A sputtering cathode includes a magnet having a body of length L1 defining a north magnetic pole at a first end of the body and a south magnetic pole at a second, opposite end of the body. A sputtering target of length L2 surrounds the body of the magnet, but not ends of the magnet.

A fabric is treated by applying a nanoparticle type coating to improve their resistance to contamination by foreign matter. The coating is applied during fabric manufacture and cured during heat setting. Alternatively, the coating applied or renewed by utilizing an existing shower or locating a spray boom or other suitable coating application device to apply the coating to the fabric in a controlled, uniform manner. Prior to application of the coating, the fabric is first thoroughly cleaned such as by showering or spraying, and then dried. Following controlled application of the coating, any excess material is removed by a suitable means, such as by vacuum, and the remaining coating on the fabric is then cured, either by utilizing the ambient heat of the equipment or by a portable bank of heaters. In this manner, the fabric does not have to be removed from the machine in order to apply or renew the contaminant resistant coating.

An Inverted Cylindrical Magnetron (ICM) System and Methods of Use is disclosed herein generally comprising a co-axial central anode concentrically located within a first annular end anode and a second annular end anode; a process chamber including a top end and a bottom end in which the first annular end anode and the second annular end anode are coaxially disposed, whereby the first annular end anode, the second annular end anode, and the central anode form a 3-anode configuration to provide electric field uniformity, and the process chamber including a central annular space coupled to a tube insulator disposed about the central annular space wall; a cathode concentrically coupled to the tube insulator and a target; and a plurality of multi-zone electromagnets or hybrid electro-permanent magnets surrounding the exterior of the process chamber providing a tunable magnetic field.

Embodiments of a sputter source for semiconductor process chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a sputter source for a semiconductor process chamber may include: a target comprising a magnetic material to be deposited on a substrate, the magnetic material including a front surface where material is to be sputtered and an opposing back surface; and an outer magnet disposed proximate a back surface of the target and arranged symmetrically with respect to a central axis of the target, wherein the target has an annular groove formed in the back surface of the target disposed proximate the outer magnet to reduce a magnetic permeability of a region of the target proximate the outer magnet, wherein the groove is an unfilled v-shaped groove having an inner angle greater than 90 degrees.

An apparatus to coat at least one three-dimensional (3D) object. The apparatus includes: a coating chamber; a vacuum pump system; a chamber port; and a rotatable object holder. The holder has a rotational axis Z. At least two rotary cathodes are positioned in the chamber. Each cathode includes a hollow cylindrical rotary target having a rotary axis Y. A magnetic system is swivel or rotary mounted round axis Y and positioned neighboring to an inner diameter surface of the target. At least one power supply is provided for the target. The targets of the at least two rotary cathodes are positioned round the holder, with their axes Y1, Y2 transverse to axis Z, both being offset to the holder in a z-direction, and being offset to each other in a direction along axis Z on opposite sides of an object plane O which is vertical to axis Z.

The invention provides devices and methods for depositing uniform coatings using cylindrical magnetron sputtering. The devices and methods of the invention are useful in depositing coatings on non-cylindrical workpiece surfaces. An assembly of electromagnets located within the bore of a hollow cylindrical emitter is used to form a magnetic field exterior to and near the exterior surface of the emitter. The magnet assembly configuration is selected to provide a magnetic field configuration compatible with the workpiece surface contour. The electromagnet assembly may be a plurality of magnet units, each unit having at least one electromagnet. The magnetic field strength from each magnet unit is separately and electrically adjustable. Each electromagnet in the assembly has a coil of electrically conducting material surrounding a specially shaped core of magnetic material.

A magnetron plasma apparatus boosted by hollow cathode plasma includes at least one electrically connected pair of a first hollow cathode plate and a second hollow cathode plate placed opposite to each other at a separation distance of at least 0.1 mm and having an opening following an outer edge of a sputter erosion zone on a magnetron target so that a magnetron magnetic field forms a perpendicular magnetic component inside a hollow cathode slit between plates and, wherein the plates and are connected to a first electric power generator together with the magnetron target to generate a magnetically enhanced hollow cathode plasma in at least one of a first working gas distributed in the hollow cathode slit and a second working gas admitted outside the slit in contact with a magnetron plasma generated in at least one of the first working gas and the second working gas.

A papermaking fabric is treated by applying a nanoparticle type coating to improve their resistance to contamination by foreign matter in the papermaking system. The coating is applied during fabric manufacture and cured during heat setting. Alternatively, the coating applied or renewed by utilizing an existing shower or locating a spray boom or other suitable coating application device in the dryer section to apply the coating to the fabric in a controlled, uniform manner. Prior to application of the coating, the fabric is first thoroughly cleaned such as by showering or spraying, and then dried. Following controlled application of the coating, any excess material is removed by a suitable means, such as by vacuum, and the remaining coating on the fabric is then cured, either by utilizing the ambient heat of the dryer section or by a portable bank of heaters. In this manner, the fabric does not have to be removed from the machine in order to apply or renew the contaminant resistant coating.

A magnetron assembly for magnetron sputtering with rotary cathode systems is provided. The magnetron assembly comprises a plurality of magnets attached to a plurality of yokes and a plurality of driving modules, each comprising an actuating mechanism operatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of yokes. The plurality of driving modules are adapted for adjusting the position of the plurality of yokes individually.

A rotary cathode assembly for a magnetron sputtering apparatus is provided. The rotary cathode assembly includes a magnetron assembly having a plurality of magnets attached to a plurality of yokes, a plurality of driving modules each comprising an actuating mechanism operatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of yokes, and a protective tube, wherein the plurality of driving modules are adapted for adjusting the position of the plurality of yokes individually. The rotary cathode assembly further includes a hollow target cathode enclosing the protective tube and defining a passage formed between an inner surface of the hollow target cathode and an outer surface of the protective tube, wherein the ends of the target cathode assembly are configured to be rotatably attachable to the magnetron sputtering apparatus.