Abstract: Microwave is introduced into a plasma chamber of a plasma processing apparatus and magnetic field is applied thereto to allow plasma generation gas to be placed in plasma state by the electron cyclotron resonance. This plasma is introduced into a film forming chamber of the plasma processing apparatus to allow film forming gas including compound gas of carbon and fluorine or compound gas of carbon, fluorine and hydrogen, and hydro carbon gas to be placed in plasma state. In addition, an insulating film consisting of fluorine added carbon film is formed by the film forming gas placed in plasma state.

Abstract: An electro-magnet array for use in a sputtering apparatus. The array has a magnetisable core member extending substantially horizontally and having magnetisable outward projections arranged as at least two pairs of symmetrically opposed projections projecting outwardly from the core member. A pole member is associated with each projection and vertically displaced with respect thereto. A magnetisable coupler is arranged to couple each pole piece magnetically to its respective projection. A magnetising coil around each projection is arranged for producing a magnetic field aligned substantially with a horizontal axis of symmetry of its respective projection in dependence upon the direction of flow of electric current through the magnetising coil.

Abstract: Antireflection films are coated on the both sides of an optical lens by sputtering in a sputtering system. In a vacuum processing chamber (22) for performing the sputtering, a plurality of optical lens base materials are placed transversely on a substrate holder (26). The holder (26) is set rotatably in a vacuum atmosphere. The optical lens base materials are embedded to holes (26a) formed in the holder (26), facing their concave surface up, by using ring-shaped holding tools (52, 152). The height of the ring-shaped holding tool (52) is larger than the height of the edge of the optical lens base material (11) within the limits of 2 mm when the thickness of the lens edge of the optical lens base material is large. Part of the ring-shaped holding tool (152) which is put together with the upper surface of the optical lens base material (111) is tapered when the thickness of the lens edge of the optical lens base material is small.

Abstract: A plasma doping apparatus includes a hollow cathode to increase throughput and uniformity of ion implantations in a target. The hollow cathode is located adjacent an anode and a target cathode on which a target is placed. An ionizable gas is provided in a space between the anode and the target cathode. The space in which the ionizable gas is provided is surrounded by the hollow cathode. The hollow cathode has either a circular or rectangular cross-section.

Abstract: A process for the vacuum treatment of workpieces, includes loading the workpieces into a treatment facility, surface treating the workpieces in at least one vacuum station of the facility grouped as a station batch and controlling at least the timing of the process by a freely programmable process controller unit. At least two stations operating each on workpiece batches can be grouped as respective station batches and be different with respect to number of workpieces. The workpieces can be transported to and from the grouped stations. An embodiment of vacuum treatment system for such a process includes at least one vacuum treatment station for workpieces grouped as a station batch. A transport system supplies the vacuum station with workpieces. A process controller unit has an output operationally connected to a drive arrangement for the transport system. The unit controls operating timing of the treatment system and is freely programmable.

Abstract: A spectral selective absorbing surface on solar collector elements has a very high solar absorbing ability, in the range of 96% to 97% and a low thermal emittance, in the order of 10%, and can be produced with high capacity in industrial scale. A reactive gas in an amount of 1 to 50 cm 3/min kW, preferably 10 cm 3/min kW, distributed in the coating zone provides that the metal layer deposed onto the receiving material partly oxidizes during the deposition, whereby a layer is obtained that comprises a grain mixture of metallic material and metal oxide, whereby 40% to 80%, preferably about 50%, of metallic material is embedded into the metal oxide closest to the receiving material. The metallic material is successively decreased to about zero at the surface of the layer by increasing the addition of oxygen at the end of the coating zone.

Abstract: Described is a method for coating surfaces using a facility having sputtering electrodes, which has at least two electrodes that are spaced apart from one another and arranged inside a process chamber, and an inlet for a process gas. The two sputtering electrodes are acted upon by a bipolarly pulsed voltage in such a way that they are alternately operated as cathodes and as anodes. In addition, the frequency of the voltage is set between 1 kHz and 1 MHz. Furthermore, and that the operating parameters are selected in such a way that in operation, the electrodes are at least partially covered by a coating material.

Abstract: An RF induction coil for inductively coupled ionized sputtering applications having at least one extremely smooth surface, on the order of about 30 &mgr;m or less, which faces, substantially resides within, or is immediately proximate a plasma field in a sputtering chamber. The smooth induction coil requires only an extremely short burn-in time to remove surface damage and contaminants until a steady-state sputtering rate is achieved. The smooth induction coil may be constructed of target material, or a material distinct from the target material, and can be of any suitable geometry or configuration.