Systems for depositing coatings onto surfaces of molds and other articles are generally provided. In some embodiments, a system is adapted and arranged to cause gaseous species to flow parallel to a filament array. In some embodiments, a system comprises one or more mold supports that are translatable.

Methods and systems for depositing a deposition material on a substrate in a space environment may include a substrate support structure on a surface of a planetary body in the space environment, a depositor for the deposition material, an energy source associated with the depositor to excite the deposition material to form a vapor of the deposition, and a moveable elongate member associated with the depositor, to move the depositor over the substrate, whereby the vapor of deposition material from the depositor may pass over the substrate and flow to the substrate to coat the substrate with the deposition material.

Provided is a vacuum processing apparatus which is capable of performing baking processing of a deposition preventive plate without impairing the function of being capable of cooling the deposition preventive plate disposed inside a vacuum chamber. The vacuum processing apparatus has a vacuum chamber for performing a predetermined vacuum processing on a to-be-processed substrate that is set in position inside the vacuum chamber. A deposition preventive plate is disposed inside the vacuum chamber. Further disposed are: a metallic-made block body vertically disposed on an inner surface of the lower wall of the vacuum chamber so as to lie opposite to a part of the deposition preventive plate with a clearance thereto; a cooling means for cooling the block body; and a heating means disposed between the part of the deposition preventive plate and the block body to heat the deposition preventive plate by heat radiation.

A chuck for holding a workpiece in a deposition system is provided, which includes a base having a base surface with a flatness tolerance of not greater than 30 .Math.m and a clamp having a surface configured to be attached to a substrate, which has a flatness tolerance of not greater than 30 .Math.m. The clamp also includes a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate above the second clamp surface.

A chuck for holding a workpiece in a deposition system is provided, which includes a base having a base surface with a flatness tolerance of not greater than 30 .Math.m and a clamp having a surface configured to be attached to a substrate, which has a flatness tolerance of not greater than 30 .Math.m. The clamp also includes a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate above the second clamp surface.

A method of depositing a film on a substrate is provided. The method includes positioning the substrate on a substrate support in a chamber and depositing the film on the substrate using a DC magnetron sputtering process in which an electrical bias signal causes ions to bombard the substrate. The substrate support includes a central region surrounded by an edge region, the central region being raised with respect to the edge region, and the substrate is positioned on the central region so that a portion of the substrate overlays the edge region and is spaced apart therefrom.

A method of depositing a film on a substrate is provided. The method includes positioning the substrate on a substrate support in a chamber and depositing the film on the substrate using a DC magnetron sputtering process in which an electrical bias signal causes ions to bombard the substrate. The substrate support includes a central region surrounded by an edge region, the central region being raised with respect to the edge region, and the substrate is positioned on the central region so that a portion of the substrate overlays the edge region and is spaced apart therefrom.

A method for adjusting a contact position of lift pins in a substrate placement mechanism is provided. The substrate placement mechanism includes a substrate placement table and a substrate lifting mechanism having lift pins and a driving mechanism, wherein the contact position of the lift pins is a height position where tip ends of the lift pins get in contact with the substrate. The method comprises creating torque waveforms, for a plurality of voltages, indicating temporal changes of a torque of the motor while moving the tip ends of the lift; obtaining from the plurality of torque waveforms a contact point when the lift pins get in contact with the substrate and calculating the contact position from the contact point and a speed of the motor; determining whether the contact position is within an appropriate range; and automatically adjusting the contact position when the contact position is not within the appropriate range.

A method for adjusting a contact position of lift pins in a substrate placement mechanism is provided. The substrate placement mechanism includes a substrate placement table and a substrate lifting mechanism having lift pins and a driving mechanism, wherein the contact position of the lift pins is a height position where tip ends of the lift pins get in contact with the substrate. The method comprises creating torque waveforms, for a plurality of voltages, indicating temporal changes of a torque of the motor while moving the tip ends of the lift; obtaining from the plurality of torque waveforms a contact point when the lift pins get in contact with the substrate and calculating the contact position from the contact point and a speed of the motor; determining whether the contact position is within an appropriate range; and automatically adjusting the contact position when the contact position is not within the appropriate range.

The present disclosure provides a loading apparatus and a physical vapor deposition (PVD) apparatus. The loading apparatus includes a pedestal configured to support a workpiece; and a first support member placed on the pedestal and configured to push up a cover ring when the pedestal is at an operation position to prevent an overlapping portion of a cover ring and the workpiece from contacting each other. In the loading apparatus and the PVD apparatus, the first support member supports the cover ring, such that the cover ring does not contact the workpiece, thereby reducing stress forces on the workpiece by external components.