Sputtering systems and methods are provided. In an embodiment, a sputtering system includes a chamber configured to receive a substrate, a sputtering target positioned within the chamber, and an electromagnet array over the sputtering target. The electromagnet array includes a plurality of electromagnets.

A method of forming a film on a substrate with sputtering film formation by an ion beam emitted from an ion source, the method including: disposing a sputtering target between the substrate and the ion source; and sputtering a surface of the sputtering target that faces the ion source by the ion beam to form the film on the substrate.

The disclosure relates to a treatment method for coloring a metal that includes a) bombardment of the metal with a beam of singly- or multiply-charged gas ions produced by an electron cyclotron resonance source; b) heat treatment in ambient air so as to color the implanted metal using a temperature between 100 C. and 400 C. and an exposure time of between 1 minute and 4 hours.

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.

A magnet unit Mu is disposed inside a target of a cylindrical shape and generates a magnetic field that leaks from a surface of the target such that a line passing through a position in which a vertical component of the magnetic field becomes zero extends along a generating line of the target so as to close like a racetrack shape. The magnet unit is constituted into separate parts of: a first part which respectively forms a corner portion of the racetrack shape at both ends, in the direction of the generating line, of the target; a second part which is respectively disposed on the inside, as seen in the direction of the generating line, of the target, adjacent to the first part; and a third part which is positioned between the second parts.

An apparatus has a cathode target with a cathode target outer perimeter. An inner magnet array with an inner magnet array inner perimeter is within the cathode target outer perimeter. The inner magnet array includes an inner magnet array base portion and an inner magnet array upper portion. A keeper plate assembly is connected to the inner magnet array upper portion and isolates the inner magnet array upper portion from the inner magnet array base portion. An outer magnet array is connected to a bottom surface of the keeper plate. The outer magnet array has an outer magnet array outer perimeter larger than the inner magnet array inner perimeter. The inner magnet array upper portion has a first magnetic orientation and the outer magnet array and the inner magnet array base portion have a second magnetic orientation opposite the first magnetic orientation.

A TiSiCN coating for a piston ring and a method forming such coating, wherein the deposited coating exhibits a thickness in the range of 10.0 micrometers to 20.0 micrometers and exhibits a coefficient of friction of less than 0.15 and a wear rate of less than 1010.sup.6 mm.sup.3/N/m. The coefficient of friction being measured on a Plint TE77 and the wear rate being measured against an alumina ball of 0.25 inches in diameter at a load of 1 N at 100 rpm in a dry environment. The deposited TiSiCN coating includes nanocrystalline phases in an amorphous matrix.

Sputtering systems and methods are provided. In an embodiment, a sputtering system includes a chamber configured to receive a substrate, a sputtering target positioned within the chamber, and an electromagnet array over the sputtering target. The electromagnet array includes a plurality of electromagnets.

This invention relates to generation and control of electron emission and transport in a plasma device for enhancing ionization in sputtering, including magnetron sputtering, ion treatment, thermal evaporation, electron beam evaporation. The device in combines a sputtering enhanced electron emission on a cathodic element in which a strong electrical field around the electron emission element is created. In addition, this electric field area is in a magnetically confined space of nearly null strength and/or magnetic mirror features. The electron emission area would also comprise of guided magnetic field extraction magnetic field paths which could be either permanent or created at pulse modes. Also, the invention relates to reactive process and coating deposition ion bombardment management. This invention also relates to the use in feedback control systems; manufacturing process and methods which use these devices and materials and components processed by the present invention are also part of the invention.

Apparatus and a method for creation and maintenance of a closed field system in which magnetrons and/or magnet assemblies are provided in a form to create a magnetic field around an area in which a substrate to be coated is located. The method also relates to the steps of cleaning the substrates and applying an adhesive layer prior to the material which is to form the coating.