Abstract: A process and apparatus for setting a working rate distribution along a work surface which is being AC plasma-enhanced reactively coated, or reactively or non-reactively etched in an AC plasma, and in which process a plasma volume of given volume is utilized, comprises placing the work surface in the plasma volume, positioning a setting surface of a distribution setting body opposite the work surface, the setting body being surrounded by the plasma volume substantially on all sides of the setting body, and setting the working rate distribution by selecting either the material of the setting surface, the quality of the setting surface, a distance relationship between the setting surface and the work surface, or the shape of the setting surface.

Abstract: A process for coating substrates which has microcavities comprises coating the substrate surface under a vacuum with a predetermined substance to form a layer of the substance deposited on the surface and in the cavity. Directing subsequent layers onto the substrate with an ion bombardment so as to cause the molecular beams of the coating substance to strike the cavities at divergence angles of not greater than 10.degree..

Abstract: To manufacture tubes having a wear-resistant inside coating, such as gun barrels, hard material layers are deposited on the barrel and the layers are strain-hardened in their surface area by at least the ratio of the area by which the surface area is reduced by compression divided by the surface area of 0.001 (.DELTA.F/F=1.10.sup.-3) or reducing the area of the layer by 0.1%.

Abstract: With elastic, particularly rubber-elastic bodies, the problem arises that an applied coating becomes fissured upon later deformation and may easily be abraded. According to the invention, the surface to be coated, for example, an elastic implant, is held in a stretched state during the deposition of the layer, such as a metal. Then, in a state of normal use, the produced layer forms a kind of shrunken skin which remains continuous even if the body is later deformed.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining the rate of flow of particles in a vacuum deposition device using the relationship that the rate of flow of the particles is equal to the density of the particle current times the mean velocity of the particles comprises establishing a flow or current of particles in the device and the directing of a laser beam through the current of particles in order to measure the attenuation of the beam after it has passed through the particles and thus to determine the vapor density within the current. The absorption wavelength shift of the laser beam provides an indication of the velocity component of the current because the shift is produced by a Doppler effect by the velocity component of the particle current in the direction of flow from the source of the particles to the substrate to be coated.

Abstract: A method of determining the rate of flow of particles in a vacuum deposition device, using the relationship that the rate of flow of the particles is equal to the density of the particle current times the mean velocity of the particles, comprises establishing a flow or current of particles in the device and directing a laser beam through the current of particles in order to measure the atteunation of the beam after it has passed through the particles and thus to determine the vapor density within the current. The absorption wavelength shift of the laser beam provides an indication of the velocity component of the current because the shift is produced by a Doppler effect by the velocity component of the particle current in the direction of flow from the source of the particles to the substrate to be coated.