Apparatus for coating a surface with a metal utilizing a plasma source
AssigneeUniversity of California
InventorsIan G. Brown, Robert A. MacGill, James E. Galvin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for coating or layering a surface with a metal utilizing a metal vapor vacuum arc plasma source. The apparatus includes a trigger mechanism for actuating the metal vacuum vapor arc plasma source in a pulsed mode at a predetermined rate. The surface or substrate to be coated or layered is supported in position with the plasma source in a vacuum chamber. The surface is electrically biased for a selected period of time during the pulsed mode of operation of the plasma source. Both the pulsing of the metal vapor vacuum arc plasma source and the electrical biasing of the surface are synchronized for selected periods of time.
Claims11
An apparatus for coating a surface with a metal utilizing a metal vapor vacuum arc plasma source, comprising:
- a. means for actuating the metal vapor vacuum arc plasma source in a pulsed mode at a predetermined rate, said actuating means including a pulse generator producing an output signal of a certain pulse width;
- b. means for supporting the surface to receive metal ions from the plasma source;
- c. means for electrically biasing the surface for a selected period of time during said pulsed mode operation of said means for actuating the metal vapor vacuum arc plasma source in a pulsed mode;
- d. means for synchronizing the activities of said means for actuating the metal vapor vacuum arc plasma source and said means for electrically biasing the surface for a selected period of time;
- and
- e. a vacuum chamber for enclosing at least a portion of the plasma source and the surface.
A method of coating a surface with a metal utilizing a metal vapor vacuum arc plasma source comprising:
- a. providing a vacuum chamber for enclosing the plasma source and the surface;
- b. supporting the surface a selected distance from the plasma source in the vacuum chamber;
- c. actuating the metal vapor vacuum arc plasma source in a pulsed mode and at a predetermined rate, utilizing a pulse generator producing an output signal of a certain pulse width;
- d. electrically biasing the surface for a selected period for time during said pulse mode operation of said metal vapor vacuum arc plasma source;
- and
- e. synchronizing the actuation of the metal vapor vacuum arc plasma source in a pulsed mode and the electrical biasing of the surface for a selected period of time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.