Arrangement for the coating of substrates

Apparatus for the vapor deposition of thin layers on a substrate surface, with a magnetron cathode which has a target to be disintegrated and which is disposed opposite the substrate, wherein the particles knocked from the target form with reactive gases a compound which is deposited as a thin layer on the substrate, the apparatus including:

• the magnetron cathode further comprising an electrode and permanent magnetic means between the magnetron cathode electrode and the target for producing a magnetic cusp field adjacent the target;
• at least two ion particle generator means between the target and the substrate for generating beams of ion particles of a reactive gas;
• means for injecting said reactive gas between the magnetron cathode and the ion particle generator means;
• housing means for spacing the target, the particle generator means and the substrate apart from one another by a cavity region substantially free of particles of the reactive gas;
• and
• electromagnetic means for electromagnetically accelerating and directing the ion beams along intersecting axes which are angularly offset from one another and from the substrate surface into the vicinity of the substrate so as to react the ions with particles from the target at a location immediately above the substrate.