The present invention relates to a process for preparing a tubular article, comprising (a) providing a carrier tube, (b) providing a metal coating on the carrier tube by applying a liquid metal phase onto the carrier tube and solidifying the liquid metal phase, (c) applying a contact pressure to the metal coating by at least one densification tool, and moving the densification tool and the metal coating relative to each other.

This sputtering cathode has a sputtering target having a tubular shape in which the cross-sectional shape thereof has a pair of long side sections facing each other, and an erosion surface facing inward. Using the sputtering target, while moving a body to be film-formed, which has a film formation region having a narrower width than the long side sections of the sputtering target, parallel to one end face of the sputtering target and at a constant speed in a direction perpendicular to the long side sections above a space surrounded by the sputtering target, discharge is performed such that a plasma circulating along the inner surface of the sputtering target is generated, and the inner surface of the long side sections of the sputtering target is sputtered by ions in the plasma generated by a sputtering gas to perform film formation in the film formation region of the body to be film-formed.

The sputtering cathode has a tubular shape having a pair of long sides facing each other in cross-sectional shape, has a sputtering target whose erosion surface faces inward, and a magnetic circuit is provided along the sputtering target. The pair of long sides are constituted by rotary targets each having a cylindrical shape. The rotary target is internally provided with a magnetic circuit and configured to allow the flow of cooling water. The magnetic circuit is provided parallel to the central axis of the rotary target and has a rectangular cross-sectional shape having a long side perpendicular to the radial direction of the rotary target.

The sputtering cathode has a tubular shape having a pair of long sides facing each other in cross-sectional shape, has a sputtering target whose erosion surface faces inward, and a magnetic circuit is provided along the sputtering target. The pair of long sides are constituted by rotary targets each having a cylindrical shape. The rotary target is internally provided with a magnetic circuit and configured to allow the flow of cooling water. The magnetic circuit is provided parallel to the central axis of the rotary target and has a rectangular cross-sectional shape having a long side perpendicular to the radial direction of the rotary target.

A process for the formation of an LiM0.sub.2 (e.g., LiCoO.sub.2) sputtering target with a bi-modal grain size distribution (as in a hollow cylinder target body) that includes a CIP-based process involving, for example, forming or sourcing an LiMO.sub.2 (e.g., LiCoO.sub.2) powder; dispersion and milling (e.g., wet milling); binder introduction; drying (e.g., spray drying) to form a granulate; CIP processing of the granulate into a molded shape; and a heating cycle for debinding and sintering to form a densified sintered shape. The target body produced is suited for inclusion on a sputtering target assembly (as in a rotary sputtering target assembly with a plurality of cylindrical target bodies attached to a backing support). The invention is inclusive of the resultant target bodies formed under the CIP based process as well as an induction heater based process for attachment (e.g., metal solder bonding) of the low conductivity target body(ies) of LiMO.sub.2 (e.g., LiCoO.sub.2) to a common backing support through use of an added conductive wrap or layer provided to the target body and heated with the induction heater during the attachment process.

A rotary plasma reactor system is provided. In another aspect, a plasma reactor is rotatable about a generally horizontal axis within a vacuum chamber. A further aspect employs a plasma reactor, a vacuum chamber, and an elongated electrode internally extending within a central area of the reactor. Yet another aspect employs a plasma reactor for use in activating, etching and/or coating tumbling workpiece material.

A physical vapor deposition chamber comprising a tilting substrate support is described. Methods of processing a substrate are also provided comprising tilting at least one of the substrate and the target to improve the uniformity of the layer on the substrate from the center of the substrate to the edge of the substrate. Process controllers are also described which comprise one or more process configurations causing the physical deposition chamber to perform the operations of rotating a substrate support within the physical deposition chamber and tilting the substrate support at a plurality of angles with respect to a horizontal axis.

Cylindrical evaporation source which includes, at an outer cylinder wall, target material to be evaporated as well as a first magnetic field source and a second magnetic field source which form at least a part of a magnet system and are arranged in an interior of the cylindrical evaporation source for generating a magnetic field. In this respect, first magnetic field source and second magnetic field source are provided at a carrier system such that a shape and/or a strength of the magnetic field can be set in a predefinable spatial region in accordance with a predefinable scheme. In embodiments, the carrier system is configured for setting the shape and/or strength of the magnetic field of the carrier system such that the first magnetic field source is arranged at a first carrier arm and is pivotable by a predefinable pivot angle (.sub.1) with respect to a first pivot axis.

This sputtering cathode has a sputtering target having a tubular shape in which the cross-sectional shape thereof has a pair of long side sections facing each other, and an erosion surface facing inward. Using the sputtering target, while moving a body to be film-formed, which has a film formation region having a narrower width than the long side sections of the sputtering target, parallel to one end face of the sputtering target and at a constant speed in a direction perpendicular to the long side sections above a space surrounded by the sputtering target, discharge is performed such that a plasma circulating along the inner surface of the sputtering target is generated, and the inner surface of the long side sections of the sputtering target is sputtered by ions in the plasma generated by a sputtering gas to perform film formation in the film formation region of the body to be film-formed.

A sputtering system and a sputtering method are provided. The sputtering system includes a first electrode, a magnet and a second electrode. The first electrode is an elongated tube having a first end and a second end downstream of the first end. The first end is configured to receive a gas flow and the second end is placed next to a substrate. The magnet surrounds at least a portion of the elongated tube and is configured to generate a magnetic field in a space within the elongated tube. The second electrode is disposed within the elongated tube. A voltage is configured to be applied between the first and second electrodes to generate an electric field between the first and second electrodes.