Method for depositing multilayer coatings
OwnerDennis Teerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for the generation of multilayered coatings onto substrates. Typically the apparatus used is a closed field unbalanced magnetron configuration in conjunction with one or more cylindrical and rotatable shields and a substrate carrier on which the substrates to be coated are carried. The shields and substrate holder are provided for rotation about a common axis of rotation. The shields are provided with apertures to allow the selective positioning of the apertures to define a passage or passages along which material from the targets can pass onto the substrates. The targets can be cleaned prior to the coating stage by operation of the targets with the shields selectively positioned to prevent the deposited material from reaching the substrates.
Claims32
Apparatus for the application of a coating of material or materials, said coating comprising at least first and second layers of material or material compositions, said apparatus including at least first and second magnetrons from which material can be selectively applied, a substrate holder, on which the substrates to be coated are held and characterised in that positioned between the magnetrons and the substrate holder, is at least one shield, said shield including at least one aperture through which material deposited from a magnetron can pass for application onto the substrates when the aperture is suitably positioned with respect to the said magnetron and substrate holder by selective rotation of the shield with respect to the magnetrons so as to define a passage through which the material deposited from the target of said magnetron can pass.
A method for controlling the application of a multilayered coating onto at least one substrate in a coating chamber, said method comprising positioning a plurality of magnetrons with targets of material to be deposited in the coating chamber to face towards a substrate holder in the chamber, interposing between the substrate holder and the magnetrons, first and second shields, providing in said shields at least one aperture which, when selectively positioned with respect to a magnetron, allows material deposited from the magnetron target to pass therethrough and onto the substrates and characterised in that the shields are selectively rotatable so as to move and position the respective apertures to define a passage for selected periods of time to allow the passage of material deposited from a magnetron target and then to move the shields to repeat the same as required with respect to the first and second magnetrons as required to apply the multilayered coating onto the substrates.
A method for the control of operation of apparatus for applying a coating onto at least one substrate, said coating comprising a series of layers and said apparatus including within a coating chamber at least two magnetrons for the selective deposition of material from magnetron targets onto the substrates, and a plurality of cylindrical shields positioned between the targets and the substrate holder, said shields including apertures which can be selectively positioned to define a passage for deposited material from the targets onto the substrates and characterised in that the method comprises the steps of:
- preparing the targets by operating the magnetrons to deposit material from the targets in the coating chamber and positioning the shields to prevent the passage of deposited material onto the substrates;
- and
- applying a predetermined power level to the magnetrons and maintaining said power level during the application of the deposited material onto the substrates and the apertures in the shields are selectively positioned to allow the selective application of the material onto the substrates through passages defined by the apertures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.