The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 07, 1984
Filed:
May. 09, 1983
William M Mularie, Stillwater, MN (US);
Vac-Tec Systems, Inc., Boulder, CO (US);
Abstract
Apparatus and method for evaporation arc stabilization including a target having a surface of material to be evaporated; circuitry for establishing an arc on the target surface for evaporating the target material, the arc being characterized by the presence of charged particles and a cathode spot which randomly migrates over the target surface; and a confinement ring contacting and surrounding the target surface, the ring being composed of a material such as boron nitride having (a) a secondary emission ratio less than one at the mean energies of the charged particles of the arc and (b) a surface energy less than that of the evaporated target material to thereby confine the cathode spot to the target surface. Further, the secondary emission ratio of the confinement ring is preferably less than that of the target.