Apparatus for feeding and coating masses of workpieces in a controlled atmosphere

Claim 2

In an apparatus for sputtering a metallic film onto substrates: a sputtering chamber having a centrally disposed cathode for sputtering a film of the material of the cathode on the substrates; a carrousel for holding a circular array of substrates about said cathode; means for indexing the carrousel to move the substrates in a circular path about the cathode; said chamber having a slot formed therein in tangential relation to the circular path of movement of the substrates; a magazine carrier for holding a radial array of substrates; means for intermittently rotating said magazine carrier to move each substrate into alignment with said slot; means for moving an aligned substrate through saiD slot into said carrousel following each intermittent rotation of said magazine carrier and then for removing a film coated substrate from the carrousel and returning the substrate to the magazine carrier; and means including a housing surrounding said magazine carrier for maintaining a vacuum about the substrates during movement to and from the sputtering chamber.

Claim 3

In an apparatus for sputtering metal onto substrates: a cylindrical sputtering chamber; a cylindrical sputtering cathode positioned axially within said chamber; a carrousel rotatably mounted within said chamber for supporting a number of substrates in chordal relation with respect to said cylindrical chamber and spaced from said sputtering cathode; means for cylically moving said carrousel about said sputtering cathode; means for applying energy across the space between the substrates and said cathode to sputter the material of the cathode onto the substrates; and a pair of shields interposed between the substrates and said cathode for blocking the sputtered material from the central portions of a pair of spaced substrates while allowing the sputtered material to deposit on opposed edge sections of the substrates.

Claim 4

In an apparatus for sputtering metal onto substrates: a cylindrical sputtering chamber; a cylindrical sputtering cathode positioned axially within said chamber; a carrousel rotatably mounted within said chamber for supporting a number of substrates in chordal relation with respect to said cylindrical chamber and spaced from said sputtering cathode; means for cylically moving said carrousel about said sputtering cathode; means for applying energy across the space between the substrates and said cathode to sputter the material of the cathode onto the substrates; and a pair of shields interposed between the substrates and said cathode for blocking the sputtered material from the central portions of a pair of spaced substrates while allowing the sputtered material to deposit on opposed edge sections of the substrates.

Claim 5

In an apparatus for sputtering metal onto falt substrates: a magazine carrier having means for supporting a mass of substrates with their major planes arranged in a radial array; a sputtering chamber having a circular trackway for supporting substrates to move in a circular path; said sputtering chamber having an entry port to said trackway; means for rotating said magazine carrier to move each substrate into alignment with said entry port; means for moving the aligned substrate into said sputtering chamber, upon advance of each substrate into alignment with said entry port, with its major plane facing the center of the circular path; means for advancing each substrate moved into said chamber along said trackway; and means for radially sputtering from the center of the path onto the substrates.

Claim 6

In an apparatus for sputtering metal onto falt substrates: a magazine carrier having means for supporting a mass of substrates with their major planes arranged in a radial array; a sputtering chamber having a circular trackway for supporting substrates to move in a circular path; said sputtering chamber having an entry port to said trackway; means for rotating said magazine carrier to move each substrate into alignment with said entry port; means for moving the aligned substrate into said sputtering chamber, upon advance of each substrate into alignment with said entry port, with its major plane facing the center of the circular path; means for advancing each substrate moved into said chamber along said trackway; and means for radially sputtering from the center of the path onto the substrates.

Claim 7

In an apparatus for sputtering metal onto a substrate as defined in claim 3: means for removing each substrate from the circular path upon completion of movement along the path to a position at said entry port and restoring the substrate into the radial array on said magazine carrier.

Claim 8

In a sputtering apparatus: a sputtering chamber having a hollow cylindrical cathode of a material to be sputtered; said cathode having longitudinal rows of openings extending therethrough; a hollow aluminum cylinder coaxially positioned within said cathode, having a circumferentially extending duct with longitudinally extending ducts exiting in a number of ports in the surface of said cylinder and in alignment with the openings in said cathode; strip-like shields spaced from and overlaying the longitudinal rows of openings in the cathode; means for maintaining a vacuum in said sputtering chamber; means for introducing an ionizable inert gas through said ducts and through said openings to diffuse the gas against the shields; means for positioning a plurality of substrates about the cathode; means for applying a voltage to said cathode to dislodge and sputter atoms of the material of the cathode onto substrates; and means for moving substrates into and out of the positioning means under vacuum.

Claim 9

In a sputtering apparatus: a sputtering chamber having a hollow cylindrical cathode of a material to be sputtered; said cathode having longitudinal rows of openings extending therethrough; a hollow aluminum cylinder coaxially positioned within said cathode, having a circumferentially extending duct with longitudinally extending ducts exiting in a number of ports in the surface of said cylinder and in alignment with the openings in said cathode; strip-like shields spaced from and overlaying the longitudinal rows of openings in the cathode; means for maintaining a vacuum in said sputtering chamber; means for introducing an ionizable inert gas through said ducts and through said openings to diffuse the gas against the shields; means for positioning a plurality of substrates about the cathode; means for applying a voltage to said cathode to dislodge and sputter atoms of the material of the cathode onto substrates; and means for moving substrates into and out of the positioning means under vacuum.

Claim 10

In a sputtering apparatus as defined in claim 5: a plurality of blocking shields each of which is positioned between a pair of said strip-like shields to interfere with the deposition of the sputtered material on center sections of aligned substrates; and wherein the blocking shields are separated from each other by more than the distance between adjacent strip-like shields; and means for moving the positioned substrates about a circular path which is coaxial with respect to the cathode.

Claim 11

In a sputtering apparatus as defined in claim 6: wherein said shields are constructed of the Same material as said cathode; and means are provided for connecting said strip shield to said cathode to sputter the material of said shield.

Claim 16

An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said coating means includes sputtering facilities comprising a cylindrical cathode.

Claim 17

An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the said feed means includes a first push rod, and means for moving the push rod to remove a coated article from the carrousel; and a second push rod, and means for moving the second push rod to move uncoated articles into the carrousel.

Claim 18

An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said atmosphere maintaining means includes a chamber about the carrousel and a housing about the feed means for maintaining a vacuum about the trays being removed from and moved into the carrousel and about the trays moving with the carrousel.

Claim 19

An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said coating means includes a hollow, cylindrical cathode with a plurality of passageways extending therethrough; means for injecting an inert gas through said passageways; means for diffusing the gas across the cylindrical surface of said cathode; and means for applying energy to said cathode to sputter the material of the cathode onto the procession of articles.

Claim 20

In an apparatus for sputtering metal onto substrates: a sputtering chamber having an entry opening for passage therethrough of substrates; a plurality of open-ended carrier chambers for receiving and rotatably mounting magazines of substrates; yoke means for supporting said carrier chambers for movement about an axis of said yoke means and for movement longitudinally of said axis; a housing surrounding said carrier chambers and said yoke means, and said housing having a first opening communicating with said entry openiNg and a second opening for loading a magazine of substrates; a removable lid covering said second loading opening in said housing; means for indexing said yoke means and said carrier chambers to position a first of said carrier chambers with its open end in register with said entry opening and a second of said carrier chambers with its open end in register with said second loading opening; means for moving said first carrier chamber longitudinally of the axis of said yoke means, upon indexing of said yoke means, to move the open end of said first carrier chamber over said loading opening whereby the lid may be removed to load a magazine of substrates; means for incrementally rotating said magazine in said second carrier chamber upon indexing of said yoke means; and means for advancing a substrate from the magazine through the open end of said carrier chamber, the opening in said sputtering chamber and into said sputtering chamber, upon each incremental rotation of said magazine.

Claim 21

In an apparatus for sputtering metal onto substrates: a sputtering chamber having an entry opening for passage therethrough of substrates; a plurality of open-ended carrier chambers for receiving and rotatably mounting magazines of substrates; yoke means for supporting said carrier chambers for movement about an axis of said yoke means and for movement longitudinally of said axis; a housing surrounding said carrier chambers and said yoke means, and said housing having a first opening communicating with said entry openiNg and a second opening for loading a magazine of substrates; a removable lid covering said second loading opening in said housing; means for indexing said yoke means and said carrier chambers to position a first of said carrier chambers with its open end in register with said entry opening and a second of said carrier chambers with its open end in register with said second loading opening; means for moving said first carrier chamber longitudinally of the axis of said yoke means, upon indexing of said yoke means, to move the open end of said first carrier chamber over said loading opening whereby the lid may be removed to load a magazine of substrates; means for incrementally rotating said magazine in said second carrier chamber upon indexing of said yoke means; and means for advancing a substrate from the magazine through the open end of said carrier chamber, the opening in said sputtering chamber and into said sputtering chamber, upon each incremental rotation of said magazine.