Abstract: Aluminum or aluminum alloy sputter targets and methods of making same are provided. The pure aluminum or aluminum alloy is mechanically worked to produce a circular blank, and then the blank is given a recrystallization anneal to achieve desirable grain size and crystallographic texture. A 10-50% additional strain is provided to the blank step after the annealing to increase the mechanical strength. Further, in a flange area of the target, the strain is greater than in the other target areas with the strain in the flange area being imparted at a rate of about 20-60% strain. The blank is then finished to form a sputtering target with desirable crystallographic texture and adequate mechanical strength.

Abstract: A coating device includes a rotatable base, a board for holding workpieces, a positioning shaft positioned on the rotatable base, two eccentric wheels, a rack, and two reciprocating shafts. The two eccentric wheels are fixed on the positioning shaft and extend from the positioning shaft along two opposite directions. The two eccentric wheels are parallel to and spaced from each other. The rack is rotatably connected to the rotatable base. The rack is capable of rotating around the positioning shaft. Each reciprocating shaft is positioned on the rack. Each reciprocating shaft includes a hinge portion rotatably connected to an end of the board and a sliding portion slidably connected to the edge of a corresponding eccentric wheel. The two eccentric wheels are capable of driving the two reciprocating shafts to move alternately toward and away from the positioning shaft along radial directions of the positioning shaft.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing a stainless steel separator for a fuel cell. The stainless steel separator includes a stainless steel sheet, a first coating layer comprising metal/metal nitride films (M/MNx) (0.5?x?1) on a surface of the stainless steel sheet, and a second coating layer comprising a metal oxynitride film (MOyNz) (0.05?y?2, 0.25?z?1.0).

Abstract: Apparatus and method for cooling a recording media disk in a deposition system. A manifold spacer including an input port to receive a coolant gas and a first output port to output the coolant gas couples a pair of cooling plates together, the pair of cooling plates having opposing surfaces spaced apart by the manifold spacer to accommodate a passage of disks to be cooled. A first shower manifold is coupled to a first of the pair of cooling plates, the first shower manifold receives the coolant gas from the first output port in the manifold spacer and outputs the coolant gas flow in a first direction perpendicular to the opposing cooling plate surfaces and toward the media disk to be cooled.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus for uniformly eroding a sputtering target is disclosed.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus includes a process chamber having first and second regions, a metal target inside the process chamber, a target transfer unit inside the process chamber, the target transfer unit being configured to move the metal target between the first and second regions, a substrate holder in the second region of the process chamber, and a magnetic assembly in the first region of the process chamber, the magnetic assembly being interposed between the target transfer unit and a wall of the process chamber.

Abstract: A drive end block for a magnetron arrangement with a rotating target, comprises an end block housing having a rotatably mounted drive shaft. The drive shaft is arranged in the end block housing, accessible at an end from outside of the end block housing for connection to the rotating target, and adapted at its end inside the end block housing for introduction of a torque. An electric motor with a stator and a rotor for creating the torque is arranged inside the end block housing.

Abstract: A bipolar pulsed power supply which supplies power in a bipolar pulsed mode at a predetermined frequency to a pair of electrodes that come into contact with a plasma is arranged to reduce the switching loss of the switching elements in a bridge circuit, and also to attain a high durability without using high-performance switching elements. The bipolar pulsed power supply has: a bridge circuit constituted by switching elements SW1 through SW4 connected to positive and negative DC outputs from a DC power supply source; and a control means for controlling switching ON or OFF of each of the switching elements in the bridge circuit. An output-short-circuiting switching element SW0 is disposed between the positive and the negative DC outputs from the DC power supply source such that, in a short-circuited state of the output-short-circuiting switching element, each of the switching elements in the bridge circuit is switched by the control means.

Abstract: A thin film device, such as an intravascular stent, is disclosed. The device is formed of a seamless expanse of thin-film (i) formed of a sputtered nitinol shape memory alloy, defining, in an austenitic state, an open, interior volume, having a thickness between 0 5-50 microns, having an austenite finish temperature Af below 37° C.; and demonstrating a stress/strain recovery greater than 3% at 37° C. The expanse can be deformed into a substantially compacted configuration in a martensitic state, and assumes, in its austenitic state, a shape defining such open, interior volume. Also disclosed is a sputtering method for forming the device.

Abstract: The invention provides a substrate bearing a low-maintenance coating. In some embodiments, the coating includes a low-maintenance film that includes both titanium oxide and tungsten oxide. The invention also provides methods and equipment for depositing such coatings.

Abstract: A sputtering magnetron (300) insertable in a rotatable target is described. The magnetron is designed around a single piece, multiwalled tube (102, 202) with compartments (316, 316?, 318, 318?) extending over the length of the tube. The multiwalled tube gives a much stiffer magnetron carrier structure compared to prior art magnetrons. As a result, the magnetic field generator can be mounted inside a compartment and the distance between magnets and target surface is easily adjustable as the tube is much stiffer than the generator. Additionally, the coolant channels can be incorporated inside the tube and close to the outer wall of the tube so that coolant can be supplied in the vicinity of the magnetic field generator. The increased stiffness of the magnetron allows the target tube to be carried by the magnetron—not the other way around—at least during part of the useful life of the target.

Abstract: A plasma sputtering method for metal chalcogenides, such as germanium antimony telluride (GST), useful in forming phase-change memories. The substrate is held at a selected temperature at which the material deposits in either an amorphous or crystalline form. GST has a low-temperature amorphous range and a high-temperature crystalline range separated by a transition band of 105-120° C. Bipolar pulsed sputtering with less than 50% positive pulses of less than 10:s pulse width cleans the target while maintain the sputtering plasma. The temperature of chamber shields is maintained at a temperature favoring crystalline deposition or they may be coated with arc-spray aluminum or with crystallographically aligned copper or aluminum.

Abstract: A coated article that can be used in applications such as insulating glass (IG) units, so that resulting IG units can achieve high visible transmission of at least 70% (e.g., when using clear glass substrates from 1.0 to 3.5 mm thick), combined with at least one of: (a) SHGC no greater than about 0.45, more preferably no greater than about 0.40; (b) SC no greater than about 0.49, more preferably no greater than about 0.46; (c) chemical and/or mechanical durability; (d) neutral transmissive color such that transmissive a* is from ?5.0 to 0 (more preferably from ?3.5 to ?1.5), and transmissive b* is from ?2.0 to 4.0 (more preferably from 1.0 to 3.0); and (e) neutral reflective color from the exterior of the IG unit (i.e., Rg/Rout) such that reflective a* is from ?3.0 to 2.0 (more preferably from ?2.0 to 0.5), and reflective b* is from ?5.0 to 1.0 (more preferably from ?4.0 to ?1.0).

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure may provide a matching network for physical vapor deposition. The matching network may include a first RF generator coupled to a deposition chamber target through a first impedance matching network having a first tuning circuit. The first RF generator may be configured to introduce a first AC signal to the deposition chamber target. The matching network may also include a second RF generator coupled to a deposition chamber pedestal through a second impedance matching network. The second RF generator may be configured to introduce a second AC signal to the deposition chamber pedestal. The first tuning circuit may be configured to modify an effect of the second AC signal on plasma formed between the deposition chamber target and the deposition chamber pedestal.

Abstract: One or more embodiments of the invention are directed to deposition apparatuses comprising a grounded top wall, a processing chamber and a plasma source assembly having a conductive hollow cylinder and a magnet outside the conductive hollow cylinder capable of affecting the current density on the conductive hollow cylinder.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a magnetron sputtering device including a large ring cathode having a defined inner radius. The position of the ring cathode is offset in relation to a center point of a planetary drive system. An anode or reactive gas source may be located within the inner radius of the ring cathode. Lower defect rates are obtained through the lower power density at the cathode which suppresses arcing, while runoff is minimized by the cathode to planet geometry without the use of a mask.

Abstract: Deposition processes and devices for the fabrication of multilayer systems to better control the energy contribution at different stages of the deposition. This is achieved by depositing films by sputtering in a scheme providing for thermalized particles. Thermalized particles are obtained by choosing the working gas pressure and the distance between target and substrate to result in a mean free path of particles smaller than the distance between target and substrate or to result in a product of pressure and distance being larger than 2.0 cmPa.

Abstract: The present invention provides a plasma processing device and a plasma processing method that can easily adjust plasma density distribution while making the plasma density uniform, and a method of manufacturing an element including a substrate to be processed. In an embodiment of the present invention, the inside of a vacuum vessel (1) is divided by a grid (4) having communication holes into a plasma generation chamber (2) and a plasma processing chamber (5). On the upper wall (26) of the plasma generation chamber (2), magnetic coils (12) are arranged such that magnetic field lines within the vacuum vessel (1) point from the center of the vacuum vessel (1) to a side wall (27), and, outside the side wall (27) of the plasma generation chamber (2), ring-shaped permanent magnets (13) are arranged such that a polarity pointing to the inside of the vacuum vessel (1) is a north pole and a polarity pointing to the outside of the vacuum vessel (1) is a south pole.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing an ultrabarrier layer system through vacuum coating a substrate with a layer stack that is embodied as an alternating layer system of smoothing layers and transparent ceramic layers, but comprising at least one smoothing layer between two transparent ceramic layers, which are applied by sputtering, in which during the deposition of the smoothing layer a monomer is admitted into an evacuated coating chamber in which a magnetron plasma is operated.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus for depositing a target material on a substrate includes a chamber, a target in the chamber to provide the target material, a carrier to carry the substrate in the chamber to face the target, and a plurality of masks arranged along sides of the carrier and being movable back and forth with respect to the carrier.