Interlocking cylindrical magnetron cathodes and targets
AssigneeIsoflux, Inc.
InventorsDavid A. Glocker, Mark Romach
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cylindrical magnetron having a cylindrical cathode surrounding a cylindrical target. The cathode is without features extending inwards thereof at either end such that the target may be axially removed from or installed into the cathode from either end. The target is positioned and axially retained within the cathode by resilient means operative between the outer surface of the target and the inner surface of the cathode. The invention is especially useful in magnetron assemblies having a plurality of abutting, coaxially disposed magnetrons, wherein all the targets may be removed and replaced from the cathode assembly without requiring disassembly and reassembly of the cathodes.
Claims10
A cylindrical magnetron, comprising:
- a) a cylindrical cathode having a cylindrical inner surface;
- b) a cylindrical target having a cylindrical outer surface and being disposed within said cylindrical cathode;
- and
- c) means operative between said target and said cathode for positioning and retaining said target axially within said cathode,
- wherein said means for positioning and retaining includes a groove in said inner surface of said cathode, a first resilient element disposed in said groove and extending resiliently inwards of said inner surface, and a step formed in said outer surface of said target at an end thereof for receiving said resilient element to position and support said target axially within said cathode, and
- wherein the diameter of said target at all diameters of said outer surface is less than the diameter of said cathode at all diameters of said inner surface, such that said target may be passed axially entirely through said cathode.
A cylindrical magnetron assembly having a plurality of individual cylindrical magnetrons abutting coaxially, each of said individual magnetrons comprising:
- a) a cylindrical cathode having a cylindrical inner surface;
- b) a cylindrical target having a cylindrical outer surface and being disposed within said cylindrical cathode, wherein the diameter of said target at all diameters of said outer surface is less than the diameter of said cathode at all diameters of said inner surface, such that said target may be passed axially entirely through said cathode;
- and
- c) means operative between said target and said cathode for positioning and retaining said target axially within said cathode, said means including a groove in said inner surface of said cathode, a first resilient element disposed in said groove and extending resiliently inwards of said inner surface, and a step formed in said outer surface of said target at an end thereof for receiving said resilient element to position and support said target axially within said cathode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.