Patent ID: 8157976

Claim:
An apparatus for use with a vacuum chamber, comprising: a mixing chamber including a side wall, a first end wall, and a second end wall separated from said first end wall by said side wall, said first end wall, said second end wall, and said side wall defining a space inside said mixing chamber; a first input duct projecting from said first end wall; a first plasma source coupled with said first input duct, said first plasma source adapted to discharge a first ion flow of a first coating material; an output duct projecting from said second end wall and having an open end adapted to communicate with the vacuum chamber, said mixing chamber coupling said first input duct in fluid communication with said output duct, and said first ion flow being directed from said first input duct through said space of said mixing chamber to said output duct; a first solenoidal coil including a helically wound conductor circumferentially disposed about said side wall of said mixing chamber, said first solenoidal coil creating a first magnetic field inside said mixing chamber for steering said first ion flow when a first electrical current flows through said helically wound conductor of said first solenoidal coil in a first solenoidal direction relative to said open end of said output duct; and a second solenoidal coil including a helically wound conductor disposed adjacent to said first end wall and aligned substantially coaxially with said output duct, said second solenoidal coil creating a second magnetic field inside said mixing chamber for steering said first ion flow when a second electrical current flows through said helically wound conductor of said second solenoidal coil in a second solenoidal direction relative to said open end of said output duct, the second solenoidal direction being opposite to said first solenoidal direction, wherein said output duct is centered about an axis, and said helically wound conductor of said first solenoidal coil is coaxially arranged with said axis.