An apparatus leverages a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process chamber with a wafer-to-target distance of approximately 400 millimeters to deposit tantalum film on through silicon via (TSV) structures. The PVD process chamber includes a source that is configured with dual magnet source compensation. The PVD chamber also includes an upper electromagnet assembly exterior to the chamber body in close proximity to the source, a magnetron assembly in the source including dual magnets with dual radius trajectories, a shield within the chamber body, and a plurality of grounding loops that are symmetrically spaced about a periphery of a substrate support assembly and are configured to provide an RF ground return path between the substrate support assembly and the shield.

A method for preparing a CeO.sub.x coating on a surface of a substrate includes depositing a CeO.sub.x coating on the surface by means of a reactive magnetron sputtering from a pure cerium target. The CeO.sub.x coating can be transparent for visible light. A method for reducing the adhesion of a tissue material such as from a human to a surface of a medical instrument, for reducing the water condensation and improving the heat transfer performance of a heat exchanger surface of a substrate, and for reducing corrosion of a surface of a substrate includes depositing a CeO.sub.x coating on the substrate by means of a reactive magnetron sputtering from a pure cerium target. This provides an environmentally friendly preparation of the CeO.sub.x coating with no need for organic solvents or volatile organic compounds. The CeO.sub.x coating has good hydrophobicity, enhanced hardness, exceptionally high wear resistance, and superior thermal stability.

Embodiments of methods and systems for an inductively coupled plasma sweeping source for an IPVD system. In an embodiment, a method includes providing a large size substrate in a processing chamber. The method may also include generating from a metal source a sputtered metal onto the substrate. Additionally, the method may include creating a high density plasma from a high density plasma source and applying the high density plasma in a sweeping operation without involving moving parts. The method may also include controlling a plurality of operating variables in order to meet one or more plasma processing objectives.

Implementations described herein provide a pedestal lift assembly for a plasma processing chamber and a method for using the same. The pedestal lift assembly has a platen configured to couple a shaft of a pedestal disposed in the plasma processing chamber. An absolute linear encoder is coupled to a fixed frame wherein the absolute linear encoder is configured to detect incremental movement of the platen. A lift rod is attached to the platen. A motor rotor encoder brake module (MRBEM) is coupled to the fixed frame and moveably coupled to the lift rod, the motor encoder brake module configured to move the lift rod in a first direction and a second direction, wherein the movement of the lift rod results in the platen traveling vertically relative to the fixed frame.

A coated cutting tool has a hard coating on a surface of a base material. The hard coating is a nitride of Al, Cr, and Si in which Al is 50 atom % or more, Cr is 30 atom % or more, and Si is 1 atom % or more and 5 atom % or less. The hard coating contains 0.02 atom % or less of Ar, and the atomic ratio A and the atomic ratio B of nitrogen satisfy the relationship of 1.02≤B/A≤1.10, and a diffraction peak originating from the (111) plane of a face-centered cubic lattice structure shows the maximum intensity. In the cross-sectional observation of the hard coating, the number of droplets having an equivalent circle diameter of 3 μm or more is less than 1 per 100 μm.sup.2. The surface of the hard coating has an arithmetical mean curvature Spc value of 5000 or less.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an artificial vascular graft, which comprises implanting a bioactive metal into an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) surface without an interface by performing plasma etching using a bioactive metal target, and an artificial vascular graft with improved blood compatibility, which is manufactured by way of the method.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. In embodiments, a magnetron assembly for use in a PVD chamber includes: a base plate having a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a central axis; a magnet plate rotatably coupled to the base plate, wherein the magnet plate rotates with respect to the base plate about an offset axis; a magnet assembly coupled to the magnet plate offset from the offset axis and configured to rotate about the central axis and the offset axis; a first motor coupled to the base plate to rotate the magnet assembly about the central axis; and a second motor coupled to the magnet plate to control an angular position thereof and to position the magnet assembly in each of a plurality of fixed angular positions defining a plurality of different fixed radii.

The present invention discloses a non-reactive PVD coating process for producing an aluminium-rich Al.sub.xTi.sub.1−xN-based thin film having an aluminium content of >75 at-% based on the total amount of aluminium and titanium in the thin film, a cubic crystal structure, and a columnar microstructure, wherein ceramic targets are used as a material source for the aluminium-rich Al.sub.xTi.sub.1−xN-based thin film.

A coated member, an electronic device, and a method for manufacturing the coated member are provided. The coated member comprises a substrate, a color layer formed on a surface of the substrate, and an interference layer formed on a surface of the color layer. A coordinate L* corresponding to a color space presented by the color layer in a CIE LAB color system is within a preset range. When the coordinates of L* are within the preset range, the color of the coated member may be the same or may be different from the color of the color layer. Light passes through the interference layer and then enters the color layer. The color layer reflects and refracts the light. The reflected light enters the interference layer. The interference layer interferes with the reflected light, so that the coated member appears to be a target color.

A method for producing a coated cutting tool includes depositing on every flank face and every rake face of the cutting tool an Al.sub.2O.sub.3 layer by a HIPIMS process during two-fold or three-fold rotation of the substrates, at a substrate temperature ≥350° C. but <600° C., the deposited Al.sub.2O.sub.3 layer including α-Al.sub.2O.sub.3.