Apparatus for evaporation by levitation in an ultravacuum

Claim 1

Apparatus for deposition of thin coatings on substrates by evaporation in an ultravacuum of solid materials which apparatus comprises an ultravacuum chamber provided with at leaSt one window or hatch, a mask covering said window within the chamber and movable to uncover the window, a substrate support, an inductor for effecting levitation and heating of the material to be evaporated, a transfer device operable to bring a succession of pieces of material to be evaporated to a station beneath the inductor, the transfer device embodying upwardly removable carriers for the material pieces, means operable from outside the chamber for operation of the transfer device and comprising a first bar passing through the chamber wall with a vacuum seal and arranged for rectilinear lengthwise movements, and raising means operable from outside of the chamber by a second bar or rod passing through the chamber wall with a vacuum seal and arranged for lengthwise movement, said raising means fulfilling simultaneously two functions, one to move the mask to uncover the window and the other to raise a carrier and material piece from the transfer device to position the carrier accurately on the inductor axis and then to locate the material piece within the inductor.