Abstract: An apparatus for thin film deposition on fixed objects can be carried out using a portable vacuum deposition plant having a forechamber surrounding the deposition chamber and in which a process gas chamber slightly higher than that of the deposition chamber is maintained. The forechamber and the deposition chamber can be separately evacuated and vacuum seals can be provided between the chambers and the substrate. The source of the coating material may include a sputtering magnetron and a grid can be provided between the magnetron and the substrate.

Abstract: A plastic wrapping film is provided with one or more aluminum layers by vapor deposition and the or each layer is only partially oxidized in an oxidizing plasma so that the resulting barrier layer is distinguishable by slight reduction in transparency but excellent prevention of penetration by moisture and oxygen.

Abstract: A plastic wrapping film is provided with one or more aluminum layers by vapor deposition and the or each layer is only partially oxidized in an oxidizing plasma so that the resulting barrier layer is distinguishable by slight reduction in transparency but excellent prevention of penetration by moisture and oxygen.

Abstract: A roll-to-roll coating of plastic film with dielectric coatings formed in situ by the reaction of a reactive gas with deposited metal provides arrays of rollers around which the web is looped between the low-pressure zone at which the metal is deposited in each pass upon and a high-pressure zone in which the reactive gas primarily reacts with the deposited metal.

Abstract: Thin film deposition apparatus, utilizing PECVD, sputtering technologies, etc., essentially constituted by a chamber equipped with one or more electrodes and respective counter-electrodes, screens, gas supply lines, and one or more magnetron sputtering cathode. The chamber is provided with a rotating device loading substrates able to rotate through 180 degrees objects to treat. The chamber can have polygonal geometry, provided to consent installation of one or more kinds of sources. The invention consents, in a single vacuum cycle the deposition of hardening and anti-reflecting layers on plastic material and it does not need frequent recharges.

Abstract: A barrier coating against oxygen and water vapor penetration for a plastic packaging film comprising two oxides, one of which is SiO.sub.2 while the other is Al.sub.2 O.sub.3. The barrier is a single layer of mixed oxides in which the concentration of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 increases continuously from 20% by weight to 80% by weight while the concentration of SiO.sub.2 decreases continuously from 80% by weight to 20% by weight as the thickness of the mixed oxide layer increases from the surface of the plastic film. The plastic film is preferably polyethylene terephthalate or polyphenylene oxide and the barrier coating is transparent.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for coating a plastic web with dielectric coatings formed in-situ by the reaction of a reactive gas with deposited metal as the web passes over lower and upper arrays of rollers in a vacuum chamber. The lower rollers are in a lower-pressure zone at which metal is deposited onto the web by vaporization, and the upper rollers are in a higher-pressure zone where the reactive gas reacts with the deposited metal. The reactive gas can be excited by a magnetron. The rollers of one array can be lower than other rollers thereof and be larger than rollers of the other array such that curvature of the web as it passes around the larger rollers is minimized.

Abstract: An apparatus for thin layer vapor deposition has two horizontally spaced apart vacuum deposition chambers. Rearwardly and inwardly angled horizontal vacuum ducts are connected to the chambers, and a vacuum pumping device is connected to a further horizontal vacuum duct which communicates with the inwardly angled ducts. A computerized central system disposed between the chambers is operatively connected to the ducts and vacuum pumping device to enable either of the chambers to be used for set-up and evacuation while the other chamber is used for heating and deposition.

Abstract: Apparatus and process for loading substrates into an evacuable fore-chamber and registering the substrates with an opening in a vacuum treatment chamber to which the fore-chamber is attached. The fore-chamber is removably attached to a an external surface of a wall of the vacuum treatment chamber such that an opening in a wall of the fore-chamber is registered with an opening in the wall of the vacuum treatment chamber. A rotatable plate lying along the wall of the fore-chamber has a plurality of substrate holders each dimensioned to register with the opening in the vacuum treatment chamber. Rotation of the plate enables sequential exposure of the substrates to the vacuum treatment chamber for treatment without breaking the vacuum in the vacuum treatment chamber.

Abstract: A process for obtaining conductive and resistive elements in microwave circuits in which sequentially a layer of a thin film constituted by a high resistive material is deposited on an insulating substrate, a thin film of conductive material is deposited over the high resistence material, the high resistive film is removed by photoetching from areas which are to constitute resistive elements, a masking material is electrolytically grown on the areas constituting the resistive elements, a thick film of conductive material is electrolytically grown over the entire surface, a protecting material is deposited on areas to constitute conductive elements, the thick film of conductive material is removed by ionic erosion from areas unprotected in the previous step and residual protecting material is removed by differential chemical attack.

Abstract: A cryogenic container with low thermal losses for infra-red detecting devices, with integrated feed-through connections, wherein said container consists of two elements adapted to have their outer walls joined, the two walls having two edges with surfaces facing one another to define an annular zone arranged to receive vacuum sealed feed-through connections in the form of a substrate on which a multiplicity of conductors is formed by micro-circuitry techniques. The conductors extend through the annular zone and project both inward and outward of the outer wall. A flexible element is provided for contacting an active element inside the cryostat with the conductors. The flexible element consists of a layer of plastic material supporting a multiplicity of conductive tracks.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing semiconductor devices, particularly monocrystalline structures by sputter etching, wherein the electric discharge is effected in a rarefied atmosphere, the components of which are Argon and Hydrogen, or Argon and H.sub.2 O, or inert gas and a gas developing Hydrogen ions.