A vacuum coating and plasma treatment system includes a magnetron cathode with a long edge and a short edge. The magnetic pole of the magnetron results in an electromagnetic barrier. At least one remote arc discharge is generated separate from the magnetron cathode and in close proximity to the cathode so that it is confined within a volume adjacent to the magnetron target. The remote arc discharge extends parallel to the long edge of the magnetron target and is defined by the surface of the target on one side and the electromagnetic barrier on all other sides. There is a remote arc discharge cathode hood and anode hood extending over the arc discharge and across the short edge of the magnetron cathode. Outside of the plasma assembly is a magnetic system creating magnetic field lines which extend into and confine the plasma in front of the substrate.

A cathodic arc coating apparatus includes a vessel, a cathode disposed in the vessel, and a stinger assembly. The stinger assembly includes a first magnetic field generator disposed in a first stinger cup in selective contact with the cathode. The first stinger cup has at least a first electrically conductive cup portion spaced from a second electrically conductive cup portion by a thermally insulating layer therebetween.

In order to improve the etch depth and/or the etch homogeneity of a substrate, a plasma source with one or more evaporators and two or more electrodes according to the invention is proposed. The use of more than one electrode allows the use of different currents at the electrodes and a time-selective application of the currents, so that an improved control of the plasma generation is enabled.

In order to improve the etching depth and/or the etching homogeneity at a substrate, a plasma source with one or more single electrodes or one or more magnets is proposed. The magnet generates a magnetic field in the vicinity of the electrodes, which may be rear-side or front-side.

An atmospheric pressure pulsed arc plasma source and method of using including a housing having a housing opening therein; an insulator tube having an insulator tube opening therein, retained within the housing opening; and a conductive tube, retained within the insulator tube opening. A nozzle is retained by the housing. A feed path is defined in the conductive tube and the nozzle and a gas feed port is operatively coupled to the feed path. Feedstock is provided in the feed path and electrically coupled to the conductive tube. A pulsed DC power source provides a pulsed voltage to the conductive tube. The plasma source emits a discharge stream having a temperature that is less than 50° C. from the nozzle and a coating is formed on a substrate.

Evaporation source, in particular for use in a sputtering process or in a vacuum arc evaporation process, preferably a cathode vacuum arc evaporation process. The evaporation source includes an inner base body which is arranged in an outer carrier body and which is arranged with respect to the outer carrier body such that a cooling space in flow communication with an inlet and an outlet is formed between the base body and the carrier body. In accordance with the invention, the cooling space includes an inflow space and an outflow space, and the inflow space is in flow communication with the outflow space via an overflow connection for the cooling of the evaporation source such that a cooling fluid can be conveyed from the inlet via the inflow space the overflow connection and the outflow space to the outlet.

Methods and systems for depositing a thin film are disclosed. The methods and systems can be used to deposit a film having a uniform thickness on a substrate surface that has a non-planar three-dimensional geometry, such as a curved surface. The methods involve the use of a deposition source that has a shape in accordance with the non-planar three-dimensional geometry of the substrate surface. In some embodiments, multiple layers of films are deposited onto each other forming multi-layered coatings. In some embodiments, the multi-layered coatings are antireflective (AR) coatings for windows or lenses.

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).

The disclosure provides a metal ion source emitting device comprising a ceramic chamber, a leading-out electrode chamber and three cathodes hermetically connected, a trigger electrode fixed on a ceramic insulating element, a cathode target material fixed on an indirect cooling channel, a limiting element fixed on a fixed element, the fixed element fixing the indirect cooling channel on a cathode cooling pipe, the cathode cooling pipe fixed on a cathode flange, a trigger binding post connected with the trigger electrode, a leading-out electrode and an accelerating electrode arranged right below a cathode in the leading-out electrode chamber, and leading-out slits formed on the accelerating electrode and the leading-out electrode. According to the emitting device, three cathodes can operate simultaneously with only one anode, increasing irradiation area of an ion source, and improving the operating efficiency and energy utilization rate, with a more compact emitting source and larger processing area.

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.).