Abstract: In an apparatus for the coating of substrates in a vacuum with rotatable substrate carriers (15,16,20) and with a loading and an unloading station (8 or 9), two vacuum chambers (3,4) are provided with several coating stations (6,7 or 10 to 14), directly next to one another, wherein a rotatable transport arm (15 or 16) is accommodated in each of the two chambers (3, 4), and the transport planes of the two transport arms (15,16) are aligned with one another. In the separation area of the two chambers (3,4), an air lock is provided with a corresponding transfer apparatus (5) with two transport arms (15,16), whose rotary plate (20) is provided with substrate storage unit (21,22) and projects about halfway into one chamber (3) and halfway into the other chamber (4), wherein one chamber (3) has both the loading as well as the unloading station (8 or 9).

Abstract: A DC source 10 connected to an electrode 5 is disposed in a coating chamber which can be evacuated. The electrode is electrically connected to a target 3 which is sputtered and the sputtered particles are deposited on the substrate, while a process gas is introduced in the coating chamber 15, 15a. The target is made of an aluminum-silicon alloy which may contain 0.5 to 2.0 percent silicon and 99.5 to 98.0 percent aluminum in order to improve the adhesive strength and the service life of the layer 2. The substrate may be made of polycarbonate.