System and method for plasma plating

A method for plasma plating comprising:

• positioning a substrate with a threaded surface on a platform within a vacuum chamber, wherein an inwardly facing surface of the substrate faces a center of the platform and an outwardly facing surface of the substrate faces an edge of the platform and wherein the platform further comprises a turntable operable to rotate the substrate;
• positioning a first depositant in the vacuum chamber;
• positioning a second depositant in the vacuum chamber, wherein the first depositant and the second depositant are arranged so that rotation of the turntable moves the inwardly facing surface of the substrate past the first depositant at a first time and the outwardly facing surface of the substrate past the second depositant at a second time;
• reducing an initial pressure in the vacuum chamber to at or between 0.5 milliTorr and 1.5 milliTorr;
• applying a negative dc signal to the substrate at a voltage amplitude at or between 500 volts and 750 volts;
• applying a radio frequency signal to the substrate at a power level at or between 1 watt and 50 watts;
• and
• heating the first depositant and the second depositant to temperatures at or above the respective melting points of the depositants, whereby a plasma is generated in the vacuum chamber, the plasma includes a mixture of positively charged depositant ions and negatively charged electrons, and the depositant ions are plated on the threaded surface of the substrate to create a plated threaded surface, wherein the inwardly facing surface and the outwardly facing surface of the substrate encompasses the plated threaded surface, and wherein the plated threaded surface reduces galling between the plated threaded surface and a surface of a mated component.

A method for plasma plating comprising:

• positioning a substrate with a threaded surface on a platform within a vacuum chamber, wherein an inwardly facing surface of the substrate faces a center of the platform and an outwardly facing surface of the substrate faces an edge of the platform and wherein the platform further comprises a turntable operable to rotate the substrate;
• positioning a first depositant in a first set of filaments within the vacuum chamber, the depositant includes at least a first metal;
• positioning a second depositant in a second set of filaments within the vacuum chamber, wherein the first set and second set of filaments are arranged so that rotation of the turntable moves the inwardly facing surface of the substrate past the first set of filaments at a first time and the outwardly facing surface of the substrate past the second set of filaments at a second time;
• reducing an initial pressure in the vacuum chamber to at or below 4 milliTorr;
• flowing a gas through the vacuum chamber at a rate to raise the pressure in the vacuum chamber to at or between 0.1 milliTorr and 4 milliTorr;
• applying a negative dc signal to the substrate at a voltage amplitude at or between one to 1,500 volts;
• applying a radio frequency signal to the substrate at a power level at or between 1 watt and 50 watts;
• and
• heating the first depositant and the second depositant to temperatures at or above their respective melting points, whereby a plasma is generated in the vacuum chamber, the plasma includes a mixture of positively charged first and second depositant ions and negatively charged electrons, and the first and second depositant ions are plated on the threaded surface, the inwardly facing surface and the outwardly facing surface of the substrate to create plated surfaces, and wherein the plated surfaces reduce galling between the plated surfaces and mating surfaces of a mated component.