A pulsing assembly for delivering power to a plasma reactor having a first load between a first plasma reactor input port and a plasma reactor common port and having a second load between a second plasma reactor input port and the plasma reactor common port. The pulsing assembly includes a first pulsing unit, a second pulsing unit and an energy storage component connected therebetween. The first pulsing unit includes a first input port connectable to a power source, a pulsing assembly common port connectable to the plasma reactor common port, a first output port connectable to the first load of the plasma reactor for supplying pulses between the first output port and the pulsing assembly common port. The second pulsing unit includes a second input port connectable to a power source and a second output port connectable to the second load of the plasma reactor.

A pulsed direct current sputtering system and method are disclosed. The system has a plasma chamber with two targets, two magnetrons and one anode, a first power source, and a second power source. The first power source is coupled to the first magnetron and the anode, and provides a cyclic first-power-source voltage with a positive potential and a negative potential during each cycle between the anode and the first magnetron. The second power source is coupled to the second magnetron and the anode, and provides a cyclic second-power-source voltage. The controller phase-synchronizes and controls the first-power-source voltage and second-power-source voltage to apply a combined anode voltage, and phase-synchronizes a first magnetron voltage with a second magnetron voltage, wherein the combined anode voltage applied to the anode has a magnitude of at least 80 percent of a magnitude of a sum of the first magnetron voltage and the second magnetron voltage.

An arc treatment device includes an arc detector operable to detect whether an arc is present in a plasma chamber, an arc energy determiner operable to determine an arc energy value based on an energy supplied to the plasma chamber while the arc is present in the plasma chamber, and a break time determiner operable to determine a break time based on the determined arc energy value.

A rotary sputtering cathode assembly is provided that comprises a rotatable target cylinder having a first end and an opposing second end. A first power transfer apparatus is configured to carry radio frequency power to the first end of the target cylinder, and a second power transfer apparatus is configured to carry radio frequency power to the second end of the target cylinder. Radio frequency power signals are simultaneously delivered to both of the first and second ends of the target cylinder during a sputtering operation.

A plasma processing system used for reactive sputtering may include multiple dual magnetron sputtering (DMS) components. Each DMS component may include a power supply coupled with two electrodes that switch between operation as a cathode and anode and are located within a plasma chamber. The power supply may be configured to operate as a transmitter or receiver power supply. A transmitter power supply may receive a phase-control-input signal that includes a phase offset value and may produce a phase-control-output signal and synchronization signal. The transmitter power supply may send the phase-control-output signal and synchronization signal to a receiver power supply, which may use these signals to synchronize electrode switching with the transmitter power supply and to apply the phase offset.

Embodiments of method for igniting a plasma are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for igniting a plasma includes: flowing a process gas into a process chamber to increase a pressure within the process chamber to a first pressure; applying a first bias voltage from a collimator power source to a collimator disposed within the process chamber; and applying a second power to a sputtering source disposed in the process chamber above the collimator after the first pressure has been reached and the first bias voltage is applied to ignite the plasma.

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for pretreating and coating bodies by means of magnetron sputtering. In a vacuum chamber having a metallic chamber wall (26), magnetrons with sputter targets are arranged, at least one of which is an HPPMS magnetron to which electric pulses are fed by connecting a capacitive element (6) with the sputter target of the HPPMS magnetron via a switching element (5). To achieve effective pretreatment and coating of substrates it is provided according to a first aspect to arrange the switching element on the chamber wall. According to a second aspect, an electrode pair is provided, wherein a first electrode is an HPPMS magnetron (1) and the first and second electrodes are arranged in such a manner that a body (11) supported on a substrate table (4) is arranged between the active surfaces of the electrode pair or is moved through the space between the active surfaces of the electrode pair. In a third aspect, a method is provided, wherein, in an etch step, a negative bias voltage is applied to the body and the body is etched by means of metal ion bombardment, and subsequently the bias voltage is continuously lowered so that material sputtered-off from the sputter targets results in a layer build-up on the body.

An apparatus for generating sputtering of a target to produce a coating on a substrate is provided. The apparatus has a magnetron including a cathode and an anode. A power supply is operably connected to the magnetron and at least one capacitor is operably connected to the power supply. The apparatus also includes an inductance operably connected to the at least one capacitor. A first switch and a second switch are also provided. The first switch operably connects the power supply to the magnetron to charge the magnetron and the first switch is configured to charge the magnetron according to a first pulse. The second switch is operably connected to discharge the magnetron. The second switch is configured to discharge the magnetron according to a second pulse.

An apparatus with a deposition source and a substrate holder having a source mounting portion, which is rotatable about a first axis, a shielding element, which is disposed between the deposition source and the substrate holder, and a drive arrangement. The deposition source has a material outlet opening from which material is emitted. A longitudinal axis of an elongate central region of the material outlet opening extends parallel and centrally between the edges of the material outlet opening. The deposition source is mounted to the source mounting portion such that the longitudinal axis of the central region is parallel to the first axis. The shielding element has an aperture. The drive arrangement controls rotation of the source mounting portion, adjustment of a width of the aperture, and relative movement between the substrate holder and both the source mounting portion and the shielding element.

A power transfer system is described for transfer of electrical power to a sputter target in a sputter device. It comprises a first part comprising a contact surface positionable against a first part of an endblock of the sputter device, a second part inseparably connected to the first part and a third part, and a third part comprising a contact surface positionable against a second part of the endblock or directly against a sputter target when mounted on the endblock. At least two of the three parts are formed as one monolithic piece. One of the parts of the power transfer system is resilient such that, when mounted, the power transfer system is clamped between the first part of the endblock and the second part of the endblock or the sputter target. This part is also responsible for the transfer of electrical power.