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:
Apr. 24, 1990
Filed:
Mar. 02, 1988
Rainer Buhl, Sargans, CH;
Christof Peyer, Schaan, LI;
Balzers Aktiengesellschaft, Furstentum, LI;
Abstract
During electric arc discharge discrete points of the cathode surface are so strongly heated that ionized cathode material is volatilized. Use of such hot spots as vapor source for vacuum coating is, however, impaired by the fact that a short time after beginning of the vapor emission from a hot spot molten material in the form of droplets is also hurled away. The invention provides continuous vapor deposition on the cathode surface with a metal compound which can be broken down, by which accelerated migration of the vapor emitting hot spots is forced in such a way that the hot spots migrate away from a particular site before spatter formation starts. The cathode surface is preferentially continuously sputtered so strongly that the metal quantity supplied to it through the metal compound is 12 to 25% of the quantity of metal carried off through vaporization from hot spots. An installation for carrying out the invention includes two cathodes which continuously coat each other in the presence of a gas forming the requisite metal compound.