Patents by Inventor Kenneth F. Freeman

Kenneth F. Freeman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4714536
    Abstract: A planar magnetron sputtering device has an extended flat circular target source in opposed spaced parallel relationship with a generally flat article to be coated, placed within an evacuated coating chamber. Crossed electric and magnetic fields in the chamber are established in order to set up a plasma adjacent the target. The magnetic field is provided by a magnetic assembly of permanent magnets on the non-vacuum side of the target. The magnetic assembly is smaller in diameter than the target, but is mounted to a means for moving the assembly laterally over the entire area of the target. This means for moving sweeps the magnetic assembly in an eccentric path generally centered on the target center, with the path being non-reentrant and precessing about the target center with time. In this manner, the path sweeps different areas on successive rotations about the center, and a given area of target is exposed to the magnetic field at many successively different orientations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1987
    Assignee: Varian Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth F. Freeman, Charles B. Garrett, David J. Harra, Lawrence C. Lei