Apparatus for coating three dimensional substrates by means of cathode sputtering

Claim 1

Device for coating substrates by means of cathode sputtering comprising a. a rectangular magnetron cathode which is provided with a target with longitudinal edges and defines a coating region, said cathode including a magnet system having poles, b. a substrate holder for substrates having rotated means and a rotating axis that is parallel to the longitudinal edges, whereby the substrates have surface elements which can be moved in the coating region on a circular path, c. a planar wall which has longitudinal edges and is made of a non-magnetic material, the edges also running parallel to the rotating axis of the substrate holder, including a magnet arrangement having poles, disposed behind the wall, for the generation of a longitudinally extended magnetic tunnel having longitudinal sides, this tunnel extending across the surface of the wall which faces the substrate, the magnetron cathode and the wall being on opposite sides of the rotating axis and the longitudinal sides of the magnetic tunnel also running parallel to the longitudinal edges of the target, and d. an anode between said planar wall and said substrate holder, e. characterized in that at least one additional wall 25, 26 having a respective at least one additional magnet system 27, 28 therebehind extends from a respective at least one longitudinal edge 21, 22 of said planar wall to an outer longitudinal edge 33, 34 which also parallels said rotating axis 17 at an angle which places said outer longitudinal edge of said additional wall closer to said target, as measured along a circular arc center on said rotating axis and extending from said respective at least one longitudinal edge of said planar wall toward said respective at least one longitudinal edge closes the circumferential distance, as seen from said axis, between said outer edge and said target, and in that f. the poles of the magnet system 10 and all the magnet arrangements 23, 27, 28 alternate on the circumference of the substrate holder such that the entire circumference of the substrate holder 16 is surrounded by an uninterrupted series of magnetic tunnels.