# US 10,865,472 B2 · Low temperature arc ion plating coating > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,865,472 B2 - Document ID: US10865472B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/367,414 - Filed: 2012-12-14 - Published: 2015-01-01 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-22 - Assignees: Oerlikon Surface Solutions AG, PfäFfikon - Applicants: Oerlikon Trading AG, Trubbach - Inventors: Siegfried Krassnitzer; Denis Kurapov; Markus Lechthaler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865472B2 ## CPC - C23C 14/345: {using substrate bias} - C23C 14/325: {Electric arc evaporation} - H01J 37/32055: {Arc discharge} - H01J 37/32568: {Relative arrangement or disposition of electrodes; moving means} - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract Coating method for arc coating or arc ion plating coating of substrates in a vacuum chamber in which using an arc evaporator solid material that functions as cathode is evaporated, during arc evaporation the motion of the cathode spot on the solid material surface is accelerated using a magnetic field for avoiding ejection of a large amount of macro-particles or droplets from the solid material surface, negative charged particles resulted from the arc evaporation flow from the cathode to an anode, characterized by the motion of the negative charged particles from the cathode to the anode fundamentally doesn't cause an additional increase of the absolute value of the potential difference between cathode and anode allowing a lower increment of the substrate temperature during coating. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Coating method for arc coating or arc ion plating coating of substrates in a vacuum chamber in which a coating plasma discharge is generated using an arc evaporator in such a manner that a target placed at the arc evaporator and consisting of solid material functions as a cathode and is evaporated, during arc evaporation a motion of a cathode spot on a solid material surface of the solid material is accelerated using a magnetic field having predetermined magnetic field intensities for avoiding ejection of a large amount of macro-particles or droplets from the solid material surface, negative charged particles resulted from the arc evaporation exit the solid material surface of the cathode and flow to an anode, wherein at least part of the anode is separate from walls of the vacuum chamber, characterized by an additional increment of an electric potential of the coating plasma caused by using said magnetic field intensities is prevented by placing the anode and the cathode such that a portion of the anode overlapping a lateral side surface of the cathode is in a line of sight of the lateral side surface of the cathode, and by directing magnetic field lines of the magnetic field or at least a majority of the magnetic field lines directly from the solid material surface of the cathode to a surface of the anode along paths that are free of other components and wherein a position and geometry of the anode in relation to the cathode is chosen in such a manner that the magnetic field lines and electric field lines are parallel at the surface of the anode, so that a prominent spiral motion of the negative charged particles by flowing from the cathode to the anode is avoided and in doing so a lower increment of a substrate temperature during coating is attained. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, characterized by the intensity of the magnetic field is a high magnetic field intensity which is about 40 Gauss to 500 Gauss. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, characterized by a position and geometry of the anode in relation to the cathode are chosen in such a manner that the magnetic field lines meet the surface of the anode substantially perpendicularly or at least forming an angle of at least 45° in relation to the surface of the anode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, characterized by the substrate temperature is between 100° C. and 300° C. or lower. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, characterized by the target comprises aluminium. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, characterized by the target comprises titanium and/or chromium. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, characterized by the intensity of the magnetic field is about 60 Gauss. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, characterized by a heat energy of the plasma is diminished by a factor greater than 10 times. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, characterized by a diminished cathode voltage. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, characterized by a bias current during coating is lower in comparison with a coating process in which identical coating parameters are used and the anode further includes the walls of the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 11 Coating method for arc coating or arc ion plating coating of substrates in a vacuum chamber in which a coating plasma discharge is generated using an arc evaporator in such a manner that a target placed at the arc evaporator and consisting of solid material functions as a cathode and is evaporated, during arc evaporation a motion of a cathode spot on a solid material surface of the solid material is accelerated using a magnetic field having predetermined magnetic field intensities for avoiding ejection of a large amount of macro-particles or droplets from the solid material surface, negative charged particles resulted from the arc evaporation exit the solid material surface of the cathode and flow to an anode, wherein at least part of the anode is separate from walls of the vacuum chamber, characterized by an additional increment of an electric potential of the coating plasma caused by using said magnetic field intensities is prevented by placing the anode and the cathode such that a space between a portion of the anode overlapping a lateral side surface of the cathode and the lateral side surface of the cathode is unobstructed, and by directing magnetic field lines of the magnetic field or at least a majority of the magnetic field lines directly from the solid material surface of the cathode to a surface of the anode along paths that are free of other components and wherein a position and geometry of the anode in relation to the cathode is chosen in such a manner that the magnetic field lines and electric field lines are parallel at the surface of the anode, so that a prominent spiral motion of the negative charged particles by flowing from the cathode to the anode is avoided and in doing so a lower increment of a substrate temperature during coating is attained. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) Method according to claim 11, characterized by the intensity of the magnetic field is a high magnetic field intensity which is about 40 Gauss to 500 Gauss. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) Method according to claim 11, characterized by a position and geometry of the anode in relation to the cathode are chosen in such a manner that the magnetic field lines meet the surface of the anode substantially perpendicularly or at least forming an angle of at least 45° in relation to the surface of the anode. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) Method according to claim 11, characterized by the substrate temperature is between 100° C. and 300° C. or lower. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) Method according to claim 11, characterized by the target comprises one of aluminium, titanium, and chromium. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) Method according to claim 11, characterized by the intensity of the magnetic field is about 60 Gauss. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) Method according to claim 11, characterized by a diminished cathode voltage. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) Method according to claim 11, characterized by a bias current during coating is lower in comparison with a coating process in which identical coating parameters are used and the anode further includes walls of the vacuum chamber.