US 2004/0055870 A1 · Method and apparatus of plasma-enhanced coaxial magnetron for sputter-coating interior surfaces

Abstract

A plasma-enhanced coaxial magnetron sputter-cleaning and coating assembly for sputter-cleaning and coating the interior surfaces of a cylindrical workpiece is provided. The apparatus sputter-coats the workpiece using a cylindrical sputtering material, the material having an interior and an exterior. The apparatus includes a core cooling system surrounded by a ring magnet assembly including a plurality of axially aligned ring magnets, with the core cooling system and the ring magnet assembly axially aligned with, and residing in the interior of, the cylindrical sputtering material. A cylindrical-shaped filament circumferentially surrounds the exterior of the cylindrical sputtering material. An anode comprised of a wire screen circumferentially surrounds, and is external to the filament; whereby the apparatus for plasma-enhanced coaxial magnetron sputter-cleaning and coating may be housed inside the workpiece in order to sputter-clean and coat the interior of the workpiece.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A plasma-enhanced coaxial magnetron sputter-cleaning and coating assembly for sputter-cleaning and coating the interior surfaces of a cylindrical workpiece with a cylindrical sputtering material, the cylindrical sputtering material having an interior and an exterior, and the apparatus comprising:

i. a core cooling system surrounded by a ring magnet assembly including a plurality of axially aligned ring magnets, with the core cooling system and the ring magnet assembly axially aligned with, and residing in the interior of, the cylindrical sputtering material;
ii. a cylindrical-shaped filament circumferentially surrounding the exterior of the cylindrical sputtering material;
and
iii. an anode comprised of a wire screen circumferentially surrounding, and external to the filament;
whereby the apparatus for plasma-enhanced coaxial magnetron sputter-cleaning and coating may be housed inside the workpiece in order to sputter-clean and coat the interior of the workpiece.

2 more elements

A method for plasma-enhanced coaxial magnetron sputter-cleaning and coating the interior surfaces of a cylindrical workpiece with a cylindrical sputtering material, where the cylindrical sputtering material has an interior and an exterior, the method comprising the steps of:

i. placing, within the interior of the cylindrical sputtering material, a core cooling system surrounded by a ring magnet assembly including a plurality of axially aligned ring magnets, with the core cooling system and the ring magnet assembly axially aligned with, the interior of, the cylindrical sputtering material;
ii. placing a cylindrical-shaped filament circumferentially around the exterior of the cylindrical sputtering material;
iii. placing an anode comprised of a wire screen circumferentially around, and external to the cylindrical-shaped filament such that the core cooling system, the cylindrical-shaped filament, and the anode comprise a sputter-cleaning and coating assembly;
iv. placing the sputter cleaning and coating assembly and the cylindrical sputtering material in the interior of the workpiece;
and
v. activating the sputter cleaning and coating assembly to sputter-clean and sputter coat the interior of the workpiece.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus of plasma-enhanced coaxial magnetron for sputter-coating interior surfaces

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus of plasma-enhanced coaxial magnetron for sputter-coating interior surfaces

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17