Himont Incorporated

Peter W Rose

Stephen L Kaplan

A hollow-cathode magnetron for the deposition of a film upon a filament like material. A localized plasma is struck within a hollow cylindrical target to sputter material onto said filament. The localized plasma is moved around said target, such that the target is uniformly sputtered and the filament is uniformly coated. The creation and movement of the localized plasma is accomplished utilizing a plurality of bar magnets which rotate around the target, whereby the localized plasma rotates around the sputtering bore of the target. A water jacket surrounds the target and functions to cool the target. Because the plasma is localized, significant portions of the target are advantageously cooled when not being sputtered, such that higher throughput can be obtained. The invention also includes a sputtering shield which functions to inhibit the buildup of a sputtered film upon the electrically active elements, whereby the creation of electrical shorts is prevented.

Hollow-cathode magnetron and method of making thin films

The present invention includes a plasma reactor chamber, which is generally constructed such that a large opening exists in a wall of the chamber. The reactor chamber is deployed remotely from a control console, such as on a robotic arm. A plasma generating means, such as RF electrodes is disposed within the chamber and a flexible vacuum seal is engaged to the outer edge of the chamber wall, surrounding the opening. Operating components, such as a vacuum pump, plasma gas supply and RF generator are disposed within the control console, and various supply lines join the operating components to the reactor chamber. In operation, the reactor chambler is placed against a portion of a surface that is to be treated, and a low pressure plasma is created within the chamber to treat the zone of the surface enclosed within the seal of the chamber. Particularly shaped seals for irregularly shaped surfaces and a rolling seal for movement of the reactor chamber relative to a surface are within the contemplation of the invention.

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San Carlos, CA, United States of America

Peter W Rose