Appeal No. 1999-0908
Application No. 08/388,425
1. A method of depositing a coating onto a
substrate by means of a sputtering process, wherein a
flow discharge plasma is generated in a diode sputtering
source between a cathode, provided with an outwardly
facing surface constituting a target, and an anode, and
wherein generation of said plasma results in ion
bombardment of said target followed by ejection of target
material and movement of said target material toward said
substrate with subsequent formation of a coating
deposited onto said substrate;
said method comprising the steps of:
i) introducing a substrate into a process chamber so
as to expose a surface of said substrate to flux of the
sputtered target material;
ii) establishing a magnetic field within said
chamber;
iii) applying, to said cathode, electrical power
sufficient for establishing a glow discharge;
iv) establishing, within said chamber, an atmosphere
of ionizable fluid continuously fed thereinto and
evacuated therefrom so as to establish a uniform working
pressure within said chamber; and
v) maintaining, between said anode and said cathode,
a self-sustained glow discharge accompanied by generation
of a plasma consisting of ions of an ionizable fluid for
bombarding said target and emitting target material
toward said substrate;
wherein said diode sputtering source is a high
voltage discharge diode source with an applied arbitrary,
directed, stationary magnetic field, and wherein said
field is varied in such a manner that there is
established a gradient of magnetic field strength
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