Abstract: An apparatus for coating a component. The apparatus includes a chamber. A first magnetron and a second magnetron are disposed within the chamber for supplying a coating material to a surface of the component. A component holder is disposed within the chamber and is configured to hold the component. The first magnetron and the second magnetron are configured to be positioned and oriented adjacent the surface of the component held by the component holder and the first and second magnetrons are configured to move with respect to the component holder or the component holder is configured to move with respect to the first and second magnetrons during coating of the component.

Abstract: An arc ignition device for cathodic arc deposition of a target material onto a substrate, comprising a trigger finger arranged moveable between a contacting position and a resting position, wherein in the contacting position a side surface of an adjacent target can be physically contacted by the trigger finger, and in the resting position the adjacent target cannot be contacted by the trigger finger, wherein during cathodic arc deposition of a target material, the trigger finger is arranged movable between the contacting position and the resting position in such a way that the contamination of the trigger finger with deposited target material during the cathodic arc deposition of the target material can be minimized.

Abstract: An ARC evaporator comprising: a cathode assembly comprising a cooling plate (11), a target (1) as cathode element, an electrode arranged for enabling that an arc between the electrode and the front surface (1A) of the target (1) can be established—a magnetic guidance system placed in front of the back surface (1 B) of the target (i) comprising means for generating one or more magnetic whereas: —the borders of the cathode assembly comprise a surrounding shield (15) made of ferromagnetic material, wherein the surrounding shield (15) has a total height (H) in the transversal direction, said total height (H) including a component (C) for causing a shielding effect of magnetic field lines extending in any longitudinal directions, establishing in this manner the borders of the cathode assembly as limit of the extension of the magnetic field lines in any longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A method for coating substrates in an arc vaporization source for generating hard surface coatings on tools is provided. The method includes providing an arc-vaporization source with at least one electric solenoid and a permanent magnet arrangement including marginal permanent magnets and a central permanent magnet. The method further includes adjusting the position of the central and marginal permanent magnets relative to the target surface in at least three settings, adjusting the strength of the generated magnetic field based on the position of the central and marginal permanent magnets among the at least three settings, and coating the substrates by an ARC vaporization coating process performed by the ARC vaporization source at each of the at least three settings.

Abstract: An ARC evaporator comprising: —a cathode assembly, —an electrode arranged for enabling that an arc between an electrode and a front surface of the target can be established, and—a magnetic guidance system placed in front of a back surface of the target characterized in that: the magnetic guidance system comprises means placed in a central region for generating at least one magnetic field and means in a peripherical region for generating at least one further magnetic field, wherein the magnetic fields generated in this manner result in a total magnetic field for guiding the arc and controlling the cathode spot path at the front surface of the target, wherein the means placed in the central region comprises one electromagnetic coil for generating a magnetic field and the means placed in the peripherical region comprises two electromagnetic coils for generating two further magnetic fields.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an arc vaporization source for generating hard surface coatings on tools. The invention comprises an arc-vaporization source, comprising at least one electric solenoid and a permanent magnet arrangement that is displaceable relative to the target surface. The vaporization source can be adjusted to the different requirements of oxide, nitride, or metal coatings. The rate drop during the lifespan of a target to be vaporized can be held constant or adjusted by suitably adjusting the distance of the permanent magnets to the front side of the target. A compromise between the coating roughness and rate can be set.

Abstract: An arc ignition device for cathodic arc deposition of a target material onto a substrate, comprising a trigger finger arranged moveable between a contacting position and a resting position, wherein in the contacting position a side surface of an adjacent target can be physically contacted by the trigger finger, and in the resting position the adjacent target cannot be contacted by the trigger finger, wherein during cathodic arc deposition of a target material, the trigger finger is arranged movable between the contacting position and the resting position in such a way that the contamination of the trigger finger with deposited target material during the cathodic arc deposition of the target material can be minimized.

Abstract: An ARC evaporator comprising: a cathode assembly comprising a cooling plate (11), a target (1) as cathode element, an electrode arranged for enabling that an arc between the electrode and the front surface (1A) of the target (1) can be established a magnetic guidance system placed in front of the back surface (1 B) of the target (i) comprising means for generating one or more magnetic whereas: the borders of the cathode assembly comprise a surrounding shield (15) made of ferromagnetic material, wherein the surrounding shield (15) has a total height (H) in the transversal direction, said total height (H) including a component (C) for causing a shielding effect of magnetic field lines extending in any longitudinal directions, establishing in this manner the borders of the cathode assembly as limit of the extension of the magnetic field lines in any longitudinal direction.

Abstract: An ARC evaporator comprising: —a cathode assembly, —an electrode arranged for enabling that an arc between an electrode and a front surface of the target can be established, and—a magnetic guidance system placed in front of a back surface of the target characterized in that: the magnetic guidance system comprises means placed in a central region for generating at least one magnetic field and means in a peripherical region for generating at least one further magnetic field, wherein the magnetic fields generated in this manner result in a total magnetic field for guiding the arc and controlling the cathode spot path at the front surface of the target, wherein the means placed in the central region comprises one electromagnetic coil for generating a magnetic field and the means placed in the peripherical region comprises two electromagnetic coils for generating two further magnetic fields.

Abstract: A method for coating substrates in an arc vaporization source for generating hard surface coatings on tools is provided. The method includes providing an arc-vaporization source with at least one electric solenoid and a permanent magnet arrangement including marginal permanent magnets and a central permanent magnet. The method further includes adjusting the position of the central and marginal permanent magnets relative to the target surface in at least three settings, adjusting the strength of the generated magnetic field based on the position of the central and marginal permanent magnets among the at least three settings, and coating the substrates by an ARC vaporization coating process performed by the ARC vaporization source at each of the at least three settings.

Abstract: The invention relates to an arc deposition device, comprising a cathode, an anode, as well as a voltage source for putting the anode at positive potential relative to the cathode. The device also comprises magnetic elements, which cause a magnetic field over the cathode surface, wherein the anode is arranged in the vicinity of the cathode in such a way that the magnetic field lines exiting from the cathode surface hit the anode.

Abstract: A target, in particular a sputtering target, includes a target plate of a brittle material and a back plate. The back plate is connected to the target plate over an area and the target plate has micro cracks which pass through from the front side to the rear side of the target plate and divide the target plate into adjacent fragments. A process is also provided for producing such a target which is suitable, in particular, for the use of extremely high power densities. A vacuum coating process uses at least one such target as a sputtering target and as a result particularly high power densities can be used on the target during the sputtering.

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 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: The present invention relates to a target for an ARC source having a first body (3) of a material to be vaporized, which essentially comprises in one plane a surface which is intended to be vaporized, wherein the surface surrounds in this plane a central area, characterized in that in the central area a second body (7) is provided, which is preferably in the form of a disk and is electrically isolated from the first body (3), in such a way that the second body (7) can essentially provide no electrons for maintaining a spark.

Abstract: A target, in particular a sputtering target, includes a target plate of a brittle material and a back plate. The back plate is connected to the target plate over an area and the target plate has micro cracks which pass through from the front side to the rear side of the target plate and divide the target plate into adjacent fragments. A process is also provided for producing such a target which is suitable, in particular, for the use of extremely high power densities. A vacuum coating process uses at least one such target as a sputtering target and as a result particularly high power densities can be used on the target during the sputtering.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ignition device for igniting a high-current discharge of an electrical arc evaporator in a vacuum coating system. Ignition is performed by means of mechanically closing and opening a contact between the cathode and the anode. Contact is established by means of an ignition finger that can move on a forced path. On account of the forced path, the ignition finger can be moved by means of a simple mechanical drive to a park position, which is protected against coating, and said ignition finger can also be used to ignite a second target.

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: A target whose target surface is embodied so that the use of the target for reactive sputter deposition of electrically insulating layers in a coating chamber avoids a production of a spark discharge from the target surface to an anode that is situated in the coating chamber.

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.