Patent ID: 7871506
Filing Date: 2011-01-18
Classification: C23C,H01J

Abstract:
1. An arc deposition apparatus comprising: an evacuatable chamber; a rotatable support disposed in said chamber for positioning at least two targets in the chamber, the rotatable support being configured to rotationally interchange said targets during arc deposition such that a first one of the at least two targets is positionable in an operative position and another of the at least two targets is positionable in a standby position; a shaft coupled to said rotatable support and having a bore extending therethrough and being configured to move said rotatable support about a substantially central axis of the chamber, wherein in use, the shaft rotates the support about the axis to interchange the targets and thereby enables one target to be positioned in the operative position while another target is positioned in the standby position; an electrical power supply for supplying electrical power to the target positioned in the operative position to form an arc on an emission surface of the target positioned in the operative position; a surface preparation apparatus for preparing an emission surface of the target positioned in the standby position to have a predetermined morphology; and a sensor for inspecting whether the emission surface of the target positioned in the standby position has a predetermined morphology.