Abstract: To control reactive magnetron sputtering process using a reactive gas or reactive gases the process overall pressure is regulated by means of the flow of the reactive gas or the reactive gases, respectively. Oscillations of the flow of the reactive gas or the reactive gases, respectively are determined and used as feedback to determine the process overall pressure.

Abstract: A hard, wear-resistant aluminum nitride based coating of composition AlxSiyMezN is proposed; x, y and z denote atomic fractions, the sum of which is between 0.95 and 1.05, and wherein Me is a metal dopant of group III to VIII and Ib transition metals or a combination thereof. The metal provides, during the coating process, an intrinsic electrical conductivity higher than the coating without the metal doping. The silicon content is in between 0.01?y?0.4 and the content of the metal dopant or dopants Me is 0.001?z?0.8, preferably 0.01?z?0.05 and most preferably 0.015?z?0.045.

Abstract: A hard, wear-resistant aluminum nitride based coating of composition AlxSiyMezN is proposed; x, y and z denote atomic fractions, the sum of which is between 0.95 and 1.05, and wherein Me is a metal dopant of group III to VIII and Ib transition metals or a combination thereof. The metal provides, during the coating process, an intrinsic electrical conductivity higher than the coating without the metal doping. The silicon content is in between 0.01?y?0.4 and the content of the metal dopant or dopants Me is 0.001?z?0.8, preferably 0.01?z?0.05 and most preferably 0.015?z?0.045.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vacuum chamber for coating items (10) in which a physical vapor deposition method (PVD) is carried out. The aim of the invention is to create a vacuum chamber of the aforementioned kind which can be provided with modular cathodes. For this purpose, the vacuum chamber is provided with a plurality of receiving devices in which a plurality of cathodes each can be arranged. A first receiving device (30) for receiving one or more cathodes (40, 42, 44, 46) is provided substantially in the center of the vacuum chamber (20) and two additional receiving devices (32, 34) for receiving at least one cathode (48, 50, 52, 54) each are provided on the edges of the vacuum chamber (20) in a door-like manner.

Abstract: A method is provided for coating objects in a vacuum chamber in which a physical vapor deposition (PVD) can be carried out. The chamber has at least one anode means, at least one cathode and at least one magnetic field source. An arc can be ignited between the at least one anode means and the at least one cathode, and the cathode separates material. The at least one magnetic field can be turned relative to the at least one cathode and the objects to be coated are arranged in the chamber. The magnetic field is turned before the beginning of the coating process so that the separated material does not coat the objects to be coated in the coating process.

Abstract: A PVD method is proposed for coating substrates (10) in a vacuum chamber (20) with at least one anode (30), a cathode (40) and a magnetic field source (42). The cathode (40) can be controlled by the magnetic field source (42) in relation to the direction of the separated material. The method is based on the additional step of effectively turning the magnetic field source before the coating process so that the particles separated from the cathode (40) by the arc can impact on a chamber wall and thus cleaning processes can be carried out in the chamber and at the cathode. It is further proposed that the coating should be carried out successively in relation to the height by moving the magnetic field source (42) upwards and downwards, wherein the magnetic field source (42) is turned relative to the cathode (40) during the upward and downward movement and thus the deposition rate is varied in relation to the height.