which have targets to be sputtered, wherein diaphragms 39, 40 are held between the respective targets 3, 4 and the path of the workpieces 1, 2. In addition to their center openings 66, 67 for the passage of the flow of coating material, further window-like apertures 68, 69 in the area of the material flow, respectively, which are disposed offset to one another and transversely to the conveying direction F of the substrates and thus produce test strips 70, 71 on the workpieces or special test substrates which are passed by the cathode arrangements 7, 8. The test strips each correspond to one single layer of a layer package 72, produced on the substrate, whereby thickness of each layer may be measured by acquiring data on the transmission, reflection, or resistance properties, or by mechanically measuring each layer.

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Bad Vilbel, Germany

Hans-Dieter Wurczinger