Hot tile sputtering system

A method of sputter coating a glass substrate, said method comprising:

• providing a glass substrate;
• providing a sputtering assembly for sputtering a coating onto said glass substrate in a vacuum deposition chamber, wherein said sputtering assembly comprises a backing plate and a separating element disposed on said backing plate;
• providing at least one target element and disposing said at least one target element at and in contact with a surface of said separating element, wherein said at least one target element is not bonded to said separating element when disposed at and in contact with said surface of said separating element;
• wherein said separating element comprises a sheet having a low-coefficient of friction surface, and wherein said at least one target element is disposed on said low-coefficient of friction surface of said separating element;
• providing an expansion gap at or adjacent to said at least one target element to allow for expansion of said at least one target element during the sputtering process;
• sputtering coating material from said at least one target element and heating said at least one target element to a substantially elevated temperature during the sputtering process;
• wherein, during the sputtering process, said at least one target element is capable of movement relative to said surface of said separating element;
• and
• wherein sputtering coating material during the sputtering process comprises sputtering coating material onto a surface of said glass substrate in the vacuum deposition chamber to coat said surface of said glass substrate with a layer of the coating material.

A method of sputter coating a glass substrate, said method comprising:

• providing a glass substrate for a reflective element of a mirror assembly for a vehicle;
• providing a sputtering assembly for sputtering a coating onto said glass substrate in a vacuum deposition chamber, wherein said sputtering assembly comprises a backing plate and a separating element disposed on said backing plate;
• providing at least one target element and disposing said at least one target element at and in contact with a surface of said separating element, wherein said at least one target element is not bonded to said separating element when disposed at and in contact with said surface of said separating element;
• wherein said at least one target element comprises a metallic material;
• providing an expansion gap at or adjacent to said at least one target element to allow for expansion of said at least one target element during the sputtering process;
• sputtering metallic material from said at least one target element and heating said at least one target element to a substantially elevated temperature during the sputtering process;
• wherein sputtering metallic material during the sputtering process sputters metallic material onto a surface of said glass substrate in the vacuum deposition chamber to coat said surface of said glass substrate with the metallic material to establish a transparent electrically conductive layer at said surface of said glass substrate;
• wherein, during the sputtering process, said at least one target element is capable of movement relative to said surface of said separating element;
• and
• wherein said separating element thermally insulates said at least one target element from said backing plate, and wherein heating said at least one target element comprises heating said at least one target element to a substantially greater temperature than said backing plate during the sputtering process.