An arc source system, comprising a cooling body (12) and a holder body (3) adapted to be detachably fastened to said cooling body and for holding a cathode body (4), wherein the system comprises a membrane (2) which is arranged between the holder body and a lower portion (14) of said cooling body; and wherein said lower portion (14) of said cooling body is provided with at least one cooling fluid channel (11), and wherein said holder body (3) is provided with an inner fastening arrangement configured to be coupled with a corresponding outer fastening arrangement on a cathode body (4).

A cathode arc evaporator of metals and alloys for coating in a vacuum chamber, including an ignition device adapted for initiating an arc discharge, at least one anode, a water-cooled, consumable tubular cathode arranged along a longitudinal axis and rotatable thereabout, an electromagnetic system disposed within the cathode and adapted for forming an arch-like magnetic field, formed by at least one electromagnetic coil, in the vicinity of a surface of the cathode, resulting in a displaceable cathode spot, which is steerable by the magnetic field, at least one sensor responsive to the proximity of the cathode spot, and a controller which is configured to switch the polarity of the current of the at least one electromagnetic coil in response to the signals received from the at least one sensor.

There is provided an ion generation device including a plasma generation chamber that generates a plasma for extracting an ion, and a heating device configured to heat the plasma generation chamber by irradiating a member that defines the plasma generation chamber or a member that is to be exposed to the plasma generated inside the plasma generation chamber with a laser beam.

An improved cathodic arc source and method of DLC film deposition with a carbon containing directional-jet plasma flow produced inside of cylindrical graphite cavity with depth s of the cavity approximately equal to the cathode diameter. The generated carbon plasma expands through the orifice into ambient vacuum resulting in plasma flow strong self-constriction. The method represents a repetitive process that includes two steps: the described above plasma generation/ deposition step that alternates with a recovery step. This step provides periodical removal of excessive amount of carbon accumulated on the cavity wall by motion of l o the cathode rod inside of the cavity in direction of the orifice. The cathode rod protrudes above the orifice, and moves back to the initial cathode tip position. The said steps periodically can be reproduced until the film with target thickness is deposited. Technical advantages include the film hardness, density, and transparency improvement, high reproducibility, long duration operation, and particulate reduction.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a hard carbon-based coating. The method includes: a step A of preparing a film-forming apparatus including a power supply device and a discharge electrode containing a carbon material, and a substrate having a surface on which a coating is to be formed; and a step B of causing the film-forming apparatus to repeatedly generate a discharge between the discharge electrode and the substrate, to form a hard carbon-based coating on the surface.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber configured to process a substrate, a plasma generator configured to generate a plasma, a transport unit configured to transport, to the processing chamber, the plasma generated by the plasma generator, and a scanning magnetic field generator configured to generate a magnetic field which deflects the plasma so as to scan the substrate by the plasma. The scanning magnetic field generator is configured to be capable of adjusting a center of a locus of the plasma.

Cathode structures are disclosed for use with pulsed cathodic arc deposition systems for forming diamond-like carbon (DLC) films on devices, such as on the sliders of hard disk drives. In illustrative examples, a base layer composed of an electrically- and thermally-conducting material is provided between the ceramic substrate of the cathode and a graphitic paint outer coating, where the base layer is a silver-filled coating that adheres to the ceramic rod and the graphitic paint. The base layer is provided, in some examples, to achieve and maintain a relatively low resistance (and hence a relatively high conductivity) within the cathode structure during pulsed arc deposition to avoid issues that can result from a loss of conductivity within the graphitic paint over time as deposition proceeds. Examples of suitable base material compounds are described herein where, e.g., the base layer can withstand temperatures of 1700 F. (927 C.).

A coating system includes a coating chamber having a peripheral chamber wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall. The peripheral chamber wall defines a chamber center. A plasma source is positioned at the chamber center. The coating system also includes a sample holder that holds a plurality of substrates to be coated which is rotatable about the chamber center at a first distance from the chamber center. A first isolation shield is positioned about the chamber center at a second distance from the chamber center, the first isolation shield being negatively charged.

An arc coating system includes a coating chamber having a peripheral chamber wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall. The peripheral chamber wall, the top wall, and the bottom wall define a coating cavity and a chamber center. A plasma source is positioned at the chamber center wherein the plasma source comprises a central cathode rod and a plurality of cathode rods surrounding the central cathode rod. The coating system also includes a sample holder that holds a plurality of substrates to be coated. Characteristically, the sample holder rotatable about the chamber center at a first distance from the chamber center.

An arc evaporation device includes a bar-shaped target having a front end surface and a side surface to be melted and evaporated from the front end surface by arc discharge; an arc power supply; a target feed unit which moves the target axially and in a feed direction; an ignition rod capable of contact with the side surface of the target, in an intersecting direction intersecting the feed direction; a rotary actuator which moves the ignition rod along the intersecting direction from a retraction position apart from the side surface in the intersecting direction to make the ignition rod enter a transport region into which the target is fed; and a detection unit which detects whether or not the ignition rod has come into contact with the side surface of the target during movement of the ignition rod.