Thin film application device and method for coating small aperture vacuum vessels
AssigneeUchicago Argonne, LLC
InventorsDean R. Walters, Grantley O. Este
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device and method for coating an inside surface of a vessel is provided. In one embodiment, a coating device comprises a power supply and a diode in electrical communication with the power supply, wherein electrodes comprising the diode reside completely within the vessel. The method comprises reversibly sealing electrodes in a vessel, sputtering elemental metal or metal compound on the surface while maintaining the surface in a controlled atmosphere.
Claims17
A system for coating an inside surface of a vessel having an inner diameter less than 15 millimeters, the system consisting of comprising:
- a. an alternating current power supply generating an alternating current;
- b. a cathode having a first longitudinal axis substantially parallel to a longest length of the vessel and having an interior channel formed therein which runs coaxially with the first longitudinal axis of the cathode, wherein the interior channel is adapted to receive a coolant, and an anode having a second longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the longest length of the vessel and having an interior channel formed therein which runs coaxially with the second longitudinal axis of the anode, wherein the first longitudinal axis of the cathode is different from and parallel to the second longitudinal axis of the anode and wherein a gap separates the cathode from the anode and the cathode and the anode are in electrical communication with the alternating current power supply and wherein the alternating current is applied to the cathode and anode, wherein the cathode and anode are adapted to be substantially entirely received and substantially centered within the vessel;
- and
- c. means for maintaining the inside surface of the vessel in a controlled atmosphere wherein the alternating current is applied to the cathode and anode to sputter material from the cathode and anode to coat the inside surface of the vessel.
A system for coating an inside surface of a vessel having an inner diameter less than 15 millimeters, the system consisting of:
- a. an alternating current power supply generating an alternating current;
- b. a cathode having a first longitudinal axis substantially parallel to a longest length of the vessel and having an interior channel formed therein which runs coaxially with the first longitudinal axis of the cathode and an anode having a second longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the longest length of the vessel and having an interior channel formed therein which runs coaxially with the second longitudinal axis of the anode, the interior channels are adapted to receive a coolant, wherein the first longitudinal axis of the cathode is different from and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the anode and wherein a gap separates the cathode from the anode and the cathode and the anode are in electrical communication with the alternating current power supply and wherein alternating current is applied to the cathode and anode, wherein the cathode and anode reside substantially within and substantially centered within the vessel;
- and
- c. means for maintaining the surface of the vessel in a controlled atmosphere wherein alternating current is applied to the cathode and anode to sputter material from the cathode and anode to coat the inside surface of the vessel and wherein the means for maintaining the atmosphere includes contacting the inside surface of the vessel with a gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, argon, helium, neon and combinations thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.