Abstract: In a magnetron sputtering device for high rate coating of various substrates with sputtered atoms, the sputtering occurs from the interior cavity wall composed of four individual rectangular plates and condenses onto a substrate passing axially through the cavity. Most of the atoms which do not condense on the substrate redeposit on a wall and are subsequently sputtered resulting in efficient target utilization. A few percent, depending on the length of the cavity, escape out the end and are lost to the deposition process. The magnetic field through the cavity is uniform and relatively constant such that the four rectangular targets evenly erode. The two opposing ends of the cavity are open for substrate movement through the deposition region. The magnetic field is generated by a solenoid and allows adjustment for sputtering of magnetic materials.

Abstract: Bulk form of superconducting materials are produced by pouring a melt a O.sub.2 -containing superconducting material into a heated mold, cooling the mold until solidification begins, removing the cast object from the mold, gradually cooling the cast object to prevent the development of thermal stresses, and then annealing the cast, cooled object to restore O.sub.2 to near equilibrium levels. The bulk form produced according to the present invention may be used as a sputtering target in the production of wires, or as a bulk form semiconductor.

Abstract: An improved metal, alloy, or intermetallic matrix composite containing carbon reinforcing fibers is formed. The carbon reinforcing fibers are protected from interaction with the matrix material by an inner and an outer barrier layer. The outer layer is any one of the group of stable, non-reactive ceramic materials used to protect fibers, and the inner layer is a ductile, low density, oxygen desorbing rare earth metal. The carbon fibers are particularly useful in forming composites with a titanium aluminide matrix.

Abstract: A hollow cathode discharge device is disclosed for ion plating a substrate with high temperature metal vapor. A hollow cathode tube is adapted to receive pellets of the high temperature metal at a short location from the cathode tube opening which is selected to correspond to a temperature peak along the length of the cathode tube. The temperature peak is a characteristic of the cathode diameter and gas flow rate in the tube. Inert gas is supplied to the tube and, the tube may be shielded and provided with a constriction at its end opening. An anode is spaced from the cathode tube opening and power supply is provided for supplying a negative bias to the cathode tube and a positive bias to the anode.