Apparatus for applying thin layers to a substrate
AssigneeUnaxis Deutschland Holding GmbH
InventorsJoachim Szczyrbowski, Gotz Teschner, Jurgen Bruch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process gas source (16) is connected to the vacuum chamber (5), and a metering valve (12) actuated by an automatic controller is installed between the vacuum chamber (5) and the process gas source (16). A potentiometric measurement electrode compares the amount of a gas in the vacuum chamber (5) with a reference gas by way of a reference electrode or with a solid body substituting for the reference electrode and sends a signal to automatic control unit (14), which contains a signal amplifier. The control unit then drives the generator of the power supply or the metering valve for the process gas.
Claims5
Apparatus for coating a substrate, said apparatus comprising
- a vacuum chamber,
- vacuum pump means having a suction port connected to said vacuum chamber,
- a target mounted to a cathode in said vacuum chamber,
- a power supply connected to said cathode
- a process gas source connected to said vacuum chamber by a process gas supply line having a metering valve,
- sensing means for determining the partial pressure of said process gas in said vacuum chamber and generating a signal representing said partial pressure, and
- control means for regulating at least one of said metering valve and said power supply based on said signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.