Abstract: A method for performing reactive sputtering processes while maintaining the sputtering characteristic at the target as well as the deposition rate constant, or at least in an acceptable range for the industrial production context, independent of the target age.

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 method for providing power pulses for PVD sputter cathodes which comprise a power consumption component and a cathode element, wherein during a power increase interval for a generator the power on the power consumption component is decreased and then the power on the cathode element is decreased, with changeover being effected such that the power draw from the generator providing the power does not have to be interrupted.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vacuum chamber for the treatment of substances, comprising at least the following elements: heat supply elements for the heat supply into a treatment area of the vacuum chamber, in which at least one substrate (10) can be treated, a chamber wall (20), through which heat can be removed from the treatment area, comprising an inner and an outer chamber wall side, and a shielding wall (30), which is arranged between the chamber wall (20) and the treatment area, such that an averted shielding wall side regarding to the treatment area is placed opposite the inner chamber wall side, and characterized in, that the shielding wall side placed opposite the inner chamber wall side is at least partially, preferred largely applied with a first coating (31), which has an emission coefficient ??0.65.

Abstract: A workpiece having a coating, said coating comprising at least one TiXSi1-xN layer, characterized in that x?0.85 and the TixSi1-xN layer contains nanocrystals, the nanocrystals present having an average grain size of not more than 15 nm and having a (200) texture. The invention also relates to a process for producing the aforementioned layer, characterized in that the layer is produced using a sputtering process, in which current densities of greater than 0.2 A/cm2 arise on the target surface of the sputtering target, and the target is a TiXSi1-xN target, where x?0.85. An intermediate layer containing TiAlN or CrAlN is preferably provided between the TixSi1-xN layer and the substrate body of the workpiece.

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: The present invention relates to a method for coating a substrate, preferably a drill, wherein at least one first HiPIMS layer is applied by means of a HiPIMS process. Preferably, at least one second layer is applied to the first HiPIMS layer by means of a coating process that does not contain a HiPIMS process.

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 method for coating substrates with a decorative layer of hard material which is guided into a vacuum coating chamber. The decorative layer of hard material is deposited by a reactive HIPIMS-process, and the energy content in the power pulses is controlled in such a manner that the deposited layer of hard material has a homogeneous colour, a high degree of smoothness and a high strength.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an (AI,Ti)N coating exhibiting at least two different coating portions, A and B, having grain size in nanometer magnitude order characterized in that the coating portion A exhibit larger grain size and higher elastic modulus than the coating portion B. The present invention relates as well to a method for coating a substrate with a coating as described above whereby at least the coating portion A and/or the coating portion B of the (AI,Ti)N coating are/is deposited by means of PVD techniques.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the vapor deposition of PVD layer systems by means of sputtering on at least one substrate, wherein the layer system comprises at least a first layer, characterized in that, at least in one step of the method, a HiPIMS method is used with a power density of at least 250 W/Cm2, wherein a pulse length with a duration of at least 5ms is used while a substrate bias is applied to the substrate.

Abstract: A method for coating workpieces includes the following steps: charging a coating chamber with the workpieces to be coated; closing and evacuating the coating chamber to a predetermined process pressure, starting a coating source, which comprises a target as a material source, whereby particles are accelerated from the surface of the target toward substrates, characterized in that until the target has been conditioned a shield is provided between the target surface and the substrate, wherein meanwhile the substrates to be coated are at least partially subjected to a pretreatment.

Abstract: A workpiece having a coating which has at least one TiB2 layer, characterized in that the TiB2 layers have a texture, in the XRD-spectrum, which leads to significant peaks which display a pronounced (002) orientation. The invention also relates to a method for producing said type of workpiece with a coating.

Abstract: The invention relates to a magnetron sputtering process that allows material to be sputtered from a target surface in such a way that a high percentage of the sputtered material is provided in the form of ions. According to the invention, said aim is achieved using a simple generator, the power of which is fed to multiple magnetron sputtering sources spread out over several time intervals, i.e. the maximum power is supplied to one sputtering source during one time interval, and the maximum power is supplied to the following sputtering source in the subsequent time interval, such that discharge current densities of more than 0.2 A/cm2 are obtained. The sputtering target can cool down during the off time, thus preventing the temperature limit from being exceeded.

Abstract: A workpiece having a coating, said coating comprising at least one TixSi1-xN layer, characterized in that x ?0.85 and the TixSi1-xN layer contains nanocrystals, the nanocrystals present having an average grain size of not more than 15 nm and having a (200) texture. The invention also relates to a process for producing the aforementioned layer, characterized in that the layer is produced using a sputtering process, in which current densities of greater than 0.2 A/cm2 arise on the target surface of the sputtering target, and the target is a TixSi1-xN target, where x ?0.85, An intermediate layer containing TiAlN or CrAlN is preferably provided between the TixSi1-xN layer and the substrate body of the workpiece.

Abstract: A device for cooling a target, having a component that includes a cooling duct and having an additional thermally conductive plate that is detachably fastened to the cooling side of the component, the cooling side being the side on which the cooling duct exerts its cooling action, characterized in that between the additional thermally conductive plate and the cooling side of the component, a first self-adhesive carbon film is provided, which is extensively and self-adhesively glued to the one side of the additional thermally conductive plate that faces the cooling side.

Abstract: A method for performing reactive sputtering processes while maintaining the sputtering characteristic at: the target as well as the deposition rate constant, or at least in an acceptable range for the industrial production context, independent of the target age.

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.