Cylindrical cathode sputtering apparatus including means for establishing a quadrupole magnetic field transverse of the discharge

Claim 1

APPARATUS OF THE HOLLOW CATHODE TYPE FOR COATING AN ARTICLE BY SPUTTERING COMPRISING: A HOLLOW CATHODE-ELECTRODE, SAID ELECTRODE COMPRISING A METALLIC SHELL ELEMENT HAVING AN INNER CYLINDRICAL SURFACE AND AN OUTER SURFACE, SAID INNER SURFACE HAVING A SMOOTH SURFACE LAYER OF DEPOSITORY MATERIAL TO BE ERODED; AN ANODE-ELECTRODE ARRANGED TO BE SURROUNDED AND AT LEAST PARTIALLY ENCLOSED BY SAID INNER SURFACE SO THAT A GLOW DISCHARGE MAY BE INVOKED BETWEEN SAID ANODE AND SAID INNER SURFACE; MEANS FOR SEALING THE ENDS OF SAID HOLLOW CATHODE AGAINST THE ATMOSPHERE; MEANS FOR EVACUATING THE INTERIOR OF SAID SEALED CATHODE AND CREATING AND MAINTAINING A SUITABLE PRESSURE OF IONIZABLE GAS WITHIN SAID INTERIOR; POTENTIAL SOURCE MEANS FOR IMPRESSING A SUITABLE VOLTAGE BETWEEN SAID ANODE AND SAID CATHODE TO THEREBY OBTAIN ABNORMAL GLOW DISCHARGE CONDITIONS WITHIN SAID CATHODE; AND MAGNETIC FIELD MEANS ARRANGED TO SUPERPOSE A CYLINDRICAL QUADRUPOLE MAGNETIC FIELD TO SAID DISCHARGE.