Method and apparatus for feeding and coating articles in a controlled atmosphere

Sputtering apparatus for depositing a metallic coating on an article;

• comprising:
• a processing chamber adapted for maintaining a low pressure gaseous atmosphere;
• a plurality of targets of a desired metal for coating the article and being arranged sequentially in a plurality of rows of targets,
• the plurality of targets being located within the processing chamber and the plurality of rows of targets being substantially parallel to one another,
• multiple means for transporting articles to receive metallic coatings along selected transport tracks, each track being located substantially equidistantly intermediate to two adjacent rows of targets,
• means adapted for generating a plasma causing atoms to be ejected from a surface of the targets,
• and means adapted for controlling a trajectory of atoms ejected from the targets such that a trajectory path of a majority of the atoms intersects the articles to be coated, each target including a target magnetic source oriented in a first magnetic polarity orientation included within each target,
• the targets being bidirectionally surfaced and adapted to be operative to supply ejected atoms from both sides toward adjacent means for transporting articles, and
• means for inserting articles into and removing articles from the processing chamber while simultaneously maintaining a desired controlled atmosphere within the processing chamber,
• means for magnetically minimizing the heating of the substrates caused by charged particles by the addition of an associated magnetic field source having a second magnetic polarity orientation opposite the first magnetic polarity orientation located between each of the target magnetic sources, and
• means for physically cooling the substrates.

A method of feeding and coating articles with a metallic coating in a continuous process;

• the method comprising the steps of:
• evacuating a closed chamber to a low pressure gaseous atmosphere,
• continuously feeding a plurality of articles into the closed chamber,
• continuously transporting articles within the closed chamber along at least a first and second defined path within the closed chamber,
• sequentially positioning a first plurality of coating sources along a first side of the first defined path,
• sequentially positioning a second plurality of coating sources along a second side of the first defined path and a first side of the second defined path intermediate the first and second defined path,
• sequentially positioning a third plurality of coating sources along a second side of the second defined path,
• each of said coating sources in the first and third plurality of coating sources including a magnetic source oriented in a first magnetic polarity orientation and the second plurality of coating sources each being oriented in a second magnetic polarity orientation,
• magnetically enhancing the sputtering yield and controlling magnetic flux adjacent surfaces of articles to be substantially parallel to the adjacent surfaces by the addition of a plurality of associated magnetic field sources having a second magnetic polarity orientation opposite the first magnetic polarity orientation and each associated magnetic field source being located between each of the magnetic source included in the coating sources and producing a trajectory of emissions from the first plurality of coating sources optimized to minimize the heating of the transported articles and to produce sputtered metallic atoms from a target of coating material in which a majority of the metallic atoms intersect a first side of the articles transported along the first defined path,
• magnetically enhancing the sputtering yield and controlling magnetic flux adjcent surfaces of articles to be substantially parllel to the adjacent surfaces by the addition of a plurality of associated magnetic field sources having a first magnetic polarity orientation opposite the second magnetic polarity orientation and each associted magnetic field source being located between adjacent ones of the magnetic source included in the coating source and producing a trajectory of emissions from the second plurality of coating sources optimized to minimize the heating of the transported articles and to produce sputtered metallic atoms from a target of coating material in which a majority of the metallic atoms intersect a first and second side of the articles transported along a second defined path,
• magnetically enhancing the sputtering yield and controlling magnetic flux adjacent surfaces of articles to be substantially parallel to the adjacent surfaces by the addition of a plurality of associated magnetic field sources having a second magnetic polarity orientation opposite the first magnetic polarity orientation and each associated magnetic field source being located between adjacent ones of the magnetic source included in the coating sources and producing a trajectory of emissions from the third plurality of coating sources optimized tominimize the heating of the transported articles and to produced sputtered metallic atoms from a target of coating material in which a majority of the metallic atoms intersect a first side of the articles transported along the third defined path,
• continuously removing coated articles from the closed chamber.

A sputter type process system for depositing a metallic coating on circuit panels, comprising:

• a sputter chamber,
• means for maintaining a controlled gaseous atmosphere within the sputter chamber,
• a first and second airlocking chamber for permitting a continuous throughput type insertion into and removal of circuit panels to and from the sputter chamber, respectively,
• means for transporting circuit panels through the sputter chamber along a plurality of panel transport tracks substantially parallel to one another,
• a plurality of magnetron coating sources serially arrayed between each of the panel transport tracks, and along the outside of outer located panel tracks, each magnetron coating source arrayed between panel transport tracks being bidirectional in operation and including, first and second planar cathode surfaces, a magnetic field source for producing lines of flux substantially parallel to the first and second planar cathode surface and substantially neutral at the circuit panel surface and first and second columnar anodes positioned at opposite edges of the first and second planar cathode surfaces respectively and further including an additional magnetic field source associated with each coating source to cooperate with the magnetic field source of each coating source to constrain magnetic flux adjacent a surface of a circuit panel being coated to be parallel to the surface of a circuit panel being coated,
• and panels traversing the panel transport tracks are metallically coated on both sides.

A processing system for depositing a metallic coating on an article, comprising:

• an airtight processing chamber and means adapted for providing a low pressure controlled gaseous atmosphere within the airtight processing chamber,
• first, second and third serial arrays of coating sources for supplying the metallic coating to be deposited on the articles, the first, second and third serial arrays being substantially parallel to one another,
• each coating source including a magnetic field source, an electric field source, and first and second planar targets of a desired coating material arranged to supply coating particles in substantially opposing directions that are substantially perpendicular to the first, second and third serial arrays and further including an additional magnetic field source associated with each coating source to cooperate with the magnetic field source to constrain magnetic flux adjacent a surface of an article being coated to be parallel to the surface of an article being coated,
• first and second article transport tracks substantially parallel to the first, second and third serial arrays, the first article transport track located intermediate to the first and second serial arrays and the second article transport track located intermediate to the second and third serial arrays, the article transport tracks being operative for guiding articles to be coated through the airtight processing chamber,
• and means for continuously inserting and continuously removing articles into and out of the airtight processing chamber from the first and second article transport tracks without altering the controlled gaseous atmosphere and including means for driving articles along the first and second article transport tracks.