Thin layer depositing apparatus

Claim 2

A thin layer depositing apparatus which comprises: a reaction vessel; substrates supported within said reaction vessel; a gas accelerating nozzle provided within said reaction vessel; a gas supply means for supplying reactive gas to said reaction vessel through said nozzle; and a thin layer depositing means for depositing a thin layer on said substrate, said thin layer depositing means comprising a target positioned within said reaction vessel and a sputtering means for sputtering said target, and wherein said target has a cylindrical configuration and said substrates so positioned to surround the target allowing reactive gas to flow from said nozzle and along the longitudinal direction of the target.

Claim 3

A thin layer depositing apparatus which comprises: a reaction vessel; substrates supported within said reaction vessel; a gas accelerating nozzle provided within said reaction vessel; a gas supply means for supplying reactive gas to said reaction vessel through said nozzle; and a thin layer depositing means for depositing a thin layer on said substrate, said thin layer depositing means comprising a target positioned within said reaction vessel and a sputtering means for sputtering said target, and wherein a magnetic field generating means is further provided near the target.

Claim 4

A thin layer depositing apparatus which comprises: a reaction vessel; substrates supported within said reaction vessel; a gas accelerating nozzle provided within said reaction vessel; a gas supply means for supplying reactive gas to said reaction vessel through said nozzle; and a thin layer depositing means for depositing a thin layer on said substrate, said thin layer depositing means comprising a target positioned within said reaction vessel and a sputtering means for sputtering said target, and wherein a magnetic field generating means is further provided near the target.

Claim 5

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein a conical flow-directing cap is provided at one end portion of the target near said nozzle.

Claim 6

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said reaction vessel is provided with two discharge openings.

Claim 7

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said reaction vessel is provided with a funnel-like discharge opening.

Claim 8

A thin layer depositing apparatus for coating objects, said apparatus comprising: a reaction vessel; support means for holding said objects disposed within said vessel; gas supply means for supplying a gas supply into said reaction vessel; vacuum pumping means for maintaining the pressure of said gas at a chosen level within said vessel; means for creating a gas discharge within said gas in said vessel; means for creating atoms of a chosen species from a source to react with said gas in transit to said object; and flow-directing nozzle means associated with said gas supply means for confiningly directing the gas flow through said vessel substantially along a chosen portion of the interior of said vessel.

Claim 9

A thin layer depositing apparatus for coating objects, said apparatus comprising: a reaction vessel; support means for holding said objects disposed within said vessel; gas supply means for supplying a gas supply into said reaction vessel; vacuum pumping means for maintaining the pressure of said gas at a chosen level within said vessel; means for creating a gas discharge within said gas in said vessel; means for creating atoms of a chosen species from a source to react with said gas in transit to said object; and flow-directing nozzle means associated with said gas supply means for confiningly directing the gas flow through said vessel substantially along a chosen portion of the interior of said vessel.

Claim 10

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2, or 6 wherein said thin layer depositing means is an ion plating means.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said means for creating atoms includes means for creating a sputtering discharge in said reactive gas and having at least a pair of sputtering electrodes associated therewith, at least one of which serves a target for producing sputtered atoms.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said target has a cylindrical configuration, said support means are disposed to hold said objects surrounding said target at a distance therefrom, and said nozzle means is oriented to direct the flow of said gas generally axially along and proximate to the surface of said cylinder.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the end of said cylindrical target approximate to said nozzle means is configured with a conical cap pointing towards said nozzle means.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said vacuum pumping means includes at least one pumping port through which said gas flow is exhausted from said vessel, said at least one port being disposed generally on the axis defined by said flow directing nozzle means.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said vacuum port is configured with a funnel-like discharge opening.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means for creating a gas discharge within said gas includes means for creating a magnetic field in the vicinity of said target.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said atoms of a chosen species are ionized atoms.