A Post Magnetron Sputter concept employing a cylindrical internally cooled target (cathode) is described. The use of an internal, rotating, permanent magnetic field resulting in 360° utilisation of the target material is outlined. Computer controlled horizontal and vertical movement of the cathode assembly facilitates the coating of contoured substrates which may be glass, acrylic or polycarbonate. Deposition of different metals is easily achieved by changing the cathode or covering it with a suitable sheath material. The design of the cathode results in economic utilisation of the target material, which is particularly important when sputtering expensive metals such as gold. In addition to the deposition of metallic films, such as stainless steel or chrome, reactive sputtering may be undertaken by the introduction of a reactive gas into the vacuum chamber. In this way metal oxide, sulphide or nitride layers may be deposited according to the requirements of the layer structure. Specific optically-active oxides such as indium tin oxide are easily deposited in a uniform film and the formation of multilayer coatings for sun protective and heat rejecting applications is practicable. Indeed, a complete process may be undertaken without removing the substrate from the chamber; merely by adding or changing the reactive gas present.

Date Published: 2 December 1985
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 0562, Optical Materials Technology for Energy Efficiency and Solar Energy Conversion IV, (2 December 1985); doi: 10.1117/12.966315

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 0562:
Optical Materials Technology for Energy Efficiency and Solar Energy Conversion IV
Carl M. Lampert, Editor(s)