Patent ID: 6592726
Filing Date: 2003-07-15
Classification: C23C,H01J

Abstract:
A vacuum arc coating process provided with an arc evaporation source and a substrate which are placed in a vacuum chamber to produce discharges at a surface of a cathode of the arc evaporation source so that the generated ions clean the substrate and subsequently form a coating layer on the substrate, the process comprising:(a) providing the vacuum chamber with a subchamber having a gas-introducing portion; (b) providing the vacuum chamber with a coating chamber, (c) connecting the subchamber to the coating chamber through a passage having an opening with a reduced cross-sectional area to cause flow resistance between the subchamber and coating chamber; (d) placing the arc evaporation source in the subchamber; and (e) introducing at least one type of gas selected from the group consisting of a reactive gas and an inert gas into the subchamber from the gas-introducing portion at the time of substrate cleaning, whereby a higher gas pressure is maintained in subchamber than in the vicinity of the substrate due to the passage having a reduced cross-sectional area.