Sputtering apparatus for coating of 3D-objects

A process to deposit a coating on a surface of at least one 3D-object comprising the following steps:

• providing an apparatus comprising:
• a coating chamber;
• a vacuum pump system connected to the chamber by a vacuum port;
• a chamber port;
• a rotatable object holder, the holder having a rotational axis Z;
• at least one rotary cathode positioned in the chamber, the cathode comprising a plurality of hollow cylindrical rotary targets having a rotary axis Y;
• a plurality of magnetic systems which are swivel or rotary mounted round axis Y and positioned neighboring to an inner diameter surface of each of the targets;
• at least one power supply for the target;
• the target of the rotary cathode being positioned with axis Y1, Y2 in a target plane T′, T″, the target plane being perpendicular to axis Z, both targets being offset to the holder and to each other in a z-direction, on opposite sides of an object plane O, O′, O″ which is vertical to the axis Z, and the rotary cathode(s) being positioned in a distance D from rotary axis Z;
• mounting the at least one 3D-object on the rotatable holder;
• transferring the holder with the 3D-object into the coating chamber;
• and
• positioning at least one object plane O, O′, O″ comprising an essentially circumferential edge, protrusion or recess in a distance to a target plane T′, T″ to allow sputtering in an angle βE to the edge, protrusion or recess;
• applying vacuum to the chamber by opening the vacuum port;
• setting a gas flow of an inert gas and setting optionally a gas flow of a reactive gas;
• optionally applying a substrate bias to the 3D-object;
• rotating the 3D-object;
• connecting the targets to a power supply to sputter material from the targets towards the surface;
• and
• swiveling or rotating the magnetic system to sweep or position a center of a sputter cone in an angle βx from 0° to 90° or smaller,
• wherein a magnet controller controls a position angle β or/and a swivel frequency f of each of the magnetic systems in dependency of a number n of holder turns round axis z, where m is an integer, to set the position angle β of the magnetic systems of the targets to another in dependency of the shape of the 3D-object mounted on the holder.