Abstract: In an ion etching method for reducing a substrate thickness, an electric arc is generated in a vacuum chamber such that the electric arc is locally separated from the substrate and circulates about the substrate. A plasma of a supplied etching gas is produced by the electric arc, and the ions of the etching gas are accelerated onto the substrate by an electric potential. The employed device has a vacuum chamber, an etching gas supply, and first and second electrodes supplied with direct or alternating voltage for generating the electric arc that produces the plasma of the etching gas. The first electrode is ring-shaped and the second electrode is arranged centrally to the ring of the first electrode. A magnetic coil creates a migrating magnetic field such that the electric arc is locally separated from the substrate and circulates about the substrate in a carousel fashion.

Abstract: On a glass substrate, a base layer of indium cerium oxide is deposited, and on this a thin copper-containing silver layer, both produced by means of DC sputtering. On top there is another indium cerium oxide layer, which is produced by means of AC-superimposed DC sputter deposition. This layer system boasts very low surface resistivity combined with high transparency in the visible part of the spectrum, which means it has a high Haacke quality factor.

Abstract: Sparking is suppressed during high-frequency sputtering by a high-frequency generator (5) which has a controlled switching unit (13) that is connected upstream in relation to the output of the generator. A high-frequency supply signal that is generated at the output of the high-frequency generator is stopped for plasma discharge (PL) for a short time, by the switching unit.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a display panel substrate has the steps of flowing a working gas along and out of a slit defined between two sputtering targets of Mg and toward the substrate thereby selecting the purity of the Mg material of the targets to be at least 99% and thereby blowing sputtered-off material out of the slit and toward the substrate. Introduction, in an area between the slit and the substrate, of a reactive gas containing oxygen, follows, and reacting the sputtered-off material with the reactive gas results in depositing on the substrate, an MgO layer. The method also includes setting the temperature of the substrate during the coating process.

Abstract: A coating apparatus has two Mg-targets mutually defining a slit and with a target Mg material purity of at least 99%. An anode arrangement and a gas inlet arrangement are adjacent a first end area of the slit, the gas inlet arrangement being connected to a gas tank arrangement with a working gas. The apparatus has a substrate carrier and conveying arrangement with which a planar substrate is movable across and distant from a second slit end area opposite the first end area and a further gas inlet arrangement is situated between the second slit end area and the substrate carrier and conveying arrangement and is connected to a gas tank arrangement containing oxygen.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a substrate which is coated with a Mgo-layer, includes a pair of Mg targets which define a slit and which have a target purity of at least 99 percent. A working gas flows along the slit. Oxygen is provided in an area between the slit and the substrate to be coated. The temperature of the substrate is set by heating or cooling the substrate during the coating process.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for reducing the thickness of substrates (3), especially wafers, by ion etching. The method provides that the plasma is produced through an arc in the presence of an etching gas. Said arc can be produced with either an alternating voltage or a direct voltage between two electrodes (4, 5). The substrate (3) to be treated is at a negatively pulsed direct voltage potential. The inventive method is characterised by a high ionization rate and consequently, by short etching times. Another application for the inventive method for plasma-treating the surface of substrates (3) by ion bombardment provides that the surface of these substrates (3) is plasma-activated.

Abstract: The aim of the invention is to suppress sparking during high-frequency sputtering. A high-frequency generator (5) is provided which has a controlled switching unit (13) that is connected upstream in relation to the output of said generator. A high-frequency supply signal that is generated at the output of the high-frequency generator is stopped for plasma discharge (PL) for a short time and by means of said switching unit.

Abstract: A substrate coated has at least one MgO-layer and an extent of at least 100 mm.times.100 mm. The layer has a predominant peak in the measuring diagram of the .THETA.-2.THETA.-method and the density of the material of the layer is at least 80% of the density of stoichiometric MgO-bulk material, which is .rho.=3.58 g/cm.sup.3.