Processing tubular surfaces using double glow discharge

A method of sputtering a component, comprising:

• positioning a conductive substrate into a vacuum chamber, wherein said conductive substrate is tubular, is formed of a conductive polymer, a metal, or a conductive ceramic, and has a surface;
• inserting a source electrode including a source material into said conductive substrate, wherein said source material is selected from the group consisting of W, Mo, Nb, Ta or Re;
• evacuating said vacuum chamber and supplying a gas to said vacuum chamber to raise pressure in said to chamber to 1×10−2 torr to 1×102 torr;
• applying a first bias voltage potential difference ΔVac1 in the range of 100 to 1,000 V between said conductive substrate and said vacuum chamber with a first power supply connected to the substrate that provides direct current and optionally increasing said first bias voltage potential difference to the range of 300 to 1,000 V after a given time period;
• applying a second bias voltage potential difference ΔVas1 between said source electrode and said vacuum chamber with a second power supply connected to the source electrode that provides an alternating current or direct current, in addition to applying said first bias voltage potential difference, wherein said second bias voltage potential difference ΔVas1 is less than said first bias voltage potential difference ΔVac1 while sputtering said source material onto said conductive substrate;
• wherein said source material is coated onto said conductive substrate at a thickness of up to and including 250 μm;
• and
• regulating conductive substrate temperature, source electrode temperature, said first bias voltage potential difference ΔVac1, said second bias voltage potential difference ΔVas1 and said pressure such that said source material diffuses into said substrate in the range of 0.1 μm to 250 μm from said surface of said conductive substrate.

A method of sputtering a component, comprising:

• positioning a source electrode including a source material into a vacuum chamber, wherein said source electrode is tubular and cooled and said source material is selected from the group consisting of W, Mo, Nb, Ta or Re;
• inserting a conductive substrate comprising a conductive polymer, a metal, or a conductive ceramic into said source electrode, wherein said conductive substrate has a surface;
• evacuating said vacuum chamber and supplying a gas to said vacuum chamber to raise pressure in said to chamber to 1×10−2 torr to 1×102 torr;
• applying a first bias voltage potential difference ΔVac1 in the range of 100 to 1,000 V between said conductive substrate and said vacuum chamber with a first power supply connected to said conductive substrate that provides direct current and optionally increasing said first bias voltage potential difference to the range of 300 to 1,000 V after a given time period;
• applying a second bias voltage potential difference ΔVas1 between said source electrode and said vacuum chamber with a second power supply connected to the source electrode that provides an alternating current or direct current, in addition to applying said first bias voltage potential difference, wherein said second bias voltage potential difference ΔVas1 is less than said first bias voltage potential difference ΔVac1 while sputtering said source material onto said conductive substrate;
• and
• regulating conductive substrate temperature, source electrode temperature, said first bias voltage potential difference ΔVac1, said second bias voltage potential difference ΔVas1 and said pressure such that said source material diffuses into said substrate in the range of 0.1 μm to 250 μm from said surface of said conductive substrate.