Cardinal Cg Company

Applied Materials, Inc.

First Solar, Inc.

Tru Vue, Inc.

John R German

Klaus Hartig

Annette J Krisko

Kari B Myli

Gary L Pfaff

Daniel Theodore Crowley

James Eugene Brownlee

Brian P Meinke

Roger L Peterson

Benyamin Buller

Keith James Burrows

Boil Pashmakov

Klaus H W Hartig

Dale Roberts

Klaus HW Hartig

A cathode target assembly for use in sputtering target material onto a substrate includes a generally cylindrical target and a magnetic array. The magnetic array is adapted to provide a plasma confinement region adjacent an outer surface of the target. End portions of the magnetic array are adapted to make the shape and strength of the confinement field at the turns of the racetrack closely match the shape and strength of the confinement field along the straight part of the racetrack so as to significantly reduce cross-corner effect.

Apparatus for cylindrical magnetron sputtering

The invention provides methods and equipment for depositing a low-maintenance coating.

Low-maintenance coating technology

A photovoltaic cell can include a transparent conductive layer including cadmium stannate.

Transparent conductive materials including cadmium stannate

The invention provides certain embodiments that involve sputtering techniques for applying a mixed oxide film comprising silica and titania. In these embodiments, the techniques involve sputtering at least two targets in a common chamber (e.g., in a shared gaseous atmosphere). A first of these targets includes silicon, while a second of the targets includes titanium. Further, the invention provides embodiments involving a substrate bearing a hydrophilic coating, which can be deposited by sputtering or any other suitable thin film deposition technique. The invention also provides techniques and apparatuses useful for depositing a wide variety of coating types. For example, the invention provides thin film deposition technologies in which sputtering apparatuses or other thin film deposition apparatuses are employed.

Methods and equipment for depositing hydrophilic coatings, and deposition technologies for thin films

Hydrophilic coatings, methods for depositing hydrophilic coatings, and improved deposition technology for thin films

The present invention is an alternating current rotary sputter cathode in a vacuum chamber. The apparatus includes a housing containing a vacuum and a cathode disposed therein. A drive shaft is rotatably mounted in the bearing housing. A rotary vacuum seal is located in the bearing housing for sealing the drive shaft to the housing. An at least one electrical contact is disposed between a power source and the cathode for transmittal of an oscillating or fluctuating current to the cathode. The electrical contact between the power source and the cathode is disposed inside of the vacuum chamber, greatly reducing, and almost eliminating, the current induced heating of various bearing, seals, and other parts of the rotatably sputter cathode assembly.

Alternating current rotatable sputter cathode

The apparatus and method involve using a gas manifold for introducing gas into a deposition chamber. Certain embodiments involve using a binary manifold for uniform distribution of the gas with good response time. During sputtering operations, provision of an anode using the gas manifold enables such anode to be entirely protected from sputtered dielectric material during the deposition process. As such, conduction paths are initially established and maintained between electrons within the chamber and the anode. This results in improved maintenance of stable plasma and consistent coating in the deposition chamber. The conduction paths are enhanced in comparison to conventional systems due to increased collisions between the electrons and gas flowing out of the manifold outlets. Also, ionization of the gas flowing from the manifold outlets is enhanced, resulting in enhanced deposition output from the system. A magnet can also be located within the manifold so as to further increase collisions between the electrons and gas flowing out of the manifold outputs.

Enhanced virtual anode

The invention provides a substrate bearing a low-maintenance coating. In some embodiments, the coating includes a low-maintenance film that includes a thickness of film comprising titania, wherein only part of that thickness includes tungsten. The thickness includes an inner portion and an outer portion, the outer portion being the part that includes tungsten. The invention also provides methods and equipment for depositing such coatings.

A substrate bearing a solar control low-emissivity coating. The solar control low-emissivity coating includes one or more dielectric absorber films. In some embodiments, the dielectric absorber film has an absorption ratio of k/kthat is less than 1.9.

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Prairie du Sac, WI, United States of America

John R German