Abstract: A plate-centering system that has a plate with a holder, in which the plate is centered in the holder both at room temperature and at higher temperatures, independently of the thermal expansion of the plate and the holder, and the plate can freely expand in the holder at higher temperatures. The invention relates in particular to a target having a frame-shaped target mount, which is very well suited for use in a coating source for high power pulsed magnetron sputtering of the target.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for supplying power impulses for PVD sputtering cathodes subdivided into partial cathodes. In said method, the power impulse intervals acting on the partial cathodes are selected in such a way as to overlap, thereby dispensing with the need to interrupt the drawing of power supplied by the generator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a plasma source which is arranged in floating fashion on a vacuum chamber, wherein the plasma source comprises a source housing, and a filament is provided in the source housing and is arranged so as to be insulated therefrom, wherein means for measuring the potential drop between the source housing and the filament are provided. The measured potential drop can be used for regulating the voltage heating the filament. According to the invention, corresponding means are provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vacuum treatment chamber, comprising a coil arrangement for generating a magnetic field in the chamber, wherein the coil arrangement comprises at least one first coil section and a second coil section, wherein the first coil section and the second coil section are arranged adjacent to each other in cross-section and preferably in one plane, such that at least a partial section of the first coil substantially follows the course of a partial section of the second coil, wherein the spacing of the first partial section from the second partial section is at least one order of magnitude smaller than the cross-section of the optionally smaller coil section.

Abstract: A plasma generating device includes a plasma source having a plasma source hollow body (1) and an electron emission unit (5) for emitting free electrons into the plasma source hollow body. The plasma source hollow body (1) has a first gas inlet (7a) and a plasma source opening (10) which forms an opening to a vacuum chamber. An anode has an anode hollow body (2). The anode hollow body (2) has a second gas inlet (7b) and an anode opening (11) which forms an opening to the vacuum chamber, and a voltage source (8) the negative pole of which is connected to the electron emission unit (5) and the positive pole of which is connected to the anode hollow body (2). The positive pole of the voltage source (8) is electrically connected by a first shunt (6a) to the plasma source hollow body.

Abstract: The invention relates to an arc source with a target (1) having a target front face (2) for the vacuum vaporization of the target material, a target backside with a cooling plate (4), a central target region (Z) as well as a target margin. The arc source further comprises a magnet configuration (8, 9) with an inner magnet system (8) and/or an outer magnet system (9) for the generation of a magnetic field in the proximity of the target front face. At least one of the magnet systems (8) is herein radially poled and effects alone or in connection with the particular other magnet system that the field lines of the magnetic field extend here substantially parallel to the target front face (2).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for coating substrates by sputtering of target material, the method comprising the following steps:-applying a first sputtering target made of a first material in a coating chamber to a power pulse by which, during a first time interval, a first amount of energy is transmitted to the sputtering target, wherein the maximum power density exceeds 50 W/cm2 and preferably 500 W/cm2;-applying a second sputtering target made of a second material that is different from the first material in the coating chamber to a power pulse by which, during a second time interval, a second amount of energy is transmitted to the sputtering target, wherein the maximum power density exceeds 50 W/cm 2 and preferably 500W/cm2, characterized in that the first amount of energy differs from the second amount of energy.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the reactive gas consumption in a coating process using plasma, comprising the following steps: a) admitting reactive gas into a coating chamber, wherein the corresponding reactive gas flow is measured and, at the same time, the partial pressure prevailing in the coating chamber is measured, without igniting a plasma; b) admitting reactive gas into a coating chamber, wherein the corresponding reactive gas flow is measured and, at the same time, the partial pressure prevailing in the coating chamber is measured, wherein a plasma is ignited.

Abstract: The invention relates to a target which is embodied as a material source for a depositing method from the gas phase, comprising a front side and a rear side, characterized in that a self-adhesive carbon film is applied to the rear side. Said target can be embodied as a material source for a sputtering method and/or for an arc evaporation method. A particular advantage is that the target is used in a coating source with indirect cooling, the self-adhesive carbon film being in contact with the surface of the membrane which is part of a cooling channel.

Abstract: Coating method for arc coating or arc ion plating coating of substrates in a vacuum chamber in which using an arc evaporator solid material that functions as cathode is evaporated, during arc evaporation the motion of the cathode spot on the solid material surface is accelerated using a magnetic field for avoiding ejection of a large amount of macro-particles or droplets from the solid material surface, negative charged particles resulted from the arc evaporation flow from the cathode to an anode, characterized by the motion of the negative charged particles from the cathode to the anode fundamentally doesn't cause an additional increase of the absolute value of the potential difference between cathode and anode allowing a lower increment of the substrate temperature during coating.

Abstract: The invention relates to a HiPIMS method by means of which homogeneous layers can be deposited over the height of a coating chamber. Two partial cathodes are used for said purpose. According to the invention, the length of the individual power pulse intervals applied to the partial cathodes is chosen individually and thus a required coating thickness profile over the height of the coating chamber is achieved.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a temperature-measuring system, comprising a temperature sensor and a reference body, wherein means for determining temperature changes of the reference body and/or for control of the temperature of the reference body are provided. When the temperature measuring-system is used in a vacuum, the reference body forms no substantial material thermal bridges to the temperature sensor and the reference body shields the temperature sensor with respect to the environment in such a way that only radiation that comes from the surfaces of the reference and from surfaces of which the temperature is to be determined reaches the surface of the temperature sensor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for providing power pulses for PVD sputter cathodes which comprise a power consumption component and a cathode element, wherein during a power increase interval for a generator the power on the power consumption component is decreased and then the power on the cathode element is decreased, with changeover being effected such that the power draw from the generator providing the power does not have to be interrupted.

Abstract: Reactive sputtering in which, by ion bombardment, material is ejected from the surface of a target and transitions to the gas phase. Negative voltage pulses are applied to the target to establish electric current having a current density greater than 0.5 A/cm2 at the target surface, such that the material transitioning to the gas phase is ionized. Reactive gas flow is established and reacts with the material of the target surface. Voltage pulse duration is such that, during the pulse, the target surface where the current flows is at least partly covered most of the time with a compound composed of reactive gas and target material and, consequently, the target surface is in a first intermediate state, and this covering is smaller at the end of the voltage pulse than at the start and, consequently, the target surface is in a second intermediate state at the end of the voltage pulse.

Abstract: Planetary carriers (22) for workpieces mounted on a carousel (19) are provided within a vacuum chamber. A source (24) for a cloud comprising ions (CL) is provided so that a central axis (ACL) of the cloud intercepts the rotary axis (A20) of the carousel (19). The cloud (CL) has an ion density profile at the moving path (T) of planetary axes (A22) which drops to 50% of the maximum ion density at a distance from the addressed center axis (ACL) which is at most half the diameter of the planetary carriers (22). When workpieces upon the planetary carriers (22) are etched by the cloud comprising ions material which is etched off is substantially not redeposited on neighboring planetary carriers but rather ejected towards the wall of the vacuum chamber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the vapor deposition of PVD layer systems by means of sputtering on at least one substrate, wherein the layer system comprises at least a first layer, characterized in that, at least in one step of the method, a HiPIMS method is used with a power density of at least 250 W/Cm2, wherein a pulse length with a duration of at least 5 ms is used while a substrate has is applied to the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an (AI,Ti)N coating exhibiting at least two different coating portions, A and B, having grain size in nanometer magnitude order characterized in that the coating portion A exhibit larger grain size and higher elastic modulus than the coating portion B. The present invention relates as well to a method for coating a substrate with a coating as described above whereby at least the coating portion A and/or the coating portion B of the (AI,Ti)N coating are/is deposited by means of PVD techniques.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for coating a substrate, preferably a drill, wherein at least one first HiPIMS layer is applied by means of a HiPIMS process. Preferably, at least one second layer is applied to the first HiPIMS layer by means of a coating process that does not contain a HiPIMS process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a plasma source which is arranged in floating fashion on a vacuum chamber, wherein the plasma source comprises a source housing, and a filament is provided in the source housing and is arranged so as to be insulated therefrom, wherein means for measuring the potential drop between the source housing and the filament are provided. The measured potential drop can be used for regulating the voltage heating the filament. According to the invention, corresponding means are provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for supplying power impulses for PVD sputtering cathodes subdivided into partial cathodes. In said method, the power impulse intervals acting on the partial cathodes are selected in such a way as to overlap, thereby dispensing with the need to interrupt the drawing of power supplied by the generator.